A/N: Here's chapter 3! I don't have much to say, just the usual stuff…please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Sailor Moon in any way, shape, or form…hence the fanfiction.

No End in Sight

Chapter 3: Last Day

Swords rang out as they crashed together before pulling apart. Endymion spun and deflected another strike expertly, coming up with his sword held out before him. Malachite spun his own sword in his hand as he adjusted his grip.

"You're distracted, Prince. You know better than to let your enemy get so close." Malachite declared as he and Endymion circled each other slowly.

Endymion frowned; Malachite was right. He couldn't focus. His thoughts kept drifting back to Serenity.

A rush of air indicated that Malachite was attacking again. Grimacing at his own stupidity, he leapt into the air and flipped sideways over his temporary foe, swinging his newly-sharpened sword widely to force Malachite backwards as he landed in a crouch.

"Too close, Endymion. You must push all other thoughts from your mind in battle."

Endymion growled and stood. "I know that, Malachite." Shoving his sword back into its sheath, he wiped his brow with the back of his hand. "I'm not in the mood to spar. I want to be alone." With a flourish of his cape, the Prince of the Earth turned and strode from the room.

"So," Jedite said after a long pause, "how many men do you think Princess Serenity will dance with tonight?"

"I think it'll depend on whether or not she insists on mixing up her dance partners." Zoisite declared. The other men chuckled as they agreed with his statement. It was painfully obvious that their prince was falling quickly for the Princess of the Moon.


Princess Serenity was resting beneath a tree on the large, luscious expanse of lawn. She'd leaned her head back against the strong trunk and let her eyes drift shut. She hadn't yet seen Endymion that day, and though she'd never admit it, that saddened her. She'd hoped to see him before the ball.

"A beautiful lady such as yourself shouldn't look so lonely on such a peaceful day," Endymion's deep voice declared from beside her.

Serenity opened her eyes and looked up at him, unable to hide her smile. "Are you offering to keep me company, kind sir?"

Endymion smiled and sat down beside her, bending one leg at the knee. "I suppose I am," he replied lightly.

A soft, sweet laugh escaped her lips as her eyes danced. "Truly, you don't have to sit with me; surely you have something else you'd like to be doing?"

Meeting her gaze firmly, Endymion replied, "There's no place I'd rather be at the moment, Princess."

Serenity's heart fluttered at his honest words, and without thinking, she reached out and slipped one of her slim hands inside of his, lacing their fingers together. Endymion glanced down at their joined hands and gave a slight squeeze, but made no move to release her.

Silence stretched between them briefly as their skin tingled from the physical contact. Taking a deep breath, Endymion spoke softly. "Have you heard about the ball?"

Serenity inclined her head slightly. "Yes; Mother told me about it last night. I'm glad they were able to reach an alliance."

"So am I," Endymion whispered. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a sad look come over the Princess beside him, and his heart ached. Turning to properly face her again, he asked, "What's the matter?"

She looked up at him quickly; clearly surprised that he had noticed her change of expression. She hesitated for a moment, debating with herself on how honest she wanted to be. In the end, however, she couldn't bring herself to lie.

"Though I miss my friends on the moon, I…don't want to leave yet. I don't know how often I'll get to come to Earth, and I feel as though…there's still so much to do."

Her voice was so soft, almost melancholy, and the resigned look in her eyes tugged at his heart. "I'm sure your people miss you very much, Princess. And, probably, you won't miss Earth as much as you fear you will."

Serenity shook her head vehemently and when she looked at him there was a faint hint of teardrops in her eyes. "I know I will…I know in my heart that I'll…I'll miss you. You've been so kind to me; so patient." The Princess of the Moon paused, the unshed tears still sparkling in the sunlight as she met his solid gaze. "Endymion…we're friends, aren't we?"

Endymion squeezed her hand gently as the corners of his lips tipped upwards in an honest smile and he gave a small nod. "Yes, Serenity. We're friends." If only we could be more.

