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The Beginning of the End: Chapter One
Published: February 2011

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Terran Kingdom, The Earth
Flashback: Approximately One Year Prior

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His fingers traced the planes of her body, mapping it and committing her every curve to memory. He was memorized by her form, the lines and curves that made her tangible. Her hair was all around them, impossibly long and shining almost a reflective, pure white in the moonlight. He loves how her lips are puckered in her sleep and the soft feeling of her breath on his skin as her chest rises and falls with each tiny breath she takes. She looks so incredibly dreamlike, like some angel of Elysian bathing in the light of the moon. He cannot stop staring at her, even though he is exhausted and can hardly stay awake. In his hazy, dreamlike state he comes up with sonnets and poetry to describe her, which he whispers quietly into the wind as he traces her skin with his fingertips. He cannot stop touching her, he will not. Their time is too precious and already coming to an end with the very faintest glows of sunlight threatening to dawn on the horizon.

He hates sunrises, just as much as he loves sunsets. The night is their friend, their home and palace and kingdom. Even when they are apart, the night brings dreams of each other. The nighttime for them is full of promises, of chances to be together.

She releases a purr of a breathe and shifts in the grass, the pout on her lips fading to a soft smile as her mind tumbles out of sleep's placid lullabies. Her eyes, the oddest shade of lavender and azure, flutter open to land on him. He can only smile, though he knows their time is dwindling fast. These moments, their time together, are only ever sand in an hourglass. His fingers stop in their decent over her form, his lips going to press sweet kisses on the smooth skin of her stomach. She sighs softly, her tiny hands fluttering up to run through the darkness of his ruffled hair.

"Endymion." She breathes out in a wisp of shallow breathe as he ascends up from her belly to her neck, leaving a trail of cool kisses. Her eyes close as he finds the spot on her neck, the one only he knows about, that is especially sensitive. His mouth lingers there as he whispers his poetry to her, the lines of verse that are only ever going to be heard by her.

"Serenity." He repeats her name with every kiss to her neck, her face, her lips. He breathes it in a whisper, so no one can hear it but him, and he envelops her into his arms as the sky softens to hues of gold and blue. He closes his eyes and pretends he does not see the stars fading and the sun rising in the lavender of her eyes. His murmurs of her name fall into frantic denials, a steady stream of weak 'No's.

"It is a new day, Endymion. The morning." She states in a whisper. She is never quite as sad as he is at dawn, she is always too appreciative of what little she has been given to mourn the rise of the sun. Her happiness is tinged with mourning, though, the reality of leaving him once again making her heart fall to pieces. She knows it is her cue to leave, to escape before her presence or his is missed. Already they are too close, there is already too much light on their nocturnal skin. She sighs heavily and sits up, stretching her arms over her head to relax her tired muscles. She leans her head into his, capturing his lips in a kiss as her hair falls around them like a silver curtain. He groans into the kiss out of pain, not desire when he feels the heat of the sun touching his back.

When she reaches for her dress, which is caught on a tree branch and fluttering in the morning breeze, he stops her. This time, he decides, he is not letting her go. He pulls her down on top of him and holds her close, breathing in the intoxicating scent that his distinctly her. "Do not go. Stay. Do not leave me again, I cannot bear it." He begs, his midnight eyes filled with a sorrowful longing.

It breaks her heart and she cradles his head in her hands, kissing his eyelids and murmuring sweetly, "I must. I really must. But tomorrow night, you will come see me tomorrow?"

"No." he says defiantly, a fierce glow lighting a fire in his eyes. She knows this game, they have both played it many times before. Through their connection, the tight red string that tied their hearts together, they can clearly experience what the other is feeling. It only amplifies their own melancholy, their own distressed hearts. She tries to get up and he tugs her down again, onto his lap, pressing his cool lips to the nape of her neck as he runs his hands through the soft tresses of her hair. "You cannot go, not this time. I will not let you."

"I must-"

"No." He is begging again, firmly grasping her hips to keep her from leaving him forever. He dips her back so he can see her eyes. His voice catches in his throat at her tragic beauty, the sadness in her eyes fueling his desire to always be there for her. To protect her, to have her always. "Run away with me. We will go away far away from our kingdoms, to the end of the galaxy. So we can be together, so we do not have to live in secret anymore." He purrs frantically into her ear, nipping her earlobe with his teeth. He has to convince her, he has to convince her so she can convince him. They do not need anyone but each other, he wants her to tell him that. He wants to believe it.

