AN; well, it did take a while, eh? My apologies to Prom Firebringer, for reasons of expediencyI put this up straight away without sending it to you to beta read for me. SORRY!
Endymion ceased to think of himself as Darien or Tuxedo Mask then, and only thought of himself as Prince Endymion.
In that instant after Beryl spoke he remembered everything; how what Luna had told them a few days before had been wrong, but only because she hadn't known the truth; it had been the Moon Kingdom who first extended the hand of friendship; not earth. He remembered too the way he and Serenity had begun to meet often in the garden at night and how their romance had sprung up from those few short meetings, how he had been flabbergasted by the fact that she commanded the entire Moon Royal Army, and how Serenity had surprised him by standing up to her friends when they decided that a Earth Man was not a good choice for her.
And how Mina had followed Serenity one day, and her reaction. The leader of The Sailor Scouts had been horrified to find her friend meeting an earthen prince. She hadn't liked him much to begin with. She had been angry at Serenity too, he remembered.
So had Lita, who quickly managed to extract the information about Serenity's disappearances from Mina, and who tagged along to meet Serenity's beau. She had been especially cold towards him until Serenity ticked her off. Endymion almost smiled remembering the way the diminutive blonde had given the Amazonian brunette a right royal dressing down.
For a while it seemed that neither side were getting anywhere; Serenity tried without success to convince her friends and guards of Endymion's true character, while Endymion found it harder and harder to sneak away from the ever more efficient generals (who were getting increasingly suspicious).
It had been Serenity in the end that had bought about the change that would prove cataclysmic to both kingdoms. It had been accidental. She had made the comment to him once that she would like to meet these generals that he always spoke of. He had demurred, saying they wouldn't be very happy.
But it had happened anyway.
Mina frowned, memories flowing into her mind like water. Images, sounds, names, faces… all mixed together in a jumble for an instant and then organised themselves chronologically.
She sat on one of the stone benches in the dark garden, her burnt orange dress neatly arranged around her, and glowered at the man across from her. Prince Endymion was studiously ignoring her, but Serenity kept sending her warning looks.
Beside her Lita was sulking because of the dressing down she had just received. Serenity's voice echoed through her head; 'Since it has been years since you saw fit to concern yourself with my affairs, and the only royals you have anything to do with are my brother and my mother, Lita, I fail to see how it is any business of yours what I do in my spare time! I do not concern myself with your private life; pray do not concern yourself with mine!'
Mina wondered exactly why she was so worried about the blonde opposite her. It was true; they had not been overly concerned with each other's affairs in years.
But really! Fraternising with an earthman! No matter how handsome! It was too much!
"When were you going to tell us this is where you three have been sneaking off to?" demanded an angry voice, and all was still in an instant.
A column of white/blue mist appeared from nowhere beside a tree nearby, and a figure in a blue gown stepped from the mist. Endymion started, but the girls were well used to Amy's mode of transport and didn't flinch.
Amy looked at them all and put her hands on her hips, looking mightily miffed.
"I'd like to know why they're on earth more than anything." Said another voice conversationally.
The ground near where Amy had appeared went red, glowing with heat. Waves of heat rose from the patch of ground and without warning there was a figure there, hair rippling upward with the heat of her arrival, and a woman in a deep burgundy gown stepped forwards.
Serenity sighed deeply, "Endymion, Prince of Earth, meet Amy, Princess of Mercury, and Raye, Princess of Mars." She introduced wearily.
Endymion stared at the two new arrivals and Mina grinned, liking the fact that he was put off stride. But Mars and Mercury were just as surprised as him.
"Waitasec, Prince of Earth? You're Terre and Terra's son?" demanded Raye hotly, staring at him.
Endymion stood and bowed, "a pleasure to meet you Sailor Mars. Serenity has told me a lot about you."
"Has she now?" asked Raye, sending a wry glance in Serenity's direction, "funny, I haven't heard a thing about you."
"Mainly because this is the first time you've been within speaking distance to me for the last five years!" retorted Serenity hotly, standing. Again there was the look in her eyes that she had given Lita a few minutes ago; accusing and angry.
Raye was taken aback by the aggression in Serenity's voice. She never heard the Commander raise her voice. Even in the midst of heated political and moral debates Serenity put forward her views in a quiet but firm manner, she never yelled at her men either, and Raye knew the soldiers under her command found her quiet dressing downs more frightening than a bout of enraged shouting. The Commander In Chief of the Royal Moon Army was as in control a person as you could find, and yet here she was almost shaking with suppressed rage.
