Hiya all! Long long time since I updated, so here goes.

LAST TIME-

"Chapter 5: House of Artemis and Luna"

Serenity showed up at Artemis and Luna's house. She fainted and they had to put her in their backroom/bedroom. Later, Endymion showed up to ask about the broken locket under repair and to ask about Beryl's Dark orb. In that chapter we also learn that Artemis had the dark mark on him which disabled him from ever stepping out of his own house. That was the price he had to pay to live on the moon under the new laws.

Chapter 10: Matter over Heart

Awakening to the rustling of paper was unlikely for a deep sleeper like Serenity, but it happened. Luna was almost apologetic she had to wake her so soon and yet in the past, when she did have to wake her, it was not so easy. She remembered having tried several methods that included bells, pinching, and the ultimate method of screaming. To see Serenity suddenly sit upright from bed at the sound of her flipping through the pages of a book was a little bit alarming for the heavily pregnant woman.

"Where's Artemis?"

"I have him settled in the foyer, so he can have his rest in privacy."

Serenity scrambled out of her bed, tripping over her twisted sheets. "Well, I want to wake him and have a talk. It's really been awhile since I've seen or spoken to the both of you."

"We just met a fortnight ago when you decided to masquerade a super heroine defending a nearby village up in flames!"

"That was different and out of the way. I wanted to talk to the both of you in this form. With the palace being busy I didn't get the chance to come visit you two in a long time. Now, let me go wake Artemis."

Luna stopped her with a weak hand. "Please, Serenity," she said very sternly, her eyes leveled to the ground. This was when Serenity knew that something was wrong.

"What's the matter Luna? Did something happen?"

"Artemis is sleeping. I had to cast a spell on him to replenish his strength."

"It's that curse, right?" Serenity glowered at the floor, hating that she could be so blithe just a second ago when Artemis struggled to stay alive.

"We weren't being careful, Serenity. He'll be alright after a couple of days." Luna could not say this while looking straight into the eyes of the Moon Princess. She had to cover her upturned face just to keep the tears at bay.

Serenity clenched and unclenched her fists before storming into the foyer. She looked over at Artemis, pale and deathlike. She felt the pulse of his magic and saw the web-like filaments of his life force fluttering around his body. If Beryl saw him she would have laughed gleefully. If the inspection officers saw him, they would just walk on and take no notice. He was the only man who survived so long with such a curse. Any other man would have been swallowed up in madness or fall dead from overexertion.

Serenity felt lost. She looked around her as if the answers to all the world's problems were hidden in the room. She knew no answers could be found here, so she turned to Luna, who had followed her out, and spoke hopefully, "I'm going to go enlist help."

"Who will help us, Serena? Be realistic."

"I know, Luna, but what if I find a way to lift the curse somehow," Serenity gripped the older woman by the shoulders as she assured her. "It will take time, but I have to try."

Serenity was running to the door, but the sight of the star locket on the counter halted her in her tracks. The princess snatched it off the counter and stared at it, enchanted by the beauty of the jewelry.

"How lovely," Serenity whispered, a far off smile touching her face.

"It's nothing you can take with you," Luna said, sternly grabbing it from the young lady and setting it back in its place.

"Luna, I'm not going to run off with it," she said, exasperated that her counselor and old friend did not trust her.

Luna rolled her eyes at her. "We all know you have a fancy for pretty jewelry. This piece is like no other. It belongs to General Endymion and I suggest you get your mind off what doesn't belong to you."

"Endymion?" She whispered, her light blue eyes reflected the star locket.

"You know him?"

"We've met on some occasions," Serenity said. "The last time we met was at the palace when he was trying to take Queen Aunt's precious jewel."

Luna's eyebrows were drawn as she slowly tilted her head to look the princess straight in the eye. "You were there when he tried to steal the orb? Serena, why didn't you stop him?"

"He wasn't stealing Luna. I wouldn't call attempting to move something from one place to another, stealing."

