A Heavenly Love written by Atlantis © 2003

I am entirely sorry! This chapter has been so long in coming and I'm sure half, if not all of the original reviewers have forgotten about this fic. I can't blame you, it has been a very long time since I've updated. Real life intruded and writers' block plagued me terribly for this fic out of all of my others.

As a peace offering, it's longer than the previous two chapters. Please enjoy and please review! I'm not getting much feedback on this fic and I'm going through review withdrawl. *giggles*

Disclaimer: Ooookay, I no own Sailor Moon. Kapeesh?

Rating: Strong PG-13 (Please keep in mind that whenever I rate a fic PG-13, I'm talking about a real PG-13. Think 'The Ring' PG-13 or 'James Bond 007' PG-13, not wimpy, too-scared about the content so I'm going to overrate it PG-13. Thank you.)

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Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.

Proverbs 17:3

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It is senseless to pay tuition to educate a fool who has no heart for wisdom.

Proverbs 17:16

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PART 3

Tears. Those were the warm, wet things falling down his face. Hands buried in grass, Endy crouched in a fetal position, the knowledge of what had happened to him as sharp as a razor. A sob of despair passed through his lips and he felt like a small child, completely helpless.

"To finally have what I've been looking for and want to push it away. It was not supposed to happen this way!" Endymion's eyes tightly shut against themselves, his fingers clawing at the grass unmercifully. Taking in a ragged breath, followed by another, he forced his eyes back open and sat up, though his body protested. He uncurled and straightened his arms, continuing to regain control of himself. Just as he was about to curse himself again, his eyes fell on the young woman Serenity. His breath left his lungs as he gazed at her flawless form, the soft lines of her face, the soft sound that her breathing made, and those lips... He felt drawn to those lips, so full and red. They looked as though they could be the petals of a rose.

His hand rose up of its own accord and traced her lips, gently, tenderly. He was just bending down when he realized what he was doing. A tear slipped out of his eye as he rubbed a thumb over her cheek, holding her chin gently before letting go and standing. As he straightened his quiver and made double-sure that all of the arrow points face down inside, he continued to look at her, sorrow building with each passing moment. Taking the bow up from the ground, he turned to leave but hesitated and returned to her side.

Picking up her hand, he placed a soft kiss against her knuckles. "Dear Serenity, keeper of my heart, know that if you should die, it will not be by my hand. Please also know that wherever you are, there is someone who will love you for all eternity. I wish Fate had not destined this, because I will forever want you and know that I cannot have you. Wake, my sleeping princess. Wake and live," he whispered before disappearing from sight. The beating of his wings was not heard, there was only the silent murmur of the wind.

***

Blue eyes fluttering open, Serenity took in a breath and looked around her, turning over in the grass onto her side. She propped herself up on an arm and searched all around for the owner of that wonderful voice from her dreams, but she was alone. Shaking her head sadly, she stood and dusted off her dress before taking full notice of the rose hedges all around her and the lack of Prince Molgave.

"But I thought for sure that he would have caught me," Serenity whispered. "And where did these exquisite flowers come from? I have never seen anything like them." She took a step towards the roses, observing the beautiful and pleasantly fragrant flower. Her hand reached out to touch them but saw the thorns surround them and thought better, moving to touch the petals rather than the stem. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "They are softer than silk, softer than my mother's honeyed lips against my cheek!"

Reaching directly under the rose, she found there were no thorns and she pulled it from the vine it grew on, the whole plant entwined throughout the large hedges. Holding it within her cupped palms, she raised it and inhaled the musky scent, the smell bringing about feelings she had never felt before.

"Surely this is a flower of the gods. Someone was watching over me this day," she said, moving grateful eyes to the star-scattered sky. It was like a black blanket, covered in thousands of glowing diamonds, each one shining especially for her. Reverently, she bowed to the sky and began searching for an exit from the delightful sanctuary. When she reached the spot where she had entered the area before the roses had grown around her, the hedges moved apart and out of her way for her to move through. Wondering eyes sparkled at the miracle as Serenity's feet moved her away from the fountain and its new enclosure. But as she stepped through the doorway and turned back around she found everything disappearing before her eyes. She cried mournfully, wishing that she had not moved from the place.

It finally blinked out of view and Serenity nearly collapsed from despair before realizing that the unknown flower in her hands still remained, not seeming to wilt, but instead growing brighter and more lovely. A sigh of thanks escaped her lips and she turned back towards the palace, certain that she had missed the evening meal and not caring. Moving through the halls quickly and without any followers, Serenity reached her chambers and opened the doors to find her chamber maid pacing back and forth nervously.

