Title: Crescent Mirror
Author: aaeris17
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Endymion—utterly confused future King of an extinct title and future King consort of Luster
"How hard can it be? Its only a ring—just a ring—"I muttered out loud sitting in my private study and gazing over the hundreds of rings in front of me—rings of every single color, shape, and form. Some diamonds were the starkest of white and others were the deepest blues and pinks. Some hinted at yellow and others were almost brown. Others were solitaries and some seemed to be whole clusters of stones that there was no room for a band.
"Only a ring she's been dreaming about her entire life and will wear for the rest of her life!" Mina chimed in happily as she clapped her hands trying on some rings and throwing others aside. I shot her a dark look and she just grinned, "Endy! This is SO exciting! She has NO idea! Well she has some-" at this I let out a startled cry, "Well COME ON, you have a secret meeting with your parents and then with HER parents and then there is the ball tomorrow that is celebrating the engagements of all the other Inner Princesses, I'll be shocked if she didn't think something was amiss,"
"Especially since she is hosting and you are co hosting," Kunzite added from my desk where he was taking notes on some parchment.
"That's not helpful Kunz," Mina scolded.
I scoffed, "You're one to talk Mina! Geez, did you have to go around flashing that stupid ring?"
Mina's face drooped and she pouted, "Its not a stupid ring and I have been waiting TWO weeks for this to be found in the Venusian treasury!" She lifted up her ring hand and scolded with one finger to me, "You need to focus on the task at hand—which ring says 'Serenity! I love you and have always loved you. Marry me and let us be joined for eternity!' " Mina sighed dramatically and clasped her hands to her heart, eyelashes maddeningly swooning.
"The really annoying one that sounds like its HUMMING," Kunzite muttered darkly to a whole pile of rings that were covered with a heavy velvet cloth.
I rolled my eyes, "Absolutely NOT! I have already had enough experience with magical objects that seem to have their own sarcastic opinion on what they think you should do,"
Mina raised her dark eyebrows and looked at me like I was crazy, "And that was when exactly?"
"Ask Serenity's Rainbow Rod thing," I frowned thinking that if Serenity ever out grew that darned kaleidoscope I would take great pleasure to smashing it to pieces.
"O-K," Mina replied in a I don't even want to know the details voice, "Do you like ANY of these?" She asked exasperated.
I returned my thoughts to the subject at hand—the problem was that none of these rings seemed to be the ONE. None were as special as Serenity was to me—nothing as unique—nothing as singular in its being as Serenity was in life.
"These are beautiful," Mina cooed as she lifted up more pieces of ancient jewelry.
When my parents and Sere's parents had finally calmed down enough for me to get one coherent thought out, everyone wanted to see the ring. Of course I had none. Honestly I hadn't really thought beyond getting Apollo's permission. Once that was secured I realized the gravity of the situation—I was about to be ENGAGED. I had never once in my life thought of myself as a married man. I had grown up being taught duty and honor.
For as long as I could remember I was born to serve the Luster crown and bring honor to the ancient tithe that was mine to possess. I knew I would one day have my father's position and possibly Artemis's own and be the future King's right hand man. It wasn't until that fateful day that the girls were bestowed their powers did I realize that I might one day bow to the man who would have Apollo's place—that is I would bow to Serenity's King Consort—her husband, her lover. At that instant my heart skipped half a dozen beats. I thought I was going to pass out as I forced myself to breathe and focus on what my father was detailing to us.
In that second, though I truly did not realize it, I was ready to do anything to be the one Serenity married and shared the crown of Luster with. I knew I cared deeply for this boyish girl who had been my closest friend and companion as long as I could remember. I resolved to make myself worthy of her—someday.
Then came those long years lost from her—always on the verge of losing hope, the dark fear that I would never return, the terror that she would love another, the promise Kunzite had made to step up and let no one touch her.
