Hi everyone! I am soooo sorry for not posting sooner (swerving to avoid angry mob of readers.) This summer was craziness and I didn't have as much time to devote to my lovely story as I would have liked. Now that I am back at college, my time is virtually non-existent, but I WILL finish this story if it kills me! Please review and let me know how you like/don't like, whatever!
Disclaimer: As much as I would wish, the characters of Sailor Moon do not belong to me.
Chapter 6
I can see the lights in the distance
Trembling in the dark cloak of night
Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing
A waltz on, on All Souls Night
Serenity fitfully awoke to the heated shine of the noonday sun on her face. Her tossing and turning had left the sheets twisted around pale legs, and the purple kiss of sleeplessness tinged her eyes.
For a few blissful seconds she forgot the tempestuous events of the previous night. But HE would not deign to be forgotten and Serenity groaned in despair as it all came rushing back in waves of emotional chaos.
Burrowing her head pack into the goose-feather pillow, she tightly closed her eyes and futilely willed her mind to blank. Fate just laughed mercilessly.
'What have I done?' Serenity asked herself miserably. After everything that had happened, she felt she deserved a few minutes of self-pity. In a few short hours she had successfully brought her planet to the brink of diplomatic chaos and managed to render them entirely defenseless.
All because of . . .because of *him*.
'Be fair, it wasn't all his fault,' some obscure part of her conscious tried to inject into her wallowing. Maybe not, but if it wasn't for him . . .
'If it wasn't for him Serenity, you would never have known love. If it wasn't for him, you would never have known heartbreak.'
She had thought she just wanted to escape the role thrust upon her almost a year ago, that she just wanted to experience the brief freedom of anonymity. But now, oh now she knew that HE had been drawing her all along. The wild and wicked Prince of Earth, rumored to leave trails of broken hearts and heads wherever he went.
The wild and wicked Prince of Earth who had not been so very wild or wicked after all. Serenity tried to remember the elusive scent that had clung to his skin as he held her hand and spoke to her as if she were the only thing that mattered in his life. Goddess, that had been the most magical night of her entire life!
A smile flitted over her face, and Serenity rolled over and gazed at the ceiling, her eyes mesmerized by the swirling design. It had been too good to be true, and now she had to pay for the price of her rebelliousness.
So many marks against her, this recently proclaimed Queen of the Moon Kingdom. Fraternizing with the "enemy" (well, an ally some of the time), illegal use of the Gingzhouso, failure to properly secure the area of use, and finally, horror of horrors- misplacement of the fabled Gingzhouso, Imperium Crystal of the royal line of the Moon.
She must have lost it in the grass. Could it have fallen off on one of the paths? Serenity jumped up and out of bed, determined to head out right away and look for it. If she didn't get it back and it fell into the wrong hands . . .Serenity shuddered as she washed her face. She didn't even want to think about it.
Dressing was interrupted by an impatient knock on the door. Suddenly the door burst open and her guard poured in like water through a broken dam, a cacophony of "Good mornings" and "Where in the Goddess's name were you last night?"
Serenity smiled cheerfully, well as cheerful as anyone can be in her situation. "Good morning minna. Did the banquet last night go well?"
Rei glared at Serenity's suspiciously innocent tone and Makoto grinned as Minako burst into a fit of giggles. Ami clucked her tongue, but gave Serenity an inquiring glance of her own.
"It was very nice, but you must know that everyone was asking for you. Even the Dowager Queen of Earth came with an envoy to welcome you to Earth." Rei answered sternly. Her princess should have been there. It had been very awkward explaining her absence, especially to the Queen.
"That's nice," Serenity remarked absently. 'Thank the Goddess I didn't go,' she thought, 'I probably would have screamed of boredom after only a few minutes.'
"So tell us Sere," Minako prompted impatiently, her body reclining on the unkempt bed as her eyes twinkled impishly, "How was it?"
"How was what?" Makoto immediately demanded. She had thought Serenity had just wanted to be alone in her room last night.
"All Souls Night silly. In the hills. With the *villagers*" Minako answered dramatically, rolling her eyes and gasping in fake horror.
"You went to the hills *alone*? Unprotected amongst people who could have killed you just for yawning?!!!" Rei quipped angrily, hiding her worry. Serenity could have been murdered and they weren't even there!
"Don't exaggerate Rei, they were nice people," Serenity shot back, her voice rife with irritation. It was no secret that things were tense between Earth and the Moon Kingdom, but the people of Earth weren't murdering monsters.
"We're just worried Sere. If someone had discovered your identity last night and decided you were worth more dead than alive. . ." Makoto shivered with distate. It was too horrific to imagine.
Serenity gazed at her senshi with fond exasperation. Sometimes they treated her like she was made of fragile glass, despite the fact that she could fight and wield magic almost as well as they could.
"Well as you can see I am not lying dead in some ditch. I am here in one piece and I had a wonderful time, so can you guys just relax?"
Ami was the first to notice that the tense lines normally furrowed in Serenity's forehead were smoothed away. Purple shadows of fatigue had disappeared from under her eyes and her expression was relaxed. And was their princess *glowing*?
