Shadows of the Dark Kingdom

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There was nothing but dreams. Nightmares, tormenting him relentlessly. Memories twisted and warped. He wanted to cry out. Wanted to wake up. He couldn't escape. There was nothing but dreams.

Then he felt something tugging on his mind, pulling him away from the dreams...

His eyelids fluttered. "We’ve got him," came a familiar voice, sounding relieved.

His eyes opened completely. "K-kunzite...?" The icy-eyed man leaned over him, narrow face filling his vision. "Nephrite." His lips quirked in an expression that seemed unnatural on his pale, dour face—a smile. "Good to see you, old friend. It's been awhile."

"The dreams..."

"Are gone now. You’ll forget them within the hour." He shook his head. "I know the feeling, though."

"Are you two finished chatting? We have work to do." Another familiar voice. He nearly groaned when he recognized it.

Kunzite straightened. "Beryl-sama, at least afford him a moment to orient himself."

"We don’t have time to indulge him." This voice was completely unfamiliar.

Kunzite scowled at the unseen man. "We have plenty of time, Linarite."

Groaning, Nephrite propped himself up on his elbows, taking in his surroundings. The vast room was dimly lit, the shadows hiding the high ceiling and far walls. Directly ahead, standing at his feet, was Beryl herself, eyeing him with a kind of smug satisfaction. 'Well, we managed to survive Serenity's attack,' he thought. 'That's enough to satisfy me!' Kunzite stood to his right, frowning at the man opposite him, at Nephrite's left. 'He must be Linarite...' The man was studying him with pursed lips. Nephrite felt obliged to return the favor.

The man was dressed in the same stark grey uniform that Nephrite and the others were forced to suffer. A tall and muscular man, this Linarite was, possessing more bulk than any of the others, and shoulders broader than Kunzite's. His hair, a deep, vivid blue, hung straight and brushed his shoulders. His eyebrows were thin and arched, a shade darker than his hair. His eyes were a darker blue, almost like staring into the midnight sky. He felt cold even gazing briefly into them. They were as hard and unconcerned as polished gems, and seemed to have about as much compassion and feeling as one might expect from a stone. His brow was broad, his facial features finely chiseled. Like a sculpture, Nephrite decided, Linarite's good looks were cold and lifeless, and no amount of work would ever make him seem anything but stone. Certainly not human...

'But then,' Nephrite remembered, 'neither am I. Beryl changed us... she...' It was painful to think about. So he didn't.

"What work is it that forces us to hurry?" He could hardly recognize his own voice as it came out, weak and horse. 'Gods of my fathers, but I sound like I could use a glass of water,' he thought dryly. 'How long has it been since I last talked?'

Beryl regarded the man Linarite with a frown. "Zoisite and Jadeite," she said stiffly. "They appear to have been... lost somehow."

"Lost?" It didn’t make sense to him. "What do you mean they're 'lost?'" His insolent tone registered and as her expression darkened he added a belated "Beryl-sama."

"What Beryl-sama means," Kunzite put in hastily, "is that they weren't with the rest of us."

Nephrite felt the icy grip of fear crush his heart. "Are they--"

"Dead?" Linarite snorted. "Not likely."

"I would have felt their deaths if they had," Beryl said. "They're still alive, wherever they are. But you'll have to combine all of your powers if you wish to locate them."

'Ah ha. So that's how it is.' He kept his expression blank. 'Combine our powers. Ha. Unable to admit that you're up to it, Beryl?'

"Then we'd best get to work at once, Beryl-sama," he said smoothly. Sitting up all the way, he swung his legs off the platform upon which he laid and stood up. Or tried to, anyway. His entire body, he realized a bit too late, was too weak yet. He started to crumple, but was caught by Linarite. The man's aura washed over him, filthy, unclean. Like a thick layer of oil it settled over him, and he began to struggle, trying to summon his own powers to push the man away. Suddenly he withdrew, leaving Nephrite to fall to the ground. Kunzite put a hand on his shoulder. "Steady," he muttered.

Nephrite was aware of strength seeping into his limbs, and realized that Linarite had been using his powers to heal him. He shivered, thinking that it would have been better to remain weak than to have to experience that.

