Farewell by Amethyst Serenity
AN: Well, I warned you all that this chapter would be late because of my excessive game playing. XD As always, special thanks to Deny, Ichigo and Aridemarcus (who all helped me brainstorm for this chapter). Thanks to all my lovely readers and reviewers who encourage (and sometimes nag) me endlessly, including: Serenitas ( I *will* come up with a super-special evil cliffhanger because of you ^_^), S. Wright (you still haven't come up with a title ::pouts::), Nat, Chelli, John K, Min Hee Ha, Celestrial Star, Allure, Whiro, Wreath of Roses, Arabella Silverbell, bAbY sTaR aNg3L, Autumn Ice, Carol-chan, LittleDragon5, Marni, Makura Koneko, Sarri-chan, Benny, Za Kaze no Nisou, Goddess Pluto, Dria, SlvrDrgn, Duece of Spades, SNS, ScorpioNightShadow, Kalih, Animechick, Hitomi, Kath, TenshiDaisy, Desi, Writerprincess and HeavenlyRose.
Disclaimer: This is pointless. Everybody knows I don't own Sailor Moon.
Chapter 25- Rage
"USAKO!"
Senseless to the danger around him, Tuxedo Kamen fell to his knees. He vacantly stared at the spot where Serena had been. The image of her frightened face was burned onto his retinas. Her scream lingered in his ears. Licking their jaws in anticipation of an easy meal, several monsters were circling him... but it didn't matter. She was *gone*, swallowed up by darkness. Gone without a trace. Her absence was a profound, ripping hole in his heart. Feeling nothing but emptiness through their link, he was a walking, soulless corpse. He was born to cherish her but he had *failed* her. Failed to protect her. He deserved to die... he *wanted* to die...
"HEY ROSE BOY, DO US A FAVOR AND WAKE THE HELL UP!" Jadeite shouted, bashing a cheetah away from Tuxedo Kamen with a stout tree limb. Using language guaranteed to send his mother into fits of hysteria, Zoisite disgustedly watched as a leonine creature ignored his feeble ice attacks and mashed his spear into tiny splinters. Repressing the desire to tear out his hair in utter frustration, he started throwing rocks at the monsters. Trying to yank his axe out of a bear, Nephrite hastily ducked when a tiger youma nearly gave him a mohawk.
"Guard him!" Kunzite curtly grunted, warding off a devilishly swift panther in a deadly dance. Wearied from their earlier battles, the Knights surrounded Tuxedo Kamen in a wall of bloodied armor. Seemingly endless waves of monsters crashed against them. Hovering above them, the Sailor Senshi did their best to keep the Knights alive. Like knives cutting through softened butter, their newly awakened powers left huge trails of destruction in the youma. Unfortunately, the Senshi were hindered by the presence of the Knights. They couldn't unleash the true extent of their powers and sweep the battlefield clean without injuring the Knights at the same time. No matter how many were killed, more creatures swarmed the besieged Knights.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY SO WE CAN FINISH THE JOB!" Uranus thundered, obliterating Zoisite's lion and Jadeite's cheetah with one shot. Already unhappy with saving the idiot toad (currently number two on her list of most disliked things on the planet), she was infuriated at the restraints on her ability to cut loose. If she was only free to dispatch these annoying monsters, she could go after Serena's kidnapper. And make him pay in *blood* for taking her. Like the other Sailor Senshi, anger escalated her already lethal abilities to frighteningly dangerous levels.
"Believe me, we'd LOVE to but SOMEONE isn't moving his butt!" Nephrite panted, stumbling backwards and wishing he could shake some sense into Mamoru. Kunzite narrowly avoided the panther's strike and dealt a swift, stinging blow to its head. Cursing under his breath, Jadeite flicked his gaze between two approaching wolf creatures. Abandoning the ineffective rocks, Zoisite picked up a tree limb in time to jam it down a tiger's throat (ouch, that's got to hurt). Death, in the form of Senshi attacks, rained down from the sky, sometimes missing the Knights by mere centimeters.
Sounds gradually intruded into Tuxedo Kamen's coma-like shock. Clanking armor. Sizzling flames. Rushing water. Crashing thunder. Desperate curses. His friends, his guardians, were fighting... *bleeding* around him. The monsters were trying to *kill* them. They had already taken *her*. Now, they were destroying whatever was left of his life. Undiluted, blinding rage poured through his system, smashing through all his unconscious barriers and unleashing *something* buried inside him. Molten rivers of flame consumed his mind, flooding him with ancient memories. The ringing of swords in practice duels. The scent of hay and horses in the stables. A golden palace surrounded by mist. A garden overflowing with roses of every imaginable color. Painfully tedious diplomatic functions and royal balls. Soldiers who obeyed his every command. Family. Parents who *loved* him. His comrades in arms... his Knights... his brothers in all but blood. And *her*, always her... his sweet moonlight maiden, the forbidden source of his every joy.
