AN: Author Notes are at the bottom of the chapter, for they give away a spolier. Enjoy!

Earth & Moon: A Forbidden Romance

Chapter Nine

She watched from the small window, as they made love, feeling her blood boil as he touched her, as he thrust inside her, making Serenity cry out. It should have been her that the prince was making love to, not that stupid little moon brat. Beryl's anger consumed her, making it harder for her to control her actions. She lifted her hand, flames consuming her palm, and screaming, threw it at a nearby tree. She smiled as the tree was reduced to nothing but dust.

Selene's power was fading with every new century, and as she had cast the spell of protection for the two lovers, Beryl had used that time to slip in. She'd followed the princess, watched as Serenity and Endymion held their heated conversation, watched as the princess stormed out onto the small porch the cabin provided. She was hoping by then that they would just give up, realizing how different they truly were, and she'd leave. But to Beryl's horror and disbelief, she watched as they made up.

Hearing laughter coming from inside, she peeked once more in the small window. She watched as Endymion stood naked, his form that of a god, and made his way towards the small kitchen in the back of the cabin, before disappearing. Beryl's eyes traveled to where the princess lay, her small frame sitting up, the blanket covering her breasts. She stood, taking the blanket with her, and walked over to the fireplace, poking at the flames that rose in the small hearth. Beryl once more felt the anger rise up inside.

Turning away from the window, she stared out into the darkness, a frown upon her flawless face. Why did misfortune smile down upon her? Was she cursed by the gods to suffer? Why couldn't it be her that the prince was laughing with? Stomping her foot, she started back through the woods, towards the cave where Metallia stood waiting; her thoughts going back to when she was a child.

She'd been born, the first of eight children, to poor parents who couldn't keep food on the table, let alone clothes on their backs. Her mother had been a healer, however the village they lived in had called her a "Witch". Her father worked in the local mine, mining gems and whatnot for a noble family. However, money was tight, and as such they couldn't afford things. Then the year she'd turned ten, there was an accident in the mine her father was working in, and upon his death, they lost the house they'd been living in. Not that it was big enough to hold nine people to began with, but it was the only home she'd ever known.

As the years went by, Beryl grew into a beautiful, but zealous person. She learned healing from her mother, helped with the caring for the younger children; but there still wasn't enough money to put food on the table. So, when she'd turned sixteen, she started selling herself, earning enough money to bring in food for her family. However, all that stopped the day she met Endymion.

She'd been in the market, shopping for food and cloth. Her younger siblings needed new clothes, and since she didn't have enough money to actually buy them anything new, she had to make due with what she could buy. Which wasn't much. Making her way through the large crowd, she had bumped into someone, and fell backwards. Landing in the dirt, she looked up, about to give whoever had knocked her over a piece of her mind, when she found herself looking into dark cobalt eyes. Never in her life had she seen anyone so handsome, so noble.

He had helped her to stand, apologizing for knocking her over, and offered to walk her home. She had refused, not wanting him to know where she lived, and began to pick up the contents of her basket. He helped, and when he seen the half of leg of chicken, the ten moldy potatoes, along with the yard of gray cloth she had, he asked if that was her dinner. Beryl could do nothing more than nod her head, her lavender eyes staring up at him.

Endymion looked shocked to know that people in his kingdom were eating so little, and so turning to his first general, told him to give her fifty gold pieces. Shocked, she at first refused the money, saying she could never take money from his highness. Endymion asked was she insulting him, the Crown Prince of Earth? Shaking her head no, she watched as he dropped the gold pieces into her hand, bowed his head slightly to the left, and walked away.

It was thanks to him, that her family ate well that night and every night there after for almost a year. She even had enough money left over to buy more cloth as to make clothes for her siblings. It was then that she decided to seek work at the palace, and stop selling herself.

Getting a job at the palace was easy, it was being able to see the prince that was the hard part. She found that he was never around, always off doing something with either his generals or his family. And at night, he was in his room, studying. It seemed that he was never alone. Beryl was starting to lose her temper, and her mind by this point. It took her a year, working at the palace as a maid, when finally she'd been able to speak to Endymion alone.

