Thanks to my Beta and co-writer Sailor silver ladybug
Well, it's been over a year in the making, but I think I'm finally happy with where I want this to go. Hopefully, this is the end of writer block.
The next day
Five twenty-one-year-old girls were giggling in their shared rec room. Serenity was trying to braid Minako's hair, but the girl would not stop dropping her head when another Senshi said something funny, and she began laughing.
"MINAKO, you're the worst" Serenity finally gave up, tossing down the unfinished plait. Minako pouted, but nodded. "Makoto, we could try something different once in a while, you need to get your hair out of that ponytail."
"But this was a gift from Neph," she replied, releasing her hair and showing a beautiful hairband that kept her locks out of her face.
Serenity patted her large, but delicate, friend on her shoulder with a gentle hand. "Nothing bad will happen if you take your hair-tie out, Makoto," she replied.
Makoto seemed to sag slightly, and with a resigned sigh, she sat in front of her charge. Serenity began to braid the tall amazon's abnormally curly hair expertly.
"Rei, you've been rather quiet," Minako spoke up.
The priestess looked up from concentrating on the small flame she had produced in her hand, and tears were pouring down her cheeks. all the Senshi, and the princess, stopped what they were doing and immediately embraced their friend.
"Everything is going to change," she said in a soft voice, and she slipped into unconsciousness.
"Rei? Rei! MARS!" Serenity all but used her voice of royal command, which she hated.
Ares didn't know who moved more quickly, himself, his two mates, one holding a still very newborn Koan, or the queen, at the sound of Serenity's call. All he knew was that the young queen in training's calls were getting more desperate. Then, as time went on, and they burst into the girls' room, Ares saw that his daughter had slipped into unconsciousness. Ares could hear Hestia muttering something, and Queen Serenity trying to rouse his poor girl into a wakeful state of mind.
As Rei woke up, Hestia gasped, and tears began to fall down her cheeks. She immediately embraced Rei. "I know, my sweet; we just didn't expect it to happen this early in your relationships."
Serenity's eyes widened, and she ran out of the room. Minako went to follow her, but the queen lifted her hand. "She has gone to seek guidance, Minako," she explained.
"From whom?" Ami asked.
"From the moon goddess," the queen replied.
Serenity ran down the hall, barely keeping her tears in check. She wasn't ready to face Endymion in battle. She could hardly believe the Senshi would have to face off against their soulmates. Nevertheless, she made it to the moon goddess in record time.
"Selene," she almost shouted. The moon goddess looked up at this beautiful, slightly underweight girl, no young woman, and just wanted the heartache to go away, but she couldn't suppress it. The goddess stood and walked towards the woman, who had difficulty resisting the urge to cry. She embraced the princess and silently sobbed for the loss that would happen.
Serenity stood stock still. She was not expecting this. Nevertheless, she used all her strength to hold up the shaking moon goddess.
"Selene," she gasped as the woman looked up at her.
"It's not very often that I can hold my human form for long. Let me enjoy this moment a little longer," the goddess sniffed. Serenity nodded and guided them to a cosy little nook where they sat down. If things were good, she would happily sit here and read.
"Will I have to face my Endymion?" Serenity asked. She felt Selene shake her head.
"You will die, but it must be by your hand or by Beryl's."
Serenity reeled back, confused. "I thought that psycho murdered her, the man that she had for a father?"
"No, my dear girl, her father beat her almost to death and then threw her into the dungeon where Metalia found her and twisted her soul."
"Is she okay?" Serenity asked.
"No, she was so, so weak. Poor Gaia is beside herself. Serenity, the earth is dying because of what Metalia has done to Beryl. What little you've seen is being held together by the Prince and his Shittenou."
"Why is the earth dying?" Serenity asked.
"It's heart, or Elysion as you may have heard it called, is all but dead. Its guardians and their families have been put in a frozen state of sleep to send them beyond that battle, in safety."
