A/N Yay! I'm still alive. You didn't send the lynch mob after me for that small cliffie at the end of the last chapter. Thanks for all the reviews and also thanks to everyone who went to youtube and watched the trailer for this story and left comments. You guys rock!

Okay, time for me to give out hugs to my faithful reviewers.

xo Usako ox

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Give yourselves a pat on the back. Well this is the longest chapter yet, so I'm going to shut up now and let you read.

ENJOY!!!

The Lunar Princess of the Earth

Chapter 10

Hello Memories Part 1

Night had fallen and the room had grown dark by the time the pink haired princess laying on the couch woke up. The only illumination in the room came from a small lamp on a nearby table. The light was soft, but it was bright enough for the girl to see two pairs of concerned blue eyes watching her when she turned her head.

Rini cringed into the cushions of the sofa, not sure what kind of greeting she was going to receive from her parents. With the memory of the fight she had with their past selves still fresh in her mind, she wasn't sure if she could even face them now.

She got to her feet and backed away from them a few steps. "Mom…Dad…what are you guys doing here?"

Her mother gave her a smile as she leaned back in the chair she was sitting in. Right now she resembled her past self more than Neo Queen Serenity. Her formal dress was missing and had been replaced by worn jeans and a soft knit top. Her hair was also out of its customary royal style and was pulled back into a single ponytail.

"Well, we were invited to dinner here, and upon arriving were informed that you had shown up here unexpectedly and were quite upset." the Queen said as she surveyed her daughter.

"Want to talk about it?" her father asked. He had also shed his royal attire for the night and was also in jeans and a t-shirt.

Rini shook her head. "No, not really. I know you already know what happened. I was such a bitch to both of you. I'm a horrible person." As she said this, fresh tears sprang to her eyes.

Her mother got up from her seat and approached the troubled teenager. The young girl tried to move away, but the older woman pulled her daughter into her arms and held her close. A few moments later, both of them were crushed as the king came and wrapped his arms around them.

He breathed out a heavy sigh. "What am I going to do with my two girls? I'm glad the Silver Crystal keeps me from aging, or else every hair on my head would be gray by now."

"Darien!" the queen exclaimed, pulling back and swatting playfully at her husband's arm. "Exactly what is that supposed to mean?"

Rini giggled, glad to see that her parents didn't seem to be too upset with her. "For real dad, you make it sound like I live a wild life or something."

"Oh please you two." Darien groaned. "I had my hands full enough with you Serena. It seemed like every time I turned around, you were standing in danger's path. And then a little pink haired monster falls out of the sky and I find out she's my daughter. She seemed to have the same danger prone tendencies as her mother. I'm amazed I didn't have a heart attack at an early age."

Serena and Rini smiled conspiratorially at each other before saying together, "Let's get him." They tackled him back onto the sofa where they both proceeded to tickle him. They were all laughing when the door opened.

The lady of the house walked in. "Well I'm assuming by the laughter coming from this room that everything is okay."

The three on the couch were breathing heavily as they looked up at the newcomer.

Rini's eyes clouded a bit at that. "No, not exactly. I still don't know what to do about what I did."

Serena spoke up. "I'll tell you exactly what you're going to do. You're going to march right back to Elysian and we're all going to work this out so we can get back to business."

Rini shook her head. "I don't know if I can do that."

Darien put his arm around his daughter. "Sure you can sweetie. Just remember, your mother and I have already seen this from the other side. And I admit that I was wrong in jumping to conclusions about you and Helios. In the past I'm a twenty one year old with raging hormones, so I naturally thought that that was all a guy would have on his mind."

Rini shrieked. "Eww dad! Way too much information."

They all laughed for a minute before becoming serious once again.

Rini sighed. "I guess I'm going back then."

"That's my girl." Serena cheered.

Rini gave each of her parents a big hug, and then turned to her sister. They stared at each other for a minute before embracing each other tightly.

Rini heard a whisper in her ear. "I know a little bit about being a bitch too. When everything comes to light, my past self doesn't handle it too well. Just be there for me, sis."

"I will." Rini whispered back before letting her go. She went the far side of the room before pulling out her time key.

"I'll see you later." And with a few spoken words, a bright pink light filled the room. When it faded, Rini was gone.

Serena leaned back against her husband. "I hope everything turns out alright. One wrong move could change history and alter the future."

Darien kissed the crown of her head. "It will be fine. It was a tough road to follow, but everything worked out in the end."

