Disclaimer: So sorry I've been absent. I just finished another exam yesterday. Onto another chapter!

Remember I don't own Sailor Moon!

The sun rose, clearing the rain clouds from the previous day. Heavy mist set in along with winds. The Palace was somewhat silent. Maids were scrubbing the floors and the gardeners were outside checking on the royal gardens.

In Kunzite's quarters, there was a different story.

"You're driving me insane, you belligerent woman!" He bellowed, throwing his arms up. Kunzite came to his room and slept until an hour ago when Minako entered, ready to speak. She perched herself on the edge of his bed and crossed her legs as she began.

Speaking turned into an argument. This was their typical encounter when they disagreed. He found she was still resisting his energy in order to smooth things over.

"You threatened her. She isn't just my Princess. She is your Princess too. Earth benefits from our protection as well." Minako explained. "As you saw, she is no threat to Endymion."

Kunzite wasn't convinced. "Mina listen to me." He spoke deliberately and calmly, watching her roll her eyes. She knew he hated when she done that. "What if they're soulmates?" Endymion revealed to Kunzite his own musings about being soulmates with Serenity. Kunzite didn't laugh or play it off as a joke. It wouldn't be too terrible if they were.

Not seeing a problem with that at all, Minako shrugged. "What are you suggesting?"

"Neither want to be with someone they don't love." Kunzite reminded her. "It isn't just that. If they are, great. Endymion looks at her. I know the look. Imagine if they weren't soulmates and fell in love before finding their soulmates. What if they have sex? What happens to their bond?"

Oh.

Minako didn't think of that and looked down at her feet, stricken by his words. She knew he was right. He watched as she lost herself deep in thought over it. Waiting for some kind of verbal response. When she looked up he wasn't so sure he liked the look she gave him.

"If they fall in love and aren't mates it does complicate everything. If they have sex, they will never be fully bonded with their soulmates when they find them. It will cause fighting. Destruction. War."

"Serenity told Endymion she knew her powers wouldn't fully activate unless she bonded with her soulmate. She told him she was risking it, Minako." He walked back to his bed and sat down beside the blonde and wrapped an arm her, "That is selfish and a risk that she shouldn't take."

"It is." Minako smiled defeatedly. She couldn't argue with that. She wouldn't. If some great evil attacked they were sitting ducks without Serenity being able to back them up. What if they failed? Selene was weakening in power.

"What if..."

Kunzite kept his eyes on her, waiting for her to finish that train of thought. He knew she was considering something. Minako looked back and bit her lip.

"If Serenity doesn't have a mate or doesn't find her soulmate before something big comes, there are options." She began explaining. "As a direct descendent of Aphrodite, I can do exactly what Diamond tried to do. I could use the malefic black crystal I sent to Ami for analysis to boost my own powers and force Serenity into bonding with someone. I could also ask for Selene's help in releasing the restrictions on Serenity's star seed."

"Who would you have her bond with if it came to that?" Kunzite questioned, knowing her answer before she said it.

"Endymion and Serenity make sense. If he has some sort of crush on her then I don't think he would disagree." Kunzite stilled, of course he wouldn't disagree.

"What about her?"

"I'll have a long discussion with her about her sense of duty to her people. Or just play matchmaker."

"You'll drain your powers if you do something as crazy as you just suggested." He chuckled at the thought of a powerless princess of Venus. He couldn't imagine it.

Minako shrugged and rested her head on his shoulder, relaxing into him. "I'll only be powerless for 48 hours. I'll be useless as a Senshi." He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her arm.

"I'll just have make sure you don't leave my sight." He promised. "I don't want to think about such things anymore today. Our fearless leaders have stressed me out far more than I am used to."

Ami and Makoto were the first to move around the Palace and they were currently on their way to check on Serenity. She wasn't in the dining hall waiting for breakfast with the rest of them. Minako had an excuse for being absent, Kunzite. Serenity not so much.