"One cannot move the Dark Orb unless one is Queen Beryl."

Serenity placed her hands behind her back as she scuffed the hardwood floor with her toe. "Say, Luna… It's alright to move something from one place to another when in the end it returns to the owner untarnished. That is not considered stealing?"

Luna was contemplating deeply as the princess asked her the question. "I suppose so, yes," Luna aimlessly replied.

"Really!"

When Luna turned her back for just the briefest moment, Serenity snatched the locket and stuffed it in her skirt pocket. Luna turned back, her eyes glittering with a revelation just as Serenity finished the deed. "I think I must speak to Artemis when he awakens. I have a new theory that somehow the Dark Orb chooses its wielder. With both our minds we can explore this mystery some more."

Serenity was not much interested in the object that Endymion had tried to destroy when he blackmailed her into breaking and entering Queen Beryl's chamber. She was more interested in the object that now settled comfortably in her pocket.

"Can you think up a theory for why the four senshi transformation pens disappeared in my hands, too?"

"You're not serious!" Luna exclaimed. "I thought Beryl had them stashed and locked away. If she was smart, she would have thrown away the key as well."

"Yeah, the case had been locked with some sort of magic, but it opened with the touch of my hand. When I touched the actual pens they just evaporated."

Luna twirled a violet curl around her finger. "Serena, what you're saying is fascinating and I wish to tell it to Artemis when he awakens—where are you going?"

Serenity was heading out the door. She only half turned to reply, "I'll be back, don't worry. I have to do something for Artemis before he awakens, right? I'm going to have to start by searching for clues to get rid of this irking problem that The Queen has used on him."

"Stay clear of danger!" Luna called as the door shut. With a shake of her head, she turned to tend to her sick husband again. Only naïve Serenity always believed in fixing everything. Her hope for this war to end tomorrow burned stronger than any other's prayers. Luna learned a long time ago that there was no use stopping the princess when she had her mind set on a task. For the strangest reasons, Luna felt comforted even in this war torn galaxy when Serenity was nearby. She was certain that was the kind of air that Serenity gave off to anyone who was around her. Over time the nagging and ridiculing subsided as Luna and Artemis both felt that the young lady had matured and was now more than capable on her own. Serenity would not have them at her for the rest of her life. Moreover, even if they tried spooning threats and warnings, those threats and warnings would go unheeded.

Serenity stretched in the morning sun, reaching her arms as high as she could toward the sky over her head. The day was calm and beautiful belying the truth of a much darker and grim reality. The day was shaken by the sound of an explosion in the nearby town. Serenity faced the town with a hard expression. In a flash of white light, the Moon Princess disappeared from the outdoors of Luna and Artemis' safe haven

Little boys wept as they stumbled out of their broken cage on wheels. Their legs were bruised, chafed, scraped, and bleeding. The links around their legs made it difficult to run away, but Endymion lifted them two at a time into the underground tunnel. He could still hear two or three more beyond the alley wailing for their mothers. Drenched in the stench of gunpowder and his own sweat, he yelled into the tunnel. "Go! Listen to the man on the other side. He will bring you to a safe place."

A child tugged urgently on his collar. "What about you?"

"Go!" He nudged him away and ran back into the heavy smog.

The soldiers were scrambling to their feet, shaking their heads. Their beady eyes were looking for stragglers. "Run!" Endymion barked the order to the three children who were still screeching in pain and exertion by the broken wreckage. He noticed how one had his leg stuck under a wheel and the other two were trying to help get it off.

The two soldiers who could still move and were only a few yards away from the trio, drew their swords. However, these swords dropped to the floor as a streak of red and blue disarmed them. "Get out of here, Sire!" Sailor Moon cried as she struck another guard to the ground.

Endymion was too tired and dizzy to heed her order. He kept shoving limply at the wheel that held the child down. Sailor Moon came up beside him and the children. With a might she didn't know existed in her she shoved the contraption away from the boy.