"Of course everything goes fine." the woman standing next to them said. "I'm still here aren't I?"

Serena nodded as her eyes filled with sadness. "But you almost weren't. We almost lost you for a second time." She turned and embraced the woman standing next to her. After a few moments the pulled away from each other and wiped their eyes.

The other woman sniffled as she looked at the queen. "Geez, melodramatic much Sere? I thought we both outgrew that a long time ago."

Darien chuckled. "You two might not be mother and daughter in this lifetime, but I swear you two are still so much alike. Add Rini into the mix and you have a triple recipe for disaster."

The two women laughed at that. But then the second woman said, "Not really, I like to think that I have some of your more charming personality traits too, Dare."

Just then a voice floated up to them from the first floor. "Hey! Do I have to bring dinner up there or what? The food is going to get cold if you don't get your butts in gear."

The lady of the house sighed. "And the master has spoken. I guess we better go. If he gets too upset, he'll end up making me mad, and I would hate to make him sleep on the couch again."

Serena replied, "Ahh, the joys of married life. I suppose we better get down there before your hubby decides to feed our dinner to the dogs."

They all made their way from the room to head downstairs to the dining room, but inside all three of them were thinking about the events of the past and hoping that nothing unexpected happened.

Serena was sitting under a tree that was situated on top of hill that overlooked the expansive flower gardens of Elysian. The sun was beginning to set, and shadows began to blanket the land.

After dinner had been eaten a couple of hours ago, she had quietly slipped away while everyone was talking to find a quiet spot to think about the events of the day. While the thought of her memories being tampered with by her past mother were troubling, she was more concerned at the moment about Rini and the showdown that they had earlier.

She lay back on the soft grass beneath her and closed her eyes. She didn't like to think that her relationship between her and her future daughter might be breached beyond repair. If it weren't for the fact that two of the same person couldn't exist in the same time, she would beg Pluto to smuggle her into Crystal Tokyo so she could try to talk to Rini.

As she lay there lost in thoughts, she felt someone sit down beside her. She didn't need to open her eyes to know who it was. She felt his comforting energy reach out and envelop her before she heard his voice in her head.

'Are you going to keep hiding out here by yourself, or do you mind some company?'

She opened her eyes to look at him. "Funny, that sounds like something I would usually ask you."

Darien chuckled softly, relieved that she wasn't pushing him away. "True, I'm usually the one who goes off and broods by myself when I have something on my mind. You're worried about Rini, aren't you?"

Serena sat up and pulled her knees to her chest so she could wrap her arms around them. "What if she's so mad at us that she never comes back? I don't think I could live with myself if that happens."

Darien put his arm around her and pulled her so her head rested on his shoulder. "She'll be back soon." he whispered. "She's got too much of your kindness in her to stay away."

They sat in silence for a while as they watched the rest of the sunset. When the last sliver of the sun had fallen past the horizon, Darien got to his feet and held a hand out to Serena to help her up.

"I guess we better get back to the others and see what Helios has in store for us next." he said as she got to her feet.

As they turned toward the palace they heard a small voice behind them. "Darien…Serena…"

They both spun and were confronted with the sight of a bedraggled Rini. Her clothes were rumpled and her hair was out of her usual odango hairstyle and hung in a pink tangled mass to her waist. Her eyes and nose were both red from crying.

"Rini!" Serena shrieked as she flung herself at the smaller girl and wrapped her in a huge hug. A few moments later, they were both almost lifted of the ground as Darien grabbed them both up in a bear hug.

Rini smiled to herself, remembering the similar embrace she had shared with her parents a short while ago. "I take back everything I said, you two are just like my parents after all."

They all pulled apart from each other. Serena eyed her future daughter with concern. "Honey why are your clothes damp. You look like you just walked ten miles in a thunderstorm. And knowing that you hate them as much as I do, I seriously doubt that."

Rini grinned sheepishly. "It was raining in Crystal Tokyo when I got there. I went over to a friend's house. And since I went straight there without going home first, I didn't have an umbrella."

"Oh" Serena muttered. "Were you so mad at us that you couldn't even face your parents?"

Rini looked down at the ground. "It was more like I was too ashamed to face them. So I went to talk to someone who knows about the situation. She also happens to be good friends with my parents and she had invited them over for dinner. So they showed up and we talked for a while and they convinced me to come back here."

"Well I'm glad they did." Darien said.

"Me too." Serena agreed.

Rini looked up at them. "Yeah I am too. I'm really sorry you guys, you know, for blowing up like that. I didn't mean any of it."