But despite it all, neither of them is selfish. They love too deeply, care too much about those who have always been there beside them. Will always be there. Her Scouts, his Generals. There is too much guilt in their hearts already for keeping such a thing quiet, for not revealing their true heart to those who have sworn their lives to them. They cannot run away, they both know it, or they would be swallowed in time by grief and guilt. And he knows this, she knows this, but he still begs fervently, "Just us, forever."

"Endymion, we cannot. I want to, I want to so badly. But we cannot." And he knows this is true, so he lets her scramble up with tears in her eyes. He can feel her sorrow as acutely as his own now, he can feel her steady pulse in his own veins and her breathe in his own lungs. He covers his eyes as she slides into her dress, not for modesty but because he can't take seeing her cry or preparing to leave. Just as quickly as she has left she has returned, pushing him down in the soft grass and showing him no mercy as her lips demand his own. Frantic, urgent, hurried. He complies, knowing she is trying to make the sadness disappear. Knowing that it wont work.

"Someday, Serenity, you will be my queen." He says in a raw whisper on her lips and she breaks away, sobbing now as she clutches him tightly. It is not quite a promise, but a hope. He does not panic now, his job is to be there for her. He sends her a wave of assurance, smiling softly at his little princess. And so he whispers promises of the kingdom they will build together, teases her about the castle full of heirs they would produce – all with her hair and her eyes. And then she laughs through the heartbreak, curses the rising sun.

And then she is gone.

They want so much for the vows they made to be enough. They want to be able to believe they are each others; he wants to call her his wife and she wants to call him her husband. But they can't, not without the congratulations of those people who love them. They made their vows, their very souls are bound by an unbreakable bound, but they will never truly belong to one another until the people who take up those other corners of their soul know of Serenity and Endymion. Their vows meant nothing, really, with no one to witness them but the boy priest of dreams.

But they almost feel whole underneath the moonlight, meeting for brief hours before they have to part until their next meeting. They still have hope, they still truly believe that things will fall into place magically. They can still imagine a future where they can kiss under the sun and wear golden bands on their fingers. They still can see it, they just cannot tell how far away it is. They know one day they will both rule and one day they will rule together.

They do not know how they will get there, but they will.

Perhaps this was a tragic hope, one they would not ever witness while they are breathing in their bodies. But they want it too much, they have too much faith that one day they will not just have to settle for dreams.

Fate knows what is in store for them, Fate has a plan. And just as quickly as it will snatch them away from each other, Fate will shove them back into each other's arms. Fate knows one day they will be happy, but Fate knows what they do not. That first, for them to have everything, Fate must take it all away.

But first, first their worlds would have to disintegrate for their tragic sins. Only then, only then can they atone. They do not realize it, but this is the end of their dreams. Soon, everything will unravel, soon they will pay for the treason they have committed. Hiding away from the world, forgetting their duties, is the very first step down the road to their downfall. It is the beginning of their end, the lungful of air before their last breathe.

And so they still hope for the things they have been starved of, not knowing what is slowly coming on the horizon like the sun obliterating their moonlit skies.

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Silver Millennium, Palace of the Moon Kingdom, The Moon
Present Day: Approximately One Year After Flashback

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Serenity was draped in white silk and lace, her bodice tight fitting and detailed with silver, floral embroidery. Around her hips was a string of pale pink pearls, the gossamer material of the dress's cloth fanning out in layers of fabric that went from pure white at the waist to pale pink at the bottom. Her hair, of course pulled into the royal hairdo, had a garland of moonflowers and pearls woven into her incandescent, light-hued gold tresses. Her face was pretty and pale, her cheeks the faintest hint of a rosy red on the apples of her cheeks, and her lips were a light shade of glimmering pink. Her eyes, caught somewhere between lavender and blue, were framed by long, blonde eyelashes. She radiated beauty, was the epitome of a Princess, made everyone catch their breath.

But the Moon Princess felt less than beautiful. She looked too young, like a twelve year old rather than a woman of seventeen. She did not have Raye's striking raven locks or exotic beauty, she was not curvaceous and tall like Lita, she did not have Ami's cute button nose or sparkling crystal eyes, and she did not radiate feminine beauty like the sun-kissed Mina. Although she bore a striking resemblance to her, she was only a less dazzling, less beautiful copy of her ethereal mother. Her skin was too pallid, she looked like she had gained weight, her hair was a colorless shade. She did not think she was lovely or passable or pretty enough.

