Chapter Ten

Warrior of the Moon

Endymion hated the sunlight, and the dawn that broke through the shadows of the night were only sent by the gods to mock him in his soul retching loneliness. He hated the light; he hated the air he could now suck in through his lungs. An action that he hadn't needed for nearly seven years, and most of all he hated that even with the darkness removed from his body…and a soul to replace the emptiness…he was still what he thought he would always be.

A monster.

After all what kind of man would drive away the only woman he had ever loved for a selfish reason as fear. Fear of himself, of the past, of the present, and of the future. A future he had wanted her to be so much a part of. It was ironic that in the seven years he had searched every myth of vampire and every far gone alley to find a cure for himself it would come at a price he hadn't wanted to pay. It had never occurred to him that she would leave.

But she had.

And in return she had left him with the greatest gift he could ever image…the return of his soul. The right he was born to…the right of a mortal man. She had followed her blood line with remarkable accuracy, and had kept on the tradition of loving a vampire, and offering something that the soulless could never understand.

Compassion. It had been his saving grace. Compassion and an understanding that only blind love could bring. After all the things he had said to her, after all the pain he had caused her. Serenity had loved him enough to see past the lies, to see his intentions.

He wasn't worthy of her, of the love she offered and it seemed that at least for the present Serenity though so to.

He wiped his brow, brushing the sweat that poured off his body under the hot afternoon sun. He had forgotten the heat the daylight could bring, and not for the first time in the past few moments wished for the blissful cool that drifted through the endless night. Grasping the weight of the stone, he lugged it forward and placed it on the wet mortar of the wall. The labor was helping him come to grasp with the past few weeks. Time alone amongst so many…to be ignored…or at least a bit…just to think.

But the physical labor always brought him back one curious point. He hadn't lost the abilities that had gone along with being undead. He was still stronger, faster, and generally better than the average man. Leaving him wondering if that too was Serenity's doing. Some how he doubted it, she had merely wanted to give him what he had craved for so long. She had given him back his mortality.

"My Prince?" Artemis addressed him, gaining his attention Endymion looked up. Setting down the rather large stone.

"Yes?"

"Your mother requires you presence in the throne room,"

Endymion arched an eyebrow, and squinted at the man through the bright sun. "Why?"

"She didn't say my prince."

Endymion frowned, something was wrong. Since Serenity had left his mother had wavered between unfailing sympathy at first. Thinking that she had broken his heart and then mute silence when she had finally gotten the complete story of his behavior. In fact it had gotten to the point that she could barely tolerate to be in the same room with him before she became overly upset.

Serenity had been the prefect woman for him, his mother had declared. Strong, brave, sweet, smart, and a darling girl. He was a fool.

Endymion couldn't agree more.

- - - - - -- -

Serenity had cried herself to sleep that night. Just like every night since she had left him. Her heart was broken, her spirit was hurt, her soul begged to return, and her body still craved his touch. Waking to the soft call of the moonlight, she slipped out of the large caravan and on to the soft grass. With bare feet she navigated around the camp, smelling the air she sighed breathing in the last of the embers from tonight's fire. A breeze picked up, tugging at her night clothes, and pulling the silken ivory robe away from her shoulders.

The same robe she had had on the last time her and Endymion had been together. Tears welled up in her dry eyes, and with force she pushed them back. In the two months that they had been separated she found that she hurt more inside…rather than less. In the two months since she had left him, she found a distributing revelation.

She could no longer control the moon. It was as if her ties were still their, since birth…and they were not broken. But she could not call upon the moonlight; she could no longer find comfort in its soft touch. She was utterly alone, both her lover and the only mother she had ever known denied to her.

Without the moonlight she could not protect herself, she could not protect her clan, and because of that they were all vulnerable. Still she kept walking in to the shadows of the night, called by an ancient song. It lulled in her ears, relaxing her body and soothing the exhausted body her soul rested in. Her silver eyes focused in on her surroundings, truly taking them in for the first time.

She was no longer by camp.