"We know that, sweetie. We didn't mean to sound so overbearing either." Serena said while putting her arm around the girl.

"That's right. I will always be a little overprotective of you, but I'll try to lay off." Darien told her. "Now let's get you inside and out of those wet clothes."

Serena asked her, "Have you eaten? Lita had plenty of leftovers from dinner."

They all laughed as they heard her stomach growl. "I guess I should have stayed and had dinner with my parents. But I was in such a hurry to get back that I didn't think about it. I'm surprised there was any food left with you around Serena."

Serena growled. "Why you little…"

Darien broke in. "Come on you two. I'm sure we have a busy night ahead of us."

With that the three of them walked down the hill together toward the palace and what awaited them there.

Later that evening Helios led everyone into a large room that resembled an infirmary. Beds lined both sides of the room, leaving a wide center aisle down the middle.

"So what are we doing in here, Helios?" Serena voiced the question that she was sure everyone else was thinking.

Helios turned to look at them all. "The best way to restore your memories is to put you into a dream state. Then the memories will play through your mind just like you were having a dream. I figured this was the only room large enough to make everyone comfortable while this is being done."

"So you're going to do everyone at once?" Darien asked.

Helios replied, "Yes, it's the easiest way. You will all relive your memories up until the moment of your death in the Silver Millennium, then you will awaken with the memories intact."

"Oh boy. Doesn't that just give you the warm fuzzies inside?" Raye muttered.

"For sure." Mina responded.

"Yeah, who has ever gone to sleep knowing that a nightmare is guaranteed?" Lita growled.

Amy whispered, "I know I haven't."

Each of the generals walked over to their respective girlfriend and put their arms around them. Each one of their actions spoke the same thing. 'Please don't hate me when this is over. I already hate myself enough.'

All of the girls turned to smile at their loves. They each took a moment to reassure them.

"I know you didn't mean it." Mina said to Kunzite.

Raye hugged Jadeite tightly. "You weren't in control of your actions."

"It was all that bitch's fault." Lita ground out between clenched teeth to Nephrite.

Amy spoke in her soft voice to Zoicite, "It was a lifetime ago, let it go."

Serena and Darien stood there taking in the scene between their friends and guardians. Amara and Michelle made their way over to them.

"Makes you feel a little left out doesn't it?" Amara asked.

Serena shivered. "No it just makes me wonder what's waiting for me in Serenity's memories."

Darien pulled her into his arms. "Whatever we find out, we'll deal with it together."

Helios cleared his throat. "Is everyone ready?"

Serena gave a nervous giggle. "About as ready as we're ever going to be."

"Okay then." Helios instructed. "Everyone pick a bed and get situated. Then we'll begin the process."

They all split up to find a place. Serena and Darien went over to the left side of the room and chose spots next to each other.

Rini followed them and stood between their beds. When they were laid down, she reached out and grabbed each of their hands. "I'll be here when you two get back from la la land." she said with a smile.

They each squeezed her hand and returned her smile. She then walked over toward Helios, who was waiting for everyone to get settled.

With a sigh Helios said, "Okay, we're ready to begin. In a few moments you will go to sleep and the memory restoration will begin." He began chanting an ancient incantation that only a high priest of Elysian would know. It seemed that being a guardian of the land of dreams had it's perks.

Serena felt her eyelids growing heavy. She reached a hand across the space that separated her from Darien. He met her halfway.

"I guess I'll see you on the other side." he said groggily.

She responded tiredly, "Yeah, see ya there. I love you, Darien."

Darien yawned. "I love you too, Serena…"

That was the last thing she heard as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Endymion's Memories

A three-year-old Endymion was playing hide and seek in the palace garden with his father when they both heard a high squeal. Turning they saw Althea, Queen of the Earth, running down the path toward them. She had a wide smile on her face as she threw herself at her husband.

"My dear, what has happened to cause you to run around shrieking like a banshee?" the king asked good-naturedly.

"Oh darling." the queen gushed excitedly. "I just received word that Serenity gave birth today to a beautiful baby girl. I'm so excited. I have to go see her as soon as I can. This is just too wonderful."

The king chuckled. "Alright my love, we'll go as soon as she is ready to accept visitors."

'Great, another visit to the moon.' Endymion thought to himself. 'And this time there will be a squalling baby there.'

Several other memories flash by and then Endymion was standing in the throne room of the moon castle with his parents as they were being introduced to the newborn moon princess for the first time.