Serenity ignored her look of astonishment, and Mina watched with grudging admiration as the Commander spun theatrically to ensure she had everyone's attention. Serenity had always been good at holding your attention once she got it, even though her voice never rose above normal level.
"I would like to know why the four famed and usually committed Sailor Scouts have abandoned their posts as protectors of my mother and brother to follow a princess who has nothing to do with the succession of the kingdom they have pledged their lives to guard! I would like to know why the four personal bodyguards of my mother and brother are here, instead of guarding my family! I would like to know what got you suddenly so nosy when it comes to my private affairs!"
She had been pacing as she talked, and glancing at them, and off into the garden at regular intervals. No she came about to face them, hands on hips and an angry gleam in her eye; "What the hell do you think you're doing abandoning your posts to chase after me?"
There was silence. Amy, Lita and Raye looked at Mina. Default leader.
Mina sighed, "I am sorry to invade your privacy Sere, but Beryl got in touch with me. She said she was worried about you."
"Beryl did?" the wind seemed to o out of Serenity's sails for an instant, and then her gaze hardened again. "Right. Well I'll have a word with her right now I think."
She turned and pointed off into the darkness; "and as for you lot…" she waved a hand, her crescent moon glowed and her eyes flashed white; a sign she was using her small amount of moon power.
Four startled yells, four figures being lifted from the various spots they had been hiding, four chagrined faces as Serenity dropped them on the grass in front of Endymion.
Malachite, Nephrite, Zoisite and Jadeite stayed where they fell for an instant. They were used to magic, indeed, they practiced it themselves, but to have another perform a spell on you without your consent can be shocking, even something as relatively simple as a levitation spell.
"Don't you know it's rude to hide in bushes and listen to other peoples conversations?"
Mina looked at Serenity in surprise. The angry woman of a few seconds ago was gone, in her place stood the cool, calm and collected Commander in Chief. Mina who always managed to wear her feelings on her sleeve felt jealous. Wondering how the princess had managed to swallow her anger.
Endymion looked at her in surprise too; her controlled and level tone surprised him; had never before heard her use it. She must indeed be angry if she was controlling herself so firmly. For the first time he fully appreciated the fact that his lover was indeed a commander in of men in battle.
Malachite looked up at the woman in white, about to make a smart retort, but a flash of orange caught his attention. Sitting opposite Endymion was a woman; he had seen her from a distance as he hid of course, but up close she was the most gorgeous being he had ever seen. Mina of Venus was wearing a deep orange gown with a transparent silk scarf tied around her neck. Her glorious sun-kissed blond hair was loose, falling over her face in a silk wave, and framing her deep blue eyes nicely.
Their eyes met, just for a second as he got to his feet, and to the surprise of both, Mina blushed, and turned her gaze away. Somehow that action made Malachite blush too.
Nephrite scrambled to his feet, his cheeks burning. Not only did Endymion now know they had followed him, but Endymion's lover had caught them out! He glared at the woman angrily. Serenity was unfazed.
"Generals, May I introduce Princess Serenity Lunaria, CC of the Royal Moon Army?" said Endymion, finally speaking, and standing to introduce them.
All four generals stared in amazement at the woman. This was the commander of an army?
There was silence, and then,
"But you're a woman! And a princess!" spluttered Nephrite haltingly.
"What has been female got to do with it?" demanded Lita hotly, gaining Nephrites attention. He stared for an instant. Wow. Now that was a woman. Tall, and generously proportioned she was glaring at him with electric eyes. Dressed in deep emerald green leggings that showed of her legs, a pale green linen shirt, a deep brown tunic that came mid way down her thighs and high boots she would have looked like a wood nymph; but she also wore a sword. Definitely a woman of action.
"This is Lita, Princess of Jupiter and Sailor Jupiter when need be." Introduced Serenity calmly.
Lita glared at Nephrite for an instant longer, and he decided to try one of his best smiles. Lita blinked at the stunning but slightly chagrined smile; what was he smiling about?
"You'll find Serenity is the best Commander the Moon has had in a long time. And as for being royal, as she said herself a few minutes ago, she is not the heir apparent and never will be." Said Amy calmly.
"Princess Amy of Mercury, aka Sailor Mercury when called. She's also the mind responsible for the new antimatter propulsion system in our shuttles." Introduced Serenity, a small tinge of pride in her voice.