Tuxedo Kamen's torn, bloodstained clothing melted into polished, jet-black armor with ornate, swirling silver markings. Silver guards encased his shoulders, forearms and calves. A gift from his father the High King of Earth, a silver sword embedded with sapphires as blue as his eyes, hung by his side on a silver belt. Attached by sapphire clasps, a midnight-black cape, lined in ruby red velvet, flapped in the wind. His family crest, a golden dragon entwined with a scarlet rose above a golden crown on a quartered field of white and royal purple, was emblazoned on its back. Endymion, the Crown Prince of the Golden Kingdom, surveyed the ongoing battle with the sublime confidence of a man who had literally been born and raised to rule the world.
Still kneeling, Endymion stretched out his arm. A golden globe erupted from his hand and covered the area around him. Any youma touched by the light abruptly vanished. Nothing, not even a stray whisker or strand of fur, remained within the tawny dome. Startled by their sudden reprieve from the monsters, the Knights stumbled around like punch-drunk fighters. Outside the light bubble, monsters howled and unsuccessfully tried to get to the fighters. The Knights turned and gaped at their prince. A shiver of dread raced through them because he had never been this... *ruthless*. As one, the Knights combined their elemental powers and *pushed* the Sailor Senshi farther into the sky, away from the deadly golden light. Furious at the seemingly treacherous blow from their allies, Mars was full of venomous insults but the words died on her lips when she saw what was happening. Bewildered by the light show, the Sailor Senshi anxiously floated above their friends.
Surrounding their prince, the Earthian Knights instinctively formed a square with the kneeling Endymion at its center. A musical, fluid stream of strangely exotic but compelling words issued from Endymion's lips. Beneath him, the *ground* shimmered with amber-gold light. While they were mesmerized by the alien sounds, a *presence* gently invaded the minds of the Knights. Whispering in an ancient but familiar language, it... *he* instructed them in their heritage and their paths of Power. Radiating the soft bluish shades of water, Zoisite sensed a beast lurking in his depths, coiled and poised to strike at his enemies. Wrapped in blazing reds, Jadeite was consumed in fires hot enough to turn him into ash. Cocooned in emerald and forest green, Nephrite heard the call of the wind to something unfurling within him. Warmed by pale yellow light, Kunzite was filled with strength from an unbelievably old and wise presence solidly rooted in the earth. Along with their magically healed wounds, their armor was restored to gleaming perfection.
Endymion shouted one last word and *thrust* his hand into the shining ground. All over the world, seismic sensors blew fuses and registered inconceivably powerful quakes. Endymion's eyes *blazed* gold. Tsunamis and tidal waves of unprecedented heights formed. The heavens wept with the worst storms documented in over a century. Volcanoes erupted, spewing molten lava and ash to darken the skies for weeks. Hurricane winds and tornadoes swept across the land. Punching his fist into the sky, Endymion *demanded* vengeance. And the Earth responded to her most beloved child, her prince. Before him, the ground cracked open. A golden, diamond-shaped jewel, pulsing with rainbows, emerged from the heart of the Earth and floated to his waiting hand.
As Endymion firmly grasped the Golden Crystal, the world shook yet again. A huge concussive blast knocked his Knights to their knees and completely stunned the army of youma in the park. In horrified fascination, the Sailor Senshi escaped the explosion and continued watching. Golden flames flowed all over Endymion's body. A titanic golden dragon with sapphire eyes and flaring, outstretched wings materialized out of nowhere and somehow *merged* with Endymion. The silver markings on his ebony armor flashed and turned to gold. With limitless power coursing through him, Endymion drew his silver sword. When he touched the Golden Crystal to the hilt of his sword, they *melted* together. Growing at least a foot longer, the silver weapon transformed into a diamond-studded, golden crystal sword with a blade harder than diamonds and an edge keener than the finest sword. Surrounded by a glowing golden nimbus and levitating slightly above his Knights, Endymion raised his sword toward his enemies and uttered two words in a voice colder than the arctic winds.
"No mercy."
At the precise center of the monster horde, the Earthian Knights turned from their prince and faced their enemies. When the deadly, protective golden dome vanished, the youma surged towards them. Inhumanly calm and determined, the Knights reached deeply into their elemental magicks, farther than ever before, and *released* them.
