Twice Upon a Time

by Moon Faery

A re-hash of the Silver Millennium story, with a few new twists. ^-^ Done to the song 'Twice Upon a Time' by Joe Diffey.

Twice Upon a Time
By: Moon Faery
crystalmilleniu@bolt.com
http://www.faerysgarden.asiansquare.com
Rated PG13


Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. Takeuchi Naoko does. Sorry to
disappoint you. I also don't own the song Twice Upon a Time, it belongs to
Joe Diffey.

An: Hiya, peoples! This is a brand new songfic of mine, done to a very
beautiful song. Please, remember to write and tell me what you think!


----@

Once upon a time...


"Mother," Serenity whined, slouching down on her mattress. "Do I have
to?"

Queen Selenity glanced at her daughter, who was currently refusing to
pack. "Dear, I promised Queen Catherine that I would at least try to
introduce you to Endymion before he turned eighteen." She fixed a stern, but
motherly, glare on the Crown Princess of the Moon.

"Why can't we wait until after he's married?" she asked petulantly.

"Serena!" her mother whined. "He's getting married to Beryl on August
twelfth, and he turns eighteen on the third!" Serena just sat there. The
Queen, usually very calm, began pulling on the long ends of her pigtails. The
buns that adorned her head so elegantly began to come undone, until two
silvery-lavender knots of hair sat hanging down near the sapphire drops that
her Majesty wore as earrings. When Queen Selenity regained her composure, her
appearance was far from the composed front that she normally wore at all
times, for the sake of public appearance.

Serena just sank lower. "Do we have to?"

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhh!" Selenity's patience snapped. "That is it, young lady!
You are going to pack! You are going to go to Earth with me! You are going to
meet Endymion and wish him and Beryl a long, happy life! Finally, you are
going to enjoy yourself, even if I have to MAKE YOU!" Queen Selenity took a
long, shuddering breath, seeming to pull herself back into one piece. She
looked her daughter straight in her blue eyes. "Are we clear?"

Serena twisted one long, golden pigtail in her hands, trying
desperately to look cute enough to get her mother to give in. The icy glare
that Queen Serenity turned on her convinced Serena not to try it again. "Oh,
all right, other. I'll go."

Selenity smiled happily. Smiling somehow managed to turn all attention
away from her rumpled appearance, and once again she was the calm, in control
Queen. "Thank you, dear."

Serena sighed. 'Why do I feel like I lost more than I think I did?'

*****************************************************************************

Once upon a time
There were two hearts
On the road to happy ever after

*****************************************************************************

Endymion ran weary hands through his hair again. The party from the
moon was an hour late due to an unexpected solar flare. He'd been stuck
sitting in state on the steps of the palace, in a gilded chair that reflected
the late summer sun admirably, for roughly three hours. All in all, Endymion
was in a remarkably obstinate mood. And his "beloved" wasn't helping.

"Endy," Beryl breathed, leaning towards him so he got quite a view down
her low-cut gown. She was very good at breathing, he noticed absently. "When
are they going to be here?" How the redhead could whine like that and still
look so sexy still eluded him.

"Until Queen Selenity and the Princess arrive, Love," he whispered
back, barely managing to hide his disgust. Lately, it seemed she wasn't the
girl he had fallen in love with. She had been sweet, kind, and as close to
innocent as one could find in a girl who was involved in politics. Somehow,
that had changed. Not that she wasn't still all those things, but the
innocence had dimmed, and Beryl was much more controlling than he had ever
thought she'd be. That was, after all, the reason he had chosen to marry her.
She would never become involved in his business, and would seldom raise her
voice to argue. Everything a man could want... right?

"Well, finally," Beryl sighed, drawing Endymion's attention from his
thoughts to a pearly shimmering in the air roughly thirty meters before him.
As he watched, it grew from a small hole hanging in the air to a silver
gateway.

A stately woman stepped through, smiling brightly. Her beautiful hair
trailed the ground, yet never seemed to pick up dirt. A gown of the purest
white adorned her perfect body, accentuating all the right places. Eyes of
the clearest blue seemed to stare straight into his soul. Struck by the
vision of this angel on his unworthy planet, Endymion leaned forward in his
chair as Beryl frowned at this competition.

It was a shame she was four centuries his senior.

"Catherine!" Queen Selenity rushed up to greet her friend- and fellow
illicit Soldier of Love and Justice- the Queen of Earth. "How have you been?
I haven't seen you in decades!" Only a Queen could say that and not make it
sound insane.

"Seley!" Endymion's mother jumped up from her throne like a school
girl, deepest red hair bouncing as she pulled her royal blue dress above her
knees to run across the marble steps. The two women collided in a hug
halfway, giggling like mad. Endymion and his father, King Dremian, exchanged
a glance over Beryl's head. That was all that needed to be said.

"Wait wait wait!" Catherine bubbled to a halt after several minutes of
conversation. "Where's little Serena?"

"I'm NOT little!" came an angry voice through the still shimmering
portal. Selenity winced.

"Serenity, get your butt out here now." She didn't even have to raise
her voice!

"NO!" So, maybe she did need to raise her voice.

"Excuse me," Selenity smiled gracefully before marching determinedly
back towards the gate, sky blue eyes turning a dangerous shade of gray.

"Mother, what are you..." The voice trailed off as Serenity vanished
into the door. "Mother! NO! I'M NOT GOING! I REFUSE!

"SERENA!"

"NO! NOOOO!" There was a crash, then a deathly silence. Finally,
"MOOOOTTTTHHHER! NOOOOOOO!" Another pause. "Mommy?" came the tiny, sweet
little girl voice. Endymion winced and probed his teeth for cavities.

Eventually, Queen Selenity marched back, a large bundle of golden hair
held tightly in her delicate hands. At the other end of the hair was a
pouting young thing dressed in a loose white linen shirt and a pair of forest
green pants. Her arms were crossed as she glared at nothing in particular.

Endymion blinked several times. 'THIS is the moon princess?'

"Queen Catherine, may I present my daughter, Princess Serenity?"
Selenity pulled her daughter to her feet by the hair. "Serenity, this is
Queen Catherine of Earth."

A brief light came into Serenity's eyes before she curtsied, somehow.
When her eyes came up again, all sign of that momentary interest was gone.

"Why didn't you bring her to visit earlier?" Catherine demanded,
grabbing the girl's hand and pulling her through the palace doors. "Come, we
must get you settled, child."

Endymion sighed, rose, and followed as his father faithfully trailed
the womenfolk.


Endymion strode to the stable, in desperate need of a relaxing ride. It
had been a long day, and if he didn't get away soon he couldn't be
responsible for his actions. The first of which would be to kill his clinging
fiancé. Beryl had hung onto his arm all morning, effectively blocking any
attempts he might have made to be alone. Then the library had been set on
fire by an unknown arsonist, the water main had frozen somehow and the
animals in the menagerie had been set loose. All of which were problems,
which had to have the immediate attention of his Highness, and no one else
apparently.

The stable was cool and comfortably dim, and Endymion sought out his
prized stallion, Ceres. The great blood bay horse was the best yet to be bred
on the planet Earth.

The huge charger was quietly chewing an invisible wisp of hay in the
back corner of his stall. Endymion slid into the stall, murmuring soothingly
all the while. He may have been the horse's master for nearly six years, but
even he knew better than to sneak up on a stallion in a closed space.

Inch by inch, he groomed the great steed, checking to be sure that the
stable hands had done their job properly. As he bent over Ceres' hooves, the
stable doors slammed loudly, and two people came striding in to the barn.
Neither person saw him, or if they did, neither mentioned it to the other.
Ducking down, the prince hid in the shadows of the stall.

"You shouldn't slam a door like that near the horses!" a very familiar,
feminine voice chided. "You could spook them!"

"Do you honestly think I care about mere animals? They're worse than
peasants! So... unclean." It was Beryl. Endymion almost laughed. She never
went anywhere where her hands would get dirty unless she had a very good
reason.

"Why wouldn't you care?" the familiar voice asked in true confusion.

"Never mind," Beryl brushed the subject away. "I asked you in here for
a reason, and I refuse to be sidetracked by trivial matters." Steps continued
down the aisle, growing louder. They paused before starting up again, this
time fading away slightly.

"Well, don't just pace!" the other voice giggled. "Tell me what you
want!" The voice hesitated. "I can't stay long, Mother wants me to unpack."

It hit Endymion like a war-horse run rampant. This was Princess
Serenity his Betrothed was talking privately with! Whatever misgivings he
might have had about listening in on a private conversation were gone in a
trice. If Beryl was up to something, he wanted to know about it.

"If you wish," Beryl answered coldly. "I would have liked to have more
time to state my case, but I suppose I shall have to be blunt." She drew in a
breath, and Endymion could almost imagine what it was doing to her bodice. He
very nearly blacked out from the thought.

"Stay away from Prince Endymion." He could almost hear Serenity blink.

"Huh?"

"Not that I worry, mind you," Beryl continued. "Endy would never want
such an... Unladylike person as yourself. But I can't help but think that you
might be tempted to try, and I wouldn't want you to be hurt, dear."
Sickeningly sweet was not an attitude that Beryl was proficient at, Endymion
noticed. Ceres shuffled over to nuzzle at his hair, and Endymion laid a
quieting hand on the horse's nose.

"You must certainly be joking," Serenity stated, shocked. "Me? Go after
that bag of bones?" Silvery peals of laughter rang down the aisle, and
Endymion narrowed his eyes.

'Bag of bones?' he had been called many things, but unhandsome had
never been one of them. Certainly never a bag of bones!

"What did you just call him?" Beryl hissed, rage obviously trying to
boil through her voice.

