Title: Ashes of the Past

Chapter: Three

Author: Silent Figure

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine and they are from Sailor Moon (if you don't already know)

Authors Note: Alright guys I updated! I know what your thinking, finally god. I have taken forever to update a lot of my stories and I apologize it is Christmas season right now so it's been kind of busy. By the way Christmas is in two days so I hope every one has a happy Christmas, Hanukah, or kwanza which ever it is you celebrate. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The only sound made in the small tavern was the ragged breathing of the fallen woman and her heart which pounded hard against her chest. Adrenaline rushed through her veins accompanied by fear and dread. Above her she could hear the mumblings of creatures that were eagerly searching for her and their footsteps as they walked across her shelter which shielded her from them. Serena shivered her eyes wide and afraid of what could happen with in a few seconds. She could feel their dark aura and it suffocated her. She made no move and tried to decipher what it was the creatures were saying but failed. Suddenly the dark aura seemed to multiply greatly and this time she did cough finding that air would not fill her lungs. Her eyes widened as the trap door was shattered into tiny pieces of wood. Immediately her head snapped up to see what kind of creature she was dealing with. It wasn't a drainer but a captor, creatures that were quite powerful and would force a human into submission. The creature had a horrible grin on its face that literally scarred the hell out of her. She tried to move but only managed to pull herself onto her knees before the creature grabbed her by the hair. She yelled out in pain as the creature threw her into the wall all the while cackling, "You stupid humans. When will you ever understand you can never hide?"

Serena stood up slowly her body aching from the impact with the wall. In a flash of movement she had pulled a knife from under her pillow and stabbed the creature in the heart. The creature's body fell limp to the floor and all she could do was look upon it with disgust. It wouldn't be long before it would be found; she had to escape before they found her hiding spot. She climbed up the ladder quickly and froze when she spotted two black boots in front of her. Her eyes trailed up the legs and her eyes widened in both fear and surprise as she looked into the gorgeous pair of eyes that belonged to none other then Endymion. Before she could do anything two monsters had her by the arms and pulled her all the way up and threw her to the ground forcefully. "Well, well it sure is rare to see a human woman hiding amongst the ruins of this sickening city. What an honor", exclaimed Endymion with a grimace on his face.

Serena gritted her teeth and glared at the prince. "You should be hiding among the debris as well 'Prince'. After all you are human", she spat.

Anger flared in his eyes and he pulled her up by her hair. "Are you not afraid of me human? Do you know what I could do to you?"

"Should I care", she challenged back her own eyes a flame with her own hatred and anger.

He pushed her back to the ground again and all the creatures around her laughed, but he only starred at her. She pulled herself up from the ground and stood up aware that no one had yet to see the knife in her hand. Before anyone could analyze her she slit the two creatures behind her throats and aimed for the next one. Before she could stab the next creature in the heart she was restrained and held to the floor by two more creatures. "Should we kill her? She sure has a lot of energy our queen would love to use", snarled one of them.

They pulled her up from the ground, but restrained her from any movement of her torso. She tried to wiggle her way out of their grasp but only managed to move them a little bit. Endymion grabbed her chin and forced it up so he could look into her eyes. She glared at him and could feel tears welling up inside of her as she looked into his emotionless eyes that had once held special emotions for her. "Feisty aren't we? What a lovely pet you would make", he said a cold smile playing on his lips.

She spit in his face and snarled, "Over my dead body. I would rather die then be your pet."

Endymion wiped the spit from his face before slapping her across the face. "You will have what you want. But you will not die here, no you will die in the palace where your body will be burned and your ashes eaten as a wonderful appetizer for these fine soldiers."

Her eyes widened but she would not allow fear to show in them. Before she could say anything more she was knocked out by an enormous amount of dark energy that naturally fought with her own.

Endymion watched her eyes close and he found he could not cackle as he would usually do. Something about this girl seemed familiar and his mind could only come up with one word. "Sere", he whispered out loud.

The creatures who worked for him loyally looked at him awaiting their orders for dealing with her. "Take her to the dungeons of the palace. I'll see to it that she receives what she wants."

They only nodded and took the limp body of the girl away. His eyes immediately trailed back to the hiding place where she had lived. He almost went down there to search for any sign that might hint that she was this "Sere" but decided against it. Wind wrapped around him and he looked up to the sky. His eyes widened at the sight of the moon, it was so rare to see in fact he had never seen it or rather he had no memories of seeing it. It was stunning and tendrils of the wind wrapped around him almost beckoning him to something. However, the beautiful display ended as the thick blanket of dark clouds covered it. He looked down to the ground into a puddle of water that seemed to be shinning from a substance that was held within it. Without a thought or reasonable explanation he whispered, "Tears." Endymion shook his head in confusion and knelt down to the puddle. His reflection seemed altered in some way, but he could not tell what it was that was altered. Slowly he dipped his hand in the water and found that it was completely clean and that he felt no dirt particles what so ever. He lifted his hand to his mouth and tasted the water. It was indeed clean almost as if it had been purified though he picked up a taste that was very much like salt. There was no ocean around and usually rain drops did not carry salt, he had been correct the water was made up of tears. This left him questioning and he stood up his eyes remaining on the pool of water. He felt a tremor in his body that told him he was being called back to the dark palace. He walked away from the water though he could not rid his mind of this sudden realization and strange occurrence, for surely it was not a mirage or dream.