"Sere, you like, um . . . different. What exactly did you *do* last night?" Minako asked playfully.
Serenity couldn't hide the blush that tinged her normally pale cheeks, but when she reached up to touch her necklace in an unconscious gesture of embarrassment, her hands touched air.
Giving a stifled cry, Serenity suddenly remembered the horror of discovering her necklace missing. And with it the Gingzhouso.
"What's wrong Princess?" Makoto had never seen Serenity display such intense mood swings. A moment before smiling happily, Serenity now looked like she was ready to cry.
Burying her face in her hands, Serenity mumbled, "I lost my crystal." Not a crystal, *her* crystal. She couldn't bare to see the looks on their faces when they realized her incompetence and stupidity.
After a moment of complete silence, Serenity peeked through her fingers and saw the dazed, shocked, and confused expressions on her senshi's faces. Admirably recovering her composure, Minako simply asked "How?" How indeed.
Drawing in a shaky breath, Serenity slid of the bed and walked to the open windows, her body turned from the group. In a quiet, flat voice she recounted the events of All Souls Night, omitting any mention of Endymion and his near death experience or her role in his continued existence.
"And when I returned here, the crystal was no longer around my neck. I can only assume that the clasp must have broken and that it fell off without my noticing." Serenity concluded. She could imagine them wondering why she had been so easily distracted.
Her senshi were her best friends, her almost sisters. But she could not tell them about Endymion. The wound in her heart was still too new, too raw. It was taking every ounce of willpower to keep from collapsing onto the floor and bursting into tears. Just a year ago she would have done just that- sobbed and asked her senshi for help. But that was before . . .before everything. A queen's illness and a nation's instability had altered her life forever.
Forcibly shoving thoughts of Endymion aside, Serenity turned and began pacing the room, her face set determinedly.
"I don't have much more time here, so we have to move quickly. Ami, you and Mako head to that center group of hills and comb the area where the festival was last night. With any luck it's lying on the grass somewhere. Oh, and especially check the east bank of the river."
Her voice full of purpose and optimism, Serenity continued delegating, saying "Rei, I need you to check all the servants stairwells and the kitchens. I don't remember which one I came up in, but the necklace may be in this castle. Also question all the servants you can find." Rei bowed slightly, startled at the decisive maturity and control her Princess was exhibiting.
"Minako, you and I are going to head into the village and inquire discreetly as to how to sell or purchase jewelry. With any luck someone found it and sold it already to some merchant."
Turning to finally face her senshi, Serenity burst out laughing at the confused but respectful looks on their faces. Apparently they were surprised at the lack of hysterics.
Laughing themselves at the amazing changes in their Princess, Ami and Makoto left to begin their search for the missing Gingzhouso. Rei and Minako left soon after, leaving Serenity alone to get dressed.
Ringing for a maid, Serenity gave a deep sigh of relief. The crystal would be found and she wouldn't have to explain why she needed to prolong her vacation to a rival country rife with inner turmoil. Or why she could not protect her kingdom because she had lost their only means of defense. Or why Earth's Prince was so incredibly attractive . . .
'Whoa there girl,' Serenity reprimanded herself. This ridiculous moon-sick behavior had to stop. She would get over Endymion. Yes, she would. No really, she would.
'Who am I kidding?' Serenity thought miserably as she entered the warm bath her maid had prepared.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, a crabby Prince of Earth paced the halls outside of his mother's suite, impatiently waiting for her to finish her morning toilette.
When a handmaid opened the door to retrieve more towels, Endymion took the opportunity to slip inside the main room.
"Mother?" Endymion called as he walked toward her private chamber. At the sound of his voice, a great scurrying could be heard as a flow of women left the Queen's private chamber, giving their Prince time alone with his mother.
The Dowager Queen of Earth reclined on her divan and awaited her first-born son, a mixture of joy and annoyance on her face.
Before Endymion could utter a word, the Queen burst out, "Where were you last night?" At Endymion's look of surprise, his mother sat up and shook her head dramatically.
"You know I usually put up with your odd disappearances and carousing in the countryside, but you *knew* how important the All Souls Night banquet was to me, especially with our guests from the Moon and-"
"WHAT?!" Endymion turned abruptly and strode over to the Queen. "Did you just say guests from the *Moon*? As in the Moon Kingdom?" The disbelief and incredulity in his voice was palpable.
"Well, yes," The Queen continued blithely, "The Princess of the Moon and a few members of her court are here for a few days. I spoke to one of her guard, a charming young woman who commented on the Princess's desire to relax a bit. Can you imagine her choosing our Earth for her vacation?"
Endymion most certainly could not imagine anything of the sort. Earth and the Moon Kingdom may have co-signed an important trade agreement, but the truth was there was no love lost between the two kingdoms. They had only been uneasy allies for ten years or so, and it was mostly in terms of creating cross-kingdom trade and commerce. Ideologically, their differences were vast, and there were people on both sides who would prefer to see communication permanently severed between the two kingdoms. Old wounds were slow to heal, and no one could seem to forget the old Lunar-Terran Wars.