In the mirror she stood in front of, she saw herself as a girl with a glimmer of watery droplets glistening in her eyes, threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. She looked scared, not excited like she should be. She looked breakable, childish. And although she hated what she saw, she could not look away. Her emotions threatened to give her away in a sob, which she held back with a bitten lip. When had she gotten so weak, so frail, and so emotional? Why did she feel dread at his arrival, when her heart should feel like it would beat of her chest? Because Endymion, with so many other beautiful ladies at court from so many other planets, surely would find his secret wife exceedingly dull among everyone else's sparkle.

She obviously was not thinking clearly.

"Serenity, I know it is awful that those uncivilized Earthlings are coming, but you have got to stop moping about this." Lita called from the nearby chaise, her shapely form leisurely draped over the multiple pillows strewn across it. The brunette was wearing a flowing light green gown that was not quite formal, her only adornments an emerald pendant necklace dangling from a silver chain and delicate silver earrings in the shape of a budding flower. The Princess of Jupiter yawned, stretching as she added dully, "Though it is a shame we will have to breathe the same air as them when they arrive. They do require an excessive amount of oxygen."

"Lita is quite right, actually, it is rather odd how much oxygen they require. Their planet's atmosphere is a particularly interesting climate to study." Ami mused, smoothing the folds of her dress as she stood. Princess Mercury traced her finger across the beaded bracelet she wore, approaching the door and bowing her head, "I am going to go see if Lady Luna is ready for our entrance, I will be right back shortly Princess."

Serenity sighed as Ami exited, she had only been half-heartedly listening to them. Suddenly she froze, eyes going wide as she felt a sharp tug. She knew what it was and the idea made her panic. Endymion had arrived, she could feel it, knew without a doubt that the Earthen party had just stepped foot on the Moon. His emotions rippled through their bond for a brief moment, a mixture of anticipation and positive apprehension. It made her stomach turn, the unexpected self-doubt raging in her telling her she would disappoint him. She ripped her eyes from her image in the mirror and turned to her companions, asking in quiet panic to no one in particular, "Am I pretty enough?"

Lita blinked, sitting up to look at her Princess with a furrowed brow. Serenity was stunning, an image of perfect beauty that had women resentful and men swooning. Her dress clung to her curves perfectly, her youthful appearance made her radiate good health and delicate innocence. Her face was that of an angel, the flowers in her hair only complimented the unique shine of her long hair. She was more than pretty. Troubled by the question coming from the usually confident women, she opened her mouth to give some words of encouragement. However, the ever straightforward Raye beat her to it.

"You are perfect, now shut up Princess." Raye stated sharply, bumping her hip against Serenity's to look into the full-length mirror. The girl inspected herself, eyeing her own formfitting blood red ensemble with a blank expression before turning back to her friend. She placed her hands on her hips and chastised sternly, "Stop looking for compliments from us. You know you are gorgeous; every man in court is madly in love with you and all the women envy your looks. It's disgusting."

Serenity's brows pulled together into a confused look, she had not necessarily been looking for a compliment. Just reassurance, something to calm her rising terror and conquer her self-loathing. Raye raised an eyebrow at her, daring her friend to contradict her, before sauntering over to sit next to Lita. "But –" Serenity began, quieting as Mina put an arm around her, steering her away from the mirror and towards the adjoining sitting room of her private chambers.

"Serenity, you are stunning. Do not mind Raye, she is bitter that you are more beautiful than she." The blonde whispered in her best friend's ear, her gloved hand clasping the other girl's bare one. She smiled sweetly at her, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, "And that dress is fabulous, I am glad you decided to wear it. What about mine?"

Yellow fabric, low-cut, and a fit so tight that only a Venusian would dare wear it in public. It suited the warrior splendidly. Serenity smiled, her panic residing as she answered as merrily as she could muster in her nervous state, "It is really pretty and very you, Mina."

"Thanks!" Mina broke into giggles, letting go of Serenity and skipping forward into the center of the room to do a spin. She struck a pose at her, winking and cheerily declaring, "I hope that awful Prince Endymion sees you in that and falls madly in love with you! Oh, would that not be splendid? You could break his cold heart and make him pay for all the unkind taunts he threw at you last time!"