"Adrianne, why so worried? Has something happened?" Serenity asked as she shut the doors behind her. Adrianne's head looked up and she squealed, throwing herself in Serenity's direction and kneeling at her feet before raising and hugging her tightly.

"I was so worried about you Princess. I thought the worst," the young girl admitted. "I searched for you everywhere and couldn't find you and thought that maybe a suitor had taken you somewhere and..." Serenity shushed her close friend and servant, placing gentle fingers on her mouth.

"I am alright, Adrianne. I was being pursued by Molgave when I encountered a miracle!" she exclaimed, pulling her friend towards her silk- draped bed, covered by overhanging canopies of white, gold, light blue, and silver. Lifting her robes to sit on the bed and motioning Adrianne to copy, she retold her short story of the events and finally produced the strange flower as proof, it's color and scent filling the room.

"Serenity, you have truly been blessed. Do you know what that is you hold in your hands?" Adrianne asked, excitement in her voice. The princess shook her head, the golden locks swaying with the movement.

"What is it? I have never seen, nor smelled, anything like it. It makes me feel so strangely pleasant, as if it is taking over my being. I do not know what love feels like exactly, but if it was a power, this flower would contain it. Touch it, you will feel the power flow through you," Serenity said, stretching her hands out for her friend to touch it. Adrianne's eyes widened and she scooted back, shaking her head.

"I dare not Serenity. It is a gift from the gods and you should not touch gifts given to others by them. Serenity, that is a rose that you hold in your hand. I heard that there is only one god that favors them above all other flowers, but I cannot remember which. There are so many gods, you know. But it most certainly is the one I am thinking of since, in your story, you spoke of being surrounded by them. I only wish I could remember. It is strange. Perhaps the rose does have power, and it is keeping me from remembering. Do you think that is possible, Serenity?" Adrianne asked, looking at the princess closely. Serenity did not answer. Instead she stood and raised her arms, the rose still in her grasp, before bringing it down to her face and rubbing its softness against her cheek.

"My rose," she whispered lovingly. "My gift from a mysterious god. Oh Adrianne, to meet that god, that deity, I should certainly never find myself lacking again. It was a male god, I know it. And he loves me as much as I love him." Serenity's eyes seemed entranced and dazed, unfocused, as if she was seeing something that wasn't there. A moment passed and she blinked, shook her head and looked at Adrianne, smiling.

"Would you like your evening meal now, princess?" the chamber maid asked, raising from her place on the bed to the door. Serenity nodded and sighed as she left, going back to her bed and crawling up to the pillows, placing her rose in the center of one of them.

"I do not use all of the pillows while I sleep. Surely the rose can stay near me as I sleep. And the smell will give me good dreams, I know it," she whispered to herself. For the next couple of minutes she enjoyed her time alone before Adrianne came back with her dinner. They spoke for a short while and then Serenity went to sleep, trying to imagine the owner of her precious flower.

***

Endymion appeared at the steps to his home, collapsing at the steps and gasping with tears. His friend and servant, the West Wind, flew to his side, worried.

"Master, what has happened? Are you ill? I felt the air shake just a short while ago, enough to knock me off of my course. There is something drastically wrong," he told the young man, gathering him in unseen arms and flying him to his room. As he settled the god onto his bed, he sobbed again.

"It is my doing, my friend. And yes I am ill. But it is the sickness of the heart that pains me, not a physical illness, for I have been pierced by my own arrows," he choked out. A gust of wind flew about the room as West Wind gasped.

"How is that possible? Surely you did not lose your quiver!"

"I was sent on a mission by my mother to destroy a heart," Endy paused, watching his friend reel back in horror. "Only when I found her, she was being chased by a beastly man who was intent on harming her in the vilest ways. I could not allow that and I saved her. But when I saw her, I felt as if my own heart would die by killing such beauty, and her eyes... gods her eyes, my friend! They were like the pools on Olympus, so clear and blue that you could drown in them and not notice. They seemed to reflect the sky itself. I could not bring myself to kill her with those eyes open, so I sent her into a sleep and she fell back. As I caught her though, I fell back to the ground and landed on something that dug into my back like a flaming sword. It seared right through to my heart.

