A Heavenly Love written by Atlantis © 2002

Well, here's Part 2 peoples, sorry it took so long. Please be easy on the flames if you have any... This chapter isn't as long as the first, but that should change in upcoming chapters. I don't think I have much else to say besides: enjoy!

Okay, you know those disclaimers that everyone has? Of course you do. Well, think really hard of one and put it right *here*.

Rating: PG-13

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Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 1:7

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PART 2

The sky was silent. It seemed that even the birds refused tosing, mourning the dreadful task that had been commanded of the Prince of Olympus. Endymion beat the air mercilessly with his wings, trying to ease his soul of the horror and anger lying within. He traveled the whole world, prolonging the deed that had to be done with the setting of the sun. Lovers having spats, a young woman pining for her lost love, two young children with growing affections that would one day become strong: he took care of them all. He flew through Olympus, silently attacking the hearts of the gods and goddesses, yet vowing to never touch his mother's again.

But as the light began to fade and Diana, goddess of the Moon, began to harness her Lunar Steeds for the moon's night ride across the sky, Endymion nearly broke down to cry as he regretfully flew towards the palace where his victim unknowingly waited.

His bow was held loosely in his hands and Endymion wanted to throw it so that it would sink into the oceans forever. The quiver slung across his back reminded him of the blessing, now a curse, that had been bestowed upon him. Though he could rid himself of the instruments, he would create a world without love in doing so, and that he refused to do. He may not have had love in his own life, but it was not his right to rule over love in the lives of others.

Sadly, Endymion closed his eyes as the palace came into his sight. He took a long, deep breath as he concentrated on the soul- the life- that he was about to destroy. Being the god of love, he had been born into his duties, his powers. They were like air to him, he couldn't live without them. He could find one person out of the entire world when he needed to, and now was one of those times. His wings ground him to a halt, keeping him hovering in the air as he found the one he was looking for.

An immense desperation and feelings of hopelessness crashed over him like a tidal wave and he nearly fell from his place in the sky as he grabbed his head, overwhelmed. It felt like someone had plunged a dagger into his heart and turned it. His head pounded, his heart nearly beat itself out of his chest. Tears streamed down his face: not his own, but the pain attacked him with such force that they might as well have been.

Forgetting about his mission, Endymion raced to save the life that was already so near death.



Serenity snuck out of her secret room, waking after sleeping nearly the whole day and listened intently for noise of any kind. Not even hearing a footfall, she crept away from the alcove which had saved her so many times and began her journey to the gardens once again.

She was wary of everything around her, taking care not to make any sounds herself, and thought she had safely made it when a voice reached her ears from the other end of the long hallway. The hall ran the whole length of the rear of the palace, being nearly a mile long, open on one side except for the large pillars wrapped in ivy and the palace walls on the other. Serenity's blonde hair moved with her head as she turned to see who it was that called her. When her eyes met those that chased her, she picked up her robes and began to dash down the remaining length of the hall. Perhaps she would be safe if she hid in the gardens!

"Princess! You'll stop now or I shall be hard on you!" a harsh voice commanded, belonging to Prince Molgave.

*And if you take me, I shall be dead!* Serenity thought. *And if I die, then I will take you with me... and deliver you to Hades myself! You will never have this body, Molgave.*

Her slippers rushed along the slick floor, slippery and unsteady. She went tumbling forward after a misstep and scrambled to get back up and running before she was overtaken. Daring not to risk a glance back, she bolted for the protection of the gardens, unaware of the eyes watching from above and racing to her rescue.



Endymion stopped above the rear of the palace, soaking up the smell of the exotic flora all around him before the fear and pain returned to him, doubling him over. He forced his head up from his chest to look and saw a young woman racing down a hallway as if to save her life. As he watched her, the feelings became stronger and at once he realized it was her emotions. His eyes caught the large man chasing after her and he felt a sudden lance of intense anger rip through him.

An arrow found itself in the familiar grip of Endymion's hands as he pulled it back to let it fly, for the arrows were not only to infect love but for any purpose Endy deemed. But his attention was torn from the target as the girl fell, struggling to get up. The brute giving chase was almost upon her now, grinning viciously and Endymion could hear the obscene thoughts rushing through the man's head. He reached out to grab her robes as she took off again and entered the gardens, twisting and turning through all of the plants and trees to rid herself of her pursuer.

The man let a flow of curses bark through his lips before giving chase once again. The girl was now nearly at the other end, obviously knowing her way far better than the man and as she neared the wall that cut off any further escape and gave a sob of despair. Not having to think twice, Endymion shot an arrow to the ground behind her and a hedge of roses jumped from the ground, raising into the air and encircling a large area around the frightened young woman.

Turning cold eyes to the attacker, Endymion slowly and deliberately pulled another arrow from his quiver and took careful aim. As his fingers let go, the invisible arrow flew straight and true to the heart of the large man. His progression through the gardens immediately stopped and he stumbled, shaking his head, then looked around him. Donning a confused look, he went back the way he came, forgetting why he had been in the gardens.

Endy smiled. The man would pay for chasing the girl. From now on, instead of preying on young women, he would have a rather strong affection for sheep. Relaxing his taut muscles and the grip on his bow, he turned his attention back to the girl. His arrow had done a job well done.