Serenity paled considerably at the blonde's cheerful proposal. Hearing his name on her lips when he was so achingly close and not being able to grin like a silly, lovesick maiden ripped her heart out. Mina was her confidante, she and Lita had always been right there beside her when they were younger, dreaming of handsome princes and wedding gowns. Mina had taught her how to flirt with guards, had filled her young mind with tales of romance, and who had always been the one she told about her latest crush's on handsome dignitaries when they first felt the stings of puppy love. At that moment she wanted to tell her, wanted to tell the leader of her guardians and the Scout of Love all about her secret marriage. She almost did, but was saved from making any response at all from the new appearance of Luna and Ami, followed by a bickering Lita and Raye.

Luna, in her poised human form, looked as if she were exhausted, though it only seemed to show from the weary expression on her face, "The Terrans are here."

The way she said it, like it was a curse, upset Serenity greatly. When had that become a dirty word? An insult? Even Luna, who cared little for Earth, had not used such a tone of voice when referring to them before. Something must have happened, already. What could have possibly gone wrong to get Luna visibly ruffled from outsiders?

Luna turned sharply to her Princess, causing the emotional female to shift uncomfortably under her feline gaze. "Serenity, please for the love of Selene, stay away from that Prince. Do not try to be polite, even, just pay no attention to him and act as if he did not exist. We certainly do not need anything else to go wrong from you two's legendary, imminent, ridiculous squabbles."

"Wait, did something go wrong, Luna?" Mina questioned quickly, her smile fleeing and her face going serious.

The black haired woman paced in long, graceful steps, gritting her teeth. She stopped abruptly and looked up at the ceiling, then back down at the younger girls, "Oh yes. The problem is that the Terrans do not teach their children any courtly etiquette or gentlemanly manners, apparently."

Serenity bit her lip. She was not referring to Endymion, surely. Even with his seemingly merciless teasing of her, he had always been polite in formal settings and nothing but a gentleman to others. Maybe not to her, no, but that had been an act anyway. He was noble and kind, though admittedly arrogant, but respectful. Had his generals been the ones to do something? Or one of their diplomats? "What happened?" Serenity urged quietly, worried edge to her tone.

"Their king! Their king! What an insufferable, ungracious man!" Luna declared, the hiss of her voice sounding so very catlike as she spit out in vehemence uncommon of the composed woman, "He is lucky we did not simply ban him from court right when he walked in! We are offering to discuss an imperative prospect for their planet, we are considering being very, very kind neighbors and assisting them in eradicating the rebellions giving rise throughout their entire planet! And what do we get? An ungracious king who comes to our planet, walks into our palace, and disrespects our queen!"

Serenity's heart dropped, what had Endymion's father said to her mother? What had happened to make Luna so very furious? Luna's anger troubled her, she was usually so in control, and it made her want to placate her. Serenity hurried over to the taller women, quickly leaping at her with a hug that was somehow meant to calm her. She wanted to say Luna was being unfair, like she often thought when Luna gave her rules, but she could not think of anything but soothing her protector and mentor. So she hugged her, squeezing her own eyes shut as she tried to maintain her own semblance of calm. Surprisingly, the feeling of the petite princess's arms wrapping around the adult's body did calm her. Luna's troubled gaze softened at the view of the blonde girl clutching her tightly around the waist, having a flashback to the time's when the girl had been just a child, and she pulled her arms around the girl's petite frame. Serenity's presence made her feel loved, her embrace made her remember herself and find her calm.

The woman patted the girl on the head, pressing a gentle kiss to the girl's crescent emblem as she whispered in a motherly urge to reassure the trembling teen like she was a child, "I am sorry Princess, I did not mean to lose my temper. I was quite upset on how he treated your mother, you know how defensive I am of your family."

Serenity looked up at her, smiling in a way that made Luna's heart melt, "I understand Luna, there is nothing to be sorry for." Luna patted her head fondly, being careful not to displace any of the embellishments braided into her silvery gold strands, as the Princess continued in childlike timidity she did not mean to possess, "But what happened, Luna?"