"I'm glad," Serenity whispered as she smiled, her tears fading. "Then, at least, we'll always have our memories…"

"You're the Princess of the Moon; surely you could come to Earth for no other reason than to visit? Maybe someday I could even visit you on the moon."

Serenity's eyes danced again and her smile fell back into place. "I hadn't thought of that; you're absolutely right."

Inclining his head, Endymion said, "You see? We will see each other again; you've nothing to worry over."

"Then I won't worry; I'll simply enjoy what time remains."

They fell into silence again, hands still clasped, sitting side by side on the lawn.


Evening came and nobles from all over began filing in to celebrate their new allies. The Ball Room was buzzing with people of varying ages and sizes as they waited for King Elis to make his introductory speech. Once the final guests had arrived, the King and Queen of Earth stood from their elevated thrones and the room at once fell silent. Endymion stood beside his father, slightly back, eyes scanning the crowd reflexively. He noted his guards standing off to one side, watching.

The King greeted his people and explained to them the purposes of the ball and then waved his hand to the back entranceway, where his royal advisor bowed dramatically before parting the curtain to allow Queen Serenity and her daughter entrance to the room. They swept regally into the room as the crowd drew a sharp breath and bowed respectfully. Mother and daughter stepped up beside Queen Phoebe and smiled graciously at the gathered crowd as Elis introduced them.

As soon as the introductions were done, King Elis raised his wine glass and ordered everyone to have fun for the rest of the evening. As he tilted the glass to his lips, the orchestra kicked in and the people returned to their socializing.

"Alright you lot, go, have fun; don't do anything I wouldn't do. Me, I'm going to sit here and watch. It's amazing the things people will do right under your nose." King Elis declared as he promptly settled back into his throne.

"I'm going to check on the kitchen staff; Queen Serenity, please, sit." Phoebe declared, indicating her throne.

The Queen of the Moon shook her head lightly. "I wouldn't be so presumptuous as to take your seat, Phoebe. But thank you for the offer."

"Then please take mine," Endymion offered as his mother disappeared behind the curtains. "I won't be using it this evening."

Elis lifted a curious eyebrow as he polished off his first glass of wine. "You almost sound as though you plan to mingle this time; are you sick?"

Endymion chuckled and shook his head. "No, father. I feel fine." Stepping up to Princess Serenity, who was watching the people as they danced and laughed, he held out a hand. "May I have this dance, Princess?"

Smiling up at him, she delicately placed her hand in his. "You may."


Prince Endymion led Princess Serenity down the few steps to the parting crowd, and into the center of the room. Even the orchestra paused as he adjusted his light grasp on her hand and pulled her close to him. As soon as they were in position, a fresh song began playing as everyone watched.

"Do you not usually dance at these parties?" Serenity asked softly as they moved fluidly around the room.

"Truthfully, I don't usually come to parties. When I was younger, every girl would ask me to dance with her, and it began to feel like a chore more than anything else. So I learned to stay away, or sit on my throne beside my father."

The Princess pouted slightly, an action he doubted she was even aware of, and despite how out-of-place it looked on her face, he had to swallow and take a deep breath to even hear the words that followed.

"If you dislike them so, why are you dancing with me? I don't want you to feel forced."

Endymion shook his head and subconsciously pulled her closer. "Believe me, Serenity, I'm not dancing with you out of guilt. I'm dancing with you because I want to."

Her pout vanished, replaced instantly with another bright smile. "Well, if it's any consolation, I'm glad. I wanted to dance with you, too."

Endymion smiled and spun her expertly away from him before he pulled her close once more. Her dress flared around her and he noticed with an unusual surge of protectiveness that most of the men in the room had their eyes glued to her as she moved. Not that he could blame them, but that understanding did nothing to his desire to shield her from the rest of the world.

"Endymion, what's wrong?" Serenity asked, looking up at him as they swayed to the music.

Blinking, Endymion looked down at her curiously. "Why would anything be wrong?"

"You were frowning," Serenity informed him gently.

"Was I?" He asked.