Beryl watched the entire thing with amusement. "I expect you'll locate them within the month." It had the sound of a suggestion, but Nephrite and Kunzite both knew it was an order and pressed their fists to their hearts and bowed. Well, Kunzite bowed. Nephrite made the motions, but it wasn't quite as effective as if he'd been standing. Linarite bowed as well, and Nephrite suspected he knew the same as Beryl's two Kings.

Beryl swept from the room, and a dozen unnoticed youma scurried in her wake. The weak, currying the favor of the strong. His lips curled briefly in contempt. He quickly schooled his expression to one of neutrality and accepted the hand Kunzite offered, allowing the pale man to pull him up. Kunzite was forced to steady Nephrite, as the auburn-haired man was still not steady on his feet. Their eyes met for a moment, and the contact told Nephrite more than words could. Kunzite was resentful of this stranger, which meant he was favored by Beryl above Kunzite himself. Nephrite also read caution, and something that might have been a warning in Kunzite's expression. Linarite was powerful, then, not that Nephrite had harbored any doubts after experiencing Linarite’s power first hand.

"Shall we begin?" Linarite broke their silent communion smoothly. Nephrite pulled away from Kunzite.

"With all possible speed." The pale King spoke agreeably, but there was steel in his gaze. Linarite returned the look with interest. Nephrite had a sudden premonition that there would be no peace among the Kings as long as Linarite was around.

Even Linarite seemed unsettled for a change. "Are you sure it’s them?"

"Do you think we would be even considering the possibility if we weren’t sure?" Normally Kunzite would have snapped it at Linarite. Now he said the words in a tone that could almost be described as mild. For once his icy calm had vanished, and Nephrite secretly thought that bafflement was very attractive on Kunzite. Widened eyes, slightly parted lips, and a confused (as opposed to the contemptuous, mocking, or glowering expressions he usually wore) look gave him a slightly boyish look that was rather... cute.

Linarite only grunted, staring into the globe that held the image that had them all so confounded. "But they're children!"

"Did you think we hadn't noticed?" Nephrite gritted his teeth. "It’s them, all right. But what I don't understand is how?"

"Perhaps Beryl will know." Kunzite's tone said he didn’t think it likely. If Linarite ever noticed that they dropped any pretense of respect for the creature they called their Queen when she wasn't around, he made no mention of it.

“Let’s just go get them,” he said flatly. “We can figure out why later.”

Nephrite and Kunzite exchanged glances. He could tell the other man’s teeth were clenched in an effort not to speak, probably, Nephrite decided, holding back some scathing retort. Kunzite was good at those but necessity dictated that he hold his tongue around Beryl’s new favorite. ”Better to be safe than dead,” he’d said when Nephrite had questioned him on it.

Linarite watched them with a kind of bemused curiosity. “Fine,” Kunzite finally spat out. “Let’s go.”

“Actually,” the blue-haired man began with a smirk, “it will be best if I alone go. That way you two can stay behind and… make sure nothing goes wrong.” As if anything would! “Besides, you’d better tell Beryl-sama about this so it’ll be less of a… of a shock when she sees them.”

Kunzite grumbled. Kunzite complained. Kunzite glowered. But Kunzite complied. And that worried Nephrite more than anything.

Kunzite opened his mouth to say something, but Beryl cut him off with a withering glance and snarled, "Linarite told me all about you two. What you say. What you really want. I know!"

"B-but-"

"SILENCE!" Their jaws clamped shut simultaneously. Her eyes glowed hotly and she took a step forward.

"Beryl-sama!" Beryl’s head snapped up, and her eyes narrowed. Nephrite spun on his heels to see Linarite, holding two squalling children by their arms. He felt a strange, sinking feeling as he stared at the miniature versions of his two friends.

“What happened to you?” Kunzite asked coldly. Nephrite noticed for the first time that Linarite was bleeding and looking rather battered, as if he’d been in a fight.

“Nothing,” the man snarled through gritted teeth.

“GET OUT!” Nephrite turned back to Beryl, about to protest. “OUT!”

He hesitated still, but Kunzite placed a hand on his arm and jerked his chin to indicate they should go. As they turned, Linarite placed himself in front of them. "Take them. I must talk with Beryl-sama privately."