"You heard me?" Serenity giggled. "I can't believe you think I would
want someone like that!" She paused thoughtfully. "Yes, he is a Prince, but I
was shocked."

"Shocked?" Beryl repeated, numb.

"Yes," Serenity answered. "You could have done much better. Are you
blind, perchance?" High heels clattered on the cobblestone flooring as Beryl
exited the stable, rapidly.

"Little idiot," Serenity sighed.

There was a long silence while Endymion waited for Serenity to leave.
Five minutes passed before she let loose one last sighed and the doors
creaked open.

"OH! I'll see you at supper, Bag of Bones!" she called out before the
door swung softly shut. By the time Endymion had run outside, she was nowhere
to be seen. Shaking his head, he walked back to his horse.

"Women." Ceres just chewed his hay.


At supper, Endymion stared into his plate, pointedly ignoring the girl
who had been seated across form him, still upset over the name she had chosen
for him. Or, at least, trying to ignore her. Every now and then, his
traitorous eyes would look up, his gaze falling on the smooth curve of her
neck before he would yank them back down in total refusal to meet her eyes.
'What's wrong with me?'

Serenity also stared into her plate, but for entirely different
reasons. Her slender form was clad in a deep blue dress, and white roses
wound on the silvery-gold buns that adorned her head. Every so often, she
would glare at her mother, stating eloquently, yet silently, exactly what she
thought of her attire. At the other end of the table, both queens looked at
each other smugly, barely noticing the expressions on their children's faces.
Beryl glared at Serena, and King Dremian just sat there dumbly, having no
idea what was happening. All in all, it was a very quiet meal.

"So, how was your day, dear?" Dremian broke the cold silence. "The
gardeners told me that you were mucking about in their rose gardens again."
He smiled brightly and nodded at a servant to bring more wine.

Catherine smiled back at her husband. "Yes, I was playing in the rose
garden again, Love. I simply couldn't let the opportunity pass by. The roses
are very beautiful at this time of year." She glanced pointedly at her son,
who missed the message entirely.

"Yes, the roses are beautiful," Selenity cut in. "The red ones
especially." She glanced at her daughter before turning her eyes back to her
oldest friend and fellow Queen. "Of course, even the most beautiful rose has
thorns."

Dremian blinked, not quite understanding how such an innocent topic had
gotten out of his control.

"True," Beryl answered, playing with the sleeve of her modestly cut,
deep purple gown. "But beauty is the most important factor." She smiled
sweetly at Serena. "A rose who is beautiful enough will have its thorns
removed early, so that it might not harm those who wish to admire it, and
therefore discourage them from partaking of it's magnificence."

Serena's chin lifted in response to the challenge. "How right you are.
But the rose that has no thorn might be sampled by many who do not merit its
splendor, and is therefore made less attractive." She smiled coldly, showing
even, pearly white teeth. "Only the truly worthy will appreciate the
exquisiteness of a rose which has thorns, instead of any vagabond who passes
by." Every female in the room paused to stare at the two young women, most
hiding smiles at the cleverness of the barbed comments. Endymion and Dremian,
the only males in hearing distance, just glanced back and forth between the
two combatants, completely lost.

Beryl stared into Serena's icy blue eyes. "Do you, then, have thorns,
Princess?" she asked softly, a threat lingering in the back of her voice.

"I have as many thorns as you do not, Lady Beryl." Serena cocked an
eyebrow and smiled slightly.

Beryl's eyes widened at the carefully hidden insult. Finally, her eyes
snapped down to her plate as she realized that she could not win this battle.
The meal was concluded in frosty silence.


"What was that about, young lady?" Selenity demanded of her daughter
when they returned to their rooms. "You might as well have called her a light
skirt to her face!"

Serena calmly stared her mother in the face. "That what she is, isn't
she?"

Selenity tugged on her hair. "Lady Beryl is a fine young lady, and I
don't understand why you two seem to abhor each other so." She sat heavily in
a chair.

"A fine young lady?" Serenity repeated, shocked. "How can you call her
that? She's only marrying Endymion because he's the Crown Prince! Why in all
of Sol would I want anything to do with that little witch?" She crossed her
arms stubbornly. "And she is a light skirt!"

The eerie light of a Woman With a Mission came into Selenity's baby
blue eyes. She smiled slightly, not even showing her teeth enough to call it
a grin. Had Serenity been looking, she would have coiled back and run, but
Serena was staring determinedly at the wall, ignoring her mother.

"Why, Serenity, would you care about the reasons that Beryl has for
marrying Endymion?" the Queen asked softly. "Could it be that you're
jealous?"

Serena's back jerked ramrod straight, her head snapping to attention.
When she looked at her mother, her wide peacock blue eyes bewildered.

"Me?" she finally whispered hoarsely. Clearing her throat, which had
grown unusually dry, she tried again. "Me? Jealous of Beryl and that... That
insufferable egomaniac?" She held her hands tightly to her sides, praying
that Selenity hadn't noticed their trembling. "Why would I be envious of
them? She's a witch and he's a donkey's rear! They deserve each other!"

"What ever you wish to believe, Serena," Selenity rose gracefully from
her seat. "I will be preparing for bed. I suggest you do the same." With
that, Queen Selenity swept from the room majestically, never looking back.

"Me jealous! Never!" Serena called after her. Only the empty room heard
her add, "Right?"


Endymion stared moodily over the banister of his balcony, watching the
moonrise with out really seeing it. Dinner with the Lunar Royalty had been a
disaster, even he knew that. But he couldn't understand where it had gone
wrong, or what had caused it to end so... coldly.

"What was that about?" he asked the empty air softly, resting his
elbows on the smooth marble railing. "How did a conversation about roses do
that to civilized people?"

"I suppose it would matter what you call civilized," a cultured,
feminine voice answered him. "I certainly wouldn't call them as such, what
with the insults they've been handing out to us like a grandmother does candy
to children." Beryl glided up to him, the train of her gown hissing against
the stone floor.

"Insults?" Endymion asked with one eyebrow raised. "I didn't notice any
insults."

Beryl turned cold eyes on him. "You didn't notice?" Endymion shook his
head in perplexity. "She might as well have said to my face that I'm..."
Beryl's voice trailed off in distaste. "Well, I certainly have good enough
breeding not to repeat her implied meaning. But do take my word for it that
she insulted me greatly."

Endymion just shook his head and stared off the balcony, trying to
ignore the woman beside him. She had changed clothes, and was now clad in a
deep, wine red gown that had a neckline that might as well have been
nonexistent. It was a startling change from the decorum and modesty she had
shown at diner. Pondering the ambiguity that was his Betrothed, Endymion
became lost in a haze of confusion. Before his parents, the King and Queen,
Beryl was everything one could want in a bride, or a Queen. Even when she was
with him, she behaved properly, even if her gown were more revealing. But
earlier in the stables... That had been an entirely new person, and not one
that he was sure he could live with.

"The night grows late," Beryl interrupted his thoughts. "I shall retire
now. Until the morn, my Lord." She strode to the doors, head held high.
Endymion watched her go silently.

'Is this the real Beryl?' Endymion asked himself as he watched. 'Or is
it an illusion she's fostered to please me?' Turning back to the calm vista
of the moon, he shook his head once again. 'The only choice I have is to wait
and see.'


A beeping noise woke Princess Serenity roughly three hours before dawn.
Grumbling, she reached into the night stand and brought out a small crystal
ball, never even noticing her nudity. The ball was glowing with a red light,
brightly enough to illuminate her disgruntled expression the darkness.

"I really must find some way to break this thing," she muttered as her
hand passed over the palm-sized, white crystal globe. "What is it, Rei?"

"Meatball Brains!" the image of the Martian princess snapped. "What are
you doing asleep at THIS time of day?"

Serenity looked out the window, noting the position of the stars. "It's
not even dawn here, REI!"

"Oh. Heheh..." The fiery princess laughed nervously. "Oops."

"Mars, quickly please!" a voice called in the background.

"Oh. We've got a monster at Berian City, Mercury," Rei said.

"I'll be right there," Serenity sighed. She shut the globe off and
grabbed a brooch off of the night stand. "Moon Princess Power, Make UP!"


Back in his rooms, Endymion felt a power surge so strong that it made
him fall roughly out of bed. His legs tangled in the sheets, the slacks that
he wore to dinner sliding up to his knees. There was another flash of energy,
one that made him lose what little balance he had and kiss the floor again.

"That felt like a transportation spell," he gasped, sitting on the cold
tile floor and holding his head in one hand. "Whoever it is, I NEED to catch
them." He jumped up and grabbed his cape from a hook. "At least I fell asleep
in my clothing," he muttered before a flash of light overtook him, and the
room was empty.


The Queens met in a small room near the kitchens.

"She's gone," Serenity stated simply, a smile playing at her lips.

"And he follows," Catherine answered smugly.


Princess Mars stared at the slip of parchment in her hand,
concentrating until it burst aflame. Throwing it into the air, she reached
out and grabbed a bow and arrow of pure flame out of the icy air of Mercury.

"Mars Holy Sniper!" she screamed, shooting the arrow through the
smoldering paper. The ofuda blossomed into a ring of fire, surrounding the
shaft of the arrow as it flew to pierce the heart of the monster. Or, at
least, tried to pierce the heart of the monster. It creature, a slimy monster
that seemed created of fur and scales, simply batted the arrow away with a
scaly paw.

"It didn't work!" the dark beauty screamed in frustration.