Looking down at the innocent beauty that she had helped raise, Luna felt the urge to protect her from the unpleasant. She brushed Serenity's bangs from her eyes with long fingers, stepping out of the young woman's embrace as she cleared her throat and answered in a toneless claim, "The Terran King was quite brisk with your mother, Princess. He brushed past her and ignored her welcome, going up to Artemis and demanding to be shown the way to his own 'private wing'. He showed only contempt and disrespect for our court. And I cannot forgive him when your mother has shown the Earth such kindness, time and time again, despite their resistance to the aid we continuously offer. "

Serenity nodded slowly, feeling a steady dread give rise. The members of the Silver Alliance's court respected Queen Serenity and were highly offended by even the slightest hint of any unenthusiastic comment about her. This did not bode well for Earth, nor did it bode well for the aspirations of her and Endymion. She swallowed the lump in her throat, ignored the pang in her heart, and stood tall. A sudden strength flooded through her and she no longer wanted to pout over her misfortunes or her situation. She was the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, the future Queen of the Silver Millennium. If she ever wanted to be a true lady, like her mother, she would have to stand tall in the face of uncertainty and difficulties. She felt her smile that was not her own and realized who had sent her this feeling, who had been listening in on her feelings and regarding her aura since the moment he set foot on the moon.

Endymion, it isn't nice to spy. She sent through their bond, being careful to block her thoughts from him. She hated when he did that, when he slipped through the cracks in her psyche and inspected her emotions. She was too nervous, too self-conscious, too worried, and too overjoyed. She was too much of everything right then to be able to deal with his prodding too. She then felt bad about blocking him out as she felt him poke at her subconscious. A smile slipped onto her face as she murmured to him quickly before once again cutting off communication, I love you.

She could practically feel him smirking. She cleared her throat, trying to radiate an inner calm as she put on her poker face, "If the Terrans want to be disagreeable, let them. It is there loss, not ours, no?" Wrong, it was her loss. It was always her loss. "And Prince Endymion has to get his bad manners from somewhere."

"What is it the Earthlings say? The apple does not grow far from the tree?" Mina piped in, cheered by her Princess's improved mood. Ami closed her eyes tightly with a pained expression, Lita grinned, and Raye groaned. Mina blinked at them, tilting her head as she asked faintly, "What?"

Luna placed a hand on the small of Serenity's back, encouraging her forward with suddenly hasty steps as she declared, "Now let us go, so we can get this over with, alright Princess?" She looked over her shoulder at the other four girls, the Princesses of each of their respective planets, "Please, Guardian Scouts, do not let Prince Endymion have an opportunity to terrorize our little Princess." They nodded their heads dutifully, falling into step behind them.

Serenity was being ushered out the door, down the hallway, and towards the entrance hall before she had a chance to think. With terror she realized they actually planned on keeping her from him, making sure they did not come in contact with each other. But she could not have that, it would be impossible for her to sit across the room from him and not make some interaction. Maybe they should just change the game, maybe they should give up their charade as enemies and play friends? But no, that was too dangerous. There existed too much passion between them, their looks were too heated. They could never pass as anything less than fatal foes or impossible lovers. But, perhaps she could just act indifferent? Maybe it was more possible then she thought.

"Wait, Luna, girls! We do not have to snub them, I can be perfectly civil to their prince. I can!" She insisted in a squeak, looking hastily over her shoulder at her friends as Luna continued to urge her forwards down the marble halls of the Moon Palace.

"But what if you cannot, Serenity? It would be much easier for us to avoid him all together than to risk a scene if he happens to evoke your anger." Luna suggested calmly, smoothing black curls from her eyes to tidy her hair. Did they have so little faith in her? Serenity promptly stopped mid-stride, placing her hands on her hips as she looked at all of her nodding companions fiercely. Jupiter looked as if she did not agree, a dark scowl cast across her features as she stepped over towards her Princess – as if taking a side.

"Serenity, I advise the same." Ami replied softly, eyeing Lita's defensive stance.

"What? We are not going to tiptoe around them like we are AFRAID. What can they do to us? They are the ones seeking some sort of alliance, they are the ones that are suddenly clamoring at our feet for help now that their revolutionaries have set their sights on their kingdom too, not just ours!" Lita fumed from beside Serenity.

"I…I can be cordial. I can be polite to the prince." Serenity murmured, but they did not seem to hear her. She knew this was one of the times were she would be disregarded, she could already see her guardians pointed ignorance of her.