"I had landed on one of my own arrows, as any fool would have done. Earlier, I had been about to use an arrow, but decided against it and replaced it in my quiver, only I put it in the wrong way: point up. When I fell, it came out of the quiver hardly an inch and poisoned me with a love that I can never have, for the woman I was supposed to destroy. It would have been better if I had just died," Endy cried, gripping his sides in agony.

"Why is that, my lord?" West Wind questioned, afraid of the answer.

"Because," Endymion said with suddenly cold eyes, "if I cannot love, then the world will not love."

***

Serenity woke in an undescribable mood. She could feel something, deep down inside of her and all around her. There was a great change that had occurred. The light that streamed into her room through the large open windows lighted everything, but she felt strange to think that the light seemed sad. It was not the bright, happy warmth of the sunlight that it had been anymore. She sat up in bed, her undone hair pooling around her in a sea of gold, and called for Adrianne.

"Adrianne, do you feel as if something is not right? As if the world was suddenly sad?" Serenity asked, crossing her legs as she sat on top of her blankets. Adrianne, who was shaking a sheet out the window laughed and folded up the sheet, holding it in her arms.

"Why would you say that Serenity? It is a beautiful day and you do not seem to have changed with the rest of the world if it was sad, so you must be mistaken. Look outside and see for yourself," Adrianne said, smiling at her mistress and friend. Serenity seemed skeptical for a moment before stepping from the draped confines of her bed before walking to the window and looking out over the world, her hands settling on the edge of the window.

Now she knew there was something wrong. True, it was beautiful outside, as perfect as ever, but there was a distinct note of sadness in the air. The birds were singing, but it was as if they sang a song of mourning, not of joy. And the animals seemed to all hang their heads, feeling the depression in the air. Even the trees seemed to shake as though they were crying. But it was strange because as Serenity looked at the people bustling all around, they seemed not to notice. No one but her knew that the world was weeping.

"I suppose you're right," Serenity lied to Adrianne. Adrianne had not noticed before, and so she would not see it now. Turning away from the depressing sights that were plainly visible, Serenity moved behind her changing screen as Adrianne passed her the clothes she was to wear for the day. Serenity nearly laughed out loud.

Adrianne had chosen the black robes with the gold trimming. They draped over and around her body, fitting her curves though she tried to hide them. She stepped out and sat on the edge of her bed, pulling on her black sandals as Adrianne climbed behind her and began to pull up her hair. As soon as the twin buns and ponytails were finished, Adrianne wove black and gold ribbons through Serenity's hair, small black bows at the top around the buns. She stepped away and quietly gasped. Serenity painted the picture of a dark queen. No wonder she was compared to the gods. She looked like the Queen of the Underworld herself, in the dark beauty she was wrapped in.

Serenity stood and smoothed her robes a little before moving to stand in front of the large polished silver stone that stood, fixed to one of her walls. She felt ready to laugh and cry at the same time. A laugh threatened to send the bells of her voice into the air over the irony of how she was dressed to match the day and a cry was warning her that the tears would not stop once started because of why the world was in mourning today. If everything around her screamed the end of something beautiful, then surely something was drastically wrong. The Fates had even deigned that Serenity dress to match the mood of the world.

Before Serenity could begin to contemplate what everything meant, she turned away from the silver stone and rushed out her chamber doors to go to breakfast, a confused Adrianne looking after her.

***

Breakfast passed without any problems and Serenity left as quickly as she had arrived before stopped sharply by her sisters.

"Hello sister Psyche," Melondra bit out, not wanting to give the pleasure of hearing her real name. "Where are you rushing off to? Don't you know that Mother has a whole room full of suitors waiting for you?" She laughed harshly and her eyes screamed evil.

"We heard that Prince Molgave left yesterday, quite quickly I might add. Did he take you, Psyche? Were you so bad in bed that he would have nothing to do with you and your stupid innocence?" Carmona said, sneering.

"No such thing happened!" Serenity exclaimed, tears budding in her eyes. "I do not know why he left, but it was not because of me!"

"We expected you to say as much. But I personally don't care because you've got plenty more lined up from where Molgave came from," Carmona replied, jealousy glinting dangerously in her eyes. "I wouldn't be surprised if you have given your little body to every man coming to claim you since you came of age and had your first blood!"

"You know that's not true," Serenity sobbed in a whisper. "I would never do such a thing." He head hung down to her chest as the tears fell onto her robes.

"I don't care either way. Come on Carmona, we have better things to do than converse with a harlot," Melondra chanted, taking Carmona's arm and walking down the hall laughing. Serenity looked up, tears blurring her vision.

