…I'M SOOOOOOOOOO SORRY!! Though I doubt that my wailing will accomplish anything I couldn't help it. I am really, really sorry about the delay. I know I said I was going to finish this, this summer and I've made a liar out of myself. It's not like I was just lounging around doing nothing all summer in fact I was really busy; a lot more busy than expected. My life was total chaos which is why I had so much trouble writing, but I finally squeezed out this chapter, and I will begin working on the other one ASAP! Thank you to everyone who has remained so loyal to this story and I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience I've place you all in. Also, please excuse me if there are any spelling or grammatical errors in this chapter, my editor is currently on vacation, I tried to edit it one my own and I might've missed a couple things here and there. Enjoy the 10th installment of Silver Forest!

Don't forget to check below for my response to your review, I respond to each and every one!

I don't own Sailor Moon.

sarahr85: Thank you so much for the compliment, I only hope that I haven't lost your attention because I haven't updated in so long 

tiffany aka basketcase: I hope this new chapter is as good as you expected when you last reviewed, let me know if there is anything you would suggest, I absolutely love constructive criticism.

starz4evr: I'm sorry I've taken so long to update, I only hope that you're not too disappointed in me and that I can keep you reading. Thank you so much for the lovely review!

Sailor Caris: You are correct, several people have picked that out already, and I was absolutely mortified when I realized this when someone pointed it out for the first time. Back when I didn't have an editor to catch these things I made lots of little mistakes like that. One day I do plan on going back and editing the whole thing…but I should probably finish the fic first  Thank you so much for pointing that out, I love constructive criticism, so please feel free to tell me anything.

chibiangel413: I'm glad you've liked the story so far, I only hope that I can continue to live up to your expectations. One of the reasons it took me so long to get this chapter out is because I felt the need the reconnect with the Serenity and Endymion in this story, I'm afraid I had fallen out of touch with them because I hadn't worked on this fic in so long. Please let me know if they are consistent in this chapter, that was something I was really trying to perfect while I was slaving over this chapter; and I can think of no one better to tell me the effects of my character than me readers 

Usagi Usako Chiba: Thank you so much for the review, no matter how short it is it still really warms my heart. I hope I haven't lost your interest, please feel free to let me know what you thought about the chapter.

xSimplicity: I'm really sorry I've taken so long, but thank you so much for the lovely review. I really really appreciate it 

Noelie3263: Don't worry one day this story will be completely, hopefully sooner rather than later, but at this point it's hard for me to make that promise. Please let me know how you liked this chapter though, I would love to hear from you again.

Azure-x-Rose: I hope you enjoyed the reset of the story, please let me know how you liked it!

Starlit Warrior: Thank you so much for the good luck you wished me I really did need it And thank you for the review it did really lift my spirits.

DarkAngelmi818: I'm sorry for the late update; I hope I haven't lost your reviews! Enjoy this chapter and I promise I'll try to get the next one out ASAP!

summer rayne: I'm so sorry for not updating sooner, but don't worry Serenity and Endymion's relationship will grow and prosper in the chapters to come, there's still so much that has to happen. Hopefully I'll be able to keep you interested.

Katy-Chan: I'll try to get the next chapter out ASAP; I hope I haven't lost you as a reviewer. If I have thank you so very much for the one you did give me, I really do appreciate every single one I get.

Ldsprincess: I'm really sorry for stopping when I did, and the end of this chapter is kind of a cliffy…and I'm really sorry for that too, but I promise that I'll try my hardest to get the next chapter out soon, so please don't murder me! (Though I really couldn't blame you since I took so long to get this chapter out)

Holster: I'm so sorry I took so long, but thank you so much for the lovely review, it really warmed my heart 

kimson08: Sorry I took so long, I hope I haven't lost you as a review, I really did love reading yours 

ViscountessKiera: Out of all of my reviewers that I have wronged I feel that you are one of the ones that I have wronged the most! Throws her arms over her eyes sobbing You're always so patient with me and you've been with me since the beginning, I really don't deserve such a faithful reviewer!! I promise I'll try to do better I really will, I would just die if I ever lost you though! So I deserve about 10 more bops on the head with the fan from the review before, and I promise I'll get the next chapter to you ASAP! Just, please don't tell me I've lost you!

sakurawolfblossom: Thank you, I tried to slip another cute moment between Serenity and Endymion in this chapter as well. I'll try to slip them in as much as possible because the couple is really going to need them since things are about to get a lot more complicated.

Dertupio: Happy new year to you though….even though that was so long ago! I hope you enjoy this next chapter, let me know what you think.

ideagala: I hope I haven't lost you as a review, I love hearing from you. I'm afraid I must apologize for the long wait again, and hopefully this won't be a repeat performance…hopefully!