Without looking at Beryl for confirmation, he lifted Zoisite from Linarite's grasp. Once encircled by Nephrite's arms, he quit struggling and stared up into Nephrite's face with an intent, serious (and familiar) expression. It was odd, seeing the expressions of an adult Zoisite duplicated on the small, delicate face of a child. But looking into his eyes (fierce, angry, and cautious all at once), he knew that whatever had happened, (and despite his miniaturized body) Zoisite was still the man he'd known in the Silver Millennium.

Zoisite sat on the thin mat with his legs drawn up to his chest, his arms wrapped around his legs, chin resting on his knees, and a lost look in his eyes. Jadeite lay unconscious at his side, unable to help. Kurama and Nephrite had left with Hiei, who was going to remove the memory blocks Linarite had placed on the two.

"Best do it now, while we have a moment of peace," Kurama has said softly to him. "Don't worry, Zoisite. You'll be fine." He cast a glance at the Senshi, sitting cross-legged in a half-circle nearby. "We'll be back soon."

That had been almost an hour ago. Since their departure, Zoisite had been drilled mercilessly by the Senshi, the cats, and the Reikai Tantei. Well, they didn't bother him so much, accepting his story more readily than the Senshi, who were extremely biased. 'Lucky Jadeite,' he thought, glancing at his brother. Asleep, he wasn't forced to endure the inquisition. At least the two cats, who seemed to have a great deal of influence with the bratty girls, appeared to be—well, if not exactly on his side, at least inclined to believe he was telling the truth.

The snotty one, Sailor Mars—Rei, he reminded himself, Hino Rei—leaned forward, hands placed on knees in an almost serene posture. The only thing about her that wasn’t serene was her face. And her temperament. And... well, a lot of things about her weren't serene. "I think it's absolutely ridiculous!" She speared Usagi with a look. "You were incredibly stupid to fall for a story as thin as his!"

Usagi looked pissed off—and at the same time, looked like she wanted to cry. She opened her mouth to retort, but Urameshi cut her off. "She's stupid?" He snorted contemptuously. "It seems to me she's the smart one. After all, she's the one who got those crystal-things that you've been after. Her and Zoisite," he added as an afterthought, nodding toward the lithe blonde. He smiled tremulously back. Well, at least Kurama's friends appeared to be nice. The same could not be said for most of Usagi's.

"It was still stupid," Rei maintained stubbornly. "If she'd—oh! Kurama." Her lips pursed briefly. "Nephrite..."

"Where's Hiei?" The curly-haired human boy, Kuwabara, squinted small blue eyes at the door where Kurama and Nephrite had entered.

"Sleeping." Kurama's eyes met his own, and Zoisite was instantly warmed to the toes, no little of that heat seeping into his cheeks. "Those blocks were very well constructed, and breaking them down took a lot out of him."

Most of the girls looked slightly puzzled. Sailor Mercury—Mizuno Ami—rose and went to Kurama. "The blocks were real, then?"

"Aa."

She glanced over at Zoisite, and the look in her eyes was inquisitive, puzzled, but not the least bit hostile. "So he's telling the complete truth, then? All of it?"

"Aa." Kurama slid his hands into his pockets, looking as cool and calm as ever. Zoisite knew from experience that he must have been reeling inside, however.

Rei "hmphed" and folded her arms across her chest, glaring at no one in particular. Usagi grinned and absently ran her hand over the box containing the nijizuishou she and Zoisite had removed from Beryl's less-than-capable hands.

Her eyes met Zoisite's, and her grin widened softly. It was infectious, and he found himself grinning back, his mood inexplicably lightened.

"What about Jadeite?" Ami's question was directed at the woman introduced to him as Genkai-shihan. His gaze fell on the old, powerful woman.

"He'll be all right," she said in a voice that was thin, but oddly strong for someone of her, ah, obviously advanced years.

Zoisite's fingers curled possessively in Jadeite's hair. "I'm sure he'll come around once he's had enough rest," he said softly. Old Genkai nodded her agreement.

"His body was very exhausted despite the fact that physically he hasn't done anything. But it shouldn't take too long for him to recover. He's strong." This from a sweet, big-eyed girl who, if Zoisite was any judge, wasn't human.

