Flashback
Her soft laughter floated through the garden behind the palace. He grabbed her from behind, planting a kiss on her neck. She turned around in his arms, "I can never hide from you, can I?" He shook his head, "Never. We are connected. I can sense you. I know your every move." She pouted and looked away, "Stalker." Her pout didn't last long though, and she started to giggle. She had only been joking and said. "My prince, I must get back before my senshi worry." He nodded, letting her go.
Nephrite approached them. "Prince, I cannot find Jadeite."
Endymion sighed. "Then it is time to officially report him missing."
Nephrite nodded. "I'll do that while you ensure Serenity gets home."
"Endymion!?" Serenity exclaimed as a group of armed men approached. Drawing their swords, Endymion kept Serenity in his sight and Nephrite stood in front of both of them.
Addressing the man standing in front of the group, Nephrite asked. "How did you get in the palace garden?"
The man smirked. "We are mercenaries now. We only want the Princess. No one will be harmed unless you get in our way."
Nephrite chuckled. "When did you gain the skills to be a mercenary? You've certainly not acquired discretion."
The man shrugged, trying to not let Nephrite's remark anger him. "We managed to get in undetected didn't we? Anyway, desperate times call for desperate measures and a runaway moon princess will fetch quite a bounty." Serenity shuddered as the man ogled her while saying. "That's just for her head. We're not required to hand over the body." She moved closer to Endymion. The man smirked. "I don't need years of experience to kidnap a tiny princess."
Prince Endymion asked. "You know him?"
Nephrite nodded. "Yes, he tried out for a palace guard position last year and failed. However, I was quite impressed with him."
The man smiled as he proudly boasted to his men. "See, even one of the shitennou thinks I'm worthy of being a guard. I should be up in the towers right now, guarding the palace."
Nephrite chuckled. "Worthy? No, I was impressed because I had no idea it was possible to fail that badly at something." The man's smile fell as he scowled at Nephrite. Nephrite grinned. "Every second counts in battle, but you've got to make sure your arrow is pointing the right way."
The group looked at their leader in shock. Prince Endymion said. "I thought that was a rumor."
Nephrite shook his head. "I was there and saw it with my own eyes. This man wanted to be one of our archers but couldn't load an arrow facing the right way." The man was furious. Nephrite said. "It is possible to mistakenly try loading the arrow the wrong way. It can happen, especially if for whatever reason your arrows spill out of the quiver, but you correct your mistake and keep fighting." He shook his head. "This man. This man was dead serious about shooting an arrow facing the wrong way... on the training grounds." Nephrite looked over his shoulder, smiling. "Prince, I've got this group of rookies. Get her inside. You know what them being here means."
As Prince Endymion grabbed Serenity and headed for the back entrance, the man shouted for his group to chase after them. However, about half of the men dropped their weapons, having lost faith in their leader. As they went inside the palace, she asked. "Why not teleport now?"
He said. "If they see you teleport, they'll try going to the Moon. We need time to warn your mother and the other planets so they can prepare. If they think you're hiding inside, that should give us time. With Jadeite missing and rookies managing to get inside the palace garden undetected, it means there's a spy in the palace. We need to be careful and trust no one. Since we're at the back of the palace, the forbidden stairwell isn't far from here. We can teleport from there. Only royalty and the shitennou can find and enter the room. If anyone else manages to get in the stairwell, they'll only find a door to the outside, they won't see the door to the room."
Princess Serenity quietly followed him as they sneaked through the palace. They whirled around when a window behind them shattered. Endymion held his sword in front of him, but it wasn't someone attacking them. Zoisite and a man were fighting and had fallen in through the window. Zoisite quickly knocked the man unconscious with a vase that was next to the window. Zoisite ran to them, "Given how quickly and efficiently we've been attacked..."
Prince Endymion nodded as they hastily walked down the corridor. "They're after her. We were attacked in the garden by rookies. Nephrite is taking care of them, but we still don't know where Jadeite is."
