Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. I do have my own original characters (OC's) who may appear in any of my stories and those characters, as well as the new plots, are my own. Also, I have some altered characters (AC's) and the changes to them are my own. I will not receive monetary compensation for this work. Although if you all give me good reviews I might get a warm fuzzy.

Author's Note: So, as sometimes happens, I woke up at four in the morning with this scene almost completely written in my head. There were a couple changes, but nothing major. It happens like that every once in a while. I'm just glad it came out so well. I am also trying to get you another chapter for Silver Tears and I am trying to work through all my other stories again, but I've been dealing with extreme migraines for about a week and they are making things difficult.

Reader's Note: If you haven't already read Silver Tears, Dark Endymion Takes Usagi, Black Moon Enemies, and Makaiju: The Promise of the Rose, some of the information in this story may be a bit confusing. Silver Tears is a prequel, and as yet unfinished, while the others start up at the time when Mamoru was taken (Manga version, but with a few other battles thrown in).

Acknowledgements: I have to thank SereStarofGaea for half of this title, Shadows of Destruction. The other half goes to the rest of the those who voted either through review or message. Almost exclusively you chose Search for the Holy Grail. I also need to thank my friend and beta Astraearose-silvermoon for looking over the storyline, not just for this, but for Silver Tears, which is still being written, and for encouraging me through the entire process of all the stories so far. She friggin' rocks, and if you haven't read any of her stories, well, you should.

Dark Endymion Takes Usagi
Book Four

Shadows of Destruction:
Search for the Holy Grail
Prologue
Dreams

February 27

She was in the courtyard of a palace. A beautiful palace of white marble that stood in a land that seemed to glow from within. Ikuko spun, laughing. It was the moon! She was on the moon! Wrapping her arms around her waist, Ikuko walked up the steps and reached for the door.

It opened before she could touch it, though no one stood there. She smiled, knowing it was nothing to be afraid of, and walked into a massive entryway. Tapestries covered three of the walls alongside paintings. Brightly hued flags were hanging above them. The flags were none she recognized until she peered more closely at them. There were familiar symbols in the fabric. The bright silver one held two crescent moons, one silver and one blue.

Usagi had spoken often of her dreams, but Ikuko had never imagined the place was so beautiful, or so cold. There should have been laughter in the halls and the sounds of footsteps and people going about their daily tasks. Instead it was all so empty. She shivered wishing the place was full of life once more.

A small wooden door was snugged into one of the side walls. It opened slightly and a warm yellow glow seemed to reach Ikuko's feet. Curious she went to it and pushed the door open. Inside was a comfortable room with thick couches and chairs decorated with patterns of vines and roses. The room was welcoming, as though it wanted her to come in and make herself at home.

A moment later she settled onto one of the couches, hands in her lap, and just stared at the beauty around her. Then it seemed as though the cushion beside her sank and Ikuko turned to see a woman sitting next to her wearing a long white dress with a small bow at the breast. She wore her silver-white hair in a style like Usagi's, and her silver eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"Ikuko," the woman breathed. "Oh how I've missed you."

"You know me?" Ikuko asked, stunned. How had Usagi never mentioned that her mother knew... well... her mother?

"Very well. In your last life you were 'Nurse' though your name was Ikuko then as well. You were the only person trusted with the royal children. You came to me with a heart broken by grief. Kenji was beside himself with worry for you and suggested the position, as you had lost a child, and your ability to have more."

She gave a sad smile. "I wished I could have known you sooner, spared you that grief. And I failed again, in this life, when your daughter died. I wept with you."

"You know?" Ikuko asked.

"Hai. I've been with you most of your life. Sometimes I had a hand in little things. Like making sure your father sent you to the school where you and Kenji met. Or helping you decide not to go to that party when you were sixteen."

Ikuko shuddered. Had she gone to that party with her sister it was likely she would have been assaulted as well. She had tried to change Akiko's mind, but her sister hadn't listened.

"I did send her Ace," the woman murmured, apparently catching Ikuko's thoughts. "I made him come from America years sooner than he'd planned. And I am glad she had him, and that they're together again."

Ikuko wiped away the tears thinking of Haruki's parents, her sister and brother-in-law. Both had gone far too soon. She was glad Ace had moved on though. He had been living the shadow of a life.

"Why?" Ikuko asked.

The queen smiled. "You took upon the burden and the joy of my children. You made a bond with me that is not lightly shared. The children I bore in the last life you bore in this. And as you loved my children then, I love your children now. Our roles have changed, perhaps, but not our devotion." She smiled.

Ikuko nodded. It all made sense in a way. Having been their caretaker, obviously the queen would have known she loved them. And she could see the queen had worked in her life, even before the children were born, helping her as much as possible.

"Why are you coming to me now?" she asked.

The woman sighed, her eyes brimming with tears. "This is not known to the children. A block is over their memory. If I tell you all, can you promise not to speak of it to any but Kenji until I give you a sign?"

Ikuko frowned. She would do much to help this woman. She could feel a connection to her that wasn't unlike the bond she had shared with her twin. Nodding her head, she promised to keep the secret. "I won't say anything."