"Where is the Moon retinue staying?" Endymion asked suddenly. He needed Kunzite to investigate the Moon Princess's presence on his planet immediately.
The Queen cocked her head for a moment and then clapped her hands in delight, saying "I do believe they are staying at the Moon Ambassador's castle. Yes, yes that was what that charming girl told me and-"
The Queen continued talking, unaware that her son was no longer listening. Endymion wandered over the balcony overlooking the rose garden, his brow furrowed in thought. Why would the Moon Princess choose Earth of all places in the galaxy? Especially when relations between Earth and the Moon were so strained?
Years of foiling political intrigue forced Endymion to look for an ulterior, more sinister motive. He needed a way to verify that the Princess was indeed simply "vacationing" on his planet for a few days.
". . . and so I think you should do your duty for a change and host a ball in her honor." The Queen looked at her son expectantly and smirked at the baffled expression on his face. "Endymion? Endymion!"
"What was that Mother?" Endymion asked, turning back to face her and masking his annoyance at having his thoughts interrupted.
"I said, I think you should do your duty and throw a ball in the Princess's honor. I don't believe a prince or princess of the Moon has stepped foot on this planet for 400 years!"
At Endymion's unenthusiastic look, the Queen turned obstinate. Standing to her full height, all 5' 1'' of her quivered as she wagged a finger at her delinquent son.
"Endymion," she said through clenched teeth, her face red with irritation, "if you do not at least recognize the Princess's presence properly, I will throw you over my knee and spank you!"
With that, she huffed back onto her divan and raised her nose in the air. Endymion had to stifle a laugh at the site of his mother red-faced with indignation, but he had to concede that she had a point. If he didn't at least do something, the Moon Princess might feel affronted and then relations would just get even worse.
"You're right of course Mother," Endymion said tiredly, "I leave you in charge of all preparations."
Leaving his mother squealing in delight and yelling for her handmaids, Endymion set the ball firmly in the back of his mind and let his mind wander *again* to the crystal necklace he wore hidden under his armor.
He had hoped wearing the trinket would spark some memory or just make his feel closer to *her*, but so far all he felt was the chill of the chain along the back of his neck. And a longing so intense it made his soul ache.
* * * *
"You are not fooling anyone Serenity!" A teasing Minako shouted a few hours later. Struggling to be heard amidst the hustle and bustle of the open market, Minako poked Serenity in the ribs and winked broadly.
Serenity stifled a giggle at Minako's strange antics and pretended to not understand what she was talking about.
As they passed a young woman selling woven baskets, Minako tried again, raising her voice even more. "Do you honestly think I wouldn't notice, what with that sparkle in your eyes and that secretive smile that says you've been kissed senseless!"
"Minako!" Serenity gasped in mock outrage and then quickly smiled reassuringly at the two gentlemen following behind them. She had tried to explain to Mina's cousin, the Ambassador to Earth, that she didn't need bodyguards, but he had insisted.
"Could you kindly not shout to the world that I've been kissed!" Serenity hissed, annoyed at the blush scalding her own cheek.
"I knew you met someone last night, I just knew it!" Minako clapped her hands in triumph and immediately pounced like a cat that had just had a mouse dangled in front of its very nose.
"What did he look like? Did you dance? How many times did he kiss you? Did *you* kiss him? Tell me everything!"
This was the very thing Serenity had been afraid of. Struggling silently to keep from screaming at the unfairness of it all, Serenity motioned vaguely at some vendors. "Minako, we really need to be looking for my crystal here. I'll tell you all about it later, okay?" Turning abruptly, Serenity made her way to a table with necklaces and bracelets.
Leaving Minako to catch up, Serenity hurried forward but halted in frustration at the glare of gold, gold, and more gold. No sign of crystal or silver anywhere.
The merchant, sensing the golden-haired noblewoman's disappointment in his wares, murmured placatingly, "What is it you require, my lady? Perhaps I can be of some service."
Serenity looked up and made her expression especially limpid and helpless, replying breathlessly, "I simply *adore* crystals and I was hoping to purchase one on a silver chain." As Minako walked up, Serenity shook her head to indicate silence, and turned back to the merchant.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, gazing at the two blonde beauties before him. With any luck, his friend could make a fortune today on the two lovelies and give him a share of the profits over a tankard of ale.
"Well my lady, I think I may know where you could purchase such a trinket as would add even more brilliance to my lady's beauty," he began slowly, a flirtatious gleam in his eye. Minako smiled back prettily, but Serenity just stared back, her eyes large and mesmerizing.
"Yes, well," the merchant continued, slightly unsettled by the smaller one's eyes, "he specializes in crystals of all shapes, sizes, and colors. He can be found down the road, in the last village before the Palace."
"Thank you," Serenity smiled briefly and turned away, her brow furrowed in thought. The odds of Endymion seeing her in the village market were next to none, but Fate seemed to find the predicament amusing and might just send them running into each other again. And Serenity knew with a bone-deep certainty that Endymion would never let her run away again.