He had a hard time seeing what all the fuss was about, it was just a baby after all. After his mother got done fawning over the tiny princess, she handed her back to Queen Serenity, who laid the baby back in her cradle.

Curious as to what had everyone so hyped up, he crept over to the cradle and peeked over the rim. The baby seemed to be asleep, but then she opened her large eyes. Her soft blue gaze captivated him.

"I guess you are kind of cute, for a baby anyway." he said, reaching a hand toward the infant. He gasped when she reached up and grabbed one of his fingers in a surprisingly tight grip.

He chuckled. "You sure are strong for a girl." He was unaware of how both queens were watching them, plotting and planning in their minds.

Many other memories passed. Playing with friends, family holidays, more trips to the moon, and the lunar royal family visiting earth.

Endymion was ten and was in the royal stable with his best friends, Kunzite, Nephrite, Jadeite, and Zoicite. He had received his own horse for his birthday and seemed to be spending much of his time with it now.

His friends were all lounging on a haystack while he was grooming his black horse. They weren't carrying on a conversation about anything in particular until Kunzite said, "I'm surprised that you're not up at the palace spending time with your betrothed. Isn't she visiting now?"

Endymion threw his friend an exasperated glare. "She not my betrothed. She's just the daughter of a friend of my mother's. That's all."

Jadeite laughed. "And I suppose that the contract the your parents and hers came up with years ago saying that you would some day be wed to each other means nothing."

"Knock it off Jed." Endymion growled. "We're just kids right now. We've got a long time before we have to think about marriage. Besides, a lot could happen in that time."

"True." Nephrite said. "I heard she brought some friends with her this time."

"Oh yeah." Endymion groaned. "A bratty little group from some of the neighboring planets. The princesses of Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus. I get a headache just thinking about the way they all chatter away when they are together."

"Speak of the devil." Zoicite muttered as a group of five girls appeared in the doorway of the stable.

The blonde in front spoke. "Prince Endymion, we were interested in seeing the stable and your mother told us that you would be here. I wasn't aware that you had company though. Perhaps we should save our visit for another time."

She started to turn away, and suddenly he didn't want to see her go. "No, that's okay princess. These are some friends of mine that you might have met before. May I introduce Kunzite, Nephrite, Jadeite, and Zoicite.

The girls nodded to the group. Princess Serenity then introduced her group. "This is Princess Rei of Mars, Princess Ami of Mercury, Princess Makoto of Jupiter, and Princess Minako of Venus. Princess Haruka of Uranus and Princess Michiru of Neptune also wanted to accompany us, but were unable to at this time."

The boys all bowed to the princesses. Endymion told them, "Feel free to look around. If you have any questions, just ask."

"Thank you." Serenity said, and she and the other princesses began to make their way through the stable.

"I thought you said they were brats." Kunzite said walking up to Endymion.

Endymion shook his head. "They usually are. Just wait, their true colors will show sooner or later."

Ten minutes later, they all saw what their prince meant as the stable was filled with squeals of delight as the group of girls rushed around looking at all the animals that were kept here.

Endymion was trying to ignore them and continued grooming his horse. He saw a golden blur out the corner of his eye and looked up just in time to see the blonde approaching the stall of a white horse with a nasty attitude. The girl reached her hand out toward the horse and Endymion saw the horse bare it's teeth in preparation to bite.

He reacted without thinking. "Look out!" he hollered as he ran at the girl and knocked her to the ground seconds before the horse lunged.

He picked both of them up of the ground, and then his temper kicked in. "Don't you know how to read?" he raged. "That sign on the stall says keep away. He could have taken a nice little chunk out of you."

"I…I'm sorry." Serenity stammered. "He's just so beautiful that I had to have a closer look."

"Well if you can't pay attention to warnings, maybe you shouldn't be here." Endymion yelled at her.

Her blue eyes filled with tears. "Perhaps you're right. I'll remove myself from your presence." She spun and quickly fled quickly out the doors.

An awkward silence fell for a few minutes and then the other princesses said their farewells before leaving as well.

"Well that was interesting." Nephrite said.

Endymion ignored him and set about putting his horse back in its stall. A little while later the group left and made their way back to the palace. They noticed that the sky had dark clouds in it, signaling that a thunderstorm was on its way.

As they entered the front hall of the palace, they encountered mass chaos. People were running around in every direction. Endymion spotted his mother and made his way over to her side.

"Mother, what's going on?" he asked.