However, he'd simply stared at her, not remembering their encounter a year earlier nor knowing who she was. It was she who was embarrassed in front of him, laughing and saying she must have mistaken him for someone else. She had finished out her duties that day, leaving the palace for the last time.

It was while she walking home that night, her mind full of regret and sadness, that Beryl stumbled upon the cave she now stood in front of. She had just stared at the entrance, wondering where the cave had come from for she had never seen it before. Feeling compelled to enter, she stepped inside, and immediately felt sick to her stomach. She felt as if she couldn't breath, as if her body were being weighed down by some unseen force. But she continued onwards, till finally she came upon a large lake, a castle sitting in the middle.

All at once the feeling of being weighed down vanished, leaving Beryl with a tingling feeling running through her body, as a voice, light as air, called her name. Wondering who could be calling her, she lifted one foot, and stepped onto the water. No matter how hard she pushed her foot down, it wouldn't go through, and so she walked towards the castle, her feet never getting wet.

The castle itself was huge, dark, and it smelled of decay all around her. Doors, the size of trees, stood in front of her. They were dark, the color of midnight and covered in moss as if they'd been there for hundred of years. She reached out, her hand going to open the door, when the words written on them in an ancient language, stopped her.

Ki o tsukeru

Naza nara okii aka

Koko de ni oku

Not knowing what the words said, she opened the door, and entered the decaying castle. Stepping inside, she heard the voice that called out to her, sounding as if it were hurt and in pain. And so, as if in a trace, Beryl walked the castle, looking for the owner of the voice that called out to her.

She came upon a door, much larger than the ones had been at the front, and pushing it open, revealed a room covered in darkness. As she stepped inside, candles flicker to life, sending light through the room, and upon the girl who stood frozen in ice in the middle.

Beryl had never seen anyone so beautiful, for the girl was even more beautiful than she; and so she walked the length of the ice. The girl appeared to be sleeping, her form still, her long raven locks swimming in the ice, as if they had a life of their own. She wore no clothing, her naked frame making Beryl blush. Her body curved in all the right places, her breasts full and ripe, her skin smooth. Dimly Beryl thought she must be cold.

She placed her hand upon the ice, feeling the coolness at once. And as soon as her hand had touched the ice, it began to melt, water falling down in small rivers around her feet. Fire rose up, screaming to life as Beryl stepped back in surprise, and watched as the fire engulfed the ice. She was sure the girl was dead, for how could anyone survive that? However, to her up most amazement she watched as the naked girl walked through the fire, unharmed.

The girl bowed before Beryl, a smile of gratude upon her face. She told Beryl that her name was Metallia, born of power to the god Helios and a mortal woman. The gods had feared her, encasing her in ice and fire in her castle for a millennia, till one pure of heart would sent her free.

Of course, all were lies.

She was born of a sun spot that flew to Earth, two millennia ago. Creating a kingdom larger than even the Earth's, she ruled the darkness with fear. Setting her sights upon the crystal that the Earth Goddess own, she define the gods and planets, and waged war upon them, only to have been defeated by Zeus. Gathering all his power, all his strength, he incased her in eternal flame and ice, locking her deep inside her own kingdom of darkness, hoping no one would find her. However, such hope is lost upon those who do not believe, and someone happened upon her prison, releasing her from it and with it the destruction of her soul.

Beryl shook her head, past memories disappearing with the act. She stepped inside the cave, her soft footsteps echoing as she walked the path that would lead her to Metallia.

She heard her, chanting words she knew not the meaning of, and continued on past. Metallia had been chanting for almost a week now, and with every unknown word, Beryl could feel her power growing. She knew something big was about to happen, either it be with them or with their enemies, she knew not, but she could feel her soul vibating, and wished for blood.

As she stepped past Metallia, Beryl spoke softly, "I'm back, Mistress." The older woman did not move, nor did she show any sign that she'd heard the young girl. She just kept with her chanting. Beryl lowered her head, her eyes watching as a rat moved about in the darkness. She stood and listened for a few more minutes, her mind trying to replay events past, but gave up when her eyes began to drop. She could feel the sleepiness coming upon her, and decided to go home. "I'm going home, Mistress," she said as she left the cave.