As they walked along the paths, Serenity became painfully aware of the looks they were receiving from other people. They did stand out rather dramatically- two young blonde women, obviously wealthy nobles from their dress and their escorts, but just as obviously not from Earth.
When they reached the village, the loud whispers did not abate. If anything, it just got worse. Merchants openly gawked at Serenity's silver-blonde hair and Mina's thin wispy dress, fashionable on the Moon but unheard of to the common people of Earth.
And then they were besieged, as merchants vied to get their wares noticed by the rich foreign beauties. Serenity flushed at their obvious obsequious behavior, but refused politely the chances to examine a shawl of indigo silk or a two hundred year old pearl vase.
Casting Mina a helpless look, Serenity's gaze caught on a man wearing a large, oddly shaped hat. And more importantly, the sunlight cast a bright shine from the hints of silver on the table in front of him.
Catching Minako's eyes and motioning subtly toward the man, Serenity abruptly stopped walking and let the crowd surge past her. She could hear Minako exclaiming over a "simply divine" pearl-encrusted fan. Waiting for the escorts' attention to focus on the blonde princess of Venus, Serenity ducked into the crowd and pushed her way out of the swell. She only had a few minutes before her bodyguards would notice her absence and she had to get to that vendor unnoticed.
Approaching the table casually, Serenity affected an air of disinterested, disdainful boredom. She didn't want to stand out from any other spoiled rich girl who probably patronized his booth.
Her eyes quickly scanned the items draped attractively across the tables. Necklaces of the finest silver, chokers, loops, and bracelets glowed in the sunlight. Rubies and emeralds, opals and sapphires sparkled flirtatiously in the sun's caress. Crystals sparkled on necklaces and pendants. The wealth laid bare before her was dazzling to the eyes and to the senses, but . . .
But *it* was not there. Crystals of all shapes and sizes enticed the onlooker, but the one that held the fate of Serenity and the entire Moon Kingdom was not there!
Clamping down on her rising panic, Serenity schooled her features, but not before the man caught a hint of her desperation.
"May I be of some assistance, my lady?" He inquired quietly, his tone neither toadying nor mocking. Serenity wondered at his thoughts, as his clear brown eyes revealed absolutely nothing.
Pasting a false smile to her face, Serenity laughed forcefully, saying, "Oh, well, you see I just love crystals and I was looking for a large one to wear for . . .for tomorrow's ball." Serenity winced internally at the obvious lie, but continued to smile bravely and even batted her eyelashes. He probably thought she was an empty-headed moron.
Motioning towards the bejeweled piles, the merchant asked curiously, "And nothing here tickles your fancy, my lady? How about this lovely pendant here, or perhaps that necklace?"
Now came the tricky part. Serenity affected an air of confusion and shook her head slowly. "No, I am definitely looking for a necklace, but the shape of the crystal is all wrong." Blushing under his steady gaze, she hurriedly added, "Not that your crystals are ugly. On the contrary, this is some of the most beautiful jewelry I have ever seen. But you see, I am looking for a special crystal and it's not. . . you just don't . . . umm, well I will know it when I see it." Serenity finished lamely, convinced she had just lowered the estimation of the entire female population in this man's eyes.
Looking at her keenly, the merchant pondered the absurdity a moment before deciding to humor her.
"Well, my lady, I will be receiving a few new pieces tomorrow, if you would like to return tomorrow."
"Will they be crystal necklaces?" Serenity asked hopefully, trying to hide her desperation. She only had a few more days.
"I can't promise your ladyship as to the exact amount of crystal necklaces, but there ought to be a few." He responded, confidant she would return.
Suddenly a hand grabbed at Serenity's arm and she gasped before turning to see one of her exasperated guards.
"Why did you disappear like that, Your Highness? You must not leave without one of us again, for Your Highness's safety of course." The guards whispered furtively and glanced around cautiously.
Serenity flushed at the rebuke, but smiled sunnily at the merchant and thanked him for his help. The merchant was so enchanted with her smile that he missed the reference to her elevated status of "Highness."
Guiding her back to Minako, who by this time had managed not only to buy the pearl-encrusted fan but also a pair of orange dancing slippers and a red silk hair bow.
"Everything all right Princess?" Minako asked, her eyes asking another question all together. When Serenity shook her head in the negative, Minako cast her a sympathetic glance and immediately started chatting about Earth's latest fashions.
Serenity appreciated Mina's attempt to take her mind of the recent disappointment, but as they left the market she prayed that the others were having better luck than she was.
Serenity failed to notice the excited whispers that accompanied two young men entering the market. Jadeite and Nephrite, two men made popular by their looks and position in court, cut a swathe through the crowds and caused many wistful looks on girls' faces. Anyone paying attention would have seen the two men stopping at each stall to examine the goods and make casual conversation with the different merchants and vendors.
Serenity failed to notice Jadeite approach the merchant wearing the oddly shaped hat. And so she missed seeing the merchant wave his hands excitedly and mention a noblewoman's considerable interest in his crystal necklaces. A noblewoman with hair so blonde it appeared like silver.
Nephrite cocked his eyebrow and looked at Jadeite. Turning, they thanked the merchant for his time and left the market quickly.