"Sea Serpent Strike!"
A mammoth silver-blue sea serpent with eyes of gray ice uncoiled and fused with Zoisite. Silver flecks danced in his leaf-green eyes. The white markings on his ebony black armor turned into sky blue. On the right side of his chest, a navy badge bearing a cerulean sea serpent twined around a silver caduceus appeared. When Zoisite stretched his arm out, his hand somehow held a silver spear tipped with a blade harder than steel. Radiating from the spear, waves of blue energy crashed into the youma with the force and noise of a tidal wave. Sailor Mercury gasped.
"Phoenix Flames!"
A fiery, magnificent scarlet phoenix with sky blue eyes and gold-tipped feathers was set ablaze by Jadeite's fire and reborn as part of him. His sunny blonde hair shimmered with red tints. As Jadeite's white decorations flashed into red, a sky blue medallion with a red phoenix carrying a golden arrow was burned on his chest. When he drew back the bowstring of a golden longbow, tongues of fire, like streams of molten lava, shot out to sear the monsters into ash. For some reason, Sailor Mars' eyes never left Jadeite.
"Gryphon Roar!"
An emerald-eyed, coal black creature with an eagle's head & wings and a gigantic-sized body of a lion roared and dived into Nephrite. He suddenly appeared a few inches taller. His white trimmings changed to forest green. Nephrite's new verdant chest insignia depicted a defiant black gryphon over a trio of golden stars. His golden double-bladed axe grew longer, lighter and sharper than any human could have produced. When he raised his axe to the sky, winds with twinkling emerald stars howled and swept through ranks of completely unprepared, dumbfounded youma. A heated blush covered Sailor Jupiter's cheeks.
"Dragon Quake!"
A colossal, lemon-eyed dragon of creamy ivory, perhaps a shade smaller than Endymion's, spread its wings and joined with Kunzite. His silver hair grew past his shoulder blades. Kunzite's white markings brightened into sunny yellow. A yellow badge with a white dragon clutching two silver swords was added to his chest. Now carrying two topaz-embellished, intricately carved silver swords, Kunzite crossed them in the shape of an X. Laced with yellow fire, a shock wave ripped into the monsters. Sailor Venus contemplated Kunzite with thoughtful eyes.
When the carnage was over, the Earthian Knights were the only living beings left standing in the park. As the Sailor Senshi landed near them, they regarded the Knights with cautious respect. While Sailor Saturn smiled sweetly at them, Sailor Neptune coolly raised an eyebrow. With a faint grimace, Sailor Uranus grudgingly conceded that the Knights weren't useless cannon fodder any longer. Maybe.
Endymion seethed. His hands itched to tear someone apart. There was one fundamental, overriding truth in his existence. Nothing and no one would *ever* separate him from his Serenity. He would see them in *Hades* first! His tawny battle aura flared brighter, almost blinding to the others. Lacking pupils and white sclera, Endymion's burning eyes were entirely golden. Facing their liege lord, the Knights knelt on one knee and saluted him. As they bowed their heads, their right fists covered their hearts.
"Dragon Knight Kunzite," Endymion snapped, vibrating with fury.
"At your service, Your Majesty," Kunzite mildly replied, fearlessly meeting Endymion's disturbing eyes.
"We are not pleased. Our betrothed has been stolen from us. You will *immediately* gather a force to retrieve our Lady. The foul miscreant who has kidnapped her will be punished even if we must wade through *rivers* of blood. This is *war*! Do you understand us?" Endymion snarled, almost spitting out the words. (1)
"Yes, my King. On my honor as the Knight-Commander of your armies, I swear it will be done. May I have your leave to withdraw and plan the miscreant's chastisement with my comrades and the Sailor Senshi of Princess Serenity?"
"You have our permission to withdraw, Lord Kunzite."
"I will not fail you, cousin."
Endymion acknowledged Kunzite's last statement with a sharp, regal nod. With a preoccupied brooding expression on his face, Endymion landed on the ground and stared into the distant sky. Ominously, the earth rumbled beneath his feet. Casting wary glances at Endymion, the Knights and the Sailor Senshi huddled together a short distance away.
"This is... unexpected." Kunzite said dryly. At that massive understatement, Zoisite rolled his eyes, Jadeite pretended to gag and Nephrite gave him a disgusted frown.
"What's wrong with Mamoru? He looks almost homicidal!" Mercury whispered.
"Why did you idiots call him 'Your Majesty' and all that other crap?" Mars snorted.