Now, she was mine. After all these years, she was so close to becoming mine. We had seen our future—however terrifying and uncertain it might be it was ours to conquer together. I would never lose faith in her, in myself, in our destined love.
"Are you even listening to one word I am saying?" Mina rapped her knuckles on my forehead. I frowned and swatted her away. She had been doing that all our lives and I really wished sometimes I was a girl or at least fifteen years younger so I could just rap her back.
Kunzite made a disapproving noise and Mina blushed, "I'm sure his mind is going through the same machinations mine did when your do good god father and my dear general decided to announce our engagement before I properly proposed,"
Mina's temper flared as the color rose high in her cheeks, "WE, good sir, were meant to be together and it would have happened with or without Artemis so help me!" She shrilled and stopped when she saw that Kunzite's shoulders were shaking, "Hmph, see if I defend our love again," she stuck her tongue out at his back and I'm sure Kunzite knew what she was doing cause he continued laughing silently.
"What were you wondering that was so necessary to interrupt my lovely thoughts?" I teased Mina settling my eyes back to the ancient jewels scattered before us.
"Where did Luna procure all these? I have never seen some of these jewels before," Mina asked touching a delicate ring that seemed to be a living rose made of pink diamonds and green emeralds.
I grazed my fingertip over the ring, feeling the rush of magic that came through me.
"They're from the ancient Terra treasury—jewels almost as old as Terra itself," I whispered smiling as I remembered the insane fury those three women went into once the men started toasting with the special old Lunar moon dust liqueur.
'A ring! We must get a ring!' Mother squealed.
'Mom, you are NOT picking out my engagement ring!' I had muttered horrified.
'Why not?!' She looked crestfallen, 'what else are mothers and aunts for?'
'For applauding my ability to choose a ring for Serenity on my own,' I answered rebelliously.
'Luna! Luna!' My aunt started squealing all over again, 'Go and have the guards pull ALL the rings in the Luster treasury and the Terra treasury!!'
'Oh, Goddess,' I muttered as the two of them flew after Luna with fire at their heels.
"Are you telling me that these are ALL the rings from the kingdom's treasury?" Mina asked incredulously as she drank in the beauty of the Luster splendor, "I believe that the Venusian treasury hardly rivals this,"
I watched Mina's face and noted once again how alike she and Serenity were. Both were incredibly loving, forgiving, courageous, loyal to a fault, and completely supportive of everything the other did. I doubt they have ever been truly jealous of the other. One would never know that in the rare case of Serenity being barren it would be Mina and her heirs to inherit the throne of Luster. Never once, not even now with all the sparkle and privilege of the Luster heiress lying before, has Mina been jealous of Serenity. This is why I was asking Mina to help me.
"Okay, so anything just cry out 'Serenity' to you, Kunz?" I asked sighing deeply as I reached over to put a pillow over what I was almost certain were a tray full of singing rings. Why the Goddess saw fit to bewitch rings with their own personalities I will never ask. How Serenity handles all the advice from her Rainbow Moon rod I'll never understand—or whatever that thing prefers to be called.
"I thought we were against inanimate objects with their own ideas?" Kunzite teased in the only tone he really possessed-slightly serious and almost derisive.
"Har har, darling, come, one of these rings must make you think of Serenity," Mina tugged on Kunzite's shirt sleeve and pulling him closer.
"She does like pearls," Kunzite admitted reluctantly and earned such a rewarding smile from Mina that he almost blushed.
"Pearls are for tears," Mina chimed primly, "Besides Serenity will have enough pearls as a Princess of Luster—you know those ropes of pearls the Queen wears in her coronation portrait are suppose to be made from the tears of the Moon Goddess herself wept when she had to depart this plane for the glen of the Shining Ones,"
I raised my eyebrows—I did not know that and both Kunzite and I share an amused look at Mina's story—she had actually gotten that right without creating some hackneyed expression.
"What about rubies?" Mina held up a giant ruby ring that appeared to be a large egg sitting on top a golden band.