"Just because you two were married to older, uglier men does not mean you should blame me. I had nothing to do with your lives, just like you have nothing to do with mine!" Serenity whispered vengefully as she turned down the opposite hallway. She nearly ran into two men as she turned around a corner.

"Why, hello Princess Psyche. What are you up to today?" an older man asked, hands tucked into his tunic as his companion stood by his side.

"Not much, Lord Charos. How are you and Lord Macar today?" Serenity asked conversationally, though she wanted to get away.

"We are just strolling through the palace. We have already visited the gardens once this morning. Would you care to join us Princess?" Lord Charos asked, taking a step closer to her.

"I am not sure. I think that perhaps your wives, my sisters, would hate me even more and claim I was trying to steal you from them," Serenity said, trying to joke but meaning every word.

"Nonsense, our girls will be fine without us. Come along Psyche," Lord Macar rushed, taking her arm and trapping her between the two older men. Serenity cringed and a tinge of fear wrapped itself around her. Where were these two taking her? They truly were ugly men, well past her father's age, and gnarled from years in the sun and an excessive amount of oils that had supposed to keep them looking young.

Serenity tried to scream as a hand shot over her mouth and tugged her into a darkened room. No! Serenity thought desperately, tears already flowing down her face. This is the second time in as many days. Gods, don't let them take me!

"Hush now Princess, we're just going to have our fill of you and then let you go," Macar whispered, his tongue reaching out to touch her ear. She wrenched herself away from him but was then pushed against a wall harshly, her breath leaving her lungs from the force of it.

"Now then, we'll have none of that. Charos, you hold her down for me and when I'm done, I'll afford you the same pleasure," Macar told his partner, his hand reaching out and bruisingly grabbing Serenity's body.

"Please..." Serenity begged, as Macar fumbled with her robes. Macar laughed at her.

"Oh, you'll get what you want Princess, you just have to be patient." He turned to Charos, "Anxious little thing, isn't she?" He laughed menacingly and gave up trying to take off the robes, instead reaching his hand up underneath her clothes. Serenity gasped as he grabbed hold of her breast, then raked his hand down across her stomach, traveling lower.

"It's my turn,"Charos commented, his hold on Serenity loosening a bit. "If you do too much, she'll faint and I'll not get any of her."

"Shut up you old badger. I've done nothing more than run my fingers across her sweet, firm little body. I need more," Macar told him, moving his body closer to Serenity so that she could feel his erection. "Do you see what you do to me, little girl? We'll just have to remedy this problem, won't we?"

"Macar, you move away from her and let me take my part in this or I will allow you to become acquainted with my fist. You cannot have her all to yourself!" Charos yelled, letting go of Serenity as he faced Macar, pushing him away from the girl. Serenity tumbled to the floor, her whole body aching painfully, her stomach wanting to rebel.

"It would do you well not to threaten me Charos!" Macar growled, his angry eyes finally moving away from Serenity and to the man blocking him from his pleasure. "I have a private army that the king does not know about."

"As do I, sir," Charos mocked him, pushing him in the chest. "You will let ME take the girl or we shall have more than words," he threatened.

Serenity watched in horror as the two shadows circled each other. She did not care who won because the victor would be more savage than before on her. Crawling silently and quickly to the door, she flung it open and dashed out into the hallway, hearing two shouts after her, but missing the cries of pain that followed shortly.

***

Endymion woke with a start from his bed, sweat running down his face. He felt her fear, her pain and uncontrolled horror racing through his veins. Her face appeared in his minds-eye, twisted and crying, the pain crumbling her. Jumping from his bed, no matter how much he felt like Death, he pulled on his quiver and reached for his bow and he jumped from his bedroom window, racing to save the life that had become half of his soul.

He felt as if his wings had never beat faster in his entire lifetime. The world seemed to spin by quicker than the strike of a serpent. He stopped, hovering above the palace of his love, trying to determine where she was, before going to the spot. He hovered above the roof, seeing through it and into the room. There she stood, as beautiful as ever, pressed against a wall. His eyes focused menacingly on the two men who held her against her will, forcing themselves upon her. Endy's dark blue eyes became midnight black in his anger instantaneously as he drew two arrows from the quiver with deadly deliberation.