"That's *Endymion*, not Mamoru," Nephrite stated soberly. Mars, Mercury and Jupiter exchanged baffled looks. Venus narrowed her eyes. The Outer Senshi had oddly blank expressions on their faces.
"We've seen Endymion before but he's never gone all glowy and weird," Jupiter commented, waving her hand towards Endymion.
"Of course, he's different. He's got the *Golden Crystal*!" Kunzite exclaimed. At the Senshi's continuing lack of comprehension, Kunzite glanced towards Zoisite (the Sage, a.k.a. Scholar boy a.k.a. Closet Librarian). Zoisite sighed and went into lecture mode.
"Summoning the Golden Crystal from the Earth is the mark of a true High King, indisputable proof that he is *meant* to rule the Earth. Effectively, Endymion just crowned himself as the High King. However, he's gone *way* past that because he didn't only summon it. He somehow became *one* with it and gained *full* access to its power. In theory, all the High Kings could merge with the Crystal but no one.... except the very first High King has been able to do it... until now."
"How does it compare to the Silver Imperium Crystal?" Mercury asked, starting an analysis of Endymion.
"According to legend, it can do absolutely anything. I'd say Endymion's energy levels are through the roof. If *he* had the crystal back in the Silver Millenium instead of his father, Beryl would have only been a microscopic footnote in history."
"What happened to the first High King?" Venus quietly probed, noticing the hesitations in Zoisite's speech. Shifting uneasily on his feet, Zoisite considered his next words carefully. Mercury gaped at her computer.
"My analysis indicates Endymion is currently as powerful as Serenity with her crystal," she stated incredulously. Shock registered on the faces of the Inner Sailor Senshi. The Outer Senshi flicked unreadable glances at each other.
"We can teleport to wherever Serena is, let Endy get his kicks by frying the enemy, get Serena back and 'port back in time for dinner," Kunzite suggested. Mercury shook her head.
"We don't know where she *is*. According to my computer, she's not even in this galaxy!"
"We are so *screwed*! We're talking Doomsday and Armageddon rolled into one!" Jadeite exclaimed. He shot a sidelong look at Mars. "Nice knowing you, babe. Want a kiss before we all die?"
Naturally, Mars smacked him in the head. Kunzite aimed a quelling frown at Jadeite. "Unfortunately, lover boy is right. Endymion's a walking time bomb. If he doesn't get what he wants, he might tear the world apart to get it. Literally."
"You've got to be joking!" Jupiter declared with an air of total disbelief.
"I *wish*. Endymion is one with the Earth. If he ordered a mountain to move, it would *do* it. He could sneeze and start a tornado or crack the world with a thought. He's not exactly in the best frame of mind to control his abilities," Nephrite asserted.
"What happened to the first High King?" Venus repeated, locking steely eyes with Zoisite. He squirmed and glanced at Kunzite. Kunzite nodded grimly.
"Supposedly, he had a soulmate. When she died, the power of the Golden Crystal made him unbalanced, as in completely nuts. If he hadn't killed himself, he might have destroyed the world."
"We have *got* to get Serena back. As his other half, she's the *only* one who can calm his rage," Nephrite forcefully insisted. Mars muttered curses under her breath. Venus chewed her lip and mentally ran through their options. Jupiter cracked her knuckles and fervently prayed to get her hands on Serena's kidnappers. Mercury smacked her computer and tried to determine Serena's location again. Neptune, Saturn and Uranus were strangely calm and expressionless, almost as if they were waiting for something.
"What are we going to *do*?" Zack quietly wailed, on the verge of panicking and nail biting.
A red light washed over them. The Knights and Sailor Senshi looked up to see a tall, dazzling woman in a Senshi uniform. Her tranquil expression and classically beautiful features somehow conveyed ageless wisdom and patience. Green-tinted raven hair streamed to her calves and swirled in a mysterious, exotic breeze. Reddish-brown garnets twinkled on her tiara, ears and chest. While her choker, sailor-style collar and top skirt were the black of a moonless night, her bows and layered underskirts were dark red and reddish brown. Garnet-streaked, ebony wings arched gracefully from her back. Her scarlet eyes exchanged amused, secretive looks with the Outer Sailor Senshi. As she bowed gracefully towards Endymion, his eyes narrowed in sudden recognition of her delicately carved staff topped with a garnet orb.
"Pluto!"
1. No, Endymion is not schizophrenic. He's speaking in the royal plural mode, meaning we = I.
AN2: I love symmetry. Besides, the guys couldn't be pathetic weaklings, like what Tuxedo Kamen used to be, right?