"Virtuous woman, yes, but how much does that weigh?" I asked crinkling my nose at the sight of the robin's egg that was supposed to be a ring.
"She wore sapphires at the send off ball," Kunzite remembered, "Do you see her wearing this for the rest of her life?"
I sorted through the rings and honestly, they were all beautiful rings that Sere would squeal over and wear for any number of occasions. Yet, none of these sapphires or rubies were rings that Sere could wear every day, all day, forever.
"I need something that is her very essence—" I clamped my mouth shut and I saw a spark in Mina's eyes. She knew what I was trying to say.
"Then no brightly colored jewels—" Mina grinned broadly and handed Kunzite trays of emeralds, topazes, sapphires, rubies, and almost every color of the spectrum of rings that would have caught your eye in a second, "Serenity isn't flashy like fire or strength like an oak or—"
"As cool as ice," Kunzite finished and I nodded along. All those matched descriptions of the other girls that Serenity regarded as sisters. What one noticed about Serenity was something that drew all those other elements together. Serenity was their lodestar. She was the magnetic point around which everything rotated. She wasn't necessarily a sun or moon but she possessed a quality that was pure strength, love, loyalty, and devotion. She was, quite simply, the purest soul around next to her own saintly parents.
"She's my heart, "I whispered sorting through the trays that were left in front of us. All forms of diamonds—diamonds the strongest substance on this Earth next to the mythical Silver Imperium Crystal and my own Golden Crystal. Only either of those two stones could destroy the diamonds in front of me.
"She's the heart of everything," murmured Mina. All those other jewels seemed dull in comparison to their pure and rare counterpart—now my task was narrowed—I must find something as pure and unique as Sere.
Mina snapped her head to the side for a second and I could see her eyes squint and her attention was diverted. Kunzite ignored it and stared at me knowingly.
Do you understand? Kunzite laughed inside my head and I rolled my eyes. Of course. One of the other girls was trying to communicate with her and she had been throwing up a pretty huge mental block so no one—especially Sere and Rei—would see what she was doing.
Mina turned her attention back to the rings and tossed several aside quickly, "Sere is getting anxious—she has never hosted anything before and the fact she and you, Endy, are hosting all the others engagements is not lost on her—in fact I think she's starting to worry that if you two EVER get engaged it will be because everyone else already has.
I choked back a laugh, "You've GOT to be kidding! So how in the hell am I supposed to propose now??"
"Be romantic, sweep her off her feet," Kunzite offered easily. As if it was as easy as a battle formation! I scowled at him and Mina shot him a look too. He looked offended—to him it had been a simple enough solution.
"I always meant to propose," I shot at Mina knowing that look on her face—the look that said part of her seriously wondered if I was planning on proposing before all the other girls had gotten engaged leaving Serenity the odd one out of the bunch.
"I never implied otherwise," Mina replied with a haughty air I recognized too well as the petulant five year old within her.
"Between being kidnapped and forced to work in Beryl's Black Crystal mines, help tend to mutated youmas, and trying to keep her alive long enough to tell her I love her, its been kinda hard to manage a courtship, much less a proposal!" I exclaimed.
Kunzite covered up a cough and Mina looked markedly subdued making me feel awful. Those years weren't any easier on Mina and Kunzite as they both fought to do their duty rather than be true to their own hearts.
"The path to love was a mountain and not a molehill," Mina misquoted and she effectively broke the tension that was building though I am not sure she knew that we were laughing at her mountain and molehill comment.
"Seriously," I ran my hand thru my thick hair, "I don't know how I am suppose to do this if I can't even find a ring," I leaned back on my elbows, "I need a—ouch!"
I had been about to say sign when a sharp pain shot thru my elbow and up my arm. I looked around and saw a shining object hiding in the thick carpet. I squinted and pinched out of the soft fibers.