"Eternal Thunderbolt!" Princess Jupiter threw a cross shaped thunder
bolt at the monsters feet. It easily jumped over the attack, but Jupiter
hadn't meant to hit it. When the electricity collided with the ice, a large
explosion of steam was released. The resulting sound was inaudible to human
ears, but very painful to the creature. It fell to it's knees, clutching the
sides of it's head. Princess Mercury dived out of the way of a rock that had
been thrown by Jupiter's thunderbolt.

A pure white light seemed to pool on a cliff behind them. Sailor Moon
appeared, the white skirt of her fuku shimmering with a pearlescent fire. Her
hair had lost all traces of gold, and was now the purest silver. A golden
dickey and matching bows completed the fighting uniform.

"Sailor Moon!" Princess Venus screamed. The monster tried to grab her
legs with a paw, her own fuku of spun gold glittering like the ice of Mercury
as she flipped out of it's reach. "We can't defeat it!" She pulled a shining
chain out of thin air, throwing it into the air where it morphed into a giant
heart. "Aphrodite's CHAIN!" It spun around the creature, constricting the
monster as it circled. Soon, the youma was trapped, spinning like a top
within the confines of Venus' chain.

"Dreaming MISTS!" Sailor Mercury called, skirt of palest blue glowing
white as the indigo power gathered in her cupped palms. Twirling, she cast
the energy all about, concealing everything in an impenetrable fog. In the
haze, no one noticed the flash of power as Endymion arrived, nor the slight
grunt as the youma strained at its bindings.

"Now Sailor Moon!" Mars called to their leader, who nodded.

"Moonlight..." She gathered a small ball of power, balancing it on two
fingertips. A loud *CRACK* distracted her. The monster broke through it's
chain, sending small bullets of love-links spraying around. The inner
soldiers ducked, receiving only minor scratches. Sailor Moon tried, but found
that the cliff she stood on wobbled dangerously underneath her feet.

Watching the ground shudder beneath her, the Princess made a split
second decision. "Icicle..." Swiftly, she swept up a small pile of ice shards
from the earth and mixed them with her attack, altering it. Snarling, she
spun the power into a shield, forcing it outward towards the monster.
"SHIELD..." Pausing, she brought her hands together as if praying, then
pulled them apart suddenly. "SHATTER!"

The flat piece of ice and moonbeams broke, sending giant shards of
crystal directly at the monster and deflecting the spray of bullets
simultaneously. A sharp dagger of it pierced the monster's chest, leaving it
bleeding heavily.

"SAILOR MOON! WATCH OUT!" Venus screamed as a single link, the only one
not deflected, aimed straight for the heroine's chest. The princess looked up
just as it struck her in the shoulder, throwing her back off the cliff, which
broke apart beneath her.

A gloved hand grabbed hers. Sailor Moon looked up into Endymion's blue
eyes, his cape draped over the cliff, billowing in the breeze.

"So THIS is where you were going," he remarked wryly, pulling her back
up to safety. The others gathered around, helping her over the lip of the
cliff.

Sailor Moon climbed to her knees and winced, one hand touching her
shoulder gingerly. A dark spot of blood stained the white fabric. "Thank you,
Prince. I'll explain later, if you don't mind." She grinned impudently at
him. "Then we'll think of an excuse together."

"A-" Endymion's puzzled reply was cut off as the monster, streaming red
blood down it's chest, stumbled to it's feet. With a dying roar, it dived at
the gathered soldiers, determined to take at least one of them to the grave.
A steel tipped red rose embedded itself in it's chest as it flew through the
air. The thing exploded in a cloud of dust, scattering on the winds.

Endymion left Serenity and walked over to where the youma had been.
Picking up the rose he had thrown, she studied it with a detached air.
Finally, he threw it in the air, where it dissipated into a red mist. Looking
back at Serenity, he grinned cockily. "Are you going back, or do I need to
carry you?" He smirked at her insultingly.

Sailor Moon stumbled to her feet, shrugging off Mars' worried hands. "I
don't need anything from you," she said, brushing one pigtail over her
shoulder to blow in the wind.

"Good for you Princess," he drawled, crossing his arms to look at her
with piercing eyes, the color of Neptune's deepest oceans. "I'm surprised
that a child like you can even think about fighting monsters like that one
was."

She glared at him, feeling the depths of his eyes reaching out to drown
her. A sudden wash of pain from her shoulder made her fall to her knees
again, gasping for air. Her guardians gathered around her, forming a living
shield between her and Endymion.

"How DARE you?" Venus snarled, clenching her fists.

"Who do you think you are, to talk to her like that?" Mars demanded,
readying an ofuda.

"How do you know who she is?" Jupiter asked, red ponytail twining with
itself on the breeze. Mercury simply stared at him, eyes cold and harsh as
the icy plains of her planet. The blue haired girl ran his statistics through
her scanner, studying his power levels and aura.

Endymion looked at them, amusement making his eyes dance like sunlight
on an ocean spray. "The resemblance between her and the Princess Serenity is
remarkable," he answered Jupiter. "I'm surprised no one noticed the
resemblance before, considering how well known the 'Sailor Soldiers' are."

"How did yo-" Mars began, when a trembling hand from Mercury on her arm
stopped her.

"Just let them go, Soldiers," the water warrior said, trying
desperately to conceal her alarm. "They need to get the Princess back before
she's missed."

Venus looked sharply at Mercury, eyes faintly confused. Glancing back
at Endymion, her breath caught. 'Oh, no...'

Mars frowned at the genius, but Sailor Moon had finally stood and
pushed her ways past them.

"She's right, guys. I'll be fine; he's nothing I can't deal with," the
blonde said, platinum hair swirling about her. Her legs trembled visibly
under her from blood loss, but there was a fire of determination within her
sapphire eyes. "Let's go, Endymion." She walked slowly over to the man,
obviously concealing her weakness. Grabbing his arm, a flash of light over
took their forms. Then, they were gone.

"MERCURY!" Rei snarled, turning to the ice princess. "Just what were
you THINKING?! Letting her go off with who knows who?"

"He won't hurt her," the blue woman answered calmly, still looking at
the stats being fed her by her visor. "Even if he wanted to."

"You saw it too?" Minako asked, a small smile playing at her lips. "The
threads of destiny wound around them like strands of silk?"

Ami nodded sadly, dismissing her visor and turning to look off into the
glacial distance, the ice city's spires rising on the horizon. "Their auras
are mingled; there's no way out for either of them."

"What are you two talking about?" Makoto demanded, flipping her auburn
bangs out of her emerald eyes. "You make it sound like they're in love or
something!"

Minako smiled mysteriously, letting a strand of her hair play in the
wind like a beam of sunlight. "Not yet."

****************************************************************************

And the story goes
That the real one
Snuck up and stole their sunlight
And their laughter

****************************************************************************

"What were you doing there, PRINCESS?" Endymion demanded, pacing around
the room. "You could have been killed!" For some reason, the idea of her in
danger frightened him. And being scared made it even worse. He'd never been
afraid in his life. Apparently, there IS a first time for everything.

"Why should YOU care?" came the question from the bathroom, where
Serena was bandaging her shoulder. A soft hiss announced that she had just
applied the anesthetic.

"Can you just see my mother's face if I told her that I'd let you
die?" he asked, pausing to look accusingly at the bathroom door. "Just when
did you get into the practice of running around near-naked fighting evil,
anyway? Does your mother know?"

Serena stuck her head outside the bathroom, unbound hair brushing the
floor. "No, and I'll thank YOU not to tell her that I picked up where she
left off. Could you toss me those bandages?" She pointed to a small packet
laying on a chair, which Endymion kindly threw at her. "Thanks!" She vanished
back into her lair.

"What do you mean, 'where she left off'?" He looked distastefully at
the silky and lacy hangings on the wall, attempting to divert his attention
from thoughts of the girl in the bathroom. Flashes of memory hit him. They
were mainly images of her legs in that REALLY short skirt as she tumbled
backwards over the cliff. He flushed and tried to change the direction his
thoughts were taking him.

"My mother used to be Sailor Moon too," she explained. He heard
something being shuffled around in the bathroom. "It's hereditary for the
Planetary Princesses; I assume that Queen Catherine was Sailor Earth at one
time. It's part of the reason why I let myself be dragged here." There was
more shuffling, then a mumbled curse. "Just when I needed it, that damned
Luna Pen decided to vanish on me." The door opened, and Endymion tried not to
choke on his tongue.

Princess Serenity walked calmly through the door, passing by him like
her lack of clothing was an everyday occurrence. Her golden-white hair framed
a perfectly curved body, occasionally hiding the white bandages on her
shoulder. Serena wasn't as curved as Beryl, being more slender, but Endymion
found that he liked the difference. She was more muscular than he would have
thought at first glance. Her stomach was flat, and her long legs didn't show
a sign of extra flesh. It was obvious that her job as Sailor Moon wasn't easy
on her. Small scars, paler against the tan skin of her upper hip caught his
attention. Well, before his eyes crossed, any ways.

"What?" Serena asked innocently, looking at him with curious eyes. Her
hair swayed gently around her.

"What are you DOING?" he choked, tearing his eyes away from the
enticing view and staring desperately at the wall. "Get me killed?"

Serena frowned at him, but moved gracefully to slip on a royal blue
robe. It barely covered her, and was as short as her Sailor fuku, but
Endymion found himself breathing once more.

"Why..." Endymion drew a deep breath. For all of Beryl's allure and
daring outfits, she had never just shown it all off in such a flippant
manner. It was like Serenity hadn't even noticed that she had been nude! "Why
did you do that?"

"Do what?" She settled gracefully in a padded chair, brushing her hair
carefully, paying special attention to the tangles. Endymion's eyes almost
crossed again at the thought of her skin on the velvet casing.