Serenity inclined her head. "You didn't notice?"

He gave her a small smile and shook his head. "No. I suppose was thinking too hard. It's nothing to worry about."

Now it was Serenity's turn to frown. "If you're sure…"

Endymion spun her and dipped her expertly, a smile on his face. "I'm sure."


They danced together for most of the night, before slipping out between songs to the veranda.

"You are a fantastic dancer, Princess," Endymion complimented.

She smiled up at him. "Why thank you, Prince. You're not too bad yourself."

Endymion chuckled as a breeze picked up and played with their hair. His eyes were drawn to the crescent moon on her forehead. Curious, he asked, "Forgive my bluntness, but I'm curious…do all people of the moon have that marking?"

Serenity's eyes rolled up slightly as if trying to see it before she shook her head. "No; only the royal family bears the crescent mark."

"I see…. I suppose that makes sense, actually."

"Is it hideous?" Serenity asked softly.

Endymion's eyes widened. "No, not at all. Nothing about you is hideous."

Serenity's eyes widened as Jedite stepped onto the veranda soundlessly.

"Forgive my intrusion; I thought perhaps you might be thirsty." To emphasize his point, he indicated his hands, which held two glasses; one of wine and one of water.

Endymion had to fight back the glare that threatened to carve its way onto his face. Jedite wasn't wrong; he was parched. And he could tell by the look on her face that Serenity was, too. With a sigh, he said, "Thank you, Jedite."

The blonde man inclined his head and handed the water to Serenity. "I asked your mother which you'd prefer, Princess."

Serenity smiled as she took the glass. "That was very kind of you, Jedite."

As Endymion silently took his own glass, Jedite bowed, asking, "Is there anything else I might get for you?"

"No thank you, Jedite," Endymion replied, taking a sip of his drink. Beside him, Serenity shook her head in silent agreement.

"Very well; if you'll excuse me…" A heartbeat later, Jedite was gone.

Serenity turned and looked up at the moon as it loomed over them, taking a small sip of her water. Endymion turned also, but was unable to remove his attention from her. After a second, he said, "You don't drink wine?"

The Princess shook her head and smiled at him. "I find I don't much care for the taste of alcohol, so I drink water."

"Sounds reasonable enough," Endymion replied, grinning at her. Finally turning his attention to the moon, he asked softly, "What's it like on the moon?"

Serenity took a deep breath as she searched for the best way to answer his question. At length, she replied, "Our kingdom is beautiful, though it doesn't have the colors yours does. The sun isn't quite as bright, but that's never bothered me, of course. The people seem much the same in all the ways that matter. We laugh, we cry, we have celebrations fairly regularly. Really, I don't think it's very different on the inside. I think you'd like it."

"I'm sure I would," Endymion replied, watching her out of the corner of his eye. It was then that it dawned on him why he couldn't seem to get enough of her. I'm falling in love with the Princess of the Moon.

Sighing softly, Serenity looped her arm through his lightly and rested her head against his shoulder. "Endymion, promise you won't forget me…"

Placing his glass down beside him, he reached over and covered her small, feminine hand with his larger one and squeezed reassuringly. "I promise, Serenity. I will never forget you."

"Nor I you," the Princess whispered as she let her eyes drift shut, savoring the moment. She was suddenly all too aware that this could be their last real conversation together. That realization alone was enough to sadden her.


Soon the two families were gathered in the Ballroom once more as the last of the guests departed with a final bow to their monarchs. The servants rushed in and began tidying up the mess left by the crowd.

King Elis yawned loudly and draped an arm over Phoebe's shoulders. "Well, I'm off to bed. We'll be seeing you in the morning for breakfast, won't we?"

"Of course," Queen Serenity promised with a smile.

"Fabulous. In that case, goodnight ladies." A moment later he and his wife were gone.

Turning to her daughter, Queen Serenity said, "I think they have the right idea, darling. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

Nodding, the Princess replied, "I know, mother." Then she turned to Endymion, who had been talking to his guards. Sensing her attention, he immediately turned and met her gaze.