In fact she was standing in a circle made by the Earth herself. Trees, and vines surrounded her, and the soft grass beneath her feet felt like satin and all to inviting to her tired body. Trusting in the night, the only truth she had known for so long she laid down, resting her head up a tree root. Looking towards the sky she was a tad surprised to find that they branches had cleared to offer and unobstructed view of the stars and moon.

She just had to trust.

After all she really had nothing left to lose.

- - - - - - - -

Endymion blinked upon entering the throne room. Then again, just to make sure that his vision wasn't deceiving him. It wasn't.

Clearing his throat he inquired, "Is there a problem?"

Everyone stopped, and looked up with a guilty flush. He really wasn't surprised, had he been caught in such a compromising situation he probably would have had the same look. As far as he was concerned there were only three questions that needed to be answered.

Why was Nephrite chocking a man?

What were Ami and Zocite naked and in his throne room?

How had he gotten brought into this?

"Obviously!" his mother answered, giving him a look like he had just lost his mind. Though if that was true, he was surrounded by several others as well who required the very same consideration. With a large sigh he started forward. One would think that any man stripped bare to the waist and barefoot would not make an imposing figure. He was wrong, people moved quickly to get out of his way.

"Where do I start?" he asked the group surrounding him. No one moved forward. Huh? Well then he would do it is own way.

Growling he jerked the man out of Nephrite's grasp and snarled, "Who the hell are you? And what have you done to upset my general?"

"Endymion!" his mother abolished behind him, clearly thinking that perhaps he would be a bit more refined in the processes.

The man struggled to breathe underneath his hand, and Endymion slowly loosened his grip. It was hard to ignore seven years of vampiric traits…harder to believe that he was not among the dead anymore.

"Nothing! He did nothing!" Lita snapped out, pushing past Nephrite and giving him a shove to get him off the blond haired man. Endymion watched with idol curiosity as she helped the man to his feet and Nephrites face darken with anger and immense dislike.

"Prince Endymion I would like you to meet Andrew de Lor, and his wife Naru (can't remember her name in English…sorry.)" Lita waved, indicating to the small figured with auburn hair and golden skin. She was pretty, Endymion thought…just nothing compared to Serenity. "Andrew has come here with his clan hoping to establish a peach treaty and open a trade route," she finished, keeping the blonds neck for marks.

Andrew…where had he heard that name before.

Endymion faltered, "So then why the theatrics?"

Lita sent Nephrite a scathing look before answering, "He hugged me, and Nephrite lost his temper."

Endymion waited, surly there had to be more.

Apparently not.

He dropped the matter, giving Nephrite a questioning look and started on the next, "Why are you two naked?" he asked Zocite and Ami.

Ami went bright red, and desperately tried to stammer out a reply. It was sad, until Zocite took pity on her and stepped in, "We were asleep my prince, when we heard the screams. Startled we ran to find out what was a matter."

"Screams?"

"Yes my prince," Zocite answered, grinning when Ami tried to scoot behind him in a desperate attempt to fix her sheet.

"Zocite just where was the room you two were in?"

"North wing my lord."

Those were Ami's chambers. It seemed that the water healer had a naughty little secret…though it really wasn't much of one now. Judging by Zocite's grin the man couldn't be happier about the matter. Still…those had to some screams to bring them running that far away.

"Artemis?" Endymion called, "Please see to our guest and arrange for a meeting the day after tomorrow," The couple looked like the needed some time to recover. "You two might want to change," he smiled addressing the half naked pair. Despite the embarrassment the two looked happy, bring to mind how foolish he was to push that feeling away and just how much he had lost.

Abruptly turning on his heel he left a room full of people staring after him. It wasn't unusual for him to leave like that. His bad temper had steadily gotten worse since Serenity had left.

God…he really was a fool to let her go. To hurt her that way.

- - - - - - -

Serenity opened her eyes, surprised to find that she had dozed off in the forest. It had been a peaceful sleep, one with out the haunting dreams of loneliness. It was funny though she could have sworn that it was still night time, if her inner clock was right it should be the midnight hour. Yet, looking around she found the forest bathed in a silver light, glowing in the depths of the darkness.