“Yukina-saaaaan!” The big carrot-topped boy started to rise, but was pulled back down by Urameshi. Yukina giggled, looking both amused and puzzled as if she didn’t understand the meaning of Kuwabara’s red-stained cheeks or the worshipful look in his eyes.

"What I suggest, now that we’re all here-" Genkai began, but cut off abruptly as the door slid open and two unfamiliar figures entered the room.

Their auras swept over Zoisite like a cold wind, chilling him to the bone. He shivered slightly, staring at them with wide eyes. They obviously weren’t human, either.

"Botan. Koenma." Urameshi cocked an eyebrow at the pair.

"Yusuke!" The blue-haired girl gave him a cheery smile and sat down next to him. "Koenma-sama wanted to talk to Kurama’s friends from the Dark Kingdom."

The other one—Koenma—fixed Kurama with a dark stare. "It would have been nice if you’d told us you were acquainted with all of Beryl's minions." His voice was as dark as his expression.

Kurama smiled slightly, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Not all of them,” he corrected Koenma. “Just most.”

Koenma’s mouth twisted briefly in a pout. “Right. Anyway, I need to get the full story from them.” His frown took in the unconscious Jadeite as well as Zoisite and Nephrite.

Zoisite sighed heavily and nodded. Koenma stiffly took the spot on the floor between the cats and Usagi recently vacated by Ami. Yukina took a seat by Genkai, and as soon as she was settled, Zoisite began.

“Well, as you may know, at the end of the Silver Millennium Serenity sent her daughter and all the Sailor Senshi and supposedly the Earth Prince ahead one thousand years to the present. Well, as far as I can tell, somehow myself and Jadeite were sent ahead as well, and were born to a human couple.” It hurt to say that. ‘Mother, Father... are you well, wherever you are?’ "Unlike the Senshi, however, we were born with our memories intact. I’d been a human child for about five years or so when Jadeite and I met Kurama." He smiled slightly. "We attended the same school. We had been acquainted for three years when Linarite first appeared." His smile disappeared at that.

"So, who is this Linarite guy, anyway? You seem to imply that you don’t know him." Koenma was sharp. From the glances passed around, no one else had caught that.

"I’m not sure who Linarite is, really," he answered truthfully. "I don’t remember him at all from the Silver Millennium."

"Neither do I," Nephrite added quietly. "He was there when I was awakened.” He paused for a moment. "Kunzite was awakened by Beryl before I was. If anyone might know, he would."

Koenma leaned forward intently. "Do you think you can get Kunzite to tell you what he knows?"

Zoisite and Nephrite exchanged glances. "I don't know," Zoisite said slowly, thoughtfully. "He hadn't even hinted at being acquainted with Linarite before..."

Nephrite nodded. "I asked him when Linarite showed up a few months ago. He said he knew as much as I." His eyes narrowed. "But I guess that was true, in a way."

"Is there a possibility he didn't know about the memory blocks?" Kurama asked softly. He was leaning against the wall, knees bent, eyes dropping, and head tilted back slightly to rest against the smooth cherry wood panels. 'How much does he know,' Zoisite wondered, 'about my relationship with Kunzite? I hope it doesn't bother him.'

"Well, if Nephrite and Zoisite—and undoubtedly Jadeite as well—all had memory blocks, it would make sense that Kunzite has one, as well."

Kurama made a slight noise that might have been in agreement. "Of course he does!" Zoisite exclaimed determinedly, bouncing slightly. "He wouldn't have just stood by quietly if he knew!" The enthusiasm in his voice was enough to bring knowing smiles to many faces.

"He did once before," Nephrite said quietly—too quietly to be heard by any but those right next to him. Kurama didn't respond, but Ami, standing on Kurama's other side, leaned forward to shoot him a curious look.

Genkai held up a hand. "If this is true, as soon as Hiei recovers you must bring Kunzite here." Zoisite nodded.

"I can do that." He hesitated, nibbling his bottom lip. "Well, I can try, anyway. I'm not sure how easy it will be to get back into the Dark Kingdom. Beryl may have people watching for me." He brightened. "Well, I suppose I could just get him to come to me! Making contact shouldn't be too difficult."