"Walk around bare like that?" Endymion felt as if the heat in the room
had increased dramatically.

Serenity blinked. "It's only skin." Her hands paused in their brushing.
"Don't tell me Earth has something against nudity."

Endymion dragged his gaze back to the wall, noticing that the sun was
beginning to stain the horizon outside. "On Earth, we don't flaunt out bodies
so casually. It's..." He struggled to find the words. His tongue seemed to
cleave to the roof of his mouth. "It's indecent!"

A light entered Serena's eyes as she grasped the breadth of this
weakness. "Really?" She leaned forward and crossed her legs, seemingly
interested in the details of Terran customs. Of course, the fact that she was
revealing rather a lot of her upper thighs and the swell of her bosom was
hardly worth thinking about. "It seems such a shame; the body can be a truly
beautiful thing."

Endymion silently prayed to whatever would listen that he wasn't
drooling. Sure, she was a brat but... What a body! "I should go," before I
embarrass myself, he added to himself. "The sun's about to come up, and I
can't afford to be caught out of my rooms when the servant comes to wake me."

Serena stood, and he followed suit. "You WILL keep quiet about this,
won't you?" Her eyes looked deeply into his, stressing the urgency of her
request.

He nodded solemnly, but a stray thought made his lips quirk in a grin.
"I'll keep silent on the matter, if..." He let it dangle, watching as fury
lit her eyes like candles.

"If what?" Serena snarled, glaring daggers at him.

"If you let me come along from now on," he finished, watching her anger
be replaced with bewilderment. "Why?"

He grinned and paused, just before slipping out the wooden door. "I
can't let you get hurt now, can I?" He shut the door just as the pillow came
hurtling at him. Her muffled scream of anger was music to his ears as he
walked down the hall, grinning like an idiot.

Beryl ducked behind the corner, lips curled as Endymion left HER room.
She should have known better than to trust that moon-brat. When she had gone
to visit her Betrothed, his rooms were empty. Suspicious, she had gone to
check Serenity's rooms. And now, not a half hour before dawn, she caught him
leaving HER. She had no doubt about what they had been doing.

"You'll pay, little girl," Beryl hissed, holding her green dressing
gown in tightly clenched fists. "NO ONE steals what's mine, much less a
boyish moon-brat!" Her eyes flashed in the dim hallway, glowing like a cat's.
"Endymion's mine."


"You saw it as well?" Catherine asked, sipping her tea slowly.

Selenity nodded, looking into the depths of her cup, legs curled under
her on the chair. "They're meant to be," she agreed. "The cords of destiny
twine about them tightly; they're soul mates." Sighing, she sat the cup down.
"If only Endymion hadn't betrothed himself to Beryl."

The Terran Queen snorted her low opinion of the girl. "He'll see
through her."

"Before the wedding?"

The red haired woman grimaced. "We can pray."


"My Lord?" Beryl asked sweetly, broadcasting more sugar and light than
usual. "You seem distracted."

Endymion looked at her, a carefree smile crossing his face. No one
would have noticed that he wasn't really thinking of his companion. "I was
just looking at the roses, Beryl," he told her, waving a hand at the blood
red flowers. He didn't mention that they reminded him of the blood Serena had
spilt just last night. "They're quite beautiful today."

"Your mother does them proud," Beryl purred into his ear, edging closer
to his side and twining their fingers together. Endymion fought the urge to
separate their hands. They seemed cold to him, for some reason.

"What do you think of Princess Serenity?" she asked suddenly, gripping
his hand tighter.

Endymion winced as her nails dug into his palm. "She's... Well, she's
something of a brat, impudent, too self assured, and certainly not ladylike
at all. No proper girl would wear trousers like she does." Beryl's lips
curved in a triumphant smile. She would have said something, but Endymion's
voice drained the blood from her face and took away whatever fawning words
she might have said.

"But... it is a nice change from the overly proper and timid women
usually found here," he added softly, a note in his voice that the Lady Beryl
had never heard before. "And for all Serenity's boyish attitude and
activities, her eyes are quite remarkable. Like a waterfall when the
moonlight hits it." His sounded wondering, as if he had only just now noticed
it.

Beryl gritted her teeth at his tone of voice. She could almost feel the
way he had rolled HER name through his lips, as though tasting a fine wine.
He didn't even seem to realize what he was doing. Biting back a scathing
retort, Beryl took his arm and lead him deeper into the gardens. "I'm glad
you approve of your visitors. Your mother, the Queen, would be terribly
disappointed if you didn't get along with her best friend's daughter."

Endymion suffered himself to be lead, frowning. They were already
farther from the Palace then usual. Beryl had never wished to come here
before; it contained only daises, irises and the more mundane flowers and
herbs. She had always said that the 'commoners flowers' didn't suit her
tastes. So why had she brought him all the way out here?

A scream shattered the solitude of the garden, coming from the Palace.
Endymion turned, but Beryl clutched his arm.

"Beryl, someone's in trouble," he told her sternly, attempting to
politely pry her off of him.

"My Lord, 'twas probably just a maid coming across a mouse," she
breathed. "Stay here with me a bit longer; then we can return."

'Endymion! HELP!' Endymion shook his head, trying to dispel the voice
in his head. Serena could NOT be calling for him; it was just his wild
imagination.

"My Lord?" Beryl asked solicitously, leaning closer to him. Endymion
snapped back to reality just as another scream pierced the air.

'Please! Help me, someone! ENDYMION!' A sharp pain sliced through his
stomach, feeling like claws dragged down his torso. 'I NEED YOU! ENYMIO-' It
was suddenly quiet in his head.

Endymion took off running for the Palace, not even noticing as he left
Beryl behind. Trees and plants whirled past him as he sprinted towards where
he KNEW Serena was in danger faster than humanly possibly. Behind him, his
fiancé screamed his name in frustration.

Beryl watched Endymion's fleeing back angrily. But then, an unholy
smile of sinister joy lit her face. "Fine, my Prince, race to save her. By
now, it's already too late," she purred lowly, licking her lips. "No one
crosses the Queen of the Dark Kingdom and lives." With a gruesome smile, she
picked up her skirts and ran after Endymion.

Endymion shoved his way through the guards around the garden fountains,
noticing the coppery tinge of fresh blood in the air with dread. At the head
of the guards, he could see a monster, holding them back. Behind that...
Serenity lay in a pool of blood, her white tunic and hair died scarlet by the
spreading blood. Endymion was certain that it was hers.

'Hold on, Serena,' he thought at her, drawing his sword and slicing
into the lizard-like creature.

'Endymion...' Her voice, even in his head was weak. 'It's so dark... I
just want to sleep.'

He could her breaths growing shallower. 'Stay awake, Serena!' He
thrust, panic lending him strength as he fought the monster, every fiber of
him screaming to get past it, to help her. 'Don't let go!' The thought of
loosing her was like a kick in the stomach, driving the air from his lungs.

'So tired...' came her thought back, echoing as though from a distance.
He could feel her slipping into the shadows, soul preparing to depart.

'NO! Serena...' He cut one of the thing's arms off as it knocked a
sword out of a guard's hand, sending the iron weapon skittering along the
marble towards Serenity. It slid to a halt just beside her. The unfortunate
guard screamed as his throat was torn out. Endymion noticed none of this, his
body automatically fighting off the youma as his mind raced to find something
that would keep her alive. One very sudden, very truthful phrase popped into
his mind. Endymion screamed it aloud thoughtlessly, not caring who heard.
Just as long as she did.

"Serena, I love you!" He ducked under it's other arm, skinning some
leathery skin off it's tail. The limb that he had cut off was already growing
back.

Serena took a deep breath visibly. Endymion could feel her pull herself
away from the brink, the tightening of her soul as it clung more fiercely to
her body. No one really took time to notice Beryl glaring at them from fifty
feet away.

'I... I love you too, Endymion,' her mind whispered at him as Serena
valiantly tried to push herself to a standing position. Halfway up, her
strength gave way, forcing her to her knees one more. Her eyes fell on the
blood stained sword of the fallen soldier.

Endymion strained against the monster, every muscle screaming at him.
But Serena's voice still rang in his ears, giving him a reason to keep going.
A clawed fist came down on his arm, numbing it. The Prince rolled out of the
way, but it's tail caught him across the temple. The world flashed with
colors s the lizard-creature prepared to finish him off.

"Endymion! NO!" Serenity screamed, using the sword to push herself to
her feet. She dived at the monster, impaling it through the heart. It
screamed hoarsely, shattering into dust that blew away on the wind. Serena
fell as it vanished, landing roughly on her hands and knees. Blood seeped out
of the wound in her chest and stomach sluggishly as her heart slowed far
below it's normal rhythm. Weakly, she crawled towards him.

"Serena?" Endymion asked, siting up. "Are you alright?"

She giggled, but it turned into a racking cough. Bloody froth stained
her hands. Endymion waved a guard to go get a healer, then gathered the girl
into his arms comfortingly.

"Did you mean it?" The question barely reached his ears even though
Serena clung to him like a limpet. Her voice sounded forced as she tried to
breathe around the blood pooling in her lungs. "Or were you just trying to
keep me alive?"

Endymion smoothed her blood slickened hair back from her forehead,
kissing the small birthmark. "I meant every word, Serena. I love you."

A sigh bubbled out her. "Thank you. I love you too."

"So THAT'S the way it is, PRINCE," a cold, heartless voice asked. The
remaining guards parted for Beryl. "You're leaving me for this... This
HUSSY." Her eyes flashed, and the air seemed to grow colder around them.
several of the guards shivered.

"Lady Beryl," Endymion ground out, fighting the urge to stand and drag
her off to speak privately. He couldn't move Serena. "You are out order."