Gently she got to her feet, pulling the robe around her. Something was wrong, she could feel the magic of the night, it was far too strong it the small clearing.

"Do not fret my darling," a soft voice pulled on the wind, gaining Serenity's full attention, "Your safe here in the midnight hour…protected. I would never let anything happen to you."

Serenity turned sharply, terrified of the unknown presence. Backpedaling she stumbled over a root in the ground and would have gone down if not for the arms that had wrapped themselves around her. The feelings of warmth and comfort surrounded her, catching her off guard. Sucking in a sharp breath she turned around to find herself in the arms of a matronly woman.

It was surprising to say the least.

Slightly taller than herself, Serenity had to bend her neck back a bit. She found the same silver eyes, the same long silver hair, and an eternal beauty that was almost indescribable. The woman shimmered and moved with the grace born to those of the soulless night. Something was achingly familiar about her however, as if a figure in a dream that she couldn't quite recall.

"Who are you?"

The woman smiled tenderly, "Selene, the mother of your blood line."

Serenity felt the tears well up her eyes, and couldn't keep the hurt from crossing her face. If this woman was the mother she had knows, the goddess who kept the moon, then why didn't she love her anymore? Why had she been abandoned?

"Don't cry my daughter," Selene whispered, pulling her close in to a soft embrace. "I know you're hurting, and I'm sorry that I haven't been able to comfort you before this."

Serenity sobbed, as she felt a hand brush her hair back from her face. "Why don't you love me anymore? What have I done?" she gulped out in hurt sentences.

Selene tucked her finger under her daughter's chin and raised it to meet her eyes, "Nothing, you've done nothing wrong Serenity; and I love you. I have watched you grown since you were a baby, and from your first breath you have stolen my heart."

Bewildered, "Then why can't I call on the moon, why am I powerless."

Selene smiled in absolute understanding, "Your heart is broken, and your soul is hurt. Without the two whole you cannot channel the power through you. When you left Endymion you left the thing that made you whole inside, the missing piece of yourself. Since then you haven't had a moment without hurt, betrayal, and sorrow."

Serenity shook her head, and leaned closer to her mother. Just being held felt nice, a maternal comfort she had never really had.

"How do I find my power again?"

"You must find peace with in yourself, and a will to save those around you and yourself along the way."

Serenity nodded in understanding. Through her tears she could see the silver of the night beginning to fade and within the power to hold Selene to the material earth. She turned not wanting her to go, the presence of a mother was something she had sorely missed in her life, and it just felt nice to have her around.

Selene lifted her hand and brushed a leaf from Serenity's hair, smiling she said, "You'll be alright my daughter. Since the beginning of my blood line, no one has ever been as powerful as you. Not one of my daughters as loved so deeply, and had a spirit to wage any war. You will survive." Lowering her hand, she rested upon Serenity's stomach, "After all you have a part of your lover growing inside you, and I can not wait to see my next grandchild."

Serenity smiled, and covered her own hand to her stomach. A child…Endymion's child. Happiness swelled in her heart, and her eyes were dry for the first time in a while as the midnight hour gave way to the dawn.

Their child…

- - - - - - -

Endymion swung is legs over the bed, and sat up. The heat was getting to him, it seemed that he couldn't cool down and his body was constantly sticky with sweat. The summer nights offered little respite, barely a breeze to be seen through out the landscape. In all honesty, the heat wasn't his problem, just an excuse to vent his anger and his pain. His problem was that he missed her terribly. He missed touching her, talking to her and finding an eternal comfort in her arms.

Throwing back the covers got out of bed and padded naked across the room. Groping for his pants he tossed them on and walked out of the cottage. He should have moved in to the castle, but he couldn't let the last bit of her go, he needed something to hold on to. Even if it was just an illusion.