Althea spun to give her son a panicked look. "Oh Endymion. Is Serenity with you? The other girls said she was almost attacked by that devil horse in the stable and left quite upset. They thought she had come back here, but when they arrived they couldn't find her. Now this storm is moving in and Queen Serenity said that her daughter is deathly afraid of thunderstorms."

Endymion felt guilt beginning to flow through his body. He knew that he was the reason why she had been upset when she had run out. If she had run into the nearby woods, she could easily become lost, especially with how fast the sky was darkening.

He slipped away quietly and made his way back to the stable. There was a path nearby that led into the wooded area. That seemed to be the logical choice for where she could have gone.

Lightening began to light up the sky and loud thunder was literally shaking the ground. The rain broke hard and cold as he reached the path and he made his way into the forest.

"Serenity" he began calling as he ran down the narrow path. After several minutes of screaming her name, he thought he heard a soft whimper in between the claps of thunder.

He rounded a curve and saw a small figure huddled on the ground. He rushed over to her and saw that she was shaking violently.

He reached down to touch her shoulder. "Serenity?"

Just then a loud boom of thunder sounded, and he found his arms full of a crying, wet princess.

"I hate storms." she sobbed. "I hate them, I hate them, I hate them!"

"Come on." he said, helping her up. "Let's get inside before this gets any worse. You've got everyone worried, all because I had to act like an idiot."

She turned those wide blue eyes on him, and he was once again trapped in them. "You mean you're not mad at me anymore." she asked.

He chuckled. "No I'm not mad. Now let's go before we both catch our deaths out here."

She quickly kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Endy." Unconsciously using a nickname that would stick from now on.

From then on, a bond was built between the two of them. Over the next year, they spent a lot of time together talking about different things when the two families were together. He was actually beginning to imagine that it wouldn't be so bad to be married to the moon princess when they grew up, so he was crushed when a year later his father came and told him that the marriage contract had been cancelled all because of a stupid prophecy.

They still saw each other occasionally, but could feel that their parents were no longer pushing them to be together. He couldn't help but become more entranced by his princess as the years went by. She grew more beautiful as she grew older. She left behind her brash ways and adopted a softer, gentler nature.

On her fifteenth birthday, Serenity was visiting with her parents. It had been a year since Endymion had seen her, and he was almost brought to his knees by the vision that she made standing in the entrance hall of the castle.

Her golden hair was in the traditional style of the royal moon family and hung almost to the floor. She was also wearing a white gown with gold circles across the bodice that proclaimed her status as moon princess. Her sky blue eyes were as clear and beautiful as ever as they scanned the hall as if looking for something, or somebody.

Endymion was frozen at the top of the stairs. He couldn't make his body move. Something must have attracted attention to him though because she looked up at him and a wide smile broke over her face. It lit up her eyes and made his heart thump loudly in his chest.

"Ah, Endymion my boy." his father called out as he spotted his son. "I was wondering where you had gotten off to. Come down and greet our guests."

He made his way down the wide staircase and bowed politely to the King and Queen of the Moon. He then turned to the golden angel and took her hand in his as he gently raised it to his lips to bestow a gentle kiss on the back of it.

"Princess Serenity, you are as lovely as ever." he said in a voice that had deepened with age. He was eighteen now, and was now considered a man.

"Thank you Prince Endymion. It has been far too long since we have seen each other." the princess responded, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.

They both seemed to be rooted to the spot as they gazed at each other. Endymion looked down at her pink lips and wondered if they were as soft as they looked. He suddenly had an overwhelming urge to kiss them and find out.

"Now that everyone is here, I'm sure you must be famished." Queen Althea's voice broke through his thoughts. "I suggest we all retire to the dining hall for dinner. I'm sure the kitchen has come up with something wonderful in honor of the princess's birthday."

Serenity broke her gaze away from the prince as she removed her hand from his and turned to the queen. "Oh Your Majesty, you needn't have gone through any trouble on my account."

Althea brushed away her protests. "Nonsense my dear. You are the daughter of my closest friend. What kind of hostess would I be if we didn't at least acknowledge your birthday?"

With that, the kings and queens turned to walk down the hall. Endymion walked up and offered his arm to her.

"Shall we?" he asked with a grin.

A small giggle escaped her. "Yes, let us join them. Far be it from me to disobey a direct order from the queen."

She put her slender arm through his and they followed their parents.

Later that evening, Endymion lay in his bed staring up at the ceiling. Usually he had no trouble falling asleep, but tonight he was plagued by thoughts of a golden haired goddess.