Koenma stood. "Well, if that's all—" he glanced at Genkai, who nodded, "—then you all might as well go home and get some rest." His brow furrowed in a brief frown. "I have a feeling we're going to have a lot of hard work ahead of us."

"NOOOOOO!" The petulant screech echoed through the halls. "I DON'T WANNA!!" Linarite winced at the accompanying shriek of blind rage. "NononononoNO!"

Nephrite fought the urge to laugh. Two months it had been since Linarite had brought in Zoisite and Jadeite, and he and Beryl still hadn't figured out that it was all just in act. "Linarite!" Nephrite called across the practice ring. "I don't think he wants to do it!"

Linarite shot him an icy look, but did not dignify Nephrite's comment with a verbal response. Instead, he crouched down so he was at eye-level with the sniffling Zoisite. "Just do it, boy," he said as gently as he could. Nephrite thought the effort was wasted; nothing could make Linarite seem anything even remotely resembling "gentle."

Zoisite's face scrunched like he was about to cry, and Linarite stood swiftly and turned his back on the little boy. "If you start that again," the blue-haired man warned in a tight voice, "I'm going to beat you so badly you'll—"

"Linarite!" Nephrite's sharp cry cut the blue-haired man off. "You don't have the right—!"

"Remember your place, Nephrite," Linarite said coolly. Nephrite winced, less at the reminder that he'd been placed under Linarite's command and more at the solemn, speculative and all too adult look on Zoisite's face as he studied the rock-hard King. Jadeite, sitting against the far wall, mirrored Zoisite's scrutiny.

He inclined his head slightly in a gesture that might have been one of submission. "Please remember that they're only children, after all."

Linarite growled in disgust, giving Nephrite a hard look. "There must be some way to jog their memory," he said flatly. "And I'm sure it's easier than you and Kunzite make it out to be."

Nephrite felt himself grow cold. The small face of his copper-haired comrade had drained of blood, and his eyes had gone wide with—what, fear? "Don't be ridiculous!" Nephrite spat. "We did our best! Frankly," he continued in a calmer tone, "we're not even sure there are memories to jog." He cut his eyes at Linarite. "While it's true they bear a remarkable resemblance to the men I once knew, it seems to me that's it's probably no more than that... a resemblance."

Linarite moved so quickly, Nephrite almost didn't see him take the quick strides that brought him only a foot away from Nephrite. "Are you implying that you made a mistake?" His tone was mild, but his eyes were flashing dangerously. Nephrite took a step back in spite of himself.

"None of us are infallible—"

"I felt their energy signatures too, damnit!" Linarite took a menacing step forward. "You said you were sure! Did you lie? Or are you lying now?" His tone implied he thought the latter most likely.

Nephrite blanched. "Enough, Linarite," he said flatly, holding up his hands in a defensive gesture. "All I'm saying is that we haven't seen even the slightest trace of energy period since you brought them here. They know nothing of Beryl, the Silver Millennium or the Dark Kingdom, and though Kunzite and I have searched through their minds diligently, we found nothing to indicate that they ever did know. You—"

"I experienced their power firsthand!" Blue eyes hard as stone tried to drill holes in his skull. "Remember, Nephrite? They attacked me. I've seen what they're capable of. Don't think for a moment that any of you are fooling me!" Linarite abruptly turned his back on Nephrite. The auburn-haired man couldn't see the other King's expression, but it was fierce enough to make Zoisite cringe. "I have enough of this," he announced angrily. "Continue the lesson yourself, Nephrite. And if they show no signs of progress, you will be punished for their failure." He disappeared in a whirl of blue fog and icy wind.

Nephrite stared blankly at the spot where a moment ago his and Kunzite's chief rival had stood. Then he tossed back his head and groaned loudly, turning to lean against the rough walls, forehead resting on the cool, slightly damp surface. The feather-light pat on his leg almost made him jump.

"If the price for this charade is your suffering," came Zoisite's high, thin, child-like voice, "then it isn't worth keeping up. Jadeite and I appreciate what you—and Kunzite, too, I suppose—are doing for us, but—"

"No." Nephrite said quietly. "I can see the misery in your eyes every time I look at you two. You no longer belong here."