Chrissienuil: I'm sorry I've been slacking, hopefully this chapter is as good as the last, please let me know what you think; I hold the opinions of my reviews in the highest esteem.

Megan Consoer: There will plenty more chapter don't worry, but I'm sorry for the long wait, hopefully it won't take me as long to get the next chapter out. Thank you so much for your review!

Tiffany: Thank you so much for your review! I'm sorry for the long wait, but hopefully I can have you back on the edge of your seat by the end of this chapter

Silver Moon Goddess1: I'm glad you liked the last chapter hopefully this chapter is just as good. Thank you so much for the review!

MuppyPuppy: I'm so sorry I took so long, I hope I haven't lost you as a reviewer!

Soldier of Venus: I loved your review you gave me last time, it really did make me smile  I'll try to update sooner rather than later, I hope I haven't lost you!

Elen-Di: The Goddess is just simply the Goddess in this story, if various religions she does take on different names, but I thought I'd just keep in general for this story. Look at that I finally updated again! Amazing isn't it?! We all feel bad for Serenity, but don't worry she kicks major evil ass in the chapter after this one! And don't mention Anton, you should know better (eeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, hate the guy!), lol.

serenity11287: I'm sorry this chapter took so long; I hope I haven't lost you! Let me know what you thought of this chapter, I really can't wait to hear from you.

Melis: If I though I was busy last year…now I'm in college, I'm certain I will meet my death within the month! Thank you for your understanding though, I sincerely hope ii haven't lost you!

Chapter 10: The Old Ways

Serenity titled her face to the wind letting the breeze brush across her face and through her hair. The touch of the wind felt wonderful and surreal, just like the tickling of the grass on her bare ankles. For a moment the wind picked up sending her skirts suddenly billowing about her legs, flashing the spider webbing and patching of scars that crawled up her legs from her ankles. Sucking in a breath Serenity quickly tugged her skirts back into place and gave them an extra smooth.

She sighed lying back on the cool grass letting it sooth the burning sensation behind her neck. As she stared up at the be-speckled sky she felt the ghostly memories of tears sliding down her cheeks…but she could cry no more. She had cried her heart out and then some, over her legs, over her mother, over everything. It had been a week since she had awakened and she had improved everyday; healing at an incredible rate. Now all that remained of her former wounds were the scars that marked her legs; there was no spell that she could cast that would erase them. She rubbed an herbal salve on them everyday into order to soften them, but it didn't make them go away.

Gently pushing herself to her feet Serenity slowly made her way over to a willow that was close by. Weaving through the hanging vines she laid a hand upon its thick trunk feeling the age and wisdom humming through the bark like a live wire. Just gazing upon it provided her with a healthy reminder that all living things suffered trials; and endured.

Sinking gingerly onto her knees in front of it Serenity pressed a fingertip against the bark her eyes closed in concentration. Almost mindlessly and without a thought her finger began tracing an intricate pattern of invisible runes upon the bark. Silently she wove her prayer and her protection into the bark of the tree thanking it for its reminder and asking it to continue to be a place of protection and solitude for those who would know its worth. The wind picked up again and the heavy braches swayed and groaned as if in answer. She pressed her lips against the bark in a parting kiss then turned and pressed her ear against it trying to take that one last sensation with her.

"Serenity," someone called.

Endymion jogged up the gentle slope of the hill unable to keep the warble of worry out of his voice. He couldn't help but be nervous when Serenity went off by herself. Yes, she was almost a full grown woman who had survived in a forest by herself for her whole life, but still. At first whenever she had insisted on going outside he had accompanied her, but he had felt her need for solitude. So as soon as she had been able to walk on her own he had let her go off by herself, but he had followed her staying hidden but always close by.

As he reached the crest of the hill he spied her sitting under the same willow tree that she usually did. The wind had blown the vines about her tangling them with her hair, the green vines contrasted starkly with her silver hair and white skin. It made her look like some wild fey creature, out of reach and unattainable. Despite Serenity's rapid recovery Endymion was still worried. She often retreated into herself becoming unaware of her surroundings, and she rarely spoke, even to him. They had established a somewhat troubling routine, Serenity would leave and wander the spacious grounds around the inn usually not retuning until well after nightfall, she would come into his room and collapse into his arms, in tears. He would always be awake waiting for her, hoping that she hadn't noticed that he had followed her from afar the whole time. He had to see her safe at all costs.

Every time he took her into his arms he had waited for her to ask for anything of him, anything at all. But she hadn't. He had wanted to ask her to tell him what was troubling her so. But he didn't, wanting her to tell him on her own. Instead he had tucked her close to him, sheltering her with his arms, doing whatever he could to soothe her. At times she seemed so elusive that he was afraid that he would lose her again. Standing outside the welcoming embrace of the vines of the willow tree he waited for her to respond already feeling like an intruder for interrupting her solitude.