Princess Serenity walked up to him and smiled. "I wanted to say goodnight. Will I see you in the morning?"

"You will," Endymion replied gently.

Smiling brighter, Serenity inclined her head marginally. "Goodnight, then, Endymion."

"Goodnight, Serenity."

Offering a silent smile to Endymion's guards, who returned the gesture, Princess Serenity turned and joined her mother as they headed towards their borrowed rooms one more time.

"You should go with her, Endymion. It's her last night here, after all," Zoisite suggested when the women were out of sight.

Frowning, Endymion cut a glare at his guard. "Worry about your own love-life, Zoisite. Mine is my own business. Goodnight." With that, Endymion left them, his cape flaring out behind him.


Instead of going off to bed, Endymion found himself in the garden, his back to the fountain as he stared at the roses. They were Serenity's favorite thing on Earth, and he knew he'd treasure this spot more when she was gone than he ever had before they'd met. He knelt down in front of them and ran his fingers gently over the petals, as he'd seen her do dozens of times. He'd never truly appreciated their softness before.

As he sat there, surrounded by roses and listening to the gentle sound of the fountain, his eyes wandered up to the moon. The mysterious silver-gray ball in the sky that had captivated him for as long as he could remember. He'd always loved coming out to sit amongst the flowers at night and stare up at it. Before they'd known about the Silver Millennium, he'd wondered if anybody lived there. What it might look like, feel like; if the beings who called the moon home were similar to them, or if they were vastly different.

Now he had all those answers. He didn't have to go there to know that it would be beautiful; peaceful and happy. Because only a beautiful, peaceful, and happy place could create someone as beautiful, caring, and gentle as Princess Serenity. Suddenly an image of her, mostly in shadow, turning her head over her shoulder to look at him as a breeze played with her hair, took the place of the moon. The crescent mark on her forehead glowed, her eyes sparkled, and her earrings glowed to match as they, too, danced in the breeze. She looked almost sad.

Shaking his head, he turned and found himself staring up at Serenity's window. For once no candles were flickering from within; she was probably curled up in bed by now. The image of her lying beneath his family's dark blue quilts, her long, golden hair spread out around her, her face relaxed in sleep, assaulted him and he drew a sharp breath before muttering a foul curse. That was the last thing he needed to be thinking about.

"Thanks a lot, Zoisite," Endymion muttered, knowing it wasn't really the other man's fault.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Endymion stood and turned back towards the castle. He wanted to be awake to see Serenity off, which meant he needed at least a couple of hours of sleep.


The Queen and Princess of the Moon arrived in the Banquet Hall barely two minutes after Elis and Phoebe, who both looked over and smiled warmly.

"Good morning!" Elis declared jovially. "I trust you both slept well?"

"We did, thank you," Queen Serenity replied.

"Good morning," Princess Serenity greeted with a slight bow.

"I hope you're both hungry," Elis began with a smile, "we're having a large breakfast to see you off; to assure that you don't feel faint when you return to the moon. I hear it's a bit of a jolting journey."

"It does take some getting used to," Queen Serenity agreed.

Princess Serenity frowned as she looked around the room. "Mother, where's Anka?"

"Oh, your guard! He's not here, is he? What did happen to him?" Elis asked.

"He returned to the moon last night to make sure everything was well for our arrival. It's been a long time since both my daughter and I left for more than a day." Queen Serenity explained.

"He sounds like a good soldier; can't have too many of them. Now, come, sit! Our food should be ready any time!"

As they moved to take their seats, Princess Serenity frowned once more. Someone else was missing from their table. Perhaps he overslept…?

"Is Endymion not coming to breakfast this morning?" Phoebe asked, also noticing his absence.

Elis frowned and rubbed his chin. "I thought for sure he'd come…by the gods, that boy is more confusing than the weather!"