Zoisite stared at the demurely dressed and spoken Mercurian. She made an accurate statement according to what he knew of the Moon and her Army. They had indeed suffered from unable and unintelligent commanders in the past. He had heard of no such reports of this Commander.
He wondered whether or not this woman in blue would tell him about the antimatter propulsion system. He was dying to know about it, and had been since he had heard of it.
"And as for our Commander being a woman, your Queen is a woman and she commands her own regiment. How is that any different from Serenity commanding an army?" fired Raye.
"And the pyro here is Raye, Princess of Mars and Sailor Mars as often as not." Said Serenity, twinge of irony creeping into her voice.
"Don't call me pyro!" Raye said hotly, stamping her foot.
Serenity's lip twitched and Endymion realised she was trying not to smile. He was confused. She had told him that she had had a good relationship with the girls, years back, but that it had waned lately. But here she was teasing Mars like an old comrade?
"Anyway," continued Raye, her eye twitching, "gender has nothing to do with it, so pray keep it out of the equation, Master Nephrite."
"Hear, hear." Said Jadeite, feeling that the girls little lecture demanded an agreement. It earned him a nonplussed look from Raye, which made him blush.
Nephrite blinked in surprise. Master Nephrite? Serenity saw, and smiled openly, "oh yes, Master Nephrite, we know you names. We have kept and eye on you for many years, ever since we learned of your magical abilities."
Endymion blinked, that was a new one.
"When we learned that Malachite had the power to manipulate rock, Nephrite the power to call on the stars for aid, Jadeite the power to use force fields and Zoisite the power to manipulate plants, powers that are very similar to the Scouts own we decided to keep an eye on you. For it is the duty of those with the power to ensure that others with power do nit misuse their power, don't you think?" Said Serenity lazily.
"Nah," said Endymion, looking across at her with an amused expression in his eyes, "you just wanted to stickybeak."
She shrugged with one shoulder, and shared a smile with him that made everyone else feel like intruders on a private moment. "That too." Serenity admitted. She turned to the scouts, "come ladies, its time to return to the Moon."
She stepped up to Endymion and with no embarrassment at all kissed him full on the mouth, and he had no problem responding.
"Same time tomorrow?" he asked when they broke apart.
"Of course." She turned and nodded to the Generals, "gentlemen."
They bowed politely.
She turned to the girls, "Lets go."
Lita held up a fist crackling with lightning and flung it at the ground near her feet. Next instant she was engulfed by a flash of lightning, and disappeared.
Mina rolled her eyes, "show off," she muttered, but pressed her right index finger to her forehead, and her Venus symbol began to glow. The next instant, glowing gold ribbons seemed to come out of the symbol and wrap around her until you couldn't see her anymore. For an instant she stayed there, and then the ribbons collapsed to the ground, empty. They lay where they had fallen for an instant and then disappeared.
Amy called up her mist by holding up her palm and blowing on it as if she was blowing a kiss and her mist blew off her hand and covered her from sight before slowly dissipating on the night breeze.
Raye yawned and stretched, and didn't seem at all surprised when a fissure opened up beneath her and she fell into it. A red light glowed from the split for a second, and then it shut, and the ground looked like it was never there.
Serenity raised her eyes to the heavens, "their all show offs really," she commented to Endymion, the controlled expression she had worn a few moments ago gone, "they could just disappear without the effects, but apparently, its more fun."
"So what's your effect?" Zoisite asked, curious as always.
"Moon beams."
She smiled goodbye to Endymion and placed her hands over her heart and seemed to concentrate for a second. Then a beam of light seemed to shine around her, and glancing up the generals saw that indeed, the moon was shining on her daughter.
Endymion watched as she slowly faded, becoming see-through and then totally disappearing. The beam of light faded and they were alone.
Endymion sighed; he hated being away from her like this, and having to keep their romance a secret. But the fact remained that the Moon and the Earth Kingdoms simply did not communicate.
Perhaps it was time to change that.
The next memory that popped into his mid was a distressing one. Their first fight.
"Dammit Endymion! I can't just go up to her and ask her if she's practicing dark magic! She's my best friend for Selene's sake!"
Endymion fought to keep his voice calm, "Sere I understand how you feel, but…"
"No buts! She's my best friend! I know her! Beryl would never put herself at risk by using dark magic. Nor would she hurt anyone else for that matter!"