"Serena!" Selenity called. She was running form the Palace, lifting her
skirts. The Royal Healer was fighting to keep up with her. Queen Catherine
was right behind.

Beryl smiled, twisting her lips into a strange parody of a welcoming
grin. "So, everyone wants to play?" Her eyes had gone flat black, darkness
swirling inside them like snakes coiling around each other.

"Beryl, I hearby revoke our engagement," Endymion said frostily. His
eyes were hard as flints.

"Oh, my dear Prince, I cannot allow you to break contract unpunished,"
Beryl purred sweetly, black lightning gathering in her palms. With a
negligent toss, she threw it at the Palace. The resulting blast knocked
Selenity, Catherine and the Healer off their feet. Colored lights lit up the
noon time sky, and dust clouded the air. The golden glow of destruction
tingled through the air as the explosion send shards of the destroyed
building hurtling through the air. Endymion shielded Serena with his body as
debris flew past. A fist side chunk of granite collided with his ribs, but he
never loosened his hold on the weakened girl.

Beryl laughed as the wind died down, leaving the ruined Palace silent.
"OOPS," she cackled at the remains.

"CATHERINE!" Selenity screamed, staring in horror at the limp, bloody
arm of her fellow Queen. The rest of her had been crushed by a falling block
of stone. The Healer's head lay nearby, cut off by a shard of flying glass.

Endymion looked at the woman he thought he had known, truly seeing her
for the first time. What he saw sickened him. "You're a monster," he
whispered softly, emotionless. All those lives... and she didn't even seem to
care.

"I'm a Queen!" Beryl smirked, more dark power coming to her like a
puppy does a well loved master. "And you'll rue the day you ever crossed the
Dark Kingdom!"

Serena's breath hissed through her teeth. "YOU'RE the one that we've
been fighting!" she gasped brokenly before a fit of coughing overtook her.

"Yes, little moon-brat, I am." Beryl seemed content to show off her
power to them before gaining revenge. The sky clouded over as darkness
reigned supreme. A face seemed to form in the clouds, grinning sickly down on
the scene.

"You'll NEVER get the Crystal!" Selenity screamed, dropping Catherine's
hand and standing. "I'll die before you get it!"

"And we'll die before she does!" a new voice announced. Behind Beryl,
on the wreckage of what had once been the most beautiful building on Earth
stood the Sailor Soldiers, warrior fukus glimmering in the fading sunlight.

****************************************************************************

They stood there in the dark
Trying to see
That's the way I picture you and me

****************************************************************************

"Sailor Soldiers, protect my daughter!" Selenity called, pointing.
Tears streamed down from her eyes. "I'll handle Beryl." A glow of the palest
lavender seemed to surround her, dying her eyes a sickly white. It gathered
in her hands, then shot out to twine around Beryl, who pushed the radiance
back with an aura of the deepest maroon. The Sailor Soldiers uniformly jumped
the battle, landing squarely between the fighting women. Endymion was
grateful, as he couldn't guard Serenity and staunch the crimson flow from her
wounds at the same time.

"You're not alone," Selenity announce suddenly, after a moment of
straining against Beryl and loosing ground. "Metallia..." Her face paled. For
a moment, Selenity seemed to be scared. "You sold your soul to that...
CREATURE!"

Beryl cackled hideously, her hair and skin glowing with the power that
she used. "My mistress, Metallia, wants your Crystal, Selenity," she called
merrily, pushing the Queen's power farther back. "And what Metallia wants,
she gets."

Selenity's eyes closed tightly as a gust of foul smelling wind came
from the heavens. The face in the cloud gloated, laughing at the puny mortal
that tried her power against its. A battle cry pushed past Selenity's lips as
she threw everything she had at the thing dominating the once blue skies.

"For CATHERINE!" Beryl's power hit her the moment she changed her
target, knocking the queen off her feet. Still, Selenity held on, forcing
Metallia to contract into a small ball. She felt a rock pierce her shoulder
as she fell, but paid it no mind. Instead, she concentrated on forcing the
true monster into the ground, sealing it away even as her blood stained the
very ground she was locking it into. Exhaustion hit her, and Selenity fell
limp, barely having the strength to breathe.

Beryl barely kept her feet as Metallia's power drained out of her. Her
eyes showed complete shock as the skies returned to their sunny aspect. "NO!
I will NOT be so easily defeated!" One well manicured hand rose in the air.
"YOUMA!" she called, using her own power to bring them forward from the
depths of darkness. "Kill them!"

The Sailors stood their ground as the army of indescribable monsters
attacked. Each fought bravely to protect their friend and leader as they had
been sworn to do as her guardians. One by one, they fell. Venus suffered a
razor sharp claw through her chest as one of the monsters tore out her collar
bone and ribcage. The sword of Silver Crystal fell from her hands as she
died, flashing back to its shrine on the moon as her life force dissipated.
Giant pincers gripped Mercury's waist as another twisted her legs off. The
pair finally ended it with a quick blow to her spine, snapping the Mercurian
Princess's neck.

Jupiter and Mars stood back to back even as Endymion lowered Serenity
to the ground and stood, picking up a sword and slicing through a cat
creature. a ball of flame engulfed the last two Soldiers. The element didn't
bother Mars, who had been born in it. But Jupiter screamed as she was
scorched. Her pain lasted only a moment as the fire burnt her to a crisp,
leaving her blackened corpse behind.

Mars cried out in horror as her companion died, then snarled at the
last, small group of monsters. There were no more than ten left, so she
charged into them. A small bit of blood from a cut on her thigh sparkled in
the air as she drew an ofuda.

"Phoenix... RISES!" Her body glowed within the flame that burst from
the holy parchment. It created a giant bird made of fire. Mars landed
gracefully on her feet in the center of the last of the youma. One of them
cut her in half at the ribcage just as the fiery phoenix dived, engulfing the
last of Beryl's army inside the burning heat of Mars' holy fire. The monsters
screamed as they turned to dust.

Beryl watched the fight emotionlessly. As the last of the youma died,
she turned to Endymion. "See, my Lord?" she asked, voice high with the thrill
of power. "It is foolish to fight me. By now, the Silver Millennium has
fallen to my youma, each planet killed. Even your precious moon kingdom will
be gone by now." She flipped a curl out of her eyes, sharp canine teeth
glinting in the sunlight that seemed much too bright for the tragedy that had
just taken place. "Why don't you just hand the brat over to me, then we can
wed as you promised."

Endymion pointed his blade at the monster before him. He no longer even
considered her human. "I wouldn't marry you if my very soul depended on it,
bitch!" he growled, blood soaked black hair sticking to his forehead.

"Then DIE!" Beryl screamed, diving at him with a blade of black power
in her hands. Endymion fended her off as best he could, but his wounds nagged
at him, slowing him long enough for Beryl to pierce through his defenses.
Serenity looked up from her pain-hazed huddle just as Beryl sliced through
his chest, cutting through bone and flesh as though they were water.

"No. No. No! NO! NOOOO!" Serena screamed in pain, almost feeling the
blade sliding through her as well. Her world shattered into a black and red
light; a universe of smoke and mirrors. A tremor ran through her frame as she
felt Endymion's soul be drawn into the darkness that she had only recently
escape.

'Serena...' he thought, voice fading even as it came to her. 'I love
you.'

"NO! ENDYMION!" The tears streamed down her face, mixing with the blood
on the ground. 'I love you too.' The world was sharp as a shard of glass as
she ran at Beryl, not even remembering when she had stood. The sword that she
had used to kill the first monster was in her hand. Without a second thought,
she threw herself at Beryl, who was still standing over Endymion's lifeless
body. with her last ounce of strength, she pushed the blade through Beryl,
twisting to make the wound as deadly as possible. Beryl screamed in agony as
the sword tore through her vital organs. Blood gushed from her mouth as it
ripped through her lungs and heart. Beryl's eyes went dark as she died,
falling to the ground with the dull thud of dead meat.

Serena collapsed beside her soul mate, breathing heavily. She curled up
around her love's cold form, burrowing her face into his arm and closing her
eyes. She had used the last of her strength when she'd killed Beryl. And
since Endymion, her mother, and her friends were all dead, she had no reason
to hang on any longer. With a final sigh, she gratefully embraced the coming
darkness. 'I'm coming...' A last tear trickled down her cheek, glittering
like a diamond among ruby droplets of blood.

****************************************************************************

Sometimes love's no
Fairy tale
Matches made in Heaven
Sometimes fail
When we know love's so
Hard to find
Should we give up on us
And leave it all behind
Or should we write this story
Twice upon a time?

****************************************************************************

Selenity stirred, opening her eyes. In the distance, the sun was
setting against the ocean horizon. Boats raced into it, aided by the strong
wind. No doubt those boats held the last survivors of the island. stumbling
her feet, she studied the ruins of the Palace. A glint of light caught her
eye, tuning her attention to the body of her child. Silent tears streamed
from her eyes as she picked her way over to the bodies.

Falling to her knees beside the corpse of Serenity and her love, an
anguished sob tore from the stricken mother's throat. Her wails of loss
echoed over the deserted isle of Atlantis. Only the wind heard her pain, and
it answered with a soothing melody, mourning in its own way.

The Queen of a now destroyed kingdom wept over the fallen form of her
only daughter, tears falling to caress skin that had long on cold. The pure
tears on Serena's face only made the congealed blood all the more painfully
evident.