"Shhhh…" She cooed, pulling the boy into her arms. She turned to Endymion. "Grab the other two."

Endymion took the two whimpering children under his arms like two sacks of potatoes and made a dash toward the alley. Sailor Moon shot through the air in a different direction, using the heads of the confused guards as stepping stones. The outline of her holding the child disintegrated in the air. Endymion could hear the ladies moving his way, now. The children were made to leave through the tunnel as he rolled a barrel in front of the opening to seal the passage. No matter what happened, these children had to be safe.

Drawing his sword, he prepared for a final battle. The four guards had him surrounded now. His arms holding the sword dropped and he glared at the gash in his arm.

"It's over, Prince. Come with us," said their leader in the center.

"Not a chance!" Sailor Moon called, somersaulting through the air and landing neatly in front of Endymion. He thought she had left him.

"Do you think you're invincible or something? You should have gotten away when you had the chance," Endymion grumbled, pulling to his full height, sword dangling at his side.

"I know I'm not invincible and neither are you! I'm here to make sure you're aware of that." Sailor Moon didn't wait for his reply and threw her attack at the soldiers. A silver blast slammed into the women. The groaning behind them called for a retreat, so Sailor Moon spun on her heels and caught the prince who suddenly slammed into her.

"Sire, let's go." She pulled him up and together they made their retreat.

"I can't believe it. You're really here with me…" He gasped.

"Stay awake," she commanded, lugging him along as his steps became dangling and heavy.

"Prince Endymion! Sailor Moon!" Luna exclaimed. "You bring me the injured boy and now this! Didn't I tell you to stay out of trouble?" Even as she complained, she came forward to shoulder Endymion's other side.

"Trouble came knocking, Luna. I got to keep watch tonight. Do your magic, so they can leave as soon as possible."

"You're ruining my business, Sailor Moon! Good grief! Come along," Luna whispered to Endymion as he collapsed into the room.

Endymion woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of Luna reading to the boy. He snuck out and climbed the ladder to the rooftop, where Sailor Moon stood in her element. She shone in the darkness, glowing under the stars. Unknown to the super-heroine, she paralyzed the night with her beauty.

"Sailor Moon?"

She turned in surprise. "Are you feeling better?" She hurried to the edge of the roof and held out an arm for him to take. Grasping her arm, he climbed the last rung of the ladder and joined her on the roof.

"Thanks to you."

Music jingled in the air and Sailor Moon pulled out the locket from between the folds of her skirt. She handed him the locket and told him that it was fixed. Beneath the music, she also told him "it was time to go" with her toneless voice.

"You can't stay here anymore. You're putting my friends at risk."

Darien shut the locket and the music stopped playing. "Where have you been all this time? I've been looking for you for as long as I can remember."

She laughed into the chilly air. "I might just be another illusion, Sire."

"An illusion that feels this real." He stated, toying with a long pigtail between his cold fingers. She took a sharp intake of breath.

"It's not the time, Sire."

"Endymion."

"Endymion, take the boy and leave," she said, stopping the track of his hand by firmly gripping his elbow. She distanced herself from him by taking a step back and looked out into the closest town where the lights wavered.

The General frowned as he spoke, "you and me both risk our lives one way or another for the sake of saving those who can barely defend themselves."

Serenity grimaced and pointed to his arm. "Take care of yourself first. We only have one life of our own to spare." The words tasted bitter on her tongue, as if she was taking a dose of her own medicine. She was remembering Lita and her words with a heavy heart.

"You too, Sailor Moon."

She turned around to see that he had gone. Her lower lip puckered and trembled. She took her bruised shoulder in the cup of her palm and hugged herself. She really hoped the others were all right in these dark times. How could she have been dreaming of this man? The truth of reality was painful and harsh, but important to acknowledge because her duties as the Moon guardian was precedent to her own heart's desires. Home would have to wait. Her duties as the high princess of the kingdom would always come before everything else.