They were in Serenity's rooms on the moon. The Princess was pacing, looking harried. She was wearing what Endymion now knew to be her usual dress, Black leggings, high black boots, a tight white tunic that came halfway down her thighs and a short black jacket in concession to the inclement weather. He was seated on one of the lounges, wearing his official regalia because he had just come from a meeting with Selenity.
"Look Sere, I know she's your friend, and I know how much you trust her, but there's something about her that sets me on edge."
"Your worried that she sets you on edge? Dammit Endy, that's nothing to accuse her of being a dark magic user with!"
"I know, that's why I thought she might talk to you!" he was loosing his temper quickly now. Why did she refuse to see that the woman was sinister?
"No. I will not. Beryl and I have been friends for over a decade. If you feel a threat it does not come from her."
Yes it does, Endymion thought angrily.
"Why can you not see what it right in front of you!" he cried, standing, "the woman is strange and sinister. And she's getting worse."
"So now I'm blind am I?"
"You know that's not what I meant. Don't twist my words!" he growled.
"You're twisting one of my friends to satisfy your wish for something to happen!"
"I am not! She's already twisted!"
"Yes you are! Your bored and you keep wishing for something to happen so you can do something you're good at! Something that doesn't require sitting in a room talking to a stuffy old woman all day!"
"That's not it and that's not fair! You know I don't mind being in conference with your mother, so don't make this about her just like everything else is!" he snarled, surprised by the venom in his own voice.
She blinked, nonplussed. "What do you mean?" she demanded, firing up again.
"Nothing. Forget I said anything. I'm going for a walk."
He turned and strode out the door. Perhaps a couple laps of the gardens would cool him down.
She swung around as he left, looking for something, anything to kick. Spying a chair that looked solid enough to provide a challenge, she strode over to it, and with a viscous lunarian swearword she gave the wooden thing a powerful roundhouse kick, sending it flying, it hit the wall and smashed, and she felt better.
Lita sat under a tree on the bank of the great lake chewing a stalk of grass. She was trying desperately to relax, but was finding it impossible. And had found it impossible to relax since the arrival of the Ambassador of Earth.
Her lips twisted. Selenity still had no idea that it had been her daughter that had originally suggested the change in the relationships between the earth and moon. Selenity would never have any idea that her daughter was responsible for the new political relations that, while helping both kingdoms, also made it possible for Serenity and Endymion to marry.
She admired the fact that Serenity was prepared to bend to bend her situation to her benefit.
And wished she could bend the situation she was in some other way.
She put her head in her hands and groaned.
"Problem, Lita?"
Lita jumped. The Commander was standing a little off to her left, hands in the pockets of her tunic. She had been at the Soldiers barracks, Lita knew; that's what she did every Thursday morning.
Lita sat back and stretched out her legs and pursed her lips, thinking.
Serenity raised an eyebrow. The usually forthright Lita was hesitating. Interesting. And blushing! With a small smile sat down next to her.
Lita was silent for a minute longer, looking out over the beautiful lake and the surrounding gardens.
"I'm on edge." She said finally, "and I don't really know why, I just feel like I'm walking on glass and every step I take is either so calculated that it looks fake or so carefree it looks like I'm a…. a…. buffoon!"
Serenity was silent, contemplating an reply.
"You suddenly care very much how you look towards people?" she asked, restating what she believed to be the gist of Lita's statement.
"Not people." Said Lita and sighed, "I'm the same as I ever was with most people."
"But not with…"
But Lita would not be drawn out so easily. She just gave Serenity a look. The Commander chuckled; "alright. Can I guess?"
Lita shrugged.
"Male."
Lita gave her the look, and she chuckled again, "of course male. Ok. Tall. Long brown hair… lovely blue eyes… the only person to ever beat you in unarmed combat… am I getting close?"
Lita put her head in her hands. "Am I that obvious?"
"Only to me, and perhaps Mina. She is after all the scout of love."
"How did you figure it out?"
"You studiously ignore him as much as possible. You barely look at him when he speaks. The others think you're being rude, but I figured you were too polite for that."
Lita groaned. "What am I gonna do?"
"Well, lets figure this out," Serenity got comfortable, "since I know you fairly well I can say that this isn't the sort of thing that is going to go away if you ignore it. Besides, Nephrites a good fella so I'm not going to dissuade you in anyway."
"You wont. Mina will."
Serenity gave a heartfelt sigh. "Yes. Yes I realise that. Mina has a bit of a complex about the eathans. We've seen that in the way she treats me and Endymion. But even since she is the leader of the scouts I wouldn't let her discourage you from looking for the right fella. Nephrite might just be that person."