"Thank you." She settled deeper into her seat. "When Serenity was born, she came into the world screaming. I've always thought she didn't fit her name. I hope if the need for her to rule comes she will change that tradition. Perhaps take on the name Serenity only as the queen. She's much more Usagi than Serenity. Always leaping about before looking." She laughed.

"Something happened during her delivery. A memory was stolen from me, and from everyone else who was there. A son was also born. The first-born son of the moon. His role was not to become the Keeper of Chronicles, but to take his father's Sea Crystal. Pontus' father had just passed. When a Crystal needs an heir it will make it happen."

"Usagi and Shingo never said anything about a younger brother," Ikuko murmured. "You said your memories of him were stolen. How do you know of him now?"

"Dreams. Only three days after Serenity's birth I had the first of them. If I am right it was the very night he was taken and, though a powerful memory enchantment was put over me, the Silver Crystal was trying to show me the truth. For many years I had the dream, usually on the night the moon would be most full in the skies of earth. When I knew things were going well for my daughter and son, I went to see the Priestess of Elysion. As you know there is always a priest and a priestess. The priest, with the golden horn, serves the golden crystal. The priestess, with the silver horn, serves the silver crystal."

Queen Serenity sighed and pulled a length of hair over her shoulder, fidgeting. Ikuko took notice. She was upset about what she was going to say. "I went to Elysion, taking only Athena with me. I had only spoken to her about my strange dreams. Pontus was gone and I was barely hanging on to life. Perhaps it was the right time for such a quest to begin. The Priestess helped me to unlock the memory of my son and his first three days of life. Athena, though she was mostly about wisdom, had a knowledge and understanding of battles and enemy logic. Her anger was like nothing I have ever seen before. She wanted to call the other Senshi and battle the mysterious shadow man who had taken my child, but I begged her to keep silent."

"That makes sense," Ikuko said. "If the kidnapper knew he might be caught he may have reacted badly and harmed the child."

"Exactly," Serenity said. "And so I made her promise to keep it a secret. She pledged herself to help me bring him home. And my search began. I tried many things. I used my Crystal, Wished, and so many other things before I finally found him. And then I walked into the dark palace of the shadow man and I took back my son. I banished the evil from our Solar System and took my boy, my Tranquility, home."

"Tranquility. That's a wonderful name," Ikuko said softly.

"It suited him better than the name given his twin," Serenity said, laughing softly. "He was calm at his birth, though there had been trouble."

"What happened when you brought him home?" Ikuko asked.

"There was to be a ball," Serenity said softly. "To celebrate his return." She paused then, looking sad.

"And then the Solar System exploded into violence. The Shitennou were captured by Beryl and tortured. Serenity and Endymion took the Senshi and raced to free them, but there were innocents in their path, mindless under the control of Metalia. They were forced to turn back. They had just come up with another plan, a plan to strike within the fortress of ice where Metalia and Beryl were, but an attack came, and then another. One by one the settlements on other planets erupted into violence. And the Earth. The Kings of the four kingdoms were murdered, the high king was as well. And before I knew it there was an attack on the moon."

"How many days did the war last?" Ikuko asked. "It must have been awful."

"Days? No. After Serenity and Endymion returned the first attack happened within minutes. Within six hours the solar system had crumpled in on itself. I was facing a terrible monster, a perversion of humanity formed from the tortured souls of seven humans with extraordinary gifts. I knew that Serenity and Endymion had to escape. They were the last remaining hope. But I could not leave my own fight. My Senshi died, one by one. The daughters of the Outer Senshi came to me, thinking the Inner Senshi were with Serenity. But they were dead. Serenity and Endymion faced Beryl and Metalia alone. He died saving her, and she died to save everyone else in the solar system, and because the Soul-Bond tore at the moment of his death."

"I don't understand."

"If I died the Silver Crystal would have sought out Serenity. If Metalia controlled Serenity none could stand against her. Not anyone still alive in our Solar System."

"Usagi told me about the battle," Ikuko admitted. "But I never thought it would be so horrible."

"It was. My three children, my nephews, and everyone I held dear all died. But we were prepared. We had been given warning on the same day Serenity was introduced to the people. The Oracles of Earth, the Moon, and Venus all spoke. We prepared. I came to you and asked if you would share the Bond of Motherhood with me. You agreed and, eventually, when I could not find a suitable mother for Lugh, Haruki, you suggested your sister and her husband. The rulers, all of us, made a pact and it was sealed in Elysion."

"A pact?"

"Hai. We agreed that our spirits would not seek the cauldron of rebirth until Metalia's taint was gone from our Solar System and until all the children involved with the prophecy had been reborn. We thought we had covered all of them. I made my Final Wish and sent everyone ahead to the future. But when I made the Motherhood Bond with you I did not remember Tranquility. And until he is reborn we cannot rest. We cannot move on to our rebirths, some of which must happen soon."

"So Tranquility must be reborn?" Ikuko asked, feeling slightly nervous now.