* * * *
As the milky twilight softened the edges of time and space, a rider approached the courtyard of the Moon Ambassador's small castle bearing a message. Casually whipping his long blonde ponytail behind him, the messenger smiled charmingly at the blue-haired member of the Moon Princess's court and hand-delivered an elegantly rolled invitation.
The invitation lay forgotten on the bed as the horrified eyes of the Moon Princess read over a message recently transmitted from her Moon Council. There had been a series of explosions on several prominent Terran trade ships returning to Earth, and some important political figures had been killed. The Council suspected a terrorist group made up of Moon rebels intent on sabotaging Lunar-Terran Relations. The Council mandated that the Ruler Pro Tempore of the Moon Kingdom take one of two courses of action.
Her hands shaking with fear and confusion, Serenity read how she could either return to the Moon and prepare for a new cycle of Lunar-Terran wars or, *gulp*, forge an alliance with Earth. The Council suggested an alliance of the connubial kind in light of the severity of the crisis.
Oh Goddess. She had to find that necklace.
Disclaimer: As much as I would wish, the characters of Sailor Moon do not belong to me.
Chapter 6
I can see the lights in the distance
Trembling in the dark cloak of night
Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing
A waltz on, on All Souls Night
Serenity fitfully awoke to the heated shine of the noonday sun on her face. Her tossing and turning had left the sheets twisted around pale legs, and the purple kiss of sleeplessness tinged her eyes.
For a few blissful seconds she forgot the tempestuous events of the previous night. But HE would not deign to be forgotten and Serenity groaned in despair as it all came rushing back in waves of emotional chaos.
Burrowing her head pack into the goose-feather pillow, she tightly closed her eyes and futilely willed her mind to blank. Fate just laughed mercilessly.
'What have I done?' Serenity asked herself miserably. After everything that had happened, she felt she deserved a few minutes of self-pity. In a few short hours she had successfully brought her planet to the brink of diplomatic chaos and managed to render them entirely defenseless.
All because of . . .because of *him*.
'Be fair, it wasn't all his fault,' some obscure part of her conscious tried to inject into her wallowing. Maybe not, but if it wasn't for him . . .
'If it wasn't for him Serenity, you would never have known love. If it wasn't for him, you would never have known heartbreak.'
She had thought she just wanted to escape the role thrust upon her almost a year ago, that she just wanted to experience the brief freedom of anonymity. But now, oh now she knew that HE had been drawing her all along. The wild and wicked Prince of Earth, rumored to leave trails of broken hearts and heads wherever he went.
The wild and wicked Prince of Earth who had not been so very wild or wicked after all. Serenity tried to remember the elusive scent that had clung to his skin as he held her hand and spoke to her as if she were the only thing that mattered in his life. Goddess, that had been the most magical night of her entire life!
A smile flitted over her face, and Serenity rolled over and gazed at the ceiling, her eyes mesmerized by the swirling design. It had been too good to be true, and now she had to pay for the price of her rebelliousness.
So many marks against her, this recently proclaimed Queen of the Moon Kingdom. Fraternizing with the "enemy" (well, an ally some of the time), illegal use of the Gingzhouso, failure to properly secure the area of use, and finally, horror of horrors- misplacement of the fabled Gingzhouso, Imperium Crystal of the royal line of the Moon.
She must have lost it in the grass. Could it have fallen off on one of the paths? Serenity jumped up and out of bed, determined to head out right away and look for it. If she didn't get it back and it fell into the wrong hands . . .Serenity shuddered as she washed her face. She didn't even want to think about it.
Dressing was interrupted by an impatient knock on the door. Suddenly the door burst open and her guard poured in like water through a broken dam, a cacophony of "Good mornings" and "Where in the Goddess's name were you last night?"
Serenity smiled cheerfully, well as cheerful as anyone can be in her situation. "Good morning minna. Did the banquet last night go well?"
Rei glared at Serenity's suspiciously innocent tone and Makoto grinned as Minako burst into a fit of giggles. Ami clucked her tongue, but gave Serenity an inquiring glance of her own.
"It was very nice, but you must know that everyone was asking for you. Even the Dowager Queen of Earth came with an envoy to welcome you to Earth." Rei answered sternly. Her princess should have been there. It had been very awkward explaining her absence, especially to the Queen.
"That's nice," Serenity remarked absently. 'Thank the Goddess I didn't go,' she thought, 'I probably would have screamed of boredom after only a few minutes.'
"So tell us Sere," Minako prompted impatiently, her body reclining on the unkempt bed as her eyes twinkled impishly, "How was it?"
"How was what?" Makoto immediately demanded. She had thought Serenity had just wanted to be alone in her room last night.
"All Souls Night silly. In the hills. With the *villagers*" Minako answered dramatically, rolling her eyes and gasping in fake horror.
"You went to the hills *alone*? Unprotected amongst people who could have killed you just for yawning?!!!" Rei quipped angrily, hiding her worry. Serenity could have been murdered and they weren't even there!
