A/N: Hello again all. I'm so sorry it has taken this long to update this story. I know all of us are under a great deal of stress in the current global circumstances. I've been very depressed and haven't been able to write at all. Regardless, I have finally finished the next chapter! YAY! I hope you all love it.
Endymion sat at the edge of their bed looking out across the balcony and to the horizon. It was only just after sunrise and the early rays of sunshine caressed his skin. He wouldn't let this month go by like he had the last. Because he passed out he actually suffered less injury and was already feeling pretty good after only 4 days. "I won't fail you again, Serenity." He said quietly to himself. Not again. He'd also given thought to how he could help with this war threat. It had been many years since he'd called on his four generals and he wasn't even sure it would work after so long but it was worth a try.
"What has your attention this morning, Endymion?" He looked over his shoulder at his wife. She was preparing for the day and had just come from her dressing room. He smiled at her.
"Just thinking about how to spend the day."
"I see." She walked over to him. When she reached him she pulled him into a hug. She always smelled so good and he pressed his face into her stomach. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. They remained that way for a time, Serenity running her fingers through his hair. "Do you need anything today?" She asked.
"No… nothing."
"Very well. I'm afraid I have to get my day started, my love." She pulled away and he allowed her to leave his arms. "I love you, Endymion… with all of my heart."
"I love you with all of my soul." He answered.
"Just call me if you need anything."
"Yes, of course." She smiled warmly at him and then she was gone. Endymion watched their bedroom door for a time before getting up. He walked to his dressing room and went to his jewelry cabinet. Opening one of the drawers he pulled out a glass box with four stones resting inside. They were dull, damaged and cracked. A tinge of sadness tugged at his heart. 'I miss you four very much…'. He held the box, just staring at the stones for a minute. He took the box to the desk in their room and set it down. He sat down and taking a deep breath he closed his eyes and concentrated. As he focused his aura began to glow gold and it reached out to the stones, causing them to glow. He was beginning to think it was futile when a voice rang out in the room.
"My master, it has been a long time." Endymion opened his eyes and smiled sadly at the apparition before him.
"Kunzite. I wasn't sure you would come."
"How could we stay away?" Another voice drew his attention.
"Zoisite…". Endymion looked at the other two. "It warms my heart to see you all again." All four of them came. He felt really bad that he hadn't tried to contact them for so long.
"Please, your highness, don't worry over us." Nephrite said. "We all have felt such joy seeing you and Her Highness Serenity finally have what you always deserved."
"Thank you… thank all of you…".
"How can we be of service to you, your majesty?" Kunzite asked.
"I do not know if you are aware of the current circumstances but put simply I have been… confined… to these quarters."
"We have been at rest for some time so we are not aware of any recent events."
"I'm afraid it's a bit of a long story and it is a depressing subject. I summoned you four so I could get some help."
"We are at your disposal." Jadeite chimed in.
"It seems there is a whispering threat of civil war in our kingdom. Since I cannot leave this wing of the palace my options are limited. I hope that you four might be able to gather information for me on the matter. My hands are tied… will you please help me?"
"Of course we will." Nephrite answered, bowing.
"Thank you. Thank you all so much." Endymion said gratefully. They all four bowed before him and then disappeared one by one until only Kunzite was left.
"Master, I beg your forgiveness of me. May I ask… what has happened?" Endymion looked at his friend and a wave of exhaustion washed over his soul.
"To sum everything up succinctly I broke the law. I committed high treason against the throne. There were extenuating circumstances but with this threat of war Serenity was forced to issue punishment for my crime."
"I see… how unfortunate. I apologize for being so insolent."
"Please, Kunzite, don't apologize."
"Very well. I will embark on my task. Please don't hesitate to summon us again if you so need. We will come to you as we gather information for you." With that Kunzite bowed and faded away. Endymion remained as he was for a long time, staring into space. A faint feeling of "cheating" came to him. No outside contact was part of his sentence. Did that apply to the spirits of his four best friends? Technically they had been resting in his dressing room so it didn't feel like they were "outside" contact. He wished there was something he could do for them. They were always ready to help but he never had anything to offer in return. Endymion sighed and sat up. That train of thought only led to feelings of inadequacy and depression, neither of which he had time for. This month it was back to yoga, meditation, and preparation.
So, with preparation in mind Endymion spent his day in the garden. He began with yoga, being careful not to overdo it. His body felt stiff and cranky so some of the more difficult poses would have to be shelved for a while and he focused on pliability. After yoga he stopped for lunch and just sat next to the pond, listening to the waterfall.
"Endymion?" He looked behind him. Serenity stood smiling at him. "Has your day been good so far?" He smiled back at her.
"Yes, as good as it can be." He looked back to the waterfall.
"Well that's good. I actually hoped I could get your help."
"What can I do?" He asked, maybe a little too enthusiastically. Serenity chuckled and beamed at him.
"Let's go sit at the table." They sat at the table and chatted a little about their day so far. The conversation died down and they sat quietly for a minute.
"What was it you wanted my help with, Serenity?" She sighed and then looked at him.
"There has been an outbreak of pneumonia in Europe. It's a new strain, virulent and quickly mutating. I've already sat down with Mercury, Orla, and Fredrick but I wanted your insight. I've approved an initial wave of 25 mobile hospital units with a full staff of doctors and nurses to be spread out in the affected area. I just don't feel like that is going to be enough…"
"I see. Have you approved any other support or just the hospital units?"