"This is it!" I exclaimed and held it flat in the palm of my hand, "Kunz, Mina, look! I found it! Literally," I laughed and showed them the object that had literally pinched a nerve.
In my palm sat a shining little beacon that seemed to be illuminated from a fire within. The ring was a heart shaped diamond the size of my thumb surrounded by frame of smaller diamonds and extending out to form the band were two table cut diamonds shaped like wings. The ring was simple, beautiful, and seemed to shimmer as it sat in my palm being observed by two people whose eyes were full of love.
"Oh, Endy! Its perfect," Mina cooed and reverently ran her finger over it.
"I have never seen a diamond glow like that," Kunzite muttered, his voice thick with the emotion that was in the air.
I nodded. I must ask Aunt Selenity if the diamond was perhaps enhanced? I shuddered internally thinking that this diamond was perhaps a singing diamond that would start telling me to cut my hair or press my collar or something equally inane.
"So how you gonna do this?" Mina leaned back on her heels and went straight back to the business at hand.
My shoulders drooped and I looked at the glittering representation of my love for Serenity and felt a little better.
"In my own way—I think I got this," I took the little blue velvet box Mina was holding out and popped it open. I gently took the heart diamond ring and nestled it among the pink silk, "Thanks, guys, and," I sternly looked from Kunzite to Mina who's big blue eyes that matched her cousin's except for being a shade too light, "If either of you breathes a WORD of this to ANYONE, you're both dead, "I stared perhaps a second too loud at Mina cause Kunzite cleared his throat unhappily.
"Understood, Endymion," he nodded curtly, "We'll gather up the rest of the jewels and see that they are returned to their proper home, come darling and no need to look so pouty," he encouraged and my heart staggered slightly.
I had never heard Kunzite be so affectionate to anyone—except perhaps his horse but he really did care about his mare, Ebony. Love, I reflected into the silence of my sitting room, was truly the catalyst for all change in humanity. Love and sacrifice for that love. I lovingly touched the velvet box now in my breast pocket.
"Are you SURE you can do this?" Mina swirled back into the room followed by a red faced Kunzite.
"Yes Mina, I promise I won't ruin this for her," I mocked her tone of voice and she made a face at me. I stuck out my tongue at her causing Kunzite to raise his eyebrows. I scowled at him and he patiently pushed Mina out the door.
I swung my right hand in am impatient fashion causing the door to slam and rattle ever so slightly in its frame. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. I swear to the Goddess there is something about Mina that makes you want to kiss her and strangle her in the same breath. Only Goddess knows the first urge has really never come over me. There's something about being raised with a girl that makes her totally untouchable like that—unless of course you were destined to be with that one girl from the day you were born and so on.
I walked into my private bedroom, away from the public areas where anyone might search for me. I had exactly two days before the ball. In fact less than forty-eight hours. I stood staring at the large gilt mirror on my vanity.
"Come on! Be a man!" I ordered my reflection, "You can do this! Kunzite did it...well not technically but Nephrite did! And Jadeite risked Rei's temper—surely you can think of a way to this do!" I begged my reflection secretly thinking there is no way I could look THAT pathetic. I banged my fist against the wall next to the mirror. My reflection shuddered in reaction and I felt secretly pleased.
"Knock knock dearest," a sweet voice entered my bedroom and I glanced up to see my smiling mother.
I bowed my head to her, "Mother," I gave her a welcoming smile.
"Come now, darling, you know you miss calling me Mum," she flashed me a smile I recognized as my own when I actually managed to capture her particularly charming character.
I followed my mother back into my sitting room where she had of course conjured up coffee—black and strong just the way I had always drank it. The way she had drank it up until her last few years.
"Mum," I drawled out and accepted the coffee, sitting down, feeling the bulge of the ring more noticeable than ever.