"We never did," Jadeite said quietly. Nephrite pushed himself off the wall, turning to look down at them. Jadeite's mature, tranquil eyes stared up at him out of the plump face of a little boy. "Neither did you. We belong on Earth, to dwell in the warm sun and the cooling breezes, and the scent of the trees and the grass and the Earth." Out of all of them, Nephrite had always considered Jadeite to be the wisest, the most thoughtful and considerate. He'd been equally at home in schools of philosophy as on the battlefield.

Zoisite snorted at his words, but he was nodding his head. "We all hated it here—we just couldn't admit it," the little green-eyed King said firmly. "We simply weren't made for this dreary, miserable environment... always in the dark, the dank, and waiting on Beryl hand and foot. We were happier with Endymion."

"Well, maybe—" Nephrite began.

"No maybe about you, Nephrite. Kunzite may be more at home here—he always loved power best—but you and I and Zoisite weren't power-hungry like he was. Never were, aren't, and never will be. It's not in our natures... which may have been why we were chosen as Endymion's guards in the first place." Jadeite crossed his arms over his chest with a 'hmph.'

Nephrite eyed him dubiously. "Perhaps. But that wouldn't explain Kunzite, would it?"

Zoisite shrugged dismissively. "Whatever." He and Jadeite exchanged glances. "This can't go on. We aren't fooling Linarite. We may be fooling Beryl, but for how much longer? You might be willing to endure Beryl's chastisements for us, but the tiniest whiff of that will send Kunzite straight to Beryl, whining about how we all forced him into keeping quiet. And where would that get us?" He shook his head.

Nephrite remained silent, not knowing what to say. It was Jadeite who spoke first. "Nephrite," he began. "Maybe we could escape from the Dark Kingdom—all three of us, together. Begin a new life on Earth." Nephrite opened his mouth to protest the obvious, but Zoisite cut him off excitedly. "Jadeite's right! And Linarite wouldn't be a match for all our powers combined."

Nephrite had to turn away from the imploring eyes of his friends. "It wouldn't work," he protested feebly. "Beryl would destroy us. Linarite would destroy us. Hell, even Kunzite would destroy us, just to prove that he had nothing to do with us."

Zoisite flung himself at Nephrite with a heart-wrenching cry, wrapping his arms around the man's neck. "Please Nephrite! You've got to return to Earth with us! You've just got to!" The tears he'd been pretending at earlier trickled down his cheeks. "Nephrite..."

Feeling like weeping himself, Nephrite wrapped his arms around the small frame of his old comrade and squeezed gently, burying his face in the soft copper locks. Jadeite tugged on his arm, and he briefly opened his embrace to include him. "All right," he whispered hoarsely. "All right. I'll do it."

Neither of them replied, but he felt the pressure of their small arms increase, and Zoisite's tears ceased, though he continued to sniffle.

They were both silent, Kurama perched on the balustrade facing Nephrite, who leaned against the wall, shoulders slumped and hands in his pockets. The auburn-haired King's eyes were half-closed, and his face was relaxed. 'There's no time like the present,' Ami told herself firmly, squaring her shoulders. "E... Excuse me, Kurama-kun... Nephrite... could I have a word with you?"

She couldn't read Nephrite's expression as he lifted his eyes to her, but Kurama's smile was warm and welcoming. "Please do," the redhead said softly, eyes twinkling. "I'm afraid few of the other Senshi are inclined to."

She smiled brightly as she leaned against the balustrade by his side. "Don't worry. They're just too used to thinking of the worlds as black and white—but they'll see soon enough that there are no absolutes."

"If they're wise, they'll get used to it eventually." Ami started slightly at Genkai's words. The old woman stood in the doorway, flanked by Usagi and the strange man identified as Koenma. It was a name Luna had spoken when she'd told the Senshi about their new temporary partners, but the dark feline had never explained who he was, exactly. Ami frowned. In fact, neither Luna nor Artemis had ever really explained what kind of "team" Kurama and his friends actually were. It had seemed slightly suspicious in Ami's mind that so little information was given about their new partners, or the mysterious Koenma for whom they worked. The events since they'd met had left little time for probing, however. 'Perhaps this would be an opportune moment to find out more about our colleagues. But first, I need to question Nephrite about what he said earlier concerning Kunzite.'