Blue eyes were revealed to the world as they fluttered open. Slowly sitting up her eyes looked around her analyzing the situation she had found herself in. Her body felt weak and ached from her earlier batterment, bars kept her from escaping and she sat in what looked to be a cell only there was no toilet, bed, or even a bench. However, there were words written on the walls around her giving away signs of former imprisonment. Desperate words such as 'Is this the end?' or 'God save me', though of all of these one writing stood out amongst the rest. "Kyrieelison", whispered Serena. She knew the words well. What person didn't, they were words sung in nearly every western language.

"God have mercy", she said out loud and immediately she felt tears well up for the person who had written these words. They probably had not received their mercy that they had asked for.

"God does not exist here", cackled a captor from the other side of the bars causing the unsuspecting Serena to jump a little.

"Come now pretty it is time you meet your destiny", claimed the creature with a grin that showed all of his pointy teeth. He unlocked the door and walked in blocking all means of escape. The creature's eyes were emotionless, but they still held warning that if she tried anything sneaky she most surely would be tortured. Serena had heard rumors of all the strange torture these creatures could inflict upon someone, so she stood up silently and obediently. Without saying anything the creature stepped around her and grabbed both of her hands. "Start walking human."

Serena grimaced and tried to think of a plan of escape. She had managed to avoid capture before but transforming into Sailor Moon did not seem like a good idea especially since she was in the middle of her enemy's castle. The creatures grip on her wrists tightened to the point of pain and she gasped while trying to keep the sound of low so as to not express her pain. She tried to memorize all the turns in the hallways but it seemed that the palace was a labyrinth, every wall looked the same and there were no landmarks. "No human has ever escaped from this castle so I suggest you just accept defeat", snickered the creature.

Serena was shoved through a giant door and fell to the ground before she could analyze what was going on. She looked up slowly and gasped in both fear and surprise as she noticed humans being strapped into machines that drained their life energy. Serena closed her eyes and prayed for her life. Before she could finish she was pulled up to her feet and forced into a line of humans awaiting their death. Next to each human was a captor who held them firmly by the wrists. Noticing their looks of utter hopeless she felt that it was time she decided on a plan, she wasn't going to go down without a fight unlike the rest. Without a moments thought she kicked the human in front of her behind the knees. This easily distracted the two captors who held them and the human she kicked. That was all she needed to loosen the captors grasp, she reached for the knife in his belt and slit his throat. The moment his body dropped to the ground she started running for the dark tunnel from which she had come.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Above the drainers and humans stood Endymion with an amused smile, watching as the scene unfolded. "Smart girl", he whispered to himself. He leaned forward on the railing to catch a better view of her running away into the tunnel.

"I want her found and brought back here immediately. This time she gets to cut in front of the line", he ordered to a nearby captor.

"Yes sir", the captor replied back with a firm voice. Endymion smiled at him and nodded his head as a gentleman would.

"It's been a long time since I've truly hunted I think I'll join", said Endymion to his guard before jumping off of the balcony and landing on his feet. Humans nearby cowered as he stood all the way up. Endymion ignored their pettiness and ran into the dark tunnel.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Serena hid in a corner and watched as captors ran right by her not even noticing her hiding spot. In her hand she still held the knife she had taken from her designated captor. She slowly stood up as the last of the captors passed by her. She looked both ways down and up the hall to make sure no one was coming before silently creeping out from behind the corner. She walked forward and headed down the hall where the captors had headed. Finally steps and doors started to appear out of no where, places she had never seen even when she was walking down this very hallway. She chose the stairs and crept up them, it was as she was creeping up these stairs that she realized that everything in this castle she had seen so far was black marble. Serena's thoughts were halted as she heard someone else start to walk up the stairs as well. Serena took that as her initiative to run, for surely a human would look out of place in a castle such as this. She sprinted all the way up and noticed that the sound of steps behind her had quickened as well. She ran down the narrow hall as fast as she could and searched for a place to hide. Finally she came upon another corner and chose to hide behind it. She waited there with her back pressed up against the wall, her knife out at ready while she held her breath. Her body was suddenly built up with adrenaline and fear all at once as she heard the footsteps of her hunter getting closer to her hiding spot. Serena turned her head to the side to listen closer as she heard the footsteps halt. She closed her eyes and took in a breath readying her for the fight that was to come.