AN: Well, I warned you all that this chapter would be late because of my excessive game playing. XD As always, special thanks to Deny, Ichigo and Aridemarcus (who all helped me brainstorm for this chapter). Thanks to all my lovely readers and reviewers who encourage (and sometimes nag) me endlessly, including: Serenitas ( I *will* come up with a super-special evil cliffhanger because of you ^_^), S. Wright (you still haven't come up with a title ::pouts::), Nat, Chelli, John K, Min Hee Ha, Celestrial Star, Allure, Whiro, Wreath of Roses, Arabella Silverbell, bAbY sTaR aNg3L, Autumn Ice, Carol-chan, LittleDragon5, Marni, Makura Koneko, Sarri-chan, Benny, Za Kaze no Nisou, Goddess Pluto, Dria, SlvrDrgn, Duece of Spades, SNS, ScorpioNightShadow, Kalih, Animechick, Hitomi, Kath, TenshiDaisy, Desi, Writerprincess and HeavenlyRose.
Disclaimer: This is pointless. Everybody knows I don't own Sailor Moon.
Chapter 25- Rage
"USAKO!"
Senseless to the danger around him, Tuxedo Kamen fell to his knees. He vacantly stared at the spot where Serena had been. The image of her frightened face was burned onto his retinas. Her scream lingered in his ears. Licking their jaws in anticipation of an easy meal, several monsters were circling him... but it didn't matter. She was *gone*, swallowed up by darkness. Gone without a trace. Her absence was a profound, ripping hole in his heart. Feeling nothing but emptiness through their link, he was a walking, soulless corpse. He was born to cherish her but he had *failed* her. Failed to protect her. He deserved to die... he *wanted* to die...
"HEY ROSE BOY, DO US A FAVOR AND WAKE THE HELL UP!" Jadeite shouted, bashing a cheetah away from Tuxedo Kamen with a stout tree limb. Using language guaranteed to send his mother into fits of hysteria, Zoisite disgustedly watched as a leonine creature ignored his feeble ice attacks and mashed his spear into tiny splinters. Repressing the desire to tear out his hair in utter frustration, he started throwing rocks at the monsters. Trying to yank his axe out of a bear, Nephrite hastily ducked when a tiger youma nearly gave him a mohawk.
"Guard him!" Kunzite curtly grunted, warding off a devilishly swift panther in a deadly dance. Wearied from their earlier battles, the Knights surrounded Tuxedo Kamen in a wall of bloodied armor. Seemingly endless waves of monsters crashed against them. Hovering above them, the Sailor Senshi did their best to keep the Knights alive. Like knives cutting through softened butter, their newly awakened powers left huge trails of destruction in the youma. Unfortunately, the Senshi were hindered by the presence of the Knights. They couldn't unleash the true extent of their powers and sweep the battlefield clean without injuring the Knights at the same time. No matter how many were killed, more creatures swarmed the besieged Knights.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY SO WE CAN FINISH THE JOB!" Uranus thundered, obliterating Zoisite's lion and Jadeite's cheetah with one shot. Already unhappy with saving the idiot toad (currently number two on her list of most disliked things on the planet), she was infuriated at the restraints on her ability to cut loose. If she was only free to dispatch these annoying monsters, she could go after Serena's kidnapper. And make him pay in *blood* for taking her. Like the other Sailor Senshi, anger escalated her already lethal abilities to frighteningly dangerous levels.
"Believe me, we'd LOVE to but SOMEONE isn't moving his butt!" Nephrite panted, stumbling backwards and wishing he could shake some sense into Mamoru. Kunzite narrowly avoided the panther's strike and dealt a swift, stinging blow to its head. Cursing under his breath, Jadeite flicked his gaze between two approaching wolf creatures. Abandoning the ineffective rocks, Zoisite picked up a tree limb in time to jam it down a tiger's throat (ouch, that's got to hurt). Death, in the form of Senshi attacks, rained down from the sky, sometimes missing the Knights by mere centimeters.
Sounds gradually intruded into Tuxedo Kamen's coma-like shock. Clanking armor. Sizzling flames. Rushing water. Crashing thunder. Desperate curses. His friends, his guardians, were fighting... *bleeding* around him. The monsters were trying to *kill* them. They had already taken *her*. Now, they were destroying whatever was left of his life. Undiluted, blinding rage poured through his system, smashing through all his unconscious barriers and unleashing *something* buried inside him. Molten rivers of flame consumed his mind, flooding him with ancient memories. The ringing of swords in practice duels. The scent of hay and horses in the stables. A golden palace surrounded by mist. A garden overflowing with roses of every imaginable color. Painfully tedious diplomatic functions and royal balls. Soldiers who obeyed his every command. Family. Parents who *loved* him. His comrades in arms... his Knights... his brothers in all but blood. And *her*, always her... his sweet moonlight maiden, the forbidden source of his every joy.