The sun had long since set when Selenity's tears left her, leaving a
wake of hollow purpose behind. With a wince, she forced muscles that had been
battered and bruised to raise her to her feet one last time.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to give you the happy ending you deserved,"
she whispered, the blood-scented wind carrying her words. "But I will give
you all another chance at one." Breathing so deeply that it made her slightly
dizzy, Selenity pulled the Silver Crystal from it's chain around her neck. It
glowed brightly, lighting the sky like a harvest moon. The ground shook as
the island rattled underneath the pressure created by the Crystal. Selenity
stayed firm though, even as the island sank enough to send sea water lapping
at her ankles. There was a final pulse of brilliance, and then they were all
gone.

Atlantis, now empty of Soldiers, dead Queens and live, sank into the
ocean. It took all remains of the battle with it to the bottomless sea. Only
the castle, its inhabitants, and the youma were there to sink with it.

****************************************************************************

We could start at chapter ten
See those hearts again
Finding all the clouds have
Silver linings

****************************************************************************

Ilene Tsukino smiled happily as the nurse handed her the newborn baby
girl. She looked up into her husband's tear-filled eyes, then back down to
her daughter. The new mother pressed a gentle kiss to the infant's forehead.

"What are you going to name her?" the kindly nurse asked, old face
wrinkling into well worn smile lines.

Ken and Ilene looked at each other. A spark of memory stirred an
impulse within them, and Ilene answered without really realizing the decision
that they'd come to. "Serenity. Serenity Tsukino." It was right.


Kristen watched the dark head of her baby boy as he left on his way to
school. He laughed happily, jostling with the other children that were
boarding the bus for their first day of kindergarten.

"He's going up," Derek Chiba whispered to his wife, wrapping strong
arms around her waist.

He didn't see the tear slide down his wife's cheek, nor did he hear her
heartbroken whisper. "Again."


Serenity looked at the contents of her mother's jewelry box, each thing
seeming to sparkle and shine with a life of its own. There were earrings,
bracelets, necklaces and hairpins. One item in particular caught her
attention though, and she picked up the crystal necklace with all the
reverence her three year old mind could muster. "Momma? What's this?"

Her mother looked up from where she'd been folding clothes and smiled
lovingly, lavender hair shining in the lamplight. "Oh, Serena, that's
something I've had since I was little." She swept the little girl up in her
arms. "I found it when I was just about your age, just laying there on my
pillow one morning."

The blonde child stared at the crystal with wide blue eyes, enchanted
by the way the moonlight seeping through the window seemed to create a
moonbow inside of it. "Pretty."

Ilene laughed, a tinkling sound that blended in with the classical
music coming from downstairs. "Yes, it's very pretty. Do you want it?"

Serena looked at her mother disbelievingly. "Really, Momma?"

"Really, sweety."

Serena slipped the worn silver chain over her neck. "Thank you Momma,
I'll keep it safe." It seemed to pulse against her neck, comfortingly. Like
the sound of a mother's heartbeat.

Ilene sat her down and watched as Serena toddled out of the room,
undoubtedly going to show her Daddy what Momma had just given her. She sighed
and returned to the clothes.

"I'm sorry, Serena, but I had to," she sighed, eyes sad as she thought
of the burden she had just placed on her baby girl's shoulders.


"Momma?" Darien called as he arrived home from school. It was pouting
rain outside, and his bangs dribbled water into his eyes. But the grin never
left his little lips, even as he looked around the deserted living room.
"Poppa? Where are you?"

He wandered into the kitchen. What met his eyes was not the usual tidy
kitchen, with the smell of baking cookies or dinner meats. The table was over
turned, and blood spattered the walls. A red-stained knife had been thrown,
embedding itself in the wall. On the table, propped up by a crystal vase with
a red rose was a note. With trembling hands, the seven year old boy picked up
the paper and read.


'Endymion, bring me yourself and the Silver Crystal if you wish to see
the Queen and King again.'


It was signed, 'Lady Beryl.'


Outside OsaP Jewelers, Serena tossed the test paper over her shoulder,
grumbling about the low score. A startled exclamation drew her attention
behind her. A man with deep black hair held her paper in one hand. The other
was on his head, which the faulty test had apparently bounced off of. His
Oakley sun glasses sat on his nose, slightly crooked.

"What do I look like, Meatball Head. A trash can?" he demanded, taking
off his sunglasses to look at her. His ocean blue eyes glinted at her.

"Meatball Head?" she demanded, grabbing her pigtails. "I'll have you
know that these are BUNS, not MEATBALLS! Idiot!" She turned and stormed away,
fuming, the crystal around her neck glittering in the sunlight like any
normal gem.

Darien watched the blonde as she left, not noticing her necklace. There
was something familiar about the way she moved, but what was it? Darien shook
his head, ten turned back to the jewelry display, looking for something he
knew only as a name. The Silver Crystal.


Serena looked at the cat from where she had fallen on the floor. "This
isn't happening."

"I'm sorry, but it is, Serena," the cat- no, LUNA, answered. "You are
the chosen warrior, Sailor Moon. "I am one of the sole survivors of the Moon
Kingdom, and I know beyond a doubt that yo-"

"Luna, you always were long winded," a calm voice said from the
doorway. "Did you really have to come so soon? I was hoping she'd be at least
sixteen before it all came crashing back." Ilene Tsukino walked into the
room, violet-blue eyes strangely sad in the rising moonlight.

"Your Majesty," the cat gasped. "You're were dead! I mean... you sent
no word..." Luna looked utterly flabbergasted.

"Mother?" Serena asked, utterly confused. "Your Majesty?" She had long
since stopped wondering about her sanity- no one who thought cats were
talking to them was sane.

"I was able to pull a few strings," Ilene smiled. "Why are you here so
soon?"

The cat stood and hopped up on the bed, and from there the dresser,
where she laid down in a classic 'kitty meatloaf' position. "Queen Selenity,
Queen Catherine vanished some years ago, taken by Beryl. I was under the
impression that if such a thing were to happen, I was to revive Sailor Moon
and her Soldiers."

"Catherine?" Selenity's head shot up. "What of Endymion? Does he
remember?"

"Your Majesty, he searches for... IT, but he has no memory of...
Previous events." Luna was obviously mincing her words, casting a furtive
glance in Serena's direction every few moments.

"Don't give them back yet," Ilene ordered, meeting the cat's cinnamon
eyes. "I want her to enjoy what she has left of her life, Let her remember on
her own."

Luna bowed her head. "As you wish, my Queen."

Serena just watched her mother talk to the cat blankly. "Oh-kay, NOW my
life's gone all to hell."

****************************************************************************

And be sure by chapter twelve
All the stars that fell
Are back up in the sky and
Brightly shining

****************************************************************************

The dark, tuxedo clad figure watched in amusement as the girl
challenged the monster, who was currently drained what he assumed was the
store owner's daughter. Something about her legs- in a VERY short blue skirt,
nonetheless- caught his attention and sparked a flash of memory. Crushed
velvet, blue satin and creamy skin ran through his mind before the impression
was gone and the monster turned to dust by the young woman's tiara.

She looked at it as though she had never seen a circular golden tiara
before, shaking her head in confusion. Briefly, Tuxedo Mask was able to spot
a small, moon shaped birthmark on her forehead. Frowning, he leaned forward,
trying to see it more clearly.

The slight noise drew her attention to him. Her brightly shining blue
eyes met his, wide as a rabbit's before it bolts.

"Well done, Sailor Moon," he smirked, making it seem like the noise had
been intentional. "Tell me, does your mother know?"

Serena was hit by a sudden wave of deja vu as she looked into the
stranger's blue eyes. They reminded her of water... Deep water. From
someplace that she knew intimately and yet hadn't ever been to. Shaking her
head, she ignored the question. "Do I know you?" A wind blew in one of the
windows, playing with the hair of her pigtail. The moonlight turned it from
gold to the purest silver as she looked deep into his eyes.

There was a connection... Somewhere, she could feel it. Blood. Lots and
lots of coppery blood, the taste of it clogging her throat, dying everything
scarlet. And a woman screaming. She reeled at the impact of memories, falling
to her knees as they over took her. Death. So much death. Her... Friends?
Guardians? They were gone, and even HE was gone, she could feel him falling
through the shadows. He had left her. It was all HER fault. But the pain...
So much BLOOD. It hurt, filling her lungs instead of the air she KNEW she
needed.

'I love you.' The voice was clear as a bell, but clouded with pain,
echoing in her ears. HE was telling her that. HE loved her. But the pain...
It was all too much. Sailor Moon cried out in agony, clutching her head as it
flooded back, HIS name on her lips. 'ENDYMION!' For just a moment, every
second, every breath, every DEATH, roared through her mind. And then it was
gone, leaving faint impressions where she was certain that there should have
been whole memories.

As she lay sobbing, Serena slowly became aware of the fact that someone
was holding her gently, letting her clutch his jacket and rubbing her back
soothingly. A voice whispered calmly in her ear, telling her that it would be
okay. The voice tugged at her heart and fluttered in her soul, but she just
couldn't place it.

"I..." Sailor Moon smiled blearily and pulled away, wiping her eyes.
"Thank you, that's never happened before."

"I understand," he said, grinning lovingly at her behind the mask. He
seemed to catch himself and straightened his smile into an expressionless
grimace. "I'm Tuxedo Mask." He stood, stepping back into the shadows.
"Perhaps we'll meet again." As quickly as he had come, the masked man had
left, leaving only questions behind him.

****************************************************************************

Sometimes love's no
Fairy tale
Matches made in Heaven
Sometimes fail
When we know love's so
Hard to find
Should we give up on us
And leave it all behind
Or should we write this story
Twice upon a time?

****************************************************************************

Sailor Moon's tiara skidded off her forehead as the blast threw her
backwards into Tuxedo Mask. The thin gash on her side from flying shrapnel
was barely more than a paper cut, but it was enough to dye both of their
gloves a deep crimson.

