Ch. 3

"Again!" Endymion shouts, raising his sword, ready for yet another sparring match. The exhausted guards share a look, silently tell each other that three hours of sparring is quite enough for one day.

"Endymion, we have been sparing for three hours straight. We're done." Malachite, the unconsciously decided ambassador for the guards, says.

"No, it's not enough for one day. Come on, pick up sword." Endymion says, still standing in his stance. "I have to be prepared. We leave in a few days and that creature is never going to give her up without a fight.

"Endymion, you cannot possibly believe that she is alive. You have looked everywhere, you have to accept the fact Serenity is not coming back." Malachite felt horrible for saying it, but knew his prince could not continue living like he is. It has been a little over a year since Serenity went missing, and after the three month search that took place after that day all Endymion spends his time doing is practicing with his sword and his bow and arrow and searching the library. Searching for the answer to the riddle that the captain of the guard, the only survivor, gave, saying that the creature appeared after a flash of gold, and waiting for the easy travel weather to return so he could continue his search. He doesn't even break for any type of kingly duties, and Rei has since taken over his responsibilities.

"Serenity is alive, and when I find the creature I will find her." Endymion says as he sheaths his sword and leaves in a quick pace, most likely walking over to the archery field for more practice.

"What are we going to do about him Malachite?" Nephrite asks, the only guard not exhausted due to the fact that his pregnant wife Lita banned him from sparing with the prince after he came home with a bloody nose and a black eye.

Malachite sighs, "There is nothing we can do. I'm afraid that the day the prince gives up his search for Serenity might very well be the day that he dies."

"You're an idiot." This exasperated comment coming from what appeared to be a very frustrated looking cat, well a cat looking as frustrated that a cat possibly can. The cat, a midnight colored animal with a yellow crescent moon on its forehead, is looking at another cat, this one as white as snow with the same crescent moon.

"Why Luna? Because I thought of it first?" The midnight cat, Luna, just sighs.

"No Artemis, because there is no way that would ever work." As Artemis opens his mouth to reply, Serenity walks over and sits beside them, legs folded underneath her, wearing the same dress she awoke in over a year ago.

"What won't work Luna?"

"Nothing Serenity, don't worry about it. Artemis just came up with another one of his half thought-out plans."

"It could work Luna!" Artemis exclaims, looking as affronted as possible for a cat. "Look all you need to do is fly and lead Endymion back here, then when he sees you transform he could defeat Diamond and then free you from the curse!"

"You're not thinking this through! First of all, how do you know that the curse would end if Diamond was killed? What if Endymion comes and kills Diamond and nothing changes? Then the way to reverse the curse would die with Diamond! Secondly, none of us know where we are! If Serenity flies away, not knowing where she is it could take forever to find him. Not only that, but she might not able to find her way back! The only ones who know where we actually are are Diamond and Emerald, and it's not like we can just walk up to him and ask if he has a map or something!" At the mention of a map both Artemis' and Serenity's faces light up. And before she can even protest Luna finds herself snooping around the castle with Artemis in search of a map.

AN: Sorry it took so long! I was suffering a little writer's block on this chapter. I know it's short, but it is just a little filler to catch up on what has been going on. The next chapter should be longer, and hopefully won't take as long to write! :) Happy reading! :D