"So?" Mother's eyes were wide and they twinkled at me. Her eyes were my eyes. I had inherited so much from my mother. Her hair. Her eyes. Her smile. Sometimes I wondered if she had been around in a more physical sense during those ever so important teenage years if I would have been less of—what did Rei call it—ice statue. I couldn't help it if my father had been an unusually stoic man especially once Mother was no longer in the picture. It was so hard to laugh in a family that always seemed to be missing a unique piece that we could never quite fit together.
I watched Mother sip her coffee—patiently waiting for me to do what she knew I was about to do—have a break down over this almost engagement.
"Mummy," I blew over my coffee in frustration, "Stop sitting there and staring at me,"
Mother raised her fine black eyebrows, "Cat got your tongue Endymion?"
I scrunched my nose at her, feeling like the world's biggest brat today.
"Just tell me why you were attempting to kill your mirror reflection—were you trying to get to the other side again?" Mother teased gently.
"Mina says that Sere is afraid that I might propose only because everyone else ALREADY HAS," I stressed taking a large gulp of my coffee.
"The wonderful engagement ball for all the Inner Princesses that you and the Princess herself are hosting in honor of your Inner Guard and hers,"
I nodded, "And to make things worse, which I'm sure everyone is whispering about now or else Serenity wouldn't have even thought about it, is that she and I are the only quote on quote single ones left—I don't know why my dear AUNT," I stressed to Mum, "would have thought this would be a good idea besides completely making me realize that there is no time like the present to start the rest of life," I took a cookie thinking how much Serenity would have enjoyed this.
"Hmm," Mum was thoughtful, "Should I tell you about a little breakfast meeting Selenity had with Serenity asking Serenity to host this ball in honor of all her friends?" She looked sheepish.
"MOM,"I cried exasperated putting down my teacup, "Did you guys try to SET THIS UP!" I looked at her in complete horror and saw in a tiny part of her eye that it WAS true, "You guys are going to RUIN this!" I felt awful. No wonder Sere thought that I was being forced to propose to her. I WAS being forced!
I thought of all the subtle hints. The fact that Mina and ALL the other girls got engaged. The little nudges from Kunzite. The fact my dearest Aunt and my own MOTHER decided to plot and plan behind my back. The ring in my breast pocket felt heavy and was burning. I felt completely awful.
"I can't believe you guys had so little faith in us," I muttered quietly and Mother's arms came around me.
"We weren't trying to do anything! Honestly, darling, we just, we…" She trailed off. Clearly they had not anticipated this, "You still are going to--right?" Mother held my face in her hands.
I turned away from her gaze—it was too hard to look upon my own reflection, "I just can't believe you and Aunt Selenity doubted my love for her to such an extent you had to create a ball to give me an excuse," I stood up, "If you'll excuse me I need some time alone—to think,"
"Endy! Endy please, listen to me, Endy!" Mother called after me but I turned on my heel and evaporated into thin air, feeling myself come together in no other place than the Crescent Mirror.
The air was cold, but I could feel the furls of spring reaching out to reclaim her place in the world. I breathed in the cool air.
The day was pretty much over. The sun was setting in a glorious red and orange brilliancy and the sun seemed larger than ever as its reflection was echoed on the large Crescent Mirror. I walked around its edge—remembering all the years of fun we've had here. The years of swimming lessons, ice skating parties, lessons, horseback riding, my entire life was wrapped around this beautiful piece of existence.
If I ever do get to propose to the woman I love on my own terms, I would do it here, when the moon was rising just as the sun was setting and she would be standing like an angel with all of this behind her.
I walked out onto the rock. I don't know how many times I had sat here—either with Sere or by myself. Daydreaming about what my future would be like—what did life have in store for Serenity and me?
"Endy?" A voice broke my solitude, "What are you doing dozing on the Crescent?"
I looked up and squinted my eyes at the sudden light, I saw a pale heart shaped face with laughing pink lips and questioning sky blue eyes. Serenity's hair blended into the gold surrounding her giving her a halo.