Selene let out a small sigh. "This is difficult to explain," she said softly. "Beryl's gifts, the ones bound to her star seed, are linked to the ones bound to the world of hopes and dreams. She is of the ancient line of warrior scholars who trained with Serenity and Endymion. But, unfortunately, those magics have been twisted and turned against their source, affecting Elysion itself. Should Metalia's plan succeed, the world, and its inhabitants, will be lost forever. That cannot be allowed to happen."
"Beryl is an Elysian warrior, a protector of the priestess who speaks for the Silver Crystal. Beryl must pass on that gift in the next life. If we do not save her, it will be gone and cannot be inherited."
"I don't understand," Serenity admitted.
"Beryl cannot stay on earth after her part in the prophecy is fulfilled. Her magic will change, as will her form, for her next life. I cannot say more because that destiny is breaking even as we speak. So much will be lost if you do not save her and her powers. So much that must exist, for she, and the child she passes these powers to, will go on to save many lives."
Selene turned Serenity so that she could lock eyes with her. "Go and save Beryl, but remember, you must return to face your destiny willingly."
Serenity nodded with tears in her eyes as she listened.
"You will be reborn again, and you will find Endymion. I promise."
On earth
King Endymion the 7th was a reasonable man, he had proudly raised his son on his own since his dear Demeter passed to the next life alongside their daughter Avani. His son had grown well, and had fallen in love with the daughter of the moon as destined. And now this man in front of him was trying everything in his head to revoke the blessing.
Endymion was incensed. "No lord Kuro. I will not revoke my blessings on the Senshi and Shittenou, nor for my son and future daughter in law."
"They have even bewitched you dear king, they will be the death of our kingdom," Kuro said in an oily voice that grated on the King's ears. The man was making a futile attempt at trying to sway him and it just made him more angry.
"My kingdom, lord Kuro. It will never be yours" King Endymion interrupted. The lord's eyebrows seemed to twitch, and then he turned.
"I tried to warn you," he snarled. And in front of the king the man morphed into a dreadful creature that made chandeliers fall into the floor and turned to face the king.
Endymion and his shittenou were walking through one of the vast halls when they heard the shattering glass and began to run towards the throne room. Kunzite halted the men and Endymion.
"Remember we love you, prince Endymion, and would never turn on you willingly," Kunzite said. The other three men nodded in agreement. In a flash of bright light, Endymion knew no more until he landed in a heap at Ares' feet. His princess was nowhere to be found
When he caught his breath he looked round. "Serenity?" he gasped.
The Queen and Ares helped him stand and kept a hold of him until he stopped swaying.
"Gone to find Selene, she won't be long." Minako's voice was montone, nothing like the vivacious bubbly woman he knew.
"What is going on?" he finally managed to utter out.
"Artemis."
The one word sent shivers down his spine. He had known the white-haired adviser to the queen and her Senshi as a friend, and now he feared he was about to find out his true role. The white-haired boy appeared at her call. "Prepare the soldiers, and inform the outer Senshi. This part of the prophecy is about to be fulfilled.''
Artemis nodded. Endymion, shocked and overwhelmed, looked at the queen, wondering if she had gone insane.
"Why is this child even a military adviser? He's barely old enough to stand on his own feet, never mind act as the head of the Lunarian army!" Endymion knew he may have stepped out of line, but it was too much on the boy's shoulders. He was younger than the Senshi for goodness sake.
"Endymion, Artemis has been trained all of his life to be a military adviser. He may be a child but he comes from seven generations of military admirals, and he was born for this" Queen Serenity spoke gently, knowing this would be a shock to the Terran prince. "Just as Luna could at this moment devise a treaty between warring nations, Artemis could at this moment devise a battle strategy that has a chance of succeeding. They have the memories of their forebears."
Endymion finally got his wits about him "I think lord Kuro is about to kill, or perhaps already has killed my father. We just received word that he has been seen with the rebel alliances. I've never liked, nor trusted him."
The queen nodded in agreement "Pontus did warn me about him but at the time he was the only logical person that could be both a moon and earth ambassador considering he had both standings on earth and the moon due to having 2 children one of earth and one child that is half Lunarian."
"Beryl and Agate," the princess said as she walked into the room.
"Now how do we rescue our loves?" Rei said