Once more, Metallia did not move.

"My room is on the left, over there," Kasei said as she pointed to the large red doors. The symbol for Mars sat upon them, the cherry wood shining. "If you need anything, just let me know." She opened the door that would lead into his room, and as they stepped inside, he saw that it was small, decorated in only shades of red. A bed lay in the middle, on the floor, while screens separated the room into different areas. "Good night, Lord Jadeite."

Jadeite stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room. It would have to do. "You may call me Jadeite, my lady, and thank you," he said to the fire princess. Her eyes… it was her eyes that seemed to capture him, pulling him forward. They were the color of a Earth sunset, the purple so livid, so striking. He'd never seen such a color. As if they were on fire, he said to himself as he bowed to her.

She snorted, as if she found it humorous. "Do not mistake my actions, my lord. I was ordered by the queen to be kind to you, and so I will. You will get no other actions from me," she said as she stared into his blue eyes. Blue as water, she thought.

Jadeite straighten himself, staring at her. "I see," he said disappointment filling his voice. "Well, my lady, I shall bid you good evening then."

"Good night, Lord Jadeite," Kasei said as she left him standing in the room, a smirk across his face.

Zoicite stared in awe. He'd never seen so many books in all his life. Shelves covered every surface, from top to bottom, books lay everywhere. He stood in the door to the library, watching as Suisei walked around, picking out books that she wanted to read before going to bed. Walking back towards him, her arms full, she handed him a book, the words Hermes and the Thunder God written on the front. When he just looked at her, she smiled shyly.

"It's my favorite. I thought perhaps you could read it or another one before going to sleep, that is if you'd like," she said.

Taking the book from her, he found that it was written by her father, King Hermes of Mercury. No wonder she likes it so much, he said silently. "Thank you, Princess Suisei," he said.

"You're welcome," she replied. "Now, come. Follow me and I'll show you the way to your room." She started for the door, Zoicite following close behind her, the book still in hand. However, he wasn't paying much attention to where he was going, his thoughts on how gorgeous her eyes were, when he walked straight into a pillar.

"Owww…" he murmured as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Looking ahead of him, he saw that Suisei hadn't noticed his absence, and so hurried to catch up with her.

They came to a stop just outside two large, blue doors. The symbol for Mercury sat upon them, the dark oak shining slightly. She opened the doors, revealing a room about the same size as the one Jadeite would be staying in, however where his was decorated in shades of red, this one was done in shades of blue. A bed, the cover matching the walls, lay against the north wall, the canopy covering it a light blue. A desk sat nearby, a night table next to the bed, and a simple closet stood in the corner.

"Wow…" Zoicite said as he entered the small room. "This is beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it, I decorated it myself," Suisei said. "Now, should you need anything, I shall be right next door."

"Thank you," Zoicite said, still staring in awe at the room he was about to stay in. "I should be just fine, through."

"Very well. Good-night, then, Lord Zoicite," she said as she exited the room.

Zoicite bowed to her, his ponytail falling forward. "Good-night, Princess Suisei."

Suisei blushed, her cheeks catching fire. "No need to bow, and you may call me Suisei, tis my name after all."

"Very well. I shall see you in the morning, aye?"

"Yes," she said her hand on the knob of the door. She pulled it shut behind her, however before she did, she heard him say.

"And you may call me Zoicite. Good-night, my lady."

Mokusei had been on her way to show Nephrite to his room, when he'd spotted the greenhouse on the south side of the palace. Realizing she was alone, Mokusei stopped and looked around, wondering where he'd gone. Calling out his name, she heard a faint "In here" coming from the greenhouse. Stepping inside, she found him standing among her many flowers, smelling them, and staring in awe at the different kinds.

"Do you like them?" she asked as she walked up behind him.

Not realizing she was there, he nearly jumped at the sound of her voice. Looking behind him, he smiled at her, his chocolate eyes laughing. "I've never seen so many before," he said as he bent back over and began smelling them. One flower caught his attention, and picking it, brought it up to his nose for a smell. "I have never seen this kind before, what's it called?" The flower he held was small, pink, and beautiful. It's petals were wrapped up around each other, making it seem as if it were smaller than it actually was. As he glanced around the greenhouse, he found that many of the flowers were actually the same one he held now, only in different shades of pink, white, and reds.