She had sat across the table from him at dinner and had occasionally joined in the conversation that had flowed around them. He had been so spellbound by her beauty and her soft melodic voice that he couldn't even remember what food they had been served.

Not long after dinner, the moon royals expressed their desire to retire for the night. So after the good night wishes, he had watched as she followed her parents up the stairs to the rooms they had been given.

So now here he was, wide-awake with no chance of sleep in sight. Throwing back the covers, he walked over to the large doors that led out onto the balcony outside his. Maybe some fresh air would do him good.

He stood next to the railing and looked out over the large rose garden as he breathed deeply of the cool night air. He paused as he saw a figure moving down one of the paths that led toward the center of the garden.

The moonlight shone softly on the vision of white and gold. He smirked to himself as he made his way back inside and hastily threw his clothes on.

A few minutes later he entered the rose garden and started down the path that he had seen her take. It didn't take long before he located who he was seeking sitting on a bench in the middle of the garden, surrounded by red roses.

He was quietly making his way toward her when a twig snapped under his foot, giving away his presence.

The blonde head shot up and the blue eyes widened as she looked around to see who had come up on her unexpectedly. When she saw who it was, she relaxed once more.

"Hello Endy." she spoke softly.

"Good evening Sere." he responded lightly. "What are you doing out here at this time of night?"

She sighed. "I guess I just have a lot on my mind and it left me unable to sleep. I thought maybe coming out here would soothe my troubled thoughts. The roses are as beautiful as ever. I still remember the first time you showed them to me."

So did he. It had been the day after the fiasco in the stable and the thunderstorm that followed. She had shown an interest in the different varieties of flowers on earth, so he had offered to show her the gardens. When she had seen the roses, she had let out a squeal of pure delight.

"Oh Endy, they're so pretty. What kind of flowers are these?" she had asked excitedly.

"They're roses." he responded. "As you can see, they come in many different colors."

She went straight for the red ones. "These are my favorite. The color is just so vibrant."

He was secretly pleased. The red ones were his favorite as well. He still couldn't help but say, "I figured you would like the white ones. They seem more like you."

She wrinkled up her button nose. "They're nice too, but I get tired of white. Most of the flowers at home are white or a very pale shade. These are much better."

So here they were once again, red roses all around them. He made his way over to the bench and sat beside her. She turned her head away. But not before he caught a glimpse of tears in her eyes.

"Sere, what's wrong?" he asked gently.

"I overheard my parents talking tonight." she replied dully. "They were talking about how in a year I'll be sixteen and it will be time for me to select a husband."

Endymion's breath froze as he heard those words. He thought of what he could say to make her feel better. "It won't be so bad. You'll make someone a great wife."

She jumped up from her seat in an unusual show of emotion. "You just don't get it! I spent so long thinking…" she trailed off.

He rose to his feet, hope beginning to bloom within him at the thought that this angel might hold feelings for him as well. He put his fingers under her chin and tilted her head back until he could meet those crystal eyes with his darker gaze.

"What did you think?" he whispered to her.

She drew in a shaky breath. "I had thought that maybe you and I would…but then that stupid prophecy was made. And I haven't even seen you for a year…" She was rambling uncontrollably now, but what she said next shocked him to his core.

"I think I'm in love with you." she blurted out quickly. Then realizing what she had just said, she blushed madly and tore away from him before running down the path.

Endymion stood in disbelief for a few moments before his brain could process the words he had just heard. 'She loves me!' he thought ecstatically as he turned to run after her, his heart beating wildly with every step he took.

He hadn't gone far when he heard the sound of quiet sobs coming from behind a hedge. He rounded it and found his princess on her knees, clutching her chest as she cried.

When she felt his presence, she jumped to her feet and began to back away. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to say that. I…"

She was interrupted as Endymion walked up to her and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and nearly moaned aloud when he felt her slim arms creep up around his neck.

He pulled back and wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks. "I love you too." he murmured to her softly. "And I promise, no other man will have you. I don't care about any prophecies or anything else. You belong to me and will be my wife."

"But…" she began, but was cut off by him kissing her again.

"Don't worry about it now." he told her. "We have a whole year until your next birthday, and I'll be right there to state my intentions to your parents."

She threw herself against him and hugged him tightly. Neither one of them were aware of the four sets of eyes that were watching them sadly from a window.

The very next day a message arrived threatening an attack if the visitors from the moon kingdom didn't leave immediately. To try to keep the peace, the lunar royal family decided that it was best to cut their trip short and go home.

