Disclaimer: I do not own Sailormoon or its characters. I also do not own the Greek gods mentioned in this story. They come from Greek Mythology. I do own the story idea and made up characters. Do not copy my work!!!

Authoress Note: I hope you really love reading this chapter, as I did writing it. I tried to post it sooner, but things you can't control happened.

Stories currently by authoress:

Princess in a Bind: Serenity's Fate (6 chapters posted)

Metallia's Lies (6 chapters posted)

Feeling Lonely (6 chapters posted)

Selene floated alone in her bathing pool made of white marble. Bowls of soft flame floated in the pool with her, casting a soft, flickering light into the water and onto the walls and faintly on the ceiling above. White rose petals floated around her, too, fragrant and lovely. She allowed her fingers to caress one velvety, white petal as it floated past.

"Now here's a vision I prefer to any goddess. May I join you?" Zeus asked, as he stared intently at the beauty of her nakedness.

Selene jerked up, coming out of the water with a surprised splash. Her feet quickly found the bottom of the pool. She did not stand in waist- deep water, but crouched there with the water touching her chin. Heavens, she had allowed herself to become lost in the moment. She had not even realized another had entered the room! She relaxed when she saw who joined her.

She motioned for him to join her in the pool. Zeus didn't need anymore invitation than that and shed his own clothes, carelessly throwing them on the white marbled tiled floor. He eased his tanned, muscled body into the water without causing waves. Selene swam over to him and began to wash his body. "This is a surprise," she said, while continuing to wash every part of his form. "I didn't expect to see you until later tonight in my chambers. Is there anything wrong?"

Zeus sighed heavily, enjoying the motion of her hands over him and also dreading the new he was about to tell her. "I have some important matters of state to tell you," Zeus spoke with a hint of sadness in his tone and Selene closed her eyes and braced herself for what was about to come. Because she knew it had something to do with her. She felt it inside of her very being. "I can't marry you. I have to marry someone else."

Selene immediately stopped what she was doing and lifted herself out of the pool, with droplets of water sparkling on her skin like diamonds. Then she clapped her hands together twice, and in her commanding voice of the moon goddess called, "Handmaidens attend me!"

Before a breath could pass, twelve beautiful young women materialized in a cloud of glittering silver dust that looked like it had been borrowed from the light of the moon. The twelve maidens dressed their mistress in an ancient white greek- styled robe trimmed in gold, which showed off the sides of her milky white legs. Her feet were given gold sandals and nestled heavily between her breasts was a sparkling diamond drop, which was the source of her true power.

Zeus climbed from the pool and closed the space between them before Selene could run away from him. He touched her face and cupped her chin with the coolness of his hand. He tried to think of something else to say that would make her understand better. He had done the right thing, of course. Everyone knew that. Everyone except her, and she was the one who mattered. "You're pissed," he said, recognizing the familiar look in her crystal blue eyes.

Selene couldn't meet his gaze. She closed herself from her emotions that threatened to reveal themselves. She wouldn't allow them to rule her, but she did understand what he was trying to explain to her. She just didn't want to believe it, because she could not imagine living the rest of her immortal life without Zeus in it. He was her lover. She loved how his blonde hair fell to his waist and was held by a red ribbon to control his mane. She loved to run her fingertips over every muscle that showed off his perfect physique. She also loved the sound of his voice, which made everyone hurry to his beck and call.

Selene fought back the tears that threatened to spill forth from her eyes. "You're bride," she said, with sadness in her voice. "She's very beautiful, isn't she? Of course she is," she spoke, answering her own question. "All gods are beautiful."

"That has nothing to do with this," Zeus said, releasing her and stepping away to place on the clothes that he shed only moments ago. "That's not why I'm marrying her."

"But she is, isn't she?" she persisted, fixing him with a deadly look and wrapping her arms around herself for protection.

"Yes," he said more fiercely than he intended. "So are you." He watched as she turned away. "Selene," he tried again, "I would rather marry you. If I had a choice, I would marry you. But I have to do the best thing for my people."

"And I'm not it," she concluded. "After all those nights together and the promises we made to one another. I'm not the best thing, am I? And the people deserve the best, don't they?" A tear sparkled on her eyelashes before slipping down her cheek.

Zeus pulled her into his arms and kissed her soft lips. He kissed her as a man wanting to keep his lover safe from pain and heartache and sadness. And he hated to be the one who brought those things to her. He pulled back from her after he found her lips to be unresponsive. "What's the matter, Selene? Why do you turn from my touch?"

She turned her face away from him. She couldn't force herself to see him anymore. "I can't continue being your whore. It wouldn't be fair to the woman taking my place in your bed." It really did hurt her to be so graceful when all she really wanted was to tear Zeus' heart out and feed it to Cerberus, Hades' guard dog to the underworld.

"How can you say that to me? I love you and I know you love me in return." He grasped her chin and forced her gaze onto him once more. "She means nothing to me and I could careless about her feelings. I will have you between my sheets just as before."

Selene knew she couldn't win against him. No one would be able to, for he was the King of the Heavens. But, she could at least try. "You don't love me, Zeus. You love what you think I am. You don't really know me at all. I need you to let me go." She lowered her voice, so that her handmaidens nearby wouldn't over hear her.