"You'll PAY for this PRINCESS!" Kunzite screamed as Sailor Venus
twisted the Crystal sword in Kunzite, his inhuman blood staining her hands
green. With a shriek of agony Kunzite withered and turned into a stone, light
blue on the weathered cement. His last words seemed to play a melody through
all of their minds, like a strong wind clearing fog from fields.

Mercury, Jupiter and Mars looked up from where they had finished 'moon-
dusting' the monster. Venus knelt on the ground, breathing deeply and staring
at her green-covered gloves. A lightning quick flash of memory hit her, of
the last time she had used that sword. She glanced up, seeing old faces
impose themselves on new ones. A slender gold thread lead from each of them
to the couple a few feet away. With wide eyes, Mina looked at Tuxedo Mask and
Serena, already knowing what she would see. She had seen it before, in a
place very cold.

Billions of threads wound around the two, seeming to tie them together
inescapably. Her soft pink aura melded with his blue, in some spot so
thoroughly that it was impossible to tell which was whom. She knew that it
they pulled apart, the two would stay mingled, and would forever.

Mercury was looking at Mars, blinking in confusion. Amy removed her
visor, and muttered something about having the wrong attack names. Jupiter
was holding her sides, eyes blank and staring as she felt intangible flames
engulf her. Mars was down on one knee, looking at one of her ofuda. It wasn't
quite right, it should have said, 'In the name of holy Mars and his fire,
begone from this plane of existence.' Instead, it was a simple, 'Demon
begone', even though it was painted in loving kanji.

"Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask called urgently, shifting the girl in his
arms, not even really noticing the way Sailor Venus was staring at them. His
entire world had focused down on the indomitable young woman he held. A scrap
of an image teased at him, but he pushed it away. "You're bleeding."

Sailor Moon pushed herself up, casting a glance at her formerly white
gloves. "It's nothing; just a cut." She winded at the masked super hero.
"Glad to know you care, though." She didn't get a reply; he was too busy
staring at the mark on her forehead.

A million images flashed through Darien's mind as he registered the
meaning of that birthmark, teasing his senses. It matched the one worn by his
Princess in his dreams. The memories hit him like a waterfall, clearing away
everything from his mind. Metallic blood danced over his tongue once again,
the tainted wind carried the smell of sweet roses and the yells of the
Sailors as, once more, they fell in battle. The darkness called him
alluringly, but Darien stubbornly refused to answer it. He had something to
live for.

Shaking his head to clear it, Darien noticed Sailor Moon looking at
him. Her eyes were the same shade they had always been, the color of bluest
mother of pearl, shimmering in the bright light of the nearly full moon. He
said the only thing he could think of. "Serenity."

It was like a blow to the head. "How did you..." Serena reached up with
shaky fingers and pulled off his mask. She wasn't even really surprised to
find that it was Darien. In fact, she'd been entertaining a small hope that
it was. "No one calls me that but my mother. How did you find out about that
name?"

He seemed startled, as though she were supposed to know how he had
learned it. "You don't remember?"

Sailor Moon stood, closing her eyes momentarily against a head ache.
When she opened them again, she was greeted by a pair of eyes, a deeper blue
than she had ever imagined possible on a man. Those eyes were watching her
with thinly concealed hurt. A stitch in her side brought her attention to her
bloody gloves.

The next thing anyone knew, Serena had hit the ground in a dead faint,
her scream still echoing through the empty night. Darien could hear one word
ringing through her head as it all crashed back to her. Splashes of blood,
flashes of dark clouds, an evil face leering down at her. But, most of all,
her friends, her LOVE and her mother... She could see them staring back at
her from strangers eyes, souls wise with knowledge and pain that no one
should ever have to live- or die- through. It was in every memory she had.
Unconsciousness took her, with a single pair of arms catching her, holding
her close as she was lowered. Her mind put a name to those arms even as she
blacked out. 'Endymion.'

****************************************************************************

If there's ever going to be
A happy ending
First there's got to be
A new beginning

****************************************************************************

"So you're Queen Selenity," Darien said, absently stirring his coffee.
"Maybe you can help me, then."

Ilene Tsukino smiled, the faint lines around her eyes crinkling. "I WAS
Queen Selenity," she corrected gently. "I lost that title when I died."

Serena winced at the reminder. She was curled up in a chair with a cup
of cocoa. "Please, don't talk like that," she murmured, looking up at the
small group gathered in her kitchen. "I'm still not used to it." She smiled
shakily, but her eyes avoided Darien's. She still wasn't sure how to handle
finding the man who she'd loved more than life itself.

"What are we going to do? It's obvious that Beryl is behind the monster
attacks; he stink's all over it," Raye commented.

"What's to know?" Lita asked, biting savagely into a cookie. "We track
her down, kill her, pick up where we left off." The glance she threw at
Serena was full of unnoticed meaning.

"Remember what happened last time we attacked her without a plan?" Amy
asked, her voice unusually sharp and high-pitched. "I don't think we want to
go through that again."

"It's pretty obvious that she'd somehow brought Metallia back with
her," Mina said quietly. "She doesn't have enough power on her own to try
something like this. We'll need the Crystal. Especially if we're going to
rescue the Queen and King."

Darien's eyes darkened momentarily at the mention of his long-gone
parents. "Mina's right; we'll need the Crystal. That means that you'll have
to come with us, Mrs. Tsukino."

Ilene shook her head. "I can no longer wield the Silver Crystal," she
explained. "It's passed on from generation to generation, and I'm not strong
enough to give up a good fight this time."

"Then who..." Amy asked wonderingly. All eyes turned to Serena, who
nearly spilled her cocoa on her blanket when she notice.

"What?"

****************************************************************************

Sometimes love's no
Fairy tale
Matches made in Heaven
Sometimes fail
When we know love's so
Hard to find
Should we give up
And leave it all behind
Or should we write this story
Twice upon a time?

****************************************************************************

Darien looked a the being on its throne of pure obsidian with a
carefully blank look before turning back to stare at the smooth marble floor.
Creatures best left to the imagination fluttered in the shadows, squeaking
and scratching at the moldy jet walls.

Beryl leaned forward, yellow eyes studying the man before her. Her
fingers played with the designs on the arm of her throne, and she pursed lips
painted crimson. "So, Endymion, you finally come to me?" she hissed, voice
bouncing off of the walls. "Nine years, and you finally come to me. Longer
than that since your betrayal," she mused, raising a red claw to her cheek in
thought. "Why did you answer my call after all this time?"

"I was a fool, Lady Beryl," he answered, keeping his face down.
"Serenity ensnared me, and I unknowingly let her. You are my betrothed; I am
yours." His voice slithered through the air, strong and slightly charinged,
presumably at his uncouth actions.

Beryl looked at him for a long moment, eyes glowing in the darkness of
her throne room. She could feel the power of the Crystal nearby, so she was
certain that he had brought it with him. But the question was, was he
speaking truthfully? Or would he stick a knife 'tween her ribs at the
earliest possible moment? Finally, a cruel smile twitched at the corner of
her mouth. "I'm glad to see that you've come to your senses, my Lord," the
Dark Queen purred, hunger etching itself across her features. She breathed
deeply, which sent several flashed of guilty memory racing through his mind
before she stood and glided down the raised dais. Pressing herself against
him, Beryl placed a wet, cold kiss on his neck, licking at the pulse points.

"Tell me, my Lord, have you brought me the Silver Crystal?" she
whispered huskily, an undertone of promise and passion dancing across her
lips.

Darien grinned coldly back at her, wrapping an arm around the witch's
waist. "If you please, m'Love, you still have you half of the bargain to
keep," the dark haired prince murmured into Beryl's red hair, letting his
fingers stroke her waist in tantalizing swirls. "then you can have anything
you wish."

Beryl pulled away a few inches, eyebrows raised. "Oh, yes, the
Queen..." she answered distastefully. "As you wish, my Lord." Raising a
hand, Beryl snapped her fingers. Something which could only be identified as
having multiple limbs and several rows of sharp teeth oozed up to her,
dragging tatters of shadow with it. The stench of rotting human flash wafted
over to his nose unpleasantly. "Youma, go retrieve the Queen and King for his
Highness," she ordered, flashing a toothy smile. "Do not harm them. Then,"
she pushed so close that Darien was certain she must have glued herself to
his hip, "We may concentrate on other, more important matters." A slow bump
and grind let him know exactly what she considered 'important'.

A few minutes later, the youma returned, pushing two figures- a male
and a female- before it. Kristen Chiba snarled at the monster, but didn't
argue with it. Several bruises- old and new- and scars showed that she had
learned not to fight. But the spark in her eye was as strong as ever,
lighting up even the darkened corner of Beryl's kingdom with her will and
love of life. Her eyes widened as she saw her son, dressed immaculately in a
tuxedo, in a very intimate embrace with her captor.

"Darien!" she screamed, echoed by her husband. Immediately, she broke
away from the guard and ran for her only child. She stumbled and hit the
ground as the monster pulled on the chains around her ankles. Derek Chiba
knelt beside his wife, staring accusingly at his son.

"Be careful!" Beryl screamed, pointing at the youma with one hand while
the other toyed with Darien's back pocket. "Do not mark them!"

Darien eyed his parents with cold blue eyes, posture seemingly
indifferent. He gently disengaged himself from Beryl, who mewled her protest
like a kitten being denied its favorite toy. Walking towards the fallen
couple with a slow, deliberate pace, the calculating look never left his
eyes; even as he studied the people he had only faint memories and wisps of
dreams to remind him of.