It was then that the double doors opened and Endymion and his guards entered the room. "Forgive my timing, father; it seems I was more tired than I thought." Shifting his gaze to Princess Serenity, he smiled gently. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Serenity returned, her frown forgotten as Endymion and his men took their seats.


After breakfast the group gathered in the courtyard. They'd chosen it as their departure site as it was clear of trees and away from prying eyes.

"My daughter and I are extremely grateful for all of your hospitality these past three days, and I am truly happy to welcome your planet into the Silver Millennium." Queen Serenity declared honestly.

"The pleasure has been entirely ours, I assure you. Anytime either of you should wish to come to Earth, even if only for vacation, feel free. We'll keep a couple of rooms open for you." King Elis stated.

Queen Serenity smiled. "And I look forward to entertaining you on the moon someday soon. It was wonderful to meet you all." Stepping forward, she shook hands with Elis and embraced Phoebe like a sister. When she got to Endymion, she smiled warmly and grabbed both of his hands with hers. "And thank you, Prince Endymion, for caring for my daughter. For the kindness you've shown her, I can never repay you. Bless you."

Endymion smiled honestly. "You don't have to thank me, Queen Serenity. I assure you I gave her my time quite willingly."

Queen Serenity smiled and King Elis stepped towards the Princess. Dropping a large hand on her shoulder, he smiled. "You are a beautiful girl, Princess; inside and out. Already my servants love you; and they certainly aren't the only ones." Elis grinned and Endymion forced himself not to look away. The King continued. "You'll make a lovely Queen someday; though not for a while, I hope. Your mother still has quite a bit of time left."

Princess Serenity flushed and smiled. "Thank you, King Elis."

"It was wonderful meeting you, sweetheart. I hope to see you again." Queen Phoebe declared, dropping a loving kiss on her forehead, over the crescent moon marking.

Serenity's eyes sparkled. "I look forward to it, Queen Phoebe."

The Queen of the Earth smiled and stepped back, and Princess Serenity found herself face-to-face with the one she least wanted to say goodbye to. Their eyes met and she saw the regret in his that mirrored her own. She wanted to run to him, just once, and have him hold her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. But she knew she couldn't. So she clasped her hands together in front of her and forced herself to smile up at him, trying to ignore the stinging of the tears that wanted so badly to break free.

Endymion swore he felt his heart twist as the sunlight reflected off of the glassy tears in her blue eyes. She was trying to be strong, but he knew she didn't want to be. The bracelet he'd bought her rested comfortably on her right wrist, exactly where he'd placed it. He couldn't take it; if he had to say goodbye, he didn't want it to be like this.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward quickly and pulled her to him, for once not caring about appearances. As he wrapped his strong arms around her shoulders she buried her face in his chest, wrapping her own arms around his torso. He held her there for a long minute, his eyes shut and head bent down slightly as he subconsciously inhaled her scent.

Finally, he pulled back and she wiped at her moist cheeks with the back of her hand. "I'll miss you, Endymion," she whispered.

He hesitated. He didn't want to say something as cliché as 'I'll miss you, too', despite the truth of it. Instead he held his right hand out, palm up, cupped slightly as if he was holding something. An instant later, a brilliant, red rose materialized in his open palm. Serenity gasped as he held it out to her. "A smile suits you better, Princess. Take this with you as a gift."

Slowly, Serenity reached out and gently grasped the rose from his hand. Bringing it to her nose, she inhaled deeply, and when their gazes met again, she was smiling. "Thank you, Endymion."

Queen Serenity stepped up beside her daughter. "Are you ready darling?"

Hesitantly, the Princess nodded. "Yes, mother."

"Farewell, friends. Until we meet again, I wish you happiness." Queen Serenity stated as she took her daughter's hand. A heartbeat later, they were gone.

Endymion swallowed as he stared at the space that Princess Serenity had just occupied. He really was going to miss her. Goodbye…my love.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Chapter three is done! I hope it didn't seem too drawn-out; I wanted to get the final day (& morning) a certain way, and this is how it happened. Please let me know your thoughts and don't forget to read chapter four!