Shattered was his illusion of happiness, his belief that no matter what happened, everything would be perfect in the end. Everything he had ever known and loved had been taken away from him: his beautiful wife with silver-blonde hair that fell far down past her knees was trapped in a diamond coffin that her powerful Silver Crystal had created, sleeping forever until he could find a way to revive her without hurting her; his young daughter with cotton-candy pink hair sent to the past so she wouldn't be harmed; and his kingdom destroyed almost beyond recognition.

King Endymion allowed a few tears to slip out of his eyes, his staff clutched in his right hand as he gazed out at his beloved city. Buildings, some of which still blazed with fire, were torn apart. The majority of the structures now stood at only half the height they had before and even more no longer stood at all. He had failed Crystal Tokyo as their king, unintentionally allowing them to be invaded and attacked by the evil Lady Godiva, mistress of a world she called Celphrasia. Of what meaning and origin it was derived from Endymion had no idea nor did he care.

Endymion spun around on the balcony outside of his bedroom at the sound of a heavy footfall striding quickly towards him. He held his powerful staff at the ready out in front of him, prepared to defend himself should any foe decide to attack.

"It is only I, my Lord."

At the familiar masculine voice, Endymion sighed warily and lowered his staff back to his side. "What are you doing here, Kunzite? I thought you would be consoling your wife."

Several years after Endymion and Serenity had married, the four generals -who had been Endymion's best friends and guardians during the Silver Millennium before being brainwashed by the jealous Queen Beryl- had been resurrected to be with the women they loved. The women who protected his wife and loved her as a sister, leader, and friend.

"She has fallen asleep. She hasn't slept in weeks, so I slipped a sleeping draught into her wine." The tall, silver-haired general came to a stop next to Endymion as they stared out over the railing. His broad, muscular shoulders were more pronounced by the gray uniform he wore, his hands folded neatly behind his back as he carefully observed his king from the corner of his eye.

"Ah." Other than that, Endymion made no other noise.

"I can help you fix all this, Endymion," Kunzite told him, his face free of emotion as he continued to stare out at what used to be a prominent kingdom.

"How?"

Kunzite turned to face his trusted friend and liege, a hardened, serious look on his tanned masculine features. "I'm afraid it will have to involve returning to the past."

"In what way? And how far into the past?"

"I'm afraid we would need to go all the way back to the Silver Millennium, about two weeks before you were officially introduced to Princess Serenity."

Endymion's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"There are certain things we need to change. Certain things that need to be prevented."

"And that will stop the destruction of Crystal Tokyo?"

Kunzite nodded silently. "We know how we were lured by Queen Beryl and how she brainwashed us and tortured us. We can stop this from happening."

"If you travel into the past, your memories will be erased. You know this very well. So how will you be able to prevent Beryl from capturing you?"

Kunzite bowed his head in thought for a few minutes. Then he looked up. "Queen Selenity will be able to see into the future. Surely she won't allow us to be trapped by Queen Beryl to become her slaves once more. She loved the Scouts almost as much as she loved her own daughter. She wouldn't allow us to kill them." Kunzite gulped painfully as images of the past, of the Silver Millennium, flashed through his mind. Of his own silver sword gliding soundlessly into Mina's beautiful chest, her body crumpling to the ground as she asked him through her tears why he had turned against her.

Then he had gone after Endymion.

Endymion cut into his painful reminiscing. "That won't work, Kunzite. You know Selenity never liked to interfere with the timeline or fate."

"Well, going into the past is the only way we can save the present."

Endymion gestured for Kunzite to follow him and they began to stride down the long corridor of the Crystal Palace. Their footsteps echoed against the walls as they walked, both with matching, even strides.

"There is a way you could retrieve memories of what would happen if you fell victim to Beryl," Endymion murmured emotionlessly.

"How is that, my Liege?"

"Well, it wouldn't happen until after you fell in love with your princesses and they with you. And I remember how adamant you were about staying away from the princess of Venus." Endymion allowed himself a small smile as he recalled the way Mina had followed Kunzite around day and night trying to get his attention and how the stiff general had ignored her until one day he found her in the arms of another man. That poor soul had been beaten to within an inch of his life.

Next to him, Kunzite reluctantly chuckled. "Be that as it may, it still did not stop me from falling in love with her and becoming engaged to her."

"True; but, if I do send you all to the past and you retrieve your memories as you fall in love, the other generals will know before you do."

Kunzite sighed. Endymion knew that his head general was accustomed to being the first to know everything, so knowing that being sent back would require him to be the last aware of the goings-on had to sting.

"That is something I will have to deal with."

Fifteen minutes later, they came to a stop in front of the throne room. "The only way to travel back to the past is to have Sailor Pluto send you there," Endymion informed Kunzite. "You will find her at the Time Gate."

"Are you going to inform the others of this?" Kunzite inquired.

"There is no point," Endymion replied. "They won't remember it."

"They will once they've sealed their fates with the princesses," Kunzite pointed out.

Endymion tapped his chin thoughtfully. "That is true." Endymion gazed up at Kunzite, who was two inches taller than him, through the white mask he wore over his eyes. "I think you are right, Kunzite. You have alway been correct in matters such as these."

"That is why I am your right-hand soldier."

Endymion clapped Kunzite on the shoulder. "Well, I shall send you now to Setsuna and as you convince her to rewind the past, I'll inform the other generals of what we are going to do."

"Good luck, my King."

"And good luck to you, Kunzite."