"Don't exaggerate Rei, they were nice people," Serenity shot back, her voice rife with irritation. It was no secret that things were tense between Earth and the Moon Kingdom, but the people of Earth weren't murdering monsters.
"We're just worried Sere. If someone had discovered your identity last night and decided you were worth more dead than alive. . ." Makoto shivered with distate. It was too horrific to imagine.
Serenity gazed at her senshi with fond exasperation. Sometimes they treated her like she was made of fragile glass, despite the fact that she could fight and wield magic almost as well as they could.
"Well as you can see I am not lying dead in some ditch. I am here in one piece and I had a wonderful time, so can you guys just relax?"
Ami was the first to notice that the tense lines normally furrowed in Serenity's forehead were smoothed away. Purple shadows of fatigue had disappeared from under her eyes and her expression was relaxed. And was their princess *glowing*?
"Sere, you like, um . . . different. What exactly did you *do* last night?" Minako asked playfully.
Serenity couldn't hide the blush that tinged her normally pale cheeks, but when she reached up to touch her necklace in an unconscious gesture of embarrassment, her hands touched air.
Giving a stifled cry, Serenity suddenly remembered the horror of discovering her necklace missing. And with it the Gingzhouso.
"What's wrong Princess?" Makoto had never seen Serenity display such intense mood swings. A moment before smiling happily, Serenity now looked like she was ready to cry.
Burying her face in her hands, Serenity mumbled, "I lost my crystal." Not a crystal, *her* crystal. She couldn't bare to see the looks on their faces when they realized her incompetence and stupidity.
After a moment of complete silence, Serenity peeked through her fingers and saw the dazed, shocked, and confused expressions on her senshi's faces. Admirably recovering her composure, Minako simply asked "How?" How indeed.
Drawing in a shaky breath, Serenity slid of the bed and walked to the open windows, her body turned from the group. In a quiet, flat voice she recounted the events of All Souls Night, omitting any mention of Endymion and his near death experience or her role in his continued existence.
"And when I returned here, the crystal was no longer around my neck. I can only assume that the clasp must have broken and that it fell off without my noticing." Serenity concluded. She could imagine them wondering why she had been so easily distracted.
Her senshi were her best friends, her almost sisters. But she could not tell them about Endymion. The wound in her heart was still too new, too raw. It was taking every ounce of willpower to keep from collapsing onto the floor and bursting into tears. Just a year ago she would have done just that- sobbed and asked her senshi for help. But that was before . . .before everything. A queen's illness and a nation's instability had altered her life forever.
Forcibly shoving thoughts of Endymion aside, Serenity turned and began pacing the room, her face set determinedly.
"I don't have much more time here, so we have to move quickly. Ami, you and Mako head to that center group of hills and comb the area where the festival was last night. With any luck it's lying on the grass somewhere. Oh, and especially check the east bank of the river."
Her voice full of purpose and optimism, Serenity continued delegating, saying "Rei, I need you to check all the servants stairwells and the kitchens. I don't remember which one I came up in, but the necklace may be in this castle. Also question all the servants you can find." Rei bowed slightly, startled at the decisive maturity and control her Princess was exhibiting.
"Minako, you and I are going to head into the village and inquire discreetly as to how to sell or purchase jewelry. With any luck someone found it and sold it already to some merchant."
Turning to finally face her senshi, Serenity burst out laughing at the confused but respectful looks on their faces. Apparently they were surprised at the lack of hysterics.
Laughing themselves at the amazing changes in their Princess, Ami and Makoto left to begin their search for the missing Gingzhouso. Rei and Minako left soon after, leaving Serenity alone to get dressed.
Ringing for a maid, Serenity gave a deep sigh of relief. The crystal would be found and she wouldn't have to explain why she needed to prolong her vacation to a rival country rife with inner turmoil. Or why she could not protect her kingdom because she had lost their only means of defense. Or why Earth's Prince was so incredibly attractive . . .
'Whoa there girl,' Serenity reprimanded herself. This ridiculous moon-sick behavior had to stop. She would get over Endymion. Yes, she would. No really, she would.
'Who am I kidding?' Serenity thought miserably as she entered the warm bath her maid had prepared.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, a crabby Prince of Earth paced the halls outside of his mother's suite, impatiently waiting for her to finish her morning toilette.
When a handmaid opened the door to retrieve more towels, Endymion took the opportunity to slip inside the main room.
"Mother?" Endymion called as he walked toward her private chamber. At the sound of his voice, a great scurrying could be heard as a flow of women left the Queen's private chamber, giving their Prince time alone with his mother.
The Dowager Queen of Earth reclined on her divan and awaited her first-born son, a mixture of joy and annoyance on her face.
Before Endymion could utter a word, the Queen burst out, "Where were you last night?" At Endymion's look of surprise, his mother sat up and shook her head dramatically.
"You know I usually put up with your odd disappearances and carousing in the countryside, but you *knew* how important the All Souls Night banquet was to me, especially with our guests from the Moon and-"
"WHAT?!" Endymion turned abruptly and strode over to the Queen. "Did you just say guests from the *Moon*? As in the Moon Kingdom?" The disbelief and incredulity in his voice was palpable.