Serenity wasn't coming back. If he had learned nothing else the past six month, he had learned that. No one could find the tribe, no one could find her. And he was sure it was because she didn't want to be found. When all was said and done she had loved him enough to give him exactly what he had demanded…a life time of solitude. Now that he had just that, he would gladly sell his soul to the underworld for just one moment in her arms. One more moment to whisper that he loved her, that he was sorry and he found that he could live with out her.

He just didn't want to.

He wanted her as his wife, as the mother of his children, as his companion from now till the ever after. God help him…he just wanted her.

Standing in the moonlights grace he offered a small prayer to the goddess. He didn't know if she could hear him, but it didn't matter. He felt better because of that little prayer.

A small comfort he didn't deserve, not after hurting Serenity that way. He could only hope that the moon goddess had as much compassion in her soul, as his lover had. Or he would find no forgiveness from either quarter.

Not that he deserved it.

- - - - - - - - -

"How are you feeling?" Luna asked, pressing breakfast in to Serenity's hand.

"Fat. I feel fat," Serenity grouched back, but taking the meal. Eating slowly she shifted her weight, and barely kept down a groan at the discomfort. The baby had a hold of one of her ribs again.

"Understandable my dear. It will pass, and soon you will have a little joy for all your troubles," Luna smiled, moving to clear the eating area.

Serenity smiled. Luna was right; soon she would have her baby. Closing her eyes she tried to suppress the movement of tears.

"What?" Luna asked, noting the sorrow.

"Am I doing the right thing?"

Luna sighed; they had had this conversation a number of times. But she could understand the younger girl's confliction. The child would be raised without a father, and Serenity felt immensely guilty for denying her child the right to a father. However, if Endymion couldn't love himself or her…what chance did their child have?

And Luna had silently agreed.

"Your doing what you think is best, and that is all the matters. Do not fret, everything will work itself out. I promise."

Serenity watched the old woman walk out; her hand went to her breast. Underneath the clothing on a gold chain was Endymion's signet ring. The only part of him she had taken with her…besides the baby. At least her child could have something of its father.

- - - - -

Endymion ascended to the throne a fortnight after his father's death. Surrounded by the generals and family he pledged to protect his people, to rule with justice and heart. He promised to be a good king. A challenge he thought, as he couldn't even manage to be a good man. When the ceremony had ended he had sat in the chair for hours, and he could only come to one conclusion. It was all empty with out the chair next to him filled. Empty with out Serenity.

- - - - - - - - -

Serenity screamed into the night, and gasped the woman's hand she held with appalling strength. She felt like she was splitting in two. Squeezing her eyes against the next round of pain she tried to obey Luna's instructions, but it was so hard.

"Push Serenity, one last push." Luna urged.

Serenity gulped in air, and latched on harder to the woman holding her hand but allowed her body to give in to the demands of the old woman.

Goddess help her…the pain was horrible.

Her vision began to swim, her head pounded, and her body felt as though it was on fire.

Then she heard her baby's first cries, and nothing mattered anymore. There was no pain, and if there had been it would have all been worth it. Tears sprung to her eyes. God she was so eager to meet her child.

"Open your arms, darling." Luna cooed, placing a soft bundle in to her waiting hands. "Heavens, Serenity, he's beautiful. You did so well. Just look what you brought in to this world."

Serenity couldn't help but look at her baby boy. Just a few minutes old and it was already obvious that he was going to look just like his father. He had his father's dark hair, and eyes. The only thing she could find of herself on his face was the two dimples and pale complexion.

He was prefect.

"What are you going to name him?" Luna asked.

"Thane. Thane de Mahak," Serenity answered, touching his soft face.

Luna laughed, "Warrior of the Moon. It's fitting I think."

Ok, so i know this chapter is kinda sad and all, but it will pick up. Kinda like chapter 8 was setting up for chapter 9. Ummm i'm thinking this story will be another three or four chapters. But to tell you the truth i keep getting all kinds of ideas to add twists and turns. But i don't want the story to turn out like a soap opera.

And i want to say a big THANK YOU!!!!! to everyone who has been reviewing. i really means a lot to me to hear what you think. so please keep it up.

Love, Danielle