"Yes Ikuko. And I ask you to take on the burden for me once again."

"I can't have any more children" Ikuko whispered. "My insides were damaged in a car accident shortly after I had my second daughter. And then she died..." Ikuko trailed off, wiping away tears.

"High King Endymion will heal you," the queen said. "There is one other who must be born as well. Twice she has failed to survive, but she must live to fulfill another prophecy. This time she will be given the New Moon Crystal, which my sister carried. She will eventually be a mother, to Dimande and Saphir."

"Who will you ask to have her?" Ikuko wondered.

"I could give her to no one other than her own mother Ikuko. She is your daughter. Her spirit lingered in the Cauldron, waiting for you to be reborn, and then her heart failed. This time the New Moon Crystal will help her, heal her heart long before she is born and keep her healthy and strong to fulfill her destiny. And the spirit of Pluto has assured me she will live a long and healthy life and will eventually be reunited with her children."

Tears poured down Ikuko's cheeks.

"You should know, my husband Pontus is even now speaking to your husband in his dreams. Kenji agrees to take on Tranquility so long as you are willing. If you agree the children will be born as twins."

Ikuko continued to weep. It was too much to hope. Could it possibly be true? She didn't know what to think. A chance to have not only her daughter, but another son. A chance to love two young ones and raise them, as she had for Usagi and Shingo. And it would help those who had watched and protected all of them finally move on.

"If Kenji agrees, then so do I." Ikuko threw her arms around Queen Serenity.

"Remember," the queen whispered and bent to kiss Ikuko's forehead. "Remember me."

Memories swept over Ikuko from her former life. Her marriage to Kenji. The loss of their daughter and their desire for more children. His plea to the queen to have her watch the children. Kenji training her with weapons to protect her charges. Foiling kidnapping and assassination attempts. Helping both Serenity and Tsukiyomi to take their first steps. Watching Serenity struggle with her responsibility to her people over her own need for happiness. The love she and Endymion had shared. Becoming a lady's maid just to stay at her side and keep her safe. Teaching Tsukiyomi how to hunt with a bow and arrow. Watching him fall in love. Her friendship with the woman who was even now holding her.

"Serenity," Ikuko wept. "I remember."

"You will keep your memories. Remember, wait for the sign before you speak to any but Kenji about this."

"How will I know the sign?" Ikuko asked.

"You will know. It's in your memories. Just trust that all will be well."

Ikuko sat up and swiped at her cheeks. "What must I do now?" she asked.

"Simply wake. Your husband needs you. You have been healed and as I said, when a Crystal knows it's time has come, it won't be stopped. A warning however, a block was over your Soul-Bond, but as of this night it is gone. If you choose, you may reforge it, but remember the consequences."

"Hai," Ikuko whispered. "But I will take those consequences for my Kenji," she whispered.

"Then wake," the queen whispered.

Ikuko opened her eyes as a soft, wet heat closed over her nipple. She heard Kenji groan in need and lifted her arms to run her fingers through his thick brown hair, pulling him closer. She needed him, now. If he didn't get inside her soon she would die.

Kenji was apparently under the same belief because seconds after she woke he speared into her, his mouth moving to her neck, and he clamped down in a gentle bite that made her insides quiver with need. Bright light surrounded them. Tones of Silver, Blue, Sea-foam Green, and a deep dark Black interspersed with glimmering lights, like the night sky. And Ikuko knew, without a doubt, that the Crystals that protected their children were infusing themselves into the Bond.

Kenji lifted his head and stared into her eyes. "Forever," he promised, just as he had so many times before. Music swelled around them, soft and sweet with strains of sadness and triumph. It was full of hope.

"Forever," she whispered back.

Locked inside her, he moved, in and out, the motion like the sea, calm but fierce. She thrust her hips to meet him, knowing just how to angle herself for the most enjoyment, the deepest penetration. Having shared so much with him, she knew exactly where to touch and what to do to rile him. She scratched her nails along his back, feeling the taut muscles as he pumped himself in and out of her.

"Kenji," she pleaded. "More."

Grinning down at her, he quickened his pace and deepened his strokes until she could feel every bit of him. Pulling up her knee, Ikuko moaned as he wrapped his elbow around it opening her further. Sweat was forming on his brow and the gentle breeze that was flowing around them felt wonderful. Kenji sat up then, lifting and angling her hips and his speed increased again as he stared down at her breasts, which shook with his movements.

A moment later she sat up, wrapped her arms around his neck and rode him wildly to a finish, both of them screaming through their orgasms. Suddenly words were pouring from both their mouths, the ancient Soul-Bonding vow spoken as they reforged the tie. "I possess and am possessed. Forever mated and unified with you. I will protect and cherish, hold and succor until my dying breath."

She could feel his seed inside her, trying to leak back out. Kenji shifted, laying her on her back, still connected with her. "Not enough," he murmured and within seconds she could feel him hardening again inside her. It made Ikuko think about their teenage years, when he'd been like this often. She giggled, knowing with the Crystals pushing them they probably wouldn't be finished for hours.