"Well, yes," The Queen continued blithely, "The Princess of the Moon and a few members of her court are here for a few days. I spoke to one of her guard, a charming young woman who commented on the Princess's desire to relax a bit. Can you imagine her choosing our Earth for her vacation?"
Endymion most certainly could not imagine anything of the sort. Earth and the Moon Kingdom may have co-signed an important trade agreement, but the truth was there was no love lost between the two kingdoms. They had only been uneasy allies for ten years or so, and it was mostly in terms of creating cross-kingdom trade and commerce. Ideologically, their differences were vast, and there were people on both sides who would prefer to see communication permanently severed between the two kingdoms. Old wounds were slow to heal, and no one could seem to forget the old Lunar-Terran Wars.
"Where is the Moon retinue staying?" Endymion asked suddenly. He needed Kunzite to investigate the Moon Princess's presence on his planet immediately.
The Queen cocked her head for a moment and then clapped her hands in delight, saying "I do believe they are staying at the Moon Ambassador's castle. Yes, yes that was what that charming girl told me and-"
The Queen continued talking, unaware that her son was no longer listening. Endymion wandered over the balcony overlooking the rose garden, his brow furrowed in thought. Why would the Moon Princess choose Earth of all places in the galaxy? Especially when relations between Earth and the Moon were so strained?
Years of foiling political intrigue forced Endymion to look for an ulterior, more sinister motive. He needed a way to verify that the Princess was indeed simply "vacationing" on his planet for a few days.
". . . and so I think you should do your duty for a change and host a ball in her honor." The Queen looked at her son expectantly and smirked at the baffled expression on his face. "Endymion? Endymion!"
"What was that Mother?" Endymion asked, turning back to face her and masking his annoyance at having his thoughts interrupted.
"I said, I think you should do your duty and throw a ball in the Princess's honor. I don't believe a prince or princess of the Moon has stepped foot on this planet for 400 years!"
At Endymion's unenthusiastic look, the Queen turned obstinate. Standing to her full height, all 5' 1'' of her quivered as she wagged a finger at her delinquent son.
"Endymion," she said through clenched teeth, her face red with irritation, "if you do not at least recognize the Princess's presence properly, I will throw you over my knee and spank you!"
With that, she huffed back onto her divan and raised her nose in the air. Endymion had to stifle a laugh at the site of his mother red-faced with indignation, but he had to concede that she had a point. If he didn't at least do something, the Moon Princess might feel affronted and then relations would just get even worse.
"You're right of course Mother," Endymion said tiredly, "I leave you in charge of all preparations."
Leaving his mother squealing in delight and yelling for her handmaids, Endymion set the ball firmly in the back of his mind and let his mind wander *again* to the crystal necklace he wore hidden under his armor.
He had hoped wearing the trinket would spark some memory or just make his feel closer to *her*, but so far all he felt was the chill of the chain along the back of his neck. And a longing so intense it made his soul ache.
* * * *
"You are not fooling anyone Serenity!" A teasing Minako shouted a few hours later. Struggling to be heard amidst the hustle and bustle of the open market, Minako poked Serenity in the ribs and winked broadly.
Serenity stifled a giggle at Minako's strange antics and pretended to not understand what she was talking about.
As they passed a young woman selling woven baskets, Minako tried again, raising her voice even more. "Do you honestly think I wouldn't notice, what with that sparkle in your eyes and that secretive smile that says you've been kissed senseless!"
"Minako!" Serenity gasped in mock outrage and then quickly smiled reassuringly at the two gentlemen following behind them. She had tried to explain to Mina's cousin, the Ambassador to Earth, that she didn't need bodyguards, but he had insisted.
"Could you kindly not shout to the world that I've been kissed!" Serenity hissed, annoyed at the blush scalding her own cheek.
"I knew you met someone last night, I just knew it!" Minako clapped her hands in triumph and immediately pounced like a cat that had just had a mouse dangled in front of its very nose.
"What did he look like? Did you dance? How many times did he kiss you? Did *you* kiss him? Tell me everything!"
This was the very thing Serenity had been afraid of. Struggling silently to keep from screaming at the unfairness of it all, Serenity motioned vaguely at some vendors. "Minako, we really need to be looking for my crystal here. I'll tell you all about it later, okay?" Turning abruptly, Serenity made her way to a table with necklaces and bracelets.
Leaving Minako to catch up, Serenity hurried forward but halted in frustration at the glare of gold, gold, and more gold. No sign of crystal or silver anywhere.
The merchant, sensing the golden-haired noblewoman's disappointment in his wares, murmured placatingly, "What is it you require, my lady? Perhaps I can be of some service."
Serenity looked up and made her expression especially limpid and helpless, replying breathlessly, "I simply *adore* crystals and I was hoping to purchase one on a silver chain." As Minako walked up, Serenity shook her head to indicate silence, and turned back to the merchant.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, gazing at the two blonde beauties before him. With any luck, his friend could make a fortune today on the two lovelies and give him a share of the profits over a tankard of ale.