One of the men suddenly let go of her and began to push the other away, a fight imminent. He watched as his love coughed, her bruised body convulsing in pain. Quietly, he willed the arrows to become those he thought he'd never use... the Arrows of Death, the very weapon he was to have used on Serenity. Taking silent aim, he watched as Serenity used all of her strength and rushed from the room, the two beasts calling after her before he let the arrows go. Their screaming was music to his ears and he glared at the place where they collapsed, as they fell in love with Death, suffocating in the darkness that quickly overcame them. Never again would they harm her, his Serenity.

Endymion watched with sad eyes as she ran desperately through the halls and out the back end of the palace. He went after her, hovering just above her as she continued to run through the forest, crying with a fervor that wrenched his heart and broke it into pieces as many as the stars. Moving to the ground, he began to approach her as she finally collapsed, her tears falling into a little stream not nearly two feet wide. The heather, thankfully, broke her fall, seeming to cradle her injured body. Endy approached her, unsure of what to do, but knowing he had to ease her pain.

He kneeled down beside her, remaining invisible to her eyes and wrapped his arms around her gently. He was surprised when she leaned into his embrace, wrapping her arms around herself and crying onto the tunic she couldn't see.

She didn't move for nearly an hour, her body shaking and sobbing and throbbing in pain. He remained quiet, simply holding her, comforting her, though she didn't know it.

***

When her breathing had become easier, her pain-clouded eyes opened to bleary slits, taking in the area where she had fallen. She seemed to be curled up, but something was wrapped around her, surrounding her in unbelievable warmth and comfort. Serenity raised her head, turning to look around her. She looked up, unknowingly, into Endy's eyes and he nearly felt faint. The blue that resided in her eyes were something he could never rid his memory of, even if he never remembered anything else ever again. He looked down on her tenderly, sad in the knowledge that she could not see him.

She sighed and moved away from him unsurely, immediately missing the warmth that she had been wrapped in.

"Oh Love," she whispered. Endy looked at her startled, thinking she had discovered him. "I know that you are near, because it must be you who keeps saving me. Sending Molgave away, allowing me to get away from those two... and finally here. Comforting me, easing my fears. Whoever you have in store for me, please let it be the young god who gave me the beautiful rose, whoever it is. I know that I could never feel unsafe again as long as I was with him," Serenity said, sending her prayers and eyes to the sky above her, still a bright blue in the daylight.

***

Endy stumbled backwards as she nearly confessed her love for him. But it was not possible! He could not love a mortal! Before any other love- blinded thoughts came to his mind, he jumped into the air and flew off, not daring to look back to those eyes even once. Once he reached the palace, he stopped and reached for another arrow, willing it to his own invention. Moving over the center of the city, he pulled the arrow back and let it fly to the ground below him, watching as it embedded itself into the ground and disappeared. He smiled. His love would never again have to worry.

***

Serenity felt the warmth leave her completely and almost slumped in despair.
"Will I never be free of these animals who only think of me as some tool for their pleasure? I want to get away!" she screamed, a tear slipping down her cheek. She suddenly looked up, realization dawning in her eyes. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Serenity stood and dusted herself off before taking off deeper into the forest. There was only one way to rid herself of the people who would not stop loving her for the person she wasn't... She had to escape!

***

End of Part 3. Again, I am sincerely sorry for making you wait so long to get this chapter. Unfortunately for this fic, I've been suffering SEVERE writers' block and haven't been able to write anything in a very long while. Hopefully I'll actually get to working on Part 4 before I turn 80.

REVIEW PLEASE!

To all of the lovely reviews that I got, thank you so much!

Sovereign Lily: It wasn't meant to be 'cheap' as you put it. Hope this chapter helped clear up what you were thinking.

SailorPerfect: *digs toes into the ground* Aww, shucks, tweren't nothin'. And by the way, you don't have to stop. *blushes* Getting a review from you was a very large compliment because I read your stuff and love the intensity and the way you write. Your kind words are so appreciated. By the way, please don't die.

leris: It is my intention to continue this fic to the end. I've had a rather large road block in my mind for a while, but it's starting to clear up. I swear I won't leave it unfinished because I personally couldn't bear it. I'd be a hypocrite since I hate unfinished fics too. I'm glad that I'm not cliche and it was nice to know I took your breath away. You can have it back now. *laughs*

Penny: Angel of Darkest Dreams: Thank you for reviewing once again. Thanks for the kind words.

Again, in case I haven't said it enough, please review. See, I'm even polite about it. Email would be cool if you can find the time for it, too.

Atlantis *^_^*