Zeus' eyes flashed with anger and continued to stay there until he finished his words. "You think to escape me, but there is no chance for you. And I am tired of you defying me. No one does that and gets away with it, least of all you."

"I won't stay here with you if you keep threatening me. I'll go away, so far away you'll never find me. I see I have wasted my tears and time on you. I won't keep you here any further." She hissed through her teeth, defying the very man who stood before her, showing his anger towards her. The walls of her white marble palace shook with Zeus' rage and her handmaidens shook with fear, unable to leave unless their mistress told them to go.

He had about enough of her tongue directed towards him. "That will never happen, Selene. There is nowhere you can go that I cannot find you. I would never stop until I have retrieved you. Then, I will shackle your ankles to my throne chair, so you will not have the chance to escape me again. You are a goddess, an immortal, and you home is here on Mount Olympus!"

Selene shook with her own anger directed towards Zeus. She had just enough of his tantrum, also. "Leave my palace at once! I've given you all the time you're going to get. It makes me sick to even look at you. I should have stayed a virgin goddess for all eternity. At least, then I would have never experienced the pain of love."

"That's enough," Zeus shouted, shaking the walls even harder.

"It's past enough." She turned to her handmaidens. "You are dismissed. I will call for you if I need further assistance. Your presence is no longer required." The handmaidens bowed and vanished in the same way that they came in. She directed her gaze to Zeus once more. "What do you not like to be given orders by a woman, tough because that is just what a wife does. She controls you."

"Do you think I could be with you, that I could touch you again after this?" Selene said, as she walked towards the exit, pushing Zeus out of her way, and escaping to her moon, where she could mend her broken heart.

Nyx, the goddess of the night, heard her friend's anguish and sorrow and went to her to offer comfort to the once happy goddess. "What and who has caused you such pain?" Nyx asked. "I cannot bare to see such sadness radiant from you that seem to be the cause of the moon's dim glow."

Selene looked up with red stained eyes at Nyx, which caused the goddess to place her hand over her heart. "My own foolishness- that is what has caused me such pain. I was stupid to believe in the love and the lies of the all powerful Zeus. Now, he plans to marry another and keep me as his whore." She cried, lowering her head into her hands and continued to weep.

Nyx brushed back the silver strands of hair that fell in front of Selene's face. Using her hand, she rose up Selene's head and stared intently at her friend with golden eyes. "Spoken like a woman who's fallen in love and got spurned."

"I am not in love with that nincompoop," Selene responded hotly. "Love is for foolish girls who know no better. A goddess has no time for it." She turned her body away from Nyx, hoping she would leave her alone.

Nyx flew right in front of her with her wings expanding twelve feet across each way. "Would you like for me to summon Helios, god of the sun. I know how close you two are. I want to help you anyway I can."

Selene shook her head. "No, don't concern him in this. He would fight for my honor and finish where I left off with Zeus. He is no match for him. Promise me you will not tell a soul about this. What am I to do Nyx? I can't face Zeus and all the other gods right now."

Nyx tapped her index finger against her chin, thinking of a way for her friend to get away from Mount Olympus for a while. Then, it struck her. "I got it!" she said, hitting herself in the forehead. "I don't know why I didn't think of this before. Why don't you disguise yourself as a human and live amongst them."

Selene stared wide eyed at Nyx. "That will not happen and it won't work. Zeus would know I'm gone and come searching for me. He would hurt innocent people to get his way. He has a horrid temper, as you well know."

Nyx looked at Selene like she grew horns all of a sudden. "I will hide your scent from Zeus. All you have to do is to lock your magic up inside of your soul. And no one will find you until your ready to return, not even Helios will. The night covers everything and is the greatest magic of all."

"I think your plan might actually work! It might give Zeus and me enough time to cool off and to think things over. But, how am I to live as a mortal. I don't know the first thing going about it."

Nyx flashed Selene a white smile. "Leave that to me. I have a few ideas about that. Are you ready for this?" Selene nodded. "First, we need to dim that radiant glow of the goddess coming from you. I know the next part is going to be hard for you, but we need to shorten the length of your hair just enough to your ankles and change the color from silver to blonde."

Selene touched the silver locks of her hair and gulped with nervousness. "Instead of cutting it," she whispered. "Couldn't I have two buns on either side of my head with the excess hair shaping them? That way, I can still keep all of my hair and it will still be the length you suggested."

"Alright, you can keep your hair," Nyx said, while grinning. "Your new name will be Serenity and you will become the princess of Athens. That way, everything will be done for you and you won't have to worry about what to do to fit in society. It's important that you do your own hair. No one must know how long it really is. It would give the edge that Zeus needs to find you."

Selene nodded in understanding and locked up her magic inside of her soul. She felt the warmth of Nyx's magic flow through her. "Don't worry, Selene. I will watch over you always, even if you cannot feel me. I won't leave you alone to fend for yourself against the mortals. Take care, my friend."

Nyx watched as Selene flew the night sky like a shooting star. She laughed, as she imagined a mortal wishing upon the retreating goddess. She smiled as she felt and heard Zeus throwing a tantrum at Mount Olympus. She hoped no one was in his path, for there will be no mercy for them.

To be continued…