"Dreaming, sit down," I lifted up my hand and she took it carefully, coming down next to me with graceful ease.
"Liar, what are you really worried about it? I don't know if I like this dreamy look on your face," Sere teased as she leaned back on one elbow, her golden hair was free of its odangoes and just looped carelessly around a smaller bun at the nape of her neck. I reached over and grabbed those tresses, pulling Sere into the crick of elbow, her cheek resting against my shoulder. I played with those locks and felt her warm breath on me.
"Are you warm enough?" I asked suddenly worried that the cold stone was seeping thru her pale green dress edged in pink.
Serenity laughed, it echoed across the water and came back to me a thousand times richer and full of life, "Oh come Endy, you aren't going to distract me, this swan down robe is soft enough and warm enough for the two of us now please, tell me why you're hiding here?" I heard the questioning quiver in her voice.
I kissed her forehead, "I'm not trying to distract you and I'm not hiding—I'm just trying to find a place where I can be—"
"Just you," Serenity sighed. I smelled the sweet essence of her hair. She nestled against me, "Sometimes I feel like this is the only place I can be free to be just ME," she said emphatically, "A place where I'm not a Princess with a million responsibilities or a Sailor Scout with the weight of the protection of all that is good on my shoulders, a place where no one has a claim on me,"
My heart twanged, "No one?" I asked softly, meaningfully. Serenity propped herself up on one elbow so she could look down into my eyes.
"I have always belong to only you," she whispered each word throbbing with love.
I reached up my left hand, my right still entangled in her hair, "Even if I were nothing but a farmer with a dozen sheep?"
Serenity giggled—perhaps an image of me as a shepherd provoking her, "Even if you were a shepherd and I lived on the Moon and could never be with you I would still desire to watch you, love you, forever,"
I pulled her face down to me, kissing her parted lips and once again forgetting to breathe as I got lost in the heat of the moment.
"I love you, "I whispered into her face, "I love you so much," I kissed her again.
"I love you too, always, always, always," she pecked my face with light feather kisses.
I sat up suddenly, pulling Serenity into a half sitting half leaning position.
"Marry me," I whispered, gazing deep into her eyes and taking both her hands in mine, "Marry me here, without anyone telling you what to do or wear or say, swear you'll be mine, in the eyes of the Goddess,"
Serenity's eyes became as round as saucers and her lips started trembling, "Oh Endy, swear not," she whispered taking our clasped hands up and kissing the knuckles, "I…oh…" Serenity started crying softly.
"I'm doing this all wrong," I muttered to no one and in one swift move pulled Serenity to her feet and fell on my knees.
"Oh!" Serenity looked like she was about to collapse between her smiles and tears.
"Will you, Serenity, Sere, Princess of my heart, best friend, love, and soul mate, do me the honor of your sovereign hand in marriage?" I proposed and holding her left hand in my right hand I pulled out the ring from my breast pocket.
Serenity's mouth fell open when she saw the blue velvet box and I managed to open it with one hand.
"Marry me, Sere, and you will know now that I kept the vow we made all those years ago about never leaving you," I kissed her hand and then quickly spit over my shoulder, mimicking the old secret handshake.
Serenity was nodding so fast I thought she would hurt herself as I slipped the ring onto her ring finger.
"Are you just going to SIT there?!" Serenity squealed and collapsed down into my arms, "Yes, yes, yes! I will marry you and if you leave me without taking me with you I will sic the Rainbow Moon rod on you!"
I held her close and kissed her in a state of complete oblivion. I had done it. Without anyone forcing me to. Without anyone else interfering. For now, this story, our story, was simply about us. This one moment, as the sun set and the moon rose, we were together, united, and nothing, as we whispered betrothal vows to each other, could take us apart. In the future, tomorrow, even later tonight, we would share ourselves with the grander world. Yet for this hour of twilight, we were simply Serenity and Endymion, two best friends who had finally come full circle on their journey of love.