Endymion brooded around the castle for a few days before he was called to his father's office.

"Come in, my son." the king greeted him when he arrived at the door.

"You wanted to see me father?" Endymion questioned.

The king cleared his throat. "Yes, I did. In light of the current threats we have been receiving from the radicals, we have decided to cut off all communications between us and the moon kingdom."

Endymion was stunned. "But father…"

"I know." the king interjected. "Your mother is not happy about it either, but we received word that a group of radicals ambushed the royal family while they were returning home. The Queen and Princess Serenity were unharmed, but sadly the king wasn't as lucky. He was wounded and died shortly after returning to the moon castle."

Endymion stood swiftly. "Then we must go to them and offer our support."

"No." the king demanded. "All travel and communication between the Earth and the Moon is now expressly forbidden. Queen Serenity and I have consulted each other on this subject, and we both believe it is for the best."

"This is unbelievable." Endymion exploded. "They are our friends. This is not the time to be pulling away from them. This is a time when they need their allies to stand beside them."

The king shook his head. "Son, it is because of their association with our planet that this horrible event occurred. They have friends from the other planets to help them through this trying time. Just be glad that the Silver Millennium didn't decide to go to war with us over this."

Endymion threw himself back into his chair. The king eyed his son's troubled face and sighed. "I know what is really going through your mind, and ten years ago I was all for it. She is a beautiful and graceful young lady that I would be proud to call my daughter-in-law, but unfortunately when you are royalty you have to bend to what the people want in certain circumstances. An alliance with the lunar family would throw both the Earth and the Moon into mass chaos."

Endymion knew his father was right, but it didn't make it any easier to bear. He had a vision of his beautiful princess in his head. The woman he loved was mourning the loss of her father and he was unable to be at her side. Then he had an idea, so he excused himself from his father's presence and made his way to his room.

Once there, he dressed quickly in all black clothes and threw a black cape over his shoulders. He strapped his belt containing his sword around his hips in case he ran into any trouble, and then slipped quietly from his room.

He stealthily made his way down the stairs and out the front doors of the palace. He was heading for the path that would lead him to the teleportation platform when a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Going somewhere my prince?" a deep voice asked from the shadows.

Endymion whirled around swiftly with his hand on the hilt of his sword. He was on guard until he recognized Kunzite observing him from the dark.

"Kunzite, what are you doing here?" the prince asked in confusion.

Kunzite stepped forward where the moonlight could illuminate his face. "I'm doing my job, my prince. I pulled night duty for this evening, so I am protecting the boundaries of the palace from possible invaders."

"Oh" Endymion replied. "Well I am just going for a walk. I shall see you later, Kunzite."

Kunzite smirked. "Be sure to give Princess Serenity my regards as well, and my condolences about her father. He was a good man."

"How did you…" Endymion began.

"Please my prince." Kunzite interrupted. "You are dressed for stealth and heading for the teleportation platform. I'm pretty sure I know where you're going."

"Will you keep your silence Kunzite?" the prince questioned.

"Do not worry. Your secret is safe with me." Kunzite answered. "If you happen to see Princess Minako of Venus, give her my regards as well."

Endymion shared a conspiratorial smile with his friend. "I will, and thank you. She means the world to me, and I just feel the need to be at her side now."

"Proceed with caution Endymion." Kunzite murmured as he watched his prince disappear from sight. "I fear you are heading down an uncertain path."

That night began a series of undercover visits between Endymion and Serenity. Some nights he would sneak up to the moon to see her, and some nights she would make her way down to earth to visit him. As time moved on, the bond between the two of them grew stronger, much to the chagrin of both of their groups of guards who kept their secrets for them.

A year had past since their declaration of love in the rose garden, and Endymion was excited about the upcoming festivities celebrating the moon princess's coming of age. Finally he would declare himself as being the one to wed her. The past year had been quiet, without any more threats from the radical group that seemed to be so opposed to the moon kingdom.

An invitation sent by the princess herself had been delivered to the palace a week ago, and Endymion couldn't wait until he could publicly stand by his princess's side and let everyone know their intentions to be married.

The morning of her birthday dawned bright and clear. Endymion quickly jumped out of bed and dressed carefully in his royal attire. He wanted to look his best when he officially asked for Serenity's hand.

Smiling widely, he made his way downstairs to the dining hall where his parents were already seated and enjoying their breakfast.

"Good morning father, good morning mother. How are both of you this morning?" he asked in a cheerful tone.