Tuxedo Kamen's torn, bloodstained clothing melted into polished, jet-black armor with ornate, swirling silver markings. Silver guards encased his shoulders, forearms and calves. A gift from his father the High King of Earth, a silver sword embedded with sapphires as blue as his eyes, hung by his side on a silver belt. Attached by sapphire clasps, a midnight-black cape, lined in ruby red velvet, flapped in the wind. His family crest, a golden dragon entwined with a scarlet rose above a golden crown on a quartered field of white and royal purple, was emblazoned on its back. Endymion, the Crown Prince of the Golden Kingdom, surveyed the ongoing battle with the sublime confidence of a man who had literally been born and raised to rule the world.
Still kneeling, Endymion stretched out his arm. A golden globe erupted from his hand and covered the area around him. Any youma touched by the light abruptly vanished. Nothing, not even a stray whisker or strand of fur, remained within the tawny dome. Startled by their sudden reprieve from the monsters, the Knights stumbled around like punch-drunk fighters. Outside the light bubble, monsters howled and unsuccessfully tried to get to the fighters. The Knights turned and gaped at their prince. A shiver of dread raced through them because he had never been this... *ruthless*. As one, the Knights combined their elemental powers and *pushed* the Sailor Senshi farther into the sky, away from the deadly golden light. Furious at the seemingly treacherous blow from their allies, Mars was full of venomous insults but the words died on her lips when she saw what was happening. Bewildered by the light show, the Sailor Senshi anxiously floated above their friends.
Surrounding their prince, the Earthian Knights instinctively formed a square with the kneeling Endymion at its center. A musical, fluid stream of strangely exotic but compelling words issued from Endymion's lips. Beneath him, the *ground* shimmered with amber-gold light. While they were mesmerized by the alien sounds, a *presence* gently invaded the minds of the Knights. Whispering in an ancient but familiar language, it... *he* instructed them in their heritage and their paths of Power. Radiating the soft bluish shades of water, Zoisite sensed a beast lurking in his depths, coiled and poised to strike at his enemies. Wrapped in blazing reds, Jadeite was consumed in fires hot enough to turn him into ash. Cocooned in emerald and forest green, Nephrite heard the call of the wind to something unfurling within him. Warmed by pale yellow light, Kunzite was filled with strength from an unbelievably old and wise presence solidly rooted in the earth. Along with their magically healed wounds, their armor was restored to gleaming perfection.
Endymion shouted one last word and *thrust* his hand into the shining ground. All over the world, seismic sensors blew fuses and registered inconceivably powerful quakes. Endymion's eyes *blazed* gold. Tsunamis and tidal waves of unprecedented heights formed. The heavens wept with the worst storms documented in over a century. Volcanoes erupted, spewing molten lava and ash to darken the skies for weeks. Hurricane winds and tornadoes swept across the land. Punching his fist into the sky, Endymion *demanded* vengeance. And the Earth responded to her most beloved child, her prince. Before him, the ground cracked open. A golden, diamond-shaped jewel, pulsing with rainbows, emerged from the heart of the Earth and floated to his waiting hand.
As Endymion firmly grasped the Golden Crystal, the world shook yet again. A huge concussive blast knocked his Knights to their knees and completely stunned the army of youma in the park. In horrified fascination, the Sailor Senshi escaped the explosion and continued watching. Golden flames flowed all over Endymion's body. A titanic golden dragon with sapphire eyes and flaring, outstretched wings materialized out of nowhere and somehow *merged* with Endymion. The silver markings on his ebony armor flashed and turned to gold. With limitless power coursing through him, Endymion drew his silver sword. When he touched the Golden Crystal to the hilt of his sword, they *melted* together. Growing at least a foot longer, the silver weapon transformed into a diamond-studded, golden crystal sword with a blade harder than diamonds and an edge keener than the finest sword. Surrounded by a glowing golden nimbus and levitating slightly above his Knights, Endymion raised his sword toward his enemies and uttered two words in a voice colder than the arctic winds.
"No mercy."
At the precise center of the monster horde, the Earthian Knights turned from their prince and faced their enemies. When the deadly, protective golden dome vanished, the youma surged towards them. Inhumanly calm and determined, the Knights reached deeply into their elemental magicks, farther than ever before, and *released* them.