The rose hedges had surrounded her, but allowed nearly three rooms-worth of space, including the fountain in its protection. Her features were baffled, perplexed, but more at ease. Terror no longer resided in every action, but she moved cautiously to the edge of the fountain. Until now, Endymion had not seen her face; only the top of her head and her back. But as she peered into the pool, Endymion did the one thing he had never done.

He fell.

His wings refused to fly and his limbs flailed about, not finding a purchase on anything, and he landed on the soft heather, bruising only his rear and his pride. A silent curse escaped from his lips as he realized he had fallen on the outside of the hedge. Standing up carefully and brushing tiny leaves from his tunic, he shook his head. What he had seen must have been the sun's last rays playing on the surface of the fountain's water because nothing was that beautiful. Even his mother was not that beautiful.

Dread washed over him and he nearly cried out before putting a harsh hand over his mouth and walking through the hedges. He walked through with his eyes closed, so as to assure himself that it would not be a dream when he opened his eyes. Boldly, he allowed his eyes to seek out the vision he had seen before. When he did, all breath promptly left his body.

A young woman, perhaps seventeen, sat on the edge of the fountain, letting her hand trail in the water serenely. Her pale skin was beautiful as it began to almost shine under the moon's influence and the graceful lines of her body were as smooth as the edges of clouds. The tips of her fingers were delicate, tracing the top of the water as if she was touching a lover, and her face peered down into the water at her reflection. Eyes that seemed to be the water in the sculpted marble fountain stared back at her.

Her legs were tucked under her as she sat on the edge and continued to make ripples across the water. Closing her eyes, she sighed mournfully and cast sad eyes to the now dark sky. Stars glittered across the black canvas of the Heavens, winking back at Earth with a joyful light that contradicted Serenity's feelings. She bit her lip and closed her eyes again, letting a lone tear fall down her porcelain cheek and into the still waters of the fountain.

Endy felt more guilty than anyone ever had in the history of the world. To kill such a beautiful, sad, gentle creature was most assuredly murder. With shaking hands, he began to reach for an arrow but stopped when he heard her voice.

"Why?" The question was simple, only a whisper from Serenity's lips. "I do not want any of this. To be born as Serenity yet forced to be Psyche. It is not fair," she cried. "Death would be more welcome than this horrible life, but I could not do that to my family. I know that somewhere in their hearts they love me, they just don't ever show it. And all of these people that I don't even know, treating me as if I am some kind of deity. I am sick of it! To be Serenity yet forced to be a Psyche!" Serenity brought her hand down on the surface of the water to scatter her reflection and stood up, walking away from it. Her arms wrapped around her waist and she hung her head, shoulders shaking as she continued to sob.

Dropping the arrow back into his quiver, not noticing how it fell in, Endymion moved from his position in the shadows and approached the girl- Serenity, she had called herself- and stood behind her. If he had to destroy her, he would her last breaths to be peaceful and resting.

"Who are you kidding yourself?" Endy asked himself. "You just can't look into those eyes as you extinguish the flame in her heart... The very flame that is life." He stopped just inches from her back, so close his breath stirred the golden hair that surrounded her. Serenity's eyes widened in shock and fear. There would be no escape now, she was trapped. As she turned to seek out the person behind her, he laid a hand on her shoulder and she fell asleep instantly, falling into his arms awkwardly. They fell to the ground together, Endymion landing on his back with a loud exclamation of pain.

Cobalt eyes grew impossibly wide. Scrambling to move the young woman off of him, he could feel his shoulder blade being sliced into before the pain disappeared. Laying the girl on the heather next to him, he frantically pulled off his quiver and turned his head to try and examine his back. His left hand reached over his right shoulder, afraid of the injury he might find. A startled gasp left his lips when he found his tunic torn with his searching fingers, but upon bringing them back to his gaze, discovered no blood from the wound.

Crawling over to his quiver, he looked over the arrows and found one just disappearing into the air, never to be seen again. It's job had been done.

"NO!" Endymion exclaimed. "This was not meant to happen!" Fear swam through his veins. Not fear of death: that arrow had never flown. Being the god of love, Endy's quiver had special magical capabilities. Any arrow inside of the quiver was an arrow of undying love, total devotion. Only when the arrow was in Endymion's grasp, nocked in the bow, could it's powerful spell be changed. The arrow that had slashed into his back from being dropped incorrectly in the quiver had *not* been changed.



Zeus looked up from his throne, his sight keenly focused on something he could not see. His chin rose up from the place in his palm where he had previously been leaning into and his spine went rigid. The quivering of Olympus could be felt in the air. To the other gods and goddesses passing through the Heaven's, it was only as if a breeze had blown through, but to Zeus, commander of the skies, he felt as if he had been turned upside down and gone through an earthquake that would destroy the Earth, even the Universe. Clear green eyes lighted with fear quickly fell on his lovely wife, Hera, who sat next to him, who was unsettled by his sharp and jerky actions.

"Husband?" she questioned, raising from her throne beside him and kneeling in front of him. Taking her hands in his own, he looked down on her then back out into the endless expanse of the clouds.

"We're all doomed," he whispered. Hera held back a gasp.

"What has happened? You must tell me!" she questioned, clutching at his forearms tightly in fear.

"Love has fallen."

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Well, there's the second part for you. E-mails and critiques are VERY good things. Everybody loves them, and I'm no exception. Thank you to all of the people who took the time to write me or critique me last time.

Atlantis *^_^*

godscartungrrl@netscape.net