"He might not too, what happens if it doesn't work out?"
"Then you've learned from the experience, and you're wiser for next time."
Lita looked across at her, "is that what you told yourself when you first started seeing Endymion?"
Serenity shook her head; "No. I didn't realise that I was in love with him until much later in our relationship than he. It just suddenly hit me. And I realised something else, not much later."
"What?"
"No one else would do for my life."
She looked across the lake, and Lita watching her felt the deep happiness that Serenity felt almost like a fire radiating warmth on her.
"I'm just lucky he felt the same." Added Serenity, "Because unrequited love is not my thing."
"Aw, I dunno… I can sorta see it, the commander of the greatest army in the galaxy pining away for the one man she can't have…" Lita cried theatrically.
Serenity grinned, "Shaddup."
It hadn't been long after that that everything had begun to darken, and life had changed. There had ben a brief period of happiness, and then everything had plunged into darkness. Endymion, and all the girls with him, felt a pang of pain that was quickly overcome by a deep, penetrating hate.
It was all her fault.
Beryl watched with a smile, knowing what they were thinking.
She finally had all of them!
Serena looked proudly at the aray of crystals infront of her.
"Cool!" said Sam, looking over her shoulder at the kitchen table where the crystals sat.
He was silent for a second, and then;
"What now?"
Serena looked at him over her shoulder.
"I dont know, Sam, I really don't know. Mother never told you how the crystal become one from seven, did she?"
Sam shook his head.
"No, me either." the ex-commander sighed.
Later that evening, after she had packed the crystals away upstairs safely in a drawer, she sat down to think about what to do.
If she didn't know what to do to make the crystals combine, then the chances were that Beryl didnt either. She might be able to trade them for her friends, and then once they were together again they could all go back and fight the negaverse.
But it was a big chance to take, and she could imagine Luna and Artemis scolding her after they found out what she did.
She dragged a hand across her damp forehead and sighed. These hot days meant she didnt sleep deeply in what little uninterupted sleep she got. the dreams were worse, and Sam had to shake her awake alsmost nightly now.
It frightened him, she knew, to see his older sister, the one person who had remained calm almost to the end on the moon, falling aprt as she was. but there was nothing she could do about it.
Afeeling came over her then, a coldness, sweeping up her spine and spreading across her whole body. She began to shiver uncontrollably. A wave of nausea punched her in the gut and she bent double, dry retching.
In the next room, Sameth let out a choking cry, and she staggered to her feet. A weight hit her then, landing on her shoulders and knocking her to her knees. She cried out in horror. She had never felt so weak!
Sameth cried out too, and she knew whatever was happening to her was happening to him as well.
And then, as suddenly as it had come, it was gone, and she was left gasping for breath on the floor and drenched in cold sweat.
An image came, unbidden into her mind. Seven shining stones.
The Crystals!
She dragged herself to her feet and staggered upstairs.
The drawer in which she had locked the crystals earlier was open, it contents strewn around the room.
The drawer itself hung from the desk. She went to it. Inside lay the crystals, quivering, and flickering thier different colours. As soon as she neared, they brightened, and thier quivering turned to a rattling.
"What is it?" asked Sameth from the door.
She shook her head. "I don't know."
She reached for the crystals, and they rattled harder in thier drawer. An impossible wind grew in the room, and Serena's skirt and hair whipped madly. Sameth gripped the door, terrified.
"What do you want me to do?" shrieked Serena above the wind, knowing instinctively, as Sameth did, that the Seven Rainbow Crystals wanted something and were trying to draw thier attention to it.
They shook harder in repsonse.
"I don't understand!" she sobbed, and collapsed to her knees over the drawer, tears welling up in her eyes, "I know you want to help get them back but i dont understand you!"
Tears ran down her face, curiously unhampered by the strong wind still blowing.
"Help me." she whispered, and a tear fell off the bridge of her nose into the drawer. the sound it made when it hit the scarlet crystal was so impossibly loud, so ringing in nature that she jumped backwards in fright. Sameth heard it too, and ran to her side as she scrambled back from the drawer.
Adeep golden light spewed from the drawer and Sameth and Serena could only watch as thier salvation took shape.
AN; whoah, al ong one! hope you enjoyed! review please! tell me what you think and remember that any cnstructive criticsm is welcome. sorry for any spelling errors!