"But Serenity's reputation is on the line! She and the prince's arguments will make her look bad! Like some raving harpy who cannot control her temper!" Raye countered, voice edging a bit too loudly. Mina poked her in the side and put a finger on her lips, urging her to lower the volume of her voice. At the look all the women turned to the doors of the entrance hall, just down the hallway.

"HEY!" Serenity stomped her foot, trying to demand attention to her and her opinion. They could not make all her decision, they could not decide what she did and did not do! She had decided that three years prior, when she had broke away from the safety they provided and made the first real decision she had ever made. To love him, despite the costs. But they did not listen, they never listened. The court, the queen, and the empire of the Moon kingdom paid no mind to the ideas of their little goddess. Until she was queen she was a child, doomed to have her life ruled by others until she was capable of ruling herself. At least, they thought.

Ami once again spoke her opinion calmly, her tone lower as to not be heard by any party but their own, "I must agree with Raye and Luna. Serenity cannot risk her public image. We all know she cannot control her temper after he says his remarks to her. It is best if Serenity simply avoids him, at all costs, so as not to harm our diplomatic preceding or the public's view of our princess."

"Do I get no say in this?" Serenity muttered disdainfully, her annoyance distracting her from the nervous fit she had been in earlier.

"Shush, Serenity." Luna said, turning back to the three members of her guard, "Now I know it is hard, but we are not humbling ourselves by it. We all know we are above the Terrans silly games – Selene knows what they are playing at with their 'peace talks'—but it is in her best interest that we keep her and the prince from interacting." She turned to Serenity, "Now, you will of course have to follow decorum and greet the royal family and their guard at their arriving ceremony. Perhaps you may have to be in his presence at meetings. But otherwise we will keep you far away from him and make sure there are no slip ups where you may accidentally run into each other. You did a very good job being kind to him on their departure last time, surely you can do that again…"

"I can, but –"

"Good. Now it is time for us to make our entrance, Princesses." Luna placed her hand on the handle of the door, preparing to enter as she directed impassively, "First I will enter and alert Artemis of our arrival, then you will all be called. Wait for the signal, descend down the staircase; you know the procedures. Jupiter, you will be introduced first. Then Mercury, then Venus, then Mars. Serenity, when you are called your mother will meet you at the foot of the stairs. Please, do not trip like the last time."

With that she made a graceful, fluid entrance into the hall, disappearing behind the door briefly before the doors were pulled open again by two white-clad guards. Lita winked at them as they called out her title, disappearing from view as she turned a corner to descend down the marble steps. Serenity's nerves returned full force, her facial expression indistinguishably blank save for the quiver of her bottom lip. The ever observant Ami noticed, quickly grabbing her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze before she too left the hallway.

Mina stepped in front of her, leaning in as she whispering hastily, "Do not listen to what those bores have to say. As the leader of your personal guard and the Scout of Love, I explicitly give you permission to do as you please." She looked both ways, ignoring Raye's pointed stare, and whispered silkily in Serenity's ear, "How else would we make him fall in love with you if you are never around one another?"

Serenity feared for herself at those words, wondering if Mina's meddling would uncover something best left undisclosed. Mina's matchmaking terrors were legendary, her determination at influencing a match scary not just in accuracy but in methods. Now she was in trouble, now she and Endymion's secret was truly at risk. If Mina found out, despite her teasing, she would be one furious Scout. She hated secrets more than she loved fairytales, would never approve of a real clandestine romance. Not one as scandalous and as risky as theirs, at least. Despite being a Venusian and therefore a hopeless romantic, Mina had too much dutiful loyalty to go against the court of the Silver Alliance. The thought appeased Serenity as she realized Mina was not truly trying to set her up with him; she surely though it was too outrageously impossible and unacceptable. With one last grin over her shoulder, Mina was gone too.

Raye did not look at her as she stepped up to the door, hearing her title exclaimed by the announcer as she added one last comment, "Don't trip!"

Oh Selene.

And she was left alone in the hall for one silent moment, closing her eyes tightly and inhaling one shaky breath. She felt an anticipation that was not her own tugging at her heart strings which made her realize that Endymion was really there, waiting for her just on the other side of the open doors. And even if she could not run up to him and kiss him, embrace him, beam at him – he would still be there waiting.

Somehow that gave her the courage to open her eyes and step forward as she heard her full name get called. And in her mind, she added one last title to the end of the name she was given name at birth. His name, the one she had secretly taken. Terra.

. . .