Zoisite spoke as he activated a secret passage. "The entrance to the stairwell is on the second floor. This is a secret stairwell that will take you to the second floor. This was intended to be an escape for children on the second floor, but the wider one is in another corridor. It's too risky to go to it." Endymion and Serenity entered the narrow passage. Zoisite shook his head. "Princess, I know what you're going to say. I need to stay here and make sure his friends don't follow you."
Serenity nodded as Zoisite closed the entrance to the secret passage. As they began going up the stairs, there were times when they had to turn in order to get through. They paused when they heard swords clashing. Endymion ushered her to move faster. Whoever Zoisite was fighting most likely knew they were in there. They had to hurry before the attackers either found a way to open the passage or go up the regular stairs. Upon reaching the exit, Endymion breathed deeply and whispered. "This is it. This opens into a corridor. We will go left and the room containing the forbidden stairwell is the fifth door on the right. Once I open this, we run like hell. I'll be behind you in case someone tries to sneak up on us." She nodded and he opened the door.
They ran. When she got to the fifth door, she looked behind her, she saw him, not far behind. The enemy could be heard busting doors down. She entered the room and stopped halfway to the stairs. There wasn't much time to escape. He seemed to be taking his time and she wished he would move faster. She couldn't wait and said, "Hurry".
He pleaded. "Stay with me" She sighed, wishing she could. He knew she couldn't get caught. She needed to escape. They were on the verge of a war involving every planet. As much as she wanted him, she couldn't stay. He would survive. The approaching army wouldn't harm him. She, on the other hand, would be killed. Beryl wanted her head. A distant door was busted down; the shouts from both sides could be heard. Not risking her voice being heard by the enemy, she prayed her eyes conveyed what she wished she could say. She faced the stairwell, the emergency exit in case there was an attack. A guard stood next to the entrance. She quickly approached, unsure whose side the guard was on. The guard said. "No enemy shall pass." Did he consider her an enemy? The guard looked behind her then at her. "As soon as you are through, I will seal the door. You must hurry."
She bolted through the door, almost tripping in the process. She grabbed the rail to keep from falling. Looking to her right, she saw the door was closed. She blinked back tears; she had wanted Endymion to come with her. Panic surged through her when someone brushed past her. How did she not notice someone in the stairwell Whipping her head around, she saw him walking down the next set of steps. Relieved, she caught up to him and he faced her. For a moment there was only silence. Endymion said. "Stay with me". She breathed deeply. It was tempting to stay, but her senshi would look for her. He was taking her silence negatively. "Do you want to?" She nodded. "Yes." He said. "Then come with me to Elysian." She stood, paralyzed with indecision. She needed to get back to the moon. She needed to warn the senshi and her mother. Her heart told her to stay. Her mind reminded her she had a duty to fulfill. Looking him in the eyes, she sighed. "I can't leave my mother. I have to go." He gave a slight nod in understanding and said. "I will find you."
Serenity continued down the stairs. They needed to get to the room to Elysian. After he seals it, they'll go to the Moon. She only made it only one flight down, when she stopped. Somehow, the enemy was coming up the stairs. She wanted to turn around, to run to him, but her legs wouldn't cooperate. She felt paralyzed. The enemy must have used some sort of magic on her. Her vision went dark as she collapsed.
"Serenity!"
He was only one flight away, yet he couldn't reach her. Why? Did the enemy breach the entrance? Was he paralyzed too? Then she heard it. A cackle. She couldn't see the person, but she knew that cackle anywhere. A red-haired woman named Beryl.
Endymion rushed to her and glared at a smirking Jadeite leading the army up the stairs. They should have teleported to the moon from the garden. He could have shouted to Nephrite that they were going to a place in the city or somewhere else just to make then think she wasn't going back to the Moon. It was too late now. All he could do now was leave and hope the Moon and the other planets could prepare in time. He held Serenity as he teleported to the Moon.
end flashback