"Do you think Beryl scared her?"

Ami shrugged knowing it was hard to get a read on Serenity. "Kunzite has some interesting information on Beryl though. I hoped to share it with everyone this morning."

"Oh good. I got a bad feeling from her interruption yesterday. I don't trust Serenity to be out of our sight with Beryl lurking." The girls stopped in front of Serenity's chambers and Makoto knocked. "Princess, are you awake?" After no response she pursed her lips and knocked once more, "Serenity?"

Ami rubbed her arm and looked around the hallway, there was no sign of anyone moving about. "See if the door opens, Makoto."

Makoto pulled on the door gently and sure enough the door opened revealing a very empty room. The sheets and quilt weren't torn back from sleeping. The window had been shut. There was no sign Serenity even stayed in the room.

Snorting Makoto scratched the back of her head, "It's like she was never here."

"If only she handled everything with such finesse." Ami sighed, "You don't think she left, do you?"

That was worse case scenario. Where would she go on Earth by herself? Or worse, what if she just left Earth. Makoto cringed and grabbed Ami before dragging her to find everyone else. "Damn that princess!"

Minako and Kunzite watched Ami and Makoto rush from the hall and stood at the bottom of the stairs.

"What do you think is going on?" Minako asked curiously as the two girls rushed forward.

"Tch, probably isn't good." Kunzite crossed his arms.

"Minako, have you seen Serenity?!"

Minako tilted her head and quirked an eyebrow watching the color drain from the two womens' faces. "That isn't good! She isn't in her room!"

Kunzite groaned and his shoulders slumps forward, "Could she be with Endymion, by any chance?" Minako elbowed him, causing him to frown at her. "It is possible?"

"Why do you think that?" Minako asks raising an eyebrow, questioningly.

Endymion told Kunzite last night before Kunzite retired with Minako about his encounter with Serenity. This was one of those times that he didn't want to do his job. Everyone else made it so complicated.

"Endymion and I talked last night." He began as Ami and Makoto reached them. "Their hands glow, they can feel each other through some emotional connection. He said she was fighting it. He cares about her immensely but she walked off. Maybe she came to her senses and went to him?"

Minako blinked and began turning red. Her hands balled into fists at his nonchalance of the situation. "Kunzite what if they aren't soulmates and they have sex?!" Minako reminded him. "The world will be in chaos if some evil force ever attacks us because Serenity will not have fully awakened her powers!"

Everyone cringed as Minako explained the situation to them.

"Isn't there anyway to determine if they're soulmates?"

"There is! We need to find them! Take us to his chambers!" Minako ordered briskly and Kunzite led them back up the stairs.

They found Endymion sitting at his desk, nursing a drink in his hands, he clearly hadn't slept the night before, dark circles were on display under his eyes. The girls groaned finding no indication Serenity was in his room or study. He watched with curiosity as they looked around while Kunzite stood opposite of him, tapping a gloved finger on his arm as they were crossed over his chest.

"Serenity isn't in here." Endymion sighed leaning back, recognizing the calm but every present need to find her. In truth, he hadn't sensed her presence since the night before. Something else new he wasn't sure he liked among being rejected.

"She isn't in her room and you're the last person to see her." Makoto closed the door leading to the bathroom and walked back to him. "Luna isn't even in her bed chambers."

"Are you saying she isn't inside the Palace?" Endymion finally set the glass on the desk and furrowed his brow. He searched for that connection he had to the princess. It was like a sudden link between them made of a bright glowing light. When she was near, it felt like a spark. He searched quietly the Palace with it, waiting to feel her energy but was not there. Instead it was replaced with fear. Endymion stood and groans.

"Kunzite, get Zoicite to search the grounds. Tell Nephrite to check the launch data for recent flights. I can't sense her anywhere around the Palace."

"Selene is going to kill us." Minako slumped down into the empty chair and pinched the bridge of her nose.