"Kurama. Nephrite. I need to talk to you two." He spoke clearly, despite the pacifier in his mouth.

"Ami wants to speak to us, too," Kurama responded pleasantly. "Maybe we should all talk together." Nephrite raised his eyebrows at the redhead, expression amused. Ami raised her own brows, as well: she recognized an evasion when she heard one.

"None of that, Kurama." Apparently Koenma could, too.

Usagi left Genkai's side in favor of hoisting herself up onto the balustrade next to Ami and Kurama. "What did you want to talk to them about, Ami?"

She eyed her friend surreptitiously. "Oh, just about something I overheard Nephrite say earlier."

Nephrite grunted. "What did you overhear?"

Ami scuffed her toe against the smooth wooden deck. "A remark you made about Kunzite..."

"Oh." He shook his head slowly, hair swinging.

"I gather that you feel Kunzite might be a problem," Genkai said quietly.

Nephrite nodded. His eyes tightened, and there were creases on his normally smooth brow. "Kunzite was always a little.... different... than the rest of us." He cleared his throat, and Ami realized that he was uncomfortable speaking on the subject. "Quiet, reserved, power-hungry... you know the type. He liked Endymion well enough, but was never really loyal the way the rest of us were. When Beryl first contacted us about an alliance, Kunzite was the only one who hesitated before saying no."

Ami's brow furrowed in confusion. "But I thought—"

Nephrite held up a hand. "Yes, we once served the Earth Prince loyally, Sailor Mercury, as you Senshi did the Moon Princess. But Beryl was incredibly jealous of the Moon Princess, and wanted Endymion for herself. And, of course, all the power the Moon Princess possessed, and more." Ami thought she detected a hint of amusement in his voice, a glint of humor in his eyes. "The only thing that stopped her from doing to the Senshi what she did to us was her incredible jealousy of other women. She allows no females into the upper ranks, and doesn't even allow female youma to serve her."

"So Beryl somehow forced you to serve her," Koenma prompted.

"Yes," the auburn-haired King said softly. "We were once human, like the Senshi, but..." He brought his hand up to his face, staring. "We're more youma than human, now. It's the part of us that is youma that allowed her to control us. Mind, she didn't use it to bring loyalty to her and her cause. No. Instead, she used it to bring out the worst parts of us—the parts that were angry, bitter, and jealous. Then she played upon that, and for the rest of that lifetime we loathed Endymion and the Moon Princess, whom we believed had somehow subjugated our power." He let his hand drop. "Funny, I'd almost forgotten all this. The Silver Millennium was always like some half-remembered nightmare.

Usagi was mouthing "wow," but no sound was coming out. The Senshi's "fearless" leader was looking most distressed, and Ami could well understand why, being greatly distressed herself. 'All that history... and we fought them all along, never knowing that they were so much like us, forced to serve that monster Beryl. We never even attempted to understand them.'

Perhaps something of her thoughts was reflected in her expression, for Kurama looked directly at her when he spoke. "Don't you or your friends feel bad about it. You couldn't have known."

"Still," Ami murmured quietly.

"It's our job to save victims of the Dark Kingdom," Usagi announced with a frown, eliciting several surprised glances. "I feel like I've failed as Sailor Moon somehow when I think that all that time..."

Surprise flitted across Nephrite's face, then gratitude. He looked about to comment, then Koenma butted in with an irritated, "And Kunzite can't be trusted because...?"

Nephrite's head jerked in Koenma's direction. "Yes. Well. Like I said, Kunzite was always on the fringe, if you will. He quickly became Beryl's most trusted advisor. He took delight in the atrocities he caused more than any of us, and looking back I can't help but wonder if it had been less Beryl's influence and more his own resentment and bitterness that was to blame. He caused the most destruction, almost more than Beryl herself, though it was all in her name."

He paused, chin sinking to his chest, eyes unfocused as he relived those times in his imagination. "We were estranged at that time, but when I woke up and Kunzite was there, it was almost like nothing had ever happened. He was like he used to be. " He frowned, lifting his chin. "But he steadily became more angry and aggressive, till he ended up like he is now. Not as bad as he was then—not by a long shot—but bad enough.."