"It's called a Camellia," Mokusei said as she bent over at the waist and smelled one, the light pink color making it look white. "They are native to my homeland, Jupiter."

"Lovely," Nephrite said. "Just lovely."

Walking down the aisles of flowers, Nephrite would stop every so often, smell the flowers, and ask her questions. She would answer them, and once more they would continue on their way. Leaving the greenhouse, Mokusei showed him to his room.

The doors were large, green, the symbol for Jupiter laying across the maple stain. Nephrite opened the them, and walked into a sea of green. Plants of every kind were everywhere, hanging from the ceiling, sitting in pots on the floors, windowsills, and tables. Huge windows graced the walls, letting light in from every corner. A bed sat in one such corner, the covering a light pink as to compared to the overall coloring of the room.

"I believe good breathing is good health," Mokuseisaid as she stepped inside for a minute. "And besides, I have to show off my talent, too."

"Aye, I know what you mean. My room at home is very much the same, I too have plants everywhere. My greenhouse is much smaller than yours. The guys call me a girl, just because I like plants and can take care of them. I can cook also," Nephrite told her, then rethought his last statement. "Actually, that's not right to say. What I meant to say was I love to cook."

"Really? Me too!"

"Then perhaps we could trade some dishes sometime?"

"Perhaps," Mokusei said as she stepped outside the room. "I'm right over there, so should you need anything, just give me a call. Good-night, Lord Nephrite."

Nephrite bowed to her. "Good-night, Princess Mokusei."

While the other three princesses were being polite, or as polite as Kasei could be without killing someone, Kinsei refused to even speak to Kuznite. She'd stormed from the throne room shortly after the queen had left, leaving a stunned Kunzite to stare after her. He had soon followed, trying unsuccessfully to get her to slow down while trying to catch up.

This is entirely his fault. If only he'd been watching his charge like he'd been ordered to, then none of this would have happened, Kinsei said silently as she stormed down the hall, her heels clicking upon the marble floor. Coming to a stop outside a large orange door, the symbol for Venus on the front, the walnut wood shining brightly, she opened the it and waited for him to catch up with her.

Once he did, she pushed him inside, closed the door behind him and left. She didn't even give him the chance to speak.

Kunzite stared at the closed door, a frown on his face. Shaking his head, he turned around. The room was slightly larger than the ones his friends would be staying in, and his was covered in different hues of yellows and oranges. This room was neat, as dust covered every surface. Its like no one ever stays here, Kunzite thought to himself as he moved about the room. She believes all this to be my fault, but I can't help how those two feel about each other anymore than I can stop myself from breathing. Which right now, would be something she'd like for me to do.

The bed sat near the door, the covering a dark yellow, matching the wrought iron frame. A small table sat next to the bed, while a larger one sat in the middle of the room, along with a large, overstuffed chair. Besides that, there were no other furniture in the room. No desk, no tables, nothing.

Looking around, he did notice one thing that seemed out of place. It was a small orange photo frame, and upon picking it up, he found a picture of Kinsei with all her friends in it, smiling, her golden eyes emitting love. She had her arm around Princess Serenity's neck, holding out two fingers as if to make a V with her hand. "Wished she'd smile at me," Kunzite said to the photo. "Hell, I'd even be happy with a simple 'hello' from her. Anything that made her acknowledge me."

Down the hall, unbeknownst to Kunzite or to anyone else, Kinsei stood in the shadows. She was doubled over, her long golden hair falling forward to cover her face, a hand up covering her mouth as sobs poured out. Never in her life had she been so rude to someone, but it wasn't the fact that she'd been rude to Kunzite that was making her cry. No, it was all the emotion she felt coming off of him for her, that was making her cry.

He was falling in love with her, and for the life of her, Kinsei didn't know what to do about it.

AN: The words upon the door say: Beware, for a great evil lays here. Only Beryl can't read the ancient language, so of course she opens the stupid doors.