"Just the hospitals so far. That's why I wanted to speak with you. I've never had to deal with this sort of issue before."
"In that case; I recommend sending a team of our best scientists to begin research on a possible vaccine or specialized treatment. I also recommend providing blankets, jackets, even socks. We're heading into winter and the temperatures in the affected area are already dropping. They will also need food and support for those who are sick but not with the new strain. I think it would be a good idea to isolate the confirmed cases from other health issues so there is less chance of the virus spreading to those who are already compromised."
"My goodness. I'm not sure I would have thought of all of that."
"There are many things that go into relief efforts like this. Many we have a hard time preparing for because they seem obscure until they are needed."
"Yes, that is true."
"How are you? After the judicial meeting I mean."
"What do you mean?"
"I just… don't want you to feel guilty or upset. I wasn't sure what kind of toll it would put on you to have to address my failure."
"I'm fine, really. It went as these things do."
"Did Akinyi cause a fuss?"
"Actually it was Akua this time." They both chuckled a little. No matter how crazy the circumstances, some things just didn't change. "They are good kids. But isn't that just the problem? They're kids."
"Yes, but wisdom isn't an age, it's a way of thinking. They are immature in some respects but they are wise for their age."
"Yes, they are. Even so I almost threw Akua out."
"Well, sometimes that is necessary to nurture wisdom." They sat quietly, the waterfall the only sound in the garden.
"It's too quiet here." Serenity said finally.
"Hm?" He had been lost in thought when she spoke.
"Quiet… it's too quiet. There are no birds or bugs or anything."
"I had that thought, yes."
"I guess I'll have to fix that. I want this place to be a haven, even after your sentence is complete." He liked the thought. A haven… not just for him but for them both. A secret place where no one except them could go. While their room was wonderful, Small Lady was always there. It was obvious she thought she was sneaking but she wasn't really good at it. This place could be theirs… only theirs. Isolated from the rest of the palace, locked to all but the two of them. "I'm glad we could spend some time this afternoon. I have to return to my duties but I'll see you tonight." Serenity stood and Endymion followed.
"I eagerly await this evening then." He answered charmingly. Serenity giggled and kissed him on the cheek. Endymion stood looking after her until she disappeared behind the door leading back to the palace.
After lunch Endymion returned to their quarters. He felt satisfied with what he'd been able to accomplish with his day. Not wanting to push himself too hard he figured that he'd spend the rest of the day relaxing.
The afternoon felt so peaceful. A comfortable breeze drifted through their room from the open balcony door. He felt at peace, just allowing himself to flow with the rhythm of nature. The smell of the beginnings of fall mingled with summer's warmth on the air. Almost as if the breeze carried him he lighted on his piano bench and his fingers fell onto the keys naturally. It had been a while since he'd played it so he dabbled in a scale or two. Soon it was as if he hadn't spent a day away from it. Endymion closed his eyes and recalled a song from his college days, one that came from the United States at the time. "Hmmm…. let's see…. I think it went like this…." he pressed a key or two, trying to find the right sound. As he experimented with the notes the song came to him. "That she's back in the atmosphere with drops of Jupiter in her hair… walks like summer and talks like rain…. hm hmhmhm…. since her return of her stay on the moon she listens like spring and she talks like June…". He only sang half of the lyrics, not quite remembering all of them. Either way the song felt as though it had begged him to play it. He sat playing the melody a couple more times before allowing the notes to fade into the air.
"You're highness, I never knew you were so talented." Endymion turned his head in the direction of the voice. Kunzite appeared near the opening to the balcony. "You have great command of that instrument."
"Thank you." He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I don't really think I'm all that good…". Kunzite stood and an awkward silence formed. Finally Endymion cleared his throat. "It is good to see you, Kunzite. Have you found something?"
"I'm afraid that our investigations have turned up very little. It seems that this war threat is more of an intense feeling of unease coming from the people as a whole as opposed to a specific plan or group of individuals."
"How strange… do you have any insights on…" mid sentence the door to their room opened.
"Endymion, I wanted to be here for… dinner….". He turned to face his wife and instantly knew he'd messed up. Serenity stood staring at the ghost of Kunzite who in turn stared back in surprise. As the moments passed Endymion became more and more alarmed. Serenity's color had drained slowly from her face and down her neck. She went so pale he would have sworn he could see straight through her.
"Serenity… I… uh" before he could actually form a thought she had activated her communicator.
"I need all of you." Was all she said. Her voice was distant and felt hollow. It took only seconds before all of the guardians appeared in the room. "Take him to the holding room please." She didn't direct her command to any one of them individually but they moved as if she had. Uranus and Jupiter grabbed one arm each and began dragging him from the room. Kunzite moved to stop them out of instinct but he apparently couldn't actually interact with anything tangibly. Either way Serenity stretched out her hand and trapped Kunzite in a pillar of crystal. Ghost or not he wasn't able to leave the glimmering prison.
"PLEASE! SERENITY!" Endymion kicked and pulled with all his might against the two who were dragging him from the room. "SERENITY!"
"Sleep." Saturn came and touched his forehead and with that single word everything began to fade away. As the world became fuzzy and dark he saw his beloved wife collapse on the floor. Her agonized cries echoed in his head and tainted the dreams to follow as he finally fell unconscious.
For an idea of what I was imagining for "Drops of Jupiter" please look up "Drops Of Jupiter (The Piano Sessions) by Parmalee. Thank you for reading!