"Serenity," he said adding a little cough to his voice trying to get her attention.

"I remember feeling you," she said softly, so softly that Endymion almost hadn't heard her. "And I remember thinking, every night that you held me in your arms; about how much easier it might have been if you had just let me go."

His heart was pounding in his chest, but he forced himself to remain quiet.

"The Old Ways are gone, almost lost to this world. I am one of the last of my kind, so was my mother. Most of the old gods have retreated from this world, leaving man to his own devices. It almost feels as if I've been abandoned, along with the trees and the silver wood. The Goddess has a task yet for me, and even with that path right in front of me I still feel rootless and without purpose. I've always been so alone…"

She looked up at him, as Endymion stared into her eyes the shimmery silver blue seemed bottomless, but her face suddenly broke into a tentative smile.

"But then you came."

Very suddenly she was in his arms, her arms were wrapped tightly about his trim waist, and he hugged her back just as tightly.

"I promised them I would give you a better life," he murmured softly into her hair.

"I'm sorry for hiding, I'm ready now." I'm ready for life, I'm ready for love, I'm ready to fulfill whatever the Goddess would lay before me. "Teach me how to live again."

As they neared the castle Serenity couldn't stop staring. Regardless of the fact that she had never seen a castle before she couldn't really comprehend how big it was. Besides the sheer size of the place it was the most beautiful piece of architectural design she had ever seen. Whoever had built this castle had obvious poured lifetimes of love and dedication into it. She swallowed nervously, even though Jadeite and Zoicite had returned to travel back to the castle with them, their presence couldn't soother her nerves.

"That is my new home?" she asked the hooves of Endymion's horse pounding away beneath them as they flew across the open fields toward the towering structure.

"Beautiful isn't it." He said with pride, Serenity could only nod.

As the village that surrounded the village loomed closer and closer, Serenity swallowed hard.

"Um, Endymion!" she called over the wind. "We h-haven't really discussed how we're going to explain my appearance!" Even though she was technically a forest hermit, Serenity was pretty sure that silver on white was never going to be in fashion. She was more worried about how far rumors could spread…

"Don't worry about it Serenity," he said confidently. He leaned forward his warm breath tickling her neck, he whispered, "I promise, nothing will happen to you here."

Serenity was a little hard pressed to believe him once they breached the village. They didn't stop in the village, but the citizens let up an enthusiastic cheer as they passed through, which left no doubt in Serenity's mind that Endymion was much loved by his people. What if they had heard the rumors of the silver witch? Would they automatically assume that she had cast some dark enchantment on their beloved prince?

She shifted uncomfortably in the saddle her whole body immediately tensing up as she felt some of their gazes land on her with interest. Endymion taking note of her sudden change in posture rested a comforting hand on her hip. She could feel the heat of his hand even through all the layers of her dress; she closed her eyes for the rest of the ride through the village trying to focus on the protective heat radiating from Endymion's body.

"It's alright now Serenity."

When she opened her eyes again they were upon the castle, the huge gate was being drawn up and the double doors were pulled open with a resounding creak, for a moment it sounded a little bit ominous. An unexpected thought suddenly occurred to Serenity; just because Endymion was welcoming her into his home didn't mean that everyone else would (villagers included!). Besides the possibility of the villagers coming to the conclusion that she was an evil witch the needed to be eradicated, some people might even view her as a threat or competition for Endymion's affections.

Her body went ramrod stiff at the revelation.

"Is everything ok?" Endymion asked. "Are your legs hurting?" They had been riding a long time maybe her legs hadn't been up to the long journey yet.

"No, no, I'm fine. J-Just never seen a castle before," she evaded. Endymion didn't believe her for a second, but he didn't press her right now. As the double doors to the castle closed behind them Endymion immediately dismounted. Now that he had Serenity safely within the castle walls he was gripped with the familiar urge to go see his mother. A small smile touched his lips, this time it would be different, this time he had Serenity. She had healed his grievous wound in one night; surely there must be something she could do for his mother.

Serenity felt like banging her head against one of thick stone walls that now surrounded her. When had she forgotten that Endymion was in fact an unmarried prince? There would be hundreds of girl vying for his attentions. Oh, God what had she gotten herself into? She couldn't possibly expect to hold Endymion's affections when there were plenty of better choices for him.