"Sea Serpent Strike!"
A mammoth silver-blue sea serpent with eyes of gray ice uncoiled and fused with Zoisite. Silver flecks danced in his leaf-green eyes. The white markings on his ebony black armor turned into sky blue. On the right side of his chest, a navy badge bearing a cerulean sea serpent twined around a silver caduceus appeared. When Zoisite stretched his arm out, his hand somehow held a silver spear tipped with a blade harder than steel. Radiating from the spear, waves of blue energy crashed into the youma with the force and noise of a tidal wave. Sailor Mercury gasped.
"Phoenix Flames!"
A fiery, magnificent scarlet phoenix with sky blue eyes and gold-tipped feathers was set ablaze by Jadeite's fire and reborn as part of him. His sunny blonde hair shimmered with red tints. As Jadeite's white decorations flashed into red, a sky blue medallion with a red phoenix carrying a golden arrow was burned on his chest. When he drew back the bowstring of a golden longbow, tongues of fire, like streams of molten lava, shot out to sear the monsters into ash. For some reason, Sailor Mars' eyes never left Jadeite.
"Gryphon Roar!"
An emerald-eyed, coal black creature with an eagle's head & wings and a gigantic-sized body of a lion roared and dived into Nephrite. He suddenly appeared a few inches taller. His white trimmings changed to forest green. Nephrite's new verdant chest insignia depicted a defiant black gryphon over a trio of golden stars. His golden double-bladed axe grew longer, lighter and sharper than any human could have produced. When he raised his axe to the sky, winds with twinkling emerald stars howled and swept through ranks of completely unprepared, dumbfounded youma. A heated blush covered Sailor Jupiter's cheeks.
"Dragon Quake!"
A colossal, lemon-eyed dragon of creamy ivory, perhaps a shade smaller than Endymion's, spread its wings and joined with Kunzite. His silver hair grew past his shoulder blades. Kunzite's white markings brightened into sunny yellow. A yellow badge with a white dragon clutching two silver swords was added to his chest. Now carrying two topaz-embellished, intricately carved silver swords, Kunzite crossed them in the shape of an X. Laced with yellow fire, a shock wave ripped into the monsters. Sailor Venus contemplated Kunzite with thoughtful eyes.
When the carnage was over, the Earthian Knights were the only living beings left standing in the park. As the Sailor Senshi landed near them, they regarded the Knights with cautious respect. While Sailor Saturn smiled sweetly at them, Sailor Neptune coolly raised an eyebrow. With a faint grimace, Sailor Uranus grudgingly conceded that the Knights weren't useless cannon fodder any longer. Maybe.
Endymion seethed. His hands itched to tear someone apart. There was one fundamental, overriding truth in his existence. Nothing and no one would *ever* separate him from his Serenity. He would see them in *Hades* first! His tawny battle aura flared brighter, almost blinding to the others. Lacking pupils and white sclera, Endymion's burning eyes were entirely golden. Facing their liege lord, the Knights knelt on one knee and saluted him. As they bowed their heads, their right fists covered their hearts.
"Dragon Knight Kunzite," Endymion snapped, vibrating with fury.
"At your service, Your Majesty," Kunzite mildly replied, fearlessly meeting Endymion's disturbing eyes.
"We are not pleased. Our betrothed has been stolen from us. You will *immediately* gather a force to retrieve our Lady. The foul miscreant who has kidnapped her will be punished even if we must wade through *rivers* of blood. This is *war*! Do you understand us?" Endymion snarled, almost spitting out the words. (1)
"Yes, my King. On my honor as the Knight-Commander of your armies, I swear it will be done. May I have your leave to withdraw and plan the miscreant's chastisement with my comrades and the Sailor Senshi of Princess Serenity?"
"You have our permission to withdraw, Lord Kunzite."
"I will not fail you, cousin."
Endymion acknowledged Kunzite's last statement with a sharp, regal nod. With a preoccupied brooding expression on his face, Endymion landed on the ground and stared into the distant sky. Ominously, the earth rumbled beneath his feet. Casting wary glances at Endymion, the Knights and the Sailor Senshi huddled together a short distance away.
"This is... unexpected." Kunzite said dryly. At that massive understatement, Zoisite rolled his eyes, Jadeite pretended to gag and Nephrite gave him a disgusted frown.
"What's wrong with Mamoru? He looks almost homicidal!" Mercury whispered.
"Why did you idiots call him 'Your Majesty' and all that other crap?" Mars snorted.