Queen Althea smiled at her son. "Good morning Endymion. I trust you had a pleasant night."

Endymion chuckled as a plate was set before him. "Yes I did. I was wondering what time you were wanting to leave in order to attend Princess Serenity's birthday celebration." He began eating his food with a gusto, not noticing the silence that had suddenly fallen in the room.

He looked up to find both of his parents staring at him. "What? Do I have food on my face?" he asked, picking up his napkin.

"No, that's not it." the queen said quietly. "It's just that…" she trailed off and turned to look at her husband.

The king took a deep breath. "I'm afraid that we will not be attending the festivities on the moon."

Endymion slammed his hand down on the table. "You can't mean that. She personally invited us. It would be improper for us not to go."

The king was starting to lose his own temper. "Don't speak to me like that Endymion. I'm sure the princess has been reprimanded for sending that invitation. She broke the rules of no contact when she pulled that little stunt. For the time being, to keep the peace, I see no reason to renew our relationship with the moon kingdom."

"Fine." Endymion said, getting up from the table and leaving the room. He went down to the stable and saddled his horse. Maybe a ride would help clear his head. He took off, not caring which direction he was going. He had been riding hard for about an hour, when he came upon a pond set in the middle of a peaceful meadow. Figuring that his horse could use a drink, he dismounted and led him over to the water.

He stood there taking in the tranquility of the landscape, however he soon became aware that he not alone there. A short way along the shoreline, a young lady sat there gazing out over the water.

She was a striking woman. Not classically beautiful like Serenity, but she commanded attention just the same. Long red hair flowed around her in waves and her eyes were a deep reddish brown.

Endymion suddenly felt an uncontrollable urge to be closer to her. As he began to walk over to her, she turned her head in his direction and smiled. He felt every other thought fly out of his head at the sight of that smile.

She rose gracefully from her sitting position and waited for him to approach her. When he was standing right in front of her, she spoke.

"Good day, my prince. I have been waiting for you." She stepped even closer to him and pressed her body tightly against his.

Endymion groaned aloud at the feel of those soft, womanly curves pressed up against his body. He looked down into those unusual eyes and had to use every ounce of his self-control to keep from throwing this woman to the ground and using her body to relieve the sudden sexual frustration that had taken over his body.

It seemed that she was of the same mind as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down so that she could leave a trail of kisses up his throat to his ear. She sucked gently on his earlobe before blowing a breath into his ear. She chuckled softly as she felt a shudder rack his body and heard the gasp that left his lips.

Inside he was in turmoil. He felt that there was something that he should be remembering, but he couldn't remember what it was. He pulled back to look at the seductress he held in his arms and asked. "Who are you?"

"My name is Beryl, my lord." she replied as she began pulling his head down again, bringing his lips closer to hers.

Endymion's mind was racing. 'Beryl, why does that sound familiar. Wait…the daughter of the old radical leader was named Beryl.' This thought quickly snapped him out of the spell that she had cast on him. He saw the lips approaching his as a face flashed through his head. 'Serenity'

He abruptly pulled himself out of the clutches of the flame haired witch. "I'm terribly sorry. I just remembered an important appointment that I must keep. It was a pleasure making your acquaintance."

He turned and walked swiftly to his horse. He mounted quickly and kicked the horse into a fast run to put as much distance as possible between him and the temptress. If he had looked back he would have seen flames practically shooting from her eyes as she watched him ride away.

He swiftly rode back toward the palace, cursing himself every step of the way for almost falling for her magic. His mind was clear now, and he knew what he had to do. He had made a promise to his princess, and he was going to keep it. His parents may disown him when this was all said and done, but he knew what he wanted, and he wanted Serenity as his wife.

He continued home, formulating his plan in his head. A smile spread across his face as he thought, 'You better look out princess. I'm coming for you.' Tonight was going to be a night that neither of them would ever forget. Tonight he was going to sweep her off her feet.

A/N All right, I know that this is another cliffhanger. (Down on my knees begging for mercy.) Please don't kill me. When I originally typed up this chapter I couldn't stop, so it ended up being one long drawn out story that is something like 50+ pages long. So this is the part that I have edited so far. I figured it would probably be better to break it up into parts anyway. I am currently editing the next part that will continue Endymion's memories and move on to Serenity's. So at the moment I'm not sure if this is only going to be two parts or three. As I'm editing I keep getting more ideas and deciding to put them in the story as well. Well remember to review and tell me how I'm doing. Later!

Sere-chan