Endymion smirked as he heard the girl breathe deeply, probably preparing herself for a fight. "Come out little girl I know you're in there", he said with a wicked smile on his face. Before he realized what happened the girl jumped out and attacked him. His mind immediately went into battle mode and countered her attack. He came face to face with her as he grabbed her wrists trying to keep her from stabbing him and held them above her head. Her eyes widened in surprise as they met his before they narrowed.

"You stand no chance human you might as well give up", he whispered huskily as he took in the sight of her. He had not noticed before how beautiful she truly was.

"Keep your eyes on your opponent's moves you fool", she gritted out through her teeth as she kicked him hard in the groin. He keeled over in pain and she took that moment of weakness as her chance to run. Endymion sucked in a breath trying to get past the pain before he ran after the human.

"Damn she's fast", he muttered annoyed that the human had managed to escape him once. She would not escape again especially with her life.

Serena didn't look behind her but was well aware that he was chasing her. She had to find a way out and fast, already her body was getting tired and begging for rest. "Can't stop now", she said trying to encourage herself. She could feel it in her bones that he was gaining on her and fast. There were no turns or anything and the hall had yet to end. Finally light began to appear at the very end of it and she ran towards it. As she got closer she realized that it was only a giant grey pained window which signaled to her, that the hall ended and there was no where to run but a dead end. She stopped a couple of feet short of the window and contemplated jumping out of it. The footsteps behind her were picking up speed and she dared not turn around and face Endymion. Looking down at the knife in her hand she decided. She threw the knife at the window shattering the glass which allowed her full view of the four stories below her.

"You have no where to go human surrender now", he declared anger and warning evident in his voice.

Serena turned to him and she noticed his guard went down immediately. Was he remembering something?

Endymion found himself frozen as the light of the moon hit the girl. Her golden hair became silver and her sapphire eyes lightened. Wind swept past her and circled around him. It whispered something to him that he could not decipher, almost as if telling him that there was something he needed to know about the girl. But the moonlight began to fade as the clouds covered the proud moon and the girl looked as if she were normal again. Serena's eyes never left his as she waited for his next move, to jump would end her life and at that moment that is what she desperately wanted. 'Live Serena god damn it, you are the only one who can save this planet, promise me you'll live', those words from a long ago memory echoed in her head, words not her own but from the man who stood in front of her. Tears sprung to her eyes but she forced them back down, not willing to show him her weakness. Finally Endymion snapped out of his reverie only to realize what he was doing and why he was here. He unsheathed his sword and motioned for her to come away from the window. Serena turned her head and looked out the window once more before coming forward finally surrendering. He smiled and with the snap of a finger three captors surrounded her and restrained her.

Endymion watched as they dragged her away from him. She was heading to the drainer rooms and soon would be out of his hair. He saw her look back at him with a glare before she was completely out of sight. A tendril of wind brushed up against his skin and he turned back to the window, the moon once again had found its way back to the surface of the sky. Endymion turned on his heel ignoring the enchanting orb and walked back to the drainer's room to watch the woman eminent death.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I should have jumped out the window", muttered Serena as she was pulled into the drainer's room. The people she had seen before waiting in lines were now corpses being carted away to the furnace. Three drainers and no lines, she would be sucked dry within a couple of moments. The captors pushed her forward onto a platform and left her there. Serena felt her whole body go numb and found that she was frozen and couldn't move. She closed her eyes as she felt tentacles wrap around her body, the tentacles felt sickening and began to suck on her life energy almost immediately after they had bound her. Her eyes closed in pain as she felt her soul ascending her body.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Endymion watched the scene from the balcony. She had yet to fall when normal humans by now would have already been dead. Endymion felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to Kunzite who said, "She is mighty fine. Full of energy and beautiful as well I am surprised you have already put her to death. I would have figured you would try to break her in first."

Endymion looked back to the woman and watched her closely. She slowly sank to her knees, but had yet to go limp. She was fighting the machine for her life. No human had ever truly done so before and certainly no human had managed to keep their lives for that long. Endymion's eyes widened as a sharp pain struck him in the gut. He fell to his knees as the pain became more intense. In his head he heard someone whisper, 'Darien'. His eyes widened as he recognized that voice and name but could not place either one. Kunzite knelt down next to him and started talking though Endymion could hear nothing only the voice pleading for something. "Release her", he said through gritted teeth. The words had come out with out any thought or conscious. Kunzite nodded his head and shouted out the order to release the dying woman.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Serena felt the tentacles pull away and leave her weak body alone. She looked to the side of her and spotted Endymion who was on his knees clutching his stomach but was looking straight at her. Serena eyes began to close and just before they did she whispered, "Darien."

AND THAT'S CHAPTER! So tell me what did you guys think? I'm sorry if it's kind of rushed I've been working on it for the last few days and decided I needed to post another chapter so here it is. Hopefully you guys like it well I'm done talking now. – Silent Figure