"That's *Endymion*, not Mamoru," Nephrite stated soberly. Mars, Mercury and Jupiter exchanged baffled looks. Venus narrowed her eyes. The Outer Senshi had oddly blank expressions on their faces.
"We've seen Endymion before but he's never gone all glowy and weird," Jupiter commented, waving her hand towards Endymion.
"Of course, he's different. He's got the *Golden Crystal*!" Kunzite exclaimed. At the Senshi's continuing lack of comprehension, Kunzite glanced towards Zoisite (the Sage, a.k.a. Scholar boy a.k.a. Closet Librarian). Zoisite sighed and went into lecture mode.
"Summoning the Golden Crystal from the Earth is the mark of a true High King, indisputable proof that he is *meant* to rule the Earth. Effectively, Endymion just crowned himself as the High King. However, he's gone *way* past that because he didn't only summon it. He somehow became *one* with it and gained *full* access to its power. In theory, all the High Kings could merge with the Crystal but no one.... except the very first High King has been able to do it... until now."
"How does it compare to the Silver Imperium Crystal?" Mercury asked, starting an analysis of Endymion.
"According to legend, it can do absolutely anything. I'd say Endymion's energy levels are through the roof. If *he* had the crystal back in the Silver Millenium instead of his father, Beryl would have only been a microscopic footnote in history."
"What happened to the first High King?" Venus quietly probed, noticing the hesitations in Zoisite's speech. Shifting uneasily on his feet, Zoisite considered his next words carefully. Mercury gaped at her computer.
"My analysis indicates Endymion is currently as powerful as Serenity with her crystal," she stated incredulously. Shock registered on the faces of the Inner Sailor Senshi. The Outer Senshi flicked unreadable glances at each other.
"We can teleport to wherever Serena is, let Endy get his kicks by frying the enemy, get Serena back and 'port back in time for dinner," Kunzite suggested. Mercury shook her head.
"We don't know where she *is*. According to my computer, she's not even in this galaxy!"
"We are so *screwed*! We're talking Doomsday and Armageddon rolled into one!" Jadeite exclaimed. He shot a sidelong look at Mars. "Nice knowing you, babe. Want a kiss before we all die?"
Naturally, Mars smacked him in the head. Kunzite aimed a quelling frown at Jadeite. "Unfortunately, lover boy is right. Endymion's a walking time bomb. If he doesn't get what he wants, he might tear the world apart to get it. Literally."
"You've got to be joking!" Jupiter declared with an air of total disbelief.
"I *wish*. Endymion is one with the Earth. If he ordered a mountain to move, it would *do* it. He could sneeze and start a tornado or crack the world with a thought. He's not exactly in the best frame of mind to control his abilities," Nephrite asserted.
"What happened to the first High King?" Venus repeated, locking steely eyes with Zoisite. He squirmed and glanced at Kunzite. Kunzite nodded grimly.
"Supposedly, he had a soulmate. When she died, the power of the Golden Crystal made him unbalanced, as in completely nuts. If he hadn't killed himself, he might have destroyed the world."
"We have *got* to get Serena back. As his other half, she's the *only* one who can calm his rage," Nephrite forcefully insisted. Mars muttered curses under her breath. Venus chewed her lip and mentally ran through their options. Jupiter cracked her knuckles and fervently prayed to get her hands on Serena's kidnappers. Mercury smacked her computer and tried to determine Serena's location again. Neptune, Saturn and Uranus were strangely calm and expressionless, almost as if they were waiting for something.
"What are we going to *do*?" Zack quietly wailed, on the verge of panicking and nail biting.
A red light washed over them. The Knights and Sailor Senshi looked up to see a tall, dazzling woman in a Senshi uniform. Her tranquil expression and classically beautiful features somehow conveyed ageless wisdom and patience. Green-tinted raven hair streamed to her calves and swirled in a mysterious, exotic breeze. Reddish-brown garnets twinkled on her tiara, ears and chest. While her choker, sailor-style collar and top skirt were the black of a moonless night, her bows and layered underskirts were dark red and reddish brown. Garnet-streaked, ebony wings arched gracefully from her back. Her scarlet eyes exchanged amused, secretive looks with the Outer Sailor Senshi. As she bowed gracefully towards Endymion, his eyes narrowed in sudden recognition of her delicately carved staff topped with a garnet orb.
"Pluto!"
1. No, Endymion is not schizophrenic. He's speaking in the royal plural mode, meaning we = I.
AN2: I love symmetry. Besides, the guys couldn't be pathetic weaklings, like what Tuxedo Kamen used to be, right?