Her worrisome ponderings were cut off when a pair of warm hands seized her waist and lifted her down from the horse onto the ground. She looked up at Endymion who stared down at her with both excitement and indecision. Grasping her hand firmly in his he began to tug her along after him, but then seemed to think better of it and stopped. Serenity frowned looking at him questioningly, she could feel the tension in his arm and hand, the muscles clenching with the need to pull at her along yet again, but for some reason he was stopping himself. His eyes were adverted now, they were clouded and troubled.

"What's wrong Endymion?" She asked laying a gentle hand upon his arm; he lifted his gaze to hers once more.

"I don't want to ask the impossible of you Serenity," he said softly his voice suddenly sounding very weary, as if he carried the world on his own two shoulders.

"Endymion…," she said giving his arm a comforting squeeze, "We hardly know if her situation is impossible, I haven't even seen her yet." It was her turn to pull him along, just enough to get him going again. She couldn't stand to see him like this his grief was almost something tangible, she could sense it throughout the whole castle, it was on everyone's minds.

"I'm just trying not to get my hopes up, there have been so many doctors, just about every one in the country, and none of them can figure out what is wrong with her; the only thing that they can tell me is that she's dying. Nothing has improved her condition either. Even with your powers it might already be too late."

"We can't be certain of anything right now. Just let me see her and I will see what I can do." Serenity was just glad that the villagers hadn't burned down her cottage, not that the would've been able to thanks to her protective warding, but Endymion and one of the generals had circled back around and gather all her prized possessions which included her robe, her mother's spell book, and other assortments of things. With her tools and knowledge of herbs at the very least she could make his mother's passing peaceful.

For the moment they were silent, Endymion was now leading her through, what Serenity's mind could only comprehend as, a maze of hallways and corridors. The castle was obviously just as grand on the inside as it was on the outside. Serenity felt goose bumps rise on her arms when she realized she had the rest of her life to explore this castle.

"Has this been a long-term illness?" Serenity wasn't sure if talking about his mother's condition was going to make him feel better or worse, but at least it would give her some idea of what she was working with.

"She's been ill for almost a year now."

"Has her condition worsened over time?"

"Yes, some times are worse than others, but there's no pattern to it, she has to be constantly monitored."

"Was your mother often ill before hand?" Serenity asked a frown creasing her forehead.

"No, she was always very healthy, the illness was extremely sudden, totally without warning."

Well that doesn't add up, Serenity thought.

They stopped in front of a large door that had a large ruby inlaid into the stone arch right above the door; Endymion just stared at the door for a moment before opening it and walking right in. His greatest fear, every time he returned home, was that one of the doctors would tell him that she had died while he was gone. If a recovery for her was impossible he at least wanted to be there when she left this world. A raven haired figure rose from a nearby couch and walked up to greet him; Endymion did a double take at the sight of his cousin Raye. Usually she would never miss a chance to greet Jadeite when they returned home. He felt like his stomach had bottomed out, something must've happened, that could be the only reason that Raye remained with his mother instead of seeing Jadeite.

"What's happened?" he demanded as Raye took both of her hands in his.

"She's better now, but this morning Endymion…I'd thought we'd lost her. Her condition got worse and worse as the day went on and then just an hour ago she stabilized again like nothing had happened," Raye's hands shook as she held his telling him just how close he'd come to possibly losing his mother. He could hardly wait to get the more specific details from the doctor, maybe Serenity and the doctors could possibly come up with a solution together that could help her. Endymion turned to introduce Serenity to his cousin when he realized that Serenity hadn't even followed him into the suite of rooms.

"Serenity?"

She was just standing there, barley at the threshold, it seemed almost as if she was frozen in place. Her hands were fisted in her skirts gripping as tightly as she could, her skin looked pail, which was saying something since her skin was already a pure white. Her whole body seemed to tremble; her eyes were wide and almost sightless and unfocused as she stared into the room.

"Serenity what's wrong?" Endymion asked walking over to her becoming alarmed with her unresponsiveness. He placed his hands on her delicate shoulders feeling just how acutely tense her body was.

"This…this is your mother's room," she said quietly; her voice was trembling just like her body.

"Yes, what's wrong Serenity?" he asked a note of urgency entering his voice. Electricity arched between his hands and her skin, shocking him. "Serenity?!"

"That's wasn't me," she whimpered. Looking more closely Endymion could now see that the very air around her was crackling with some kind of energy, her eyes were scrunched closed in concentration.

Her eyes flew open and she jerked away from the doorway. Stepping back her hand seized the heavy candlestick off the wall and slammed it into the red ruby above the door with all the strength in her body. The ruby shattered into millions of pieces and an explosion threw Serenity's body backwards.

Interesting Facts:

There was this song by Loreena McKennitt that really inspired me while I was writing this chapter. The song was called "The Old Ways" and if you're interested I've posted the lyrics to the song on my profile page.

Till next time everyone, thank you so much for reading!