His mother was older than he would have assumed, silver streaks running
through the hair at her temples. Her eyes were hardened by years of abuse;
skin pale from the lack of sunlight in her dismal prison. A tatter dress
adorned her much too skinny frame, now a dull gray where it had probably been
blue at one time. His father had a strong jaw, blemished by half healed cuts
and bruises, hidden by a full black beard, white hairs salting through it.
His eyes were a hard blue as he stared at the approaching figure. An arched,
aquiline nose highlighted his heavy black brows and the puckered scar leading
down from his temple to end somewhere underneath the imposing beard. Coming
to them, Darien knelt down and twisted his mother's chin up, as though she
were a prized animal. Looking deep into his mother's brown eyes. He nodded,
as though confirming something in his own mind.

"You've been harsh on them, milady," he said rebukingly, looking over
his shoulder at Beryl. Kristin jerked away from his touch as soon as she
could, pushing close to her husband. There was a whispered conference as he
soothed her. This went unnoticed by the dark Queen.

"My Lord, it was necessary to..." Her lips twitched. "Punish them, so
as to prevent escape attempts." Beryl watched Darien's every move, like an
animal does it's prey. "Surely you understand."

Darien stood, casting one final glance down on the people at his feet.
"Yes, quite. and since you have kept your end of that bargain..." He pulled
out a small white crystal, holding it up that she might see it. "I see no
reason to not keep mine." With an underhand toss, he threw the gem at Beryl.
It glittered in the air before she reached up and snatched it.

"The Crystal is..." Beryl hissed in pain, throwing the Crystal to he
ground, where it shattered like so much glass. Her hands were red, blisters
already forming. "You lie! That is NOT the Crystal!"

"SERENA! NOW!" Darien called, grabbing his parents and shoving them
behind him. Turning, he pulled a blood red rose out of thin air and threw it
at his parents guards, impaling its neck with a steel tip. The creature
screamed as it exploded in a cloud of dust.

High heels clicked on the flooring as the Sailor Soldiers stepped out
of hiding, tiaras glimmering in the light being shed by the pure white
Crystal in Sailor Moon's hands.

"Your reign ends NOW, Queen!" Serena snarled, holding her Crystal up so
that Beryl could see it clearly. "This is the LAST time you attack this
beautiful planet!" The glow brightened, seeming to suck the death out of the
very air around it, turning it to a shimmering moonbow of pastel colors and
life.

Deep within the heart of the Dark Kingdom, Metallia shrieked as the
light filled its essence with fiery agony. Beryl echoed the call as a similar
sensation tore through her. The connection she had forged with her mistress
in the past decades turned upon her in an unexpected way, ripping at the
moorings of her spirit, pulling it from her body. Black lightning danced over
her skin as Metallia drew upon her servants energy, draining youma and
humans. None who served her were spared. One by one, youma turned to dust as
they were sapped of their very life force and souls. Beryl was the last, her
skin wrinkling hideously as she aged. She screamed her last, collapsing to
the flagstones bonelessly, jaws still locked in a soundless plea for mercy.

Sailor Moon stumbled as the glow of the Crystal died, the sudden wash
of strength leaving her. Darien was at her side in an instant, wrapping warm
arms around her as his soul mate leaned into his touch.

"Serenity?" came a voice, weak from long years of disuse. "Darien?"
Kristen and Derek Chiba stumbled into the light, smiles stretching their
faces wide. Darien looked up, tears glittering in his eyes. Serena pulled
away from him, meeting her love's eyes in silent assent. Darien ran to his
parents, sweeping them up in a hug. Sobbing drifted over to the Soldiers,
joyous and ringing. Serena watched the reunion, a ache in the back of her
throat.

So quickly that none asked would be able to remember the exact moment
that it started, the earth split in twain, groaning as something purely evil
twisted and writhed to the surface. With a cry of complete freedom, Metallia
emerged from the prison it had been trapped in for the past millennium. Its
unholy laughter swept through the castle hollowly.

"I am FREE!" the black mist roared, reaching clawed ands to the sky in
jubilation.

Serena clutched the floor, holding tightly to a protruding rock as the
force of the quake tossed her like a rag doll. The ground turned beneath her,
making Sailor Moon slide off to the ground, where she lay in a tangle of long
hair and legs. Darien crawled over and wrapped his cape around her, shielding
her from the worst of the flying shards of rock. Behind him, he could hear
the Sailors shielding his parents, moving them behind a fallen pillar.

"This world is MINE!" Metallia hissed, arching backwards as it pulled
together, condensing its form into a solid shape. The mists swirled about the
new body, forming clothing. What emerged was a breathtakingly beautiful
woman, multicolored eyes shining with greed and a insatiable lust for power.
Her shimmering cream-colored hair fell well past her ankles, pooling at her
feet in a waterfall of natural silk. Dark skin seemed to highlight her
unusual eyes, with her bangs framing a heart-shaped face. Crimson lips
gleamed moistly as she smiled, white fangs flashing in the shadows. A gown of
the palest lavender hugged ripe curves, hinting at pleasures that were surely
beyond mortal imagination.

"Free at last, to play with my toys as I please once more," Metallia
laughed, voice tinkling like the silvery waterfall of a flute.

"NO!" Serena struggled to her feet, pulling out of Darien's arms. He
stood belatedly, realizing that he was staring. He had expected a beautiful
being, but he had never thought to expect this. "This world is under my
protection, Demon!"

Metallia ignored the challenging Champion of Love, instead focusing her
attention squarely on the man behind her. "Endymion," her voice caressed the
word seductively, making it seem like the most alluring of invitations.
"Beryl was weak, to think she could force you. I give you a choice, of your
own will." A manicured fingernail pointed at Serena. "Her, or..." One hand
brushed the swell of her bosom, then traveled down her own side delicately.
"Me?"

For one brief moment, Darien was tempted. Beryl had been lovely, but
this creature was an angel, nearly irresistible. His weight shifted,
preparing to take the fatal step that would seal his destiny. A hand on his
wrist stopped him, and a voice far sweeter than any other in the universe
called his name, making him look down.

"Darien."

He looked at the girl at his side, the one whose eyes were looking up
into his desperately. Serena's eyes were shifting between shades of blue,
tears more true than any Metallia could shed in the corners of them. A fresh
bruise marred her pale skin, and drying blood and dirt made her golden bangs
stick to her forehead, obscuring the crescent moon. But he could see the pain
in her, and a willingness to let him do as he pleased. Even though it would
kill her, destroy an entire planet, she loved him enough to let him choose.
Without a second thought, Darien looked up at the creature that seemed
straight out of the mists of Avalon... and stuck his tongue out.

Metallia took a step backwards. She had obviously not expected that
reply. Hissing, her eyes hardened. "So be it. You die together, then."

The blast came without warning, aiming for the small space between
Darien and Serena, trying to tear them apart. The Silver Crystal lit up of
it's own accord, pushing back the dark attack and giving its chosen mistress
a chance to fight back. Snarling, Serena pushed the energy back at its owner.

Metallia laughed. "Is that the best the much-vaunted Moon Princes can
throw?" The flow of energy from her increased tenfold, darkening even the
shadows with its evil intensity. "This is just too easy!"

Serena struggled, but the Crystal's power was being pushed farther and
farther back, and she was already giving it everything she had. She could
feel it, shivering through her bones, dancing in her veins. The pure energy
that was flowing through her was enough to kill a normal person. Even she
could feel it pulsing through her soul, the comforting darkness of death
creeping up through the light of the Crystal.

Something wrapped itself around her waist, and another set of hands
cupped her own, lending strength to her. Slowly, the Crystal began holding
its own, and Metallia stopped her laughing. But Serena knew that she couldn't
hold out much longer.

"I love you," Darien breathed directly into her ear, pulling the petite
blonde closer to him.

The whispered phrase sent a rush of energy, bright red and sparkling,
through Serena. It was like someone had replaced her blood with effervescent
spring water, charging her with a new kind of power. The Crystal glittered as
it was fed this new energy, turning it a gentle pink as it used the power of
their love. Metallia's attack was pushed farther back as the rosy glow
wrapped around her blast, diverting it and siphoning off its bite. Her
gemlike eyes widened as the pure wash of energy broke through her defenses
and smothered her, coiling through her innards like a snake. She wrapped
around her darkened heart, squeezing it, silencing its beat. Her skin
cracked, light pouring through the openings. Metallia didn't even have time
to scream before she dissolved, unable to stand up under the intensity of the
light.

Serena collapsed against Darien, breathing as heavily as if she had
just run a mile. He looked down at her, worry drawing his brow. "Are you
alright?"

Serena giggled and closed her eyes. "Yeah, but I could go for a burger
right about now."

Laughter echoed through the former Dark Kingdom in a way that it hadn't
for millions of years.

****************************************************************************

Don't give up on us
And leave it all behind
We could write this story
Twice upon a time

*****************************************************************************

"And that was how it all happened," King Endymion finished as he closed
the book he had made especially for this one tale. It was leather bound, with
a moon and rose entwined on the cover, the only one like it in existence.
Looking down on the pink haired child in the bed, a chuckled escaped his
lips. She was snuggled into pink and gold blankets, surrounded by stuffed
animals. The Princess peeked out at him from her burrow, looking like nothing
less than a rabbit in its hole.

"So that was how you met Momma?" Small Lady asked, looking up at her
father with wide red eyes. "Will you read it again?"

Endymion sighed, but smiled at his only child. "Would you like that,
Sweetheart?"

Small Lady nodded, a big smile on her face. "Oh, PLEASE, Poppa? Just
ONCE more?"

With a smile, Endymion opened the tome again. "Twice upon a time..."

*OWARI on 03.16.01*