He remained silent for a long moment. Ami thought he was finished, but then Genkai said, "You look like a man with something unpleasant to say."

Nephrite turned his face away. "Aa. A few years after Zoisite and Jadeite were brought back to the Dark Kingdom, Linarite became very... abusive toward them." His jaw clenched, and Ami felt a cold hand clutch her heart. "He'd never been nice before, of course, but it went from cuffing and slaps to... worse things."

Ami exchanged a puzzled glance with Usagi. 'Worse things? What on earth could he..." Her eyes widened at the same time Usagi's did, and she saw reflected in the other girl's gaze her own horror and disgust. 'No... he can't mean....'

But Ami could tell from Nephrite's pained expression that he meant just that. "Kunzite knew before I did," the auburn-haired man continued. "I confronted him about it at the time. He’d admitted he'd known. I tried to put a stop to it... that was when Linarite put the memory blocks on us, and disappeared. The memory blocks weren't all he'd done to us, though. He'd also implanted in us a great deal of hostility towards one another. Zoisite and Jadeite got over it quickly concerning one another—they'd always been the closest back in the day, and their new kin bond must have strengthened their ties. The only one of us not affected was Kunzite."

His audience remained quiet for a moment. Usagi wore a look of intense concentration, like she was trying to figure something out. Ami knew the blonde's thoughts before Usagi did. "But wasn't Kunzite—ah—alliedwith Zoisite?"

His lips twisted. "He was only impartial at first. In fact, I don't recall that any of us were inclined to dislike Kunzite. I suspect it was because he was in Beryl's confidence the entire time." His expression darkened at the thought. "He eventually joined Zoisite—or, rather, brought Zoisite into his faction—when they became lovers. He quickly began to dislike Jadeite and I. Me, he disliked for obvious reasons. But he disliked Jadeite because he was jealous of how close he and Zoisite were." He shook his head, and Ami noticed suddenly that he was staring intently at Kurama. In fact, so was everyone else.

Usagi's face reflected commiseration, while Koenma's held no little reproach. Genkai, as well as the redhead, were deadpan. Ami let her gaze sweep over them all, trying to put the pieces together. 'Zoisite and Kunzite... lovers... Kurama... what does it all...?' Her eyes widened in shock. "Kurama-kun, do you have a thing for Zoisite?" Ami blurted.

She instantly regretted it. She clapped her hands over her mouth, but it was too late. Kurama sat rigid, normally warm green eyes gone very cold as he gave her a long, hard look. Then, without a word, he swung his legs over the other side of the balustrade and dropped down into the soft grass, striding quickly towards the shadowy woods surrounding the temple.

Ami dashed to the end of the balustrade, aware of Usagi and Nephrite following. "Wait! Kurama-kun!" But he was already gone.

"Don't bother following him," Koenma advised, coming up beside her. "I'm sure he'd not mad. He just needs some time to contemplate all that's happened." Amber eyes narrowed shrewdly at her. "But if I were you, I'd refrain from trying to second-guess Kurama's feelings. He doesn't appreciate it, and better men—and women—have died trying."

Ami frowned at him, feeling herself grow cold. 'Kurama-kun isn't like that... is he?' More than ever, Koenma seemed like a petulant child. Still, she couldn't quite shake off an intense feeling of disquiet at his words. "I didn't mean to say it," she insisted.

"But you have to admit, that was a phenomenally tactless remark worthy of Usagi," Luna observed dryly.

They turned to face the cat, who sat placidly on the recently-vacated balustrade. "Luna, how much did you hear?" Ami asked.

"Enough," Luna responded. "I must say, Nephrite, that I sympathize with your plight, and I wish we'd realized sooner."

"Like Kurama said, you couldn't have known," he said softly, eyes shadowed. Ami wasn't the least bit surprised when Usagi, impulsive thing that she was, threw her arms around him.

"Don't worry, Nephrite. We'll help you be free of the Dark Kingdom once and for all!" Usagi proclaimed loudly. The man smiled tremulously, and Ami knew exactly what he was thinking.

'Easier said than done.'

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