"Well my lady, I think I may know where you could purchase such a trinket as would add even more brilliance to my lady's beauty," he began slowly, a flirtatious gleam in his eye. Minako smiled back prettily, but Serenity just stared back, her eyes large and mesmerizing.
"Yes, well," the merchant continued, slightly unsettled by the smaller one's eyes, "he specializes in crystals of all shapes, sizes, and colors. He can be found down the road, in the last village before the Palace."
"Thank you," Serenity smiled briefly and turned away, her brow furrowed in thought. The odds of Endymion seeing her in the village market were next to none, but Fate seemed to find the predicament amusing and might just send them running into each other again. And Serenity knew with a bone-deep certainty that Endymion would never let her run away again.
As they walked along the paths, Serenity became painfully aware of the looks they were receiving from other people. They did stand out rather dramatically- two young blonde women, obviously wealthy nobles from their dress and their escorts, but just as obviously not from Earth.
When they reached the village, the loud whispers did not abate. If anything, it just got worse. Merchants openly gawked at Serenity's silver-blonde hair and Mina's thin wispy dress, fashionable on the Moon but unheard of to the common people of Earth.
And then they were besieged, as merchants vied to get their wares noticed by the rich foreign beauties. Serenity flushed at their obvious obsequious behavior, but refused politely the chances to examine a shawl of indigo silk or a two hundred year old pearl vase.
Casting Mina a helpless look, Serenity's gaze caught on a man wearing a large, oddly shaped hat. And more importantly, the sunlight cast a bright shine from the hints of silver on the table in front of him.
Catching Minako's eyes and motioning subtly toward the man, Serenity abruptly stopped walking and let the crowd surge past her. She could hear Minako exclaiming over a "simply divine" pearl-encrusted fan. Waiting for the escorts' attention to focus on the blonde princess of Venus, Serenity ducked into the crowd and pushed her way out of the swell. She only had a few minutes before her bodyguards would notice her absence and she had to get to that vendor unnoticed.
Approaching the table casually, Serenity affected an air of disinterested, disdainful boredom. She didn't want to stand out from any other spoiled rich girl who probably patronized his booth.
Her eyes quickly scanned the items draped attractively across the tables. Necklaces of the finest silver, chokers, loops, and bracelets glowed in the sunlight. Rubies and emeralds, opals and sapphires sparkled flirtatiously in the sun's caress. Crystals sparkled on necklaces and pendants. The wealth laid bare before her was dazzling to the eyes and to the senses, but . . .
But *it* was not there. Crystals of all shapes and sizes enticed the onlooker, but the one that held the fate of Serenity and the entire Moon Kingdom was not there!
Clamping down on her rising panic, Serenity schooled her features, but not before the man caught a hint of her desperation.
"May I be of some assistance, my lady?" He inquired quietly, his tone neither toadying nor mocking. Serenity wondered at his thoughts, as his clear brown eyes revealed absolutely nothing.
Pasting a false smile to her face, Serenity laughed forcefully, saying, "Oh, well, you see I just love crystals and I was looking for a large one to wear for . . .for tomorrow's ball." Serenity winced internally at the obvious lie, but continued to smile bravely and even batted her eyelashes. He probably thought she was an empty-headed moron.
Motioning towards the bejeweled piles, the merchant asked curiously, "And nothing here tickles your fancy, my lady? How about this lovely pendant here, or perhaps that necklace?"
Now came the tricky part. Serenity affected an air of confusion and shook her head slowly. "No, I am definitely looking for a necklace, but the shape of the crystal is all wrong." Blushing under his steady gaze, she hurriedly added, "Not that your crystals are ugly. On the contrary, this is some of the most beautiful jewelry I have ever seen. But you see, I am looking for a special crystal and it's not. . . you just don't . . . umm, well I will know it when I see it." Serenity finished lamely, convinced she had just lowered the estimation of the entire female population in this man's eyes.
Looking at her keenly, the merchant pondered the absurdity a moment before deciding to humor her.
"Well, my lady, I will be receiving a few new pieces tomorrow, if you would like to return tomorrow."
"Will they be crystal necklaces?" Serenity asked hopefully, trying to hide her desperation. She only had a few more days.
"I can't promise your ladyship as to the exact amount of crystal necklaces, but there ought to be a few." He responded, confidant she would return.
Suddenly a hand grabbed at Serenity's arm and she gasped before turning to see one of her exasperated guards.
"Why did you disappear like that, Your Highness? You must not leave without one of us again, for Your Highness's safety of course." The guards whispered furtively and glanced around cautiously.
Serenity flushed at the rebuke, but smiled sunnily at the merchant and thanked him for his help. The merchant was so enchanted with her smile that he missed the reference to her elevated status of "Highness."
Guiding her back to Minako, who by this time had managed not only to buy the pearl-encrusted fan but also a pair of orange dancing slippers and a red silk hair bow.
"Everything all right Princess?" Minako asked, her eyes asking another question all together. When Serenity shook her head in the negative, Minako cast her a sympathetic glance and immediately started chatting about Earth's latest fashions.
Serenity appreciated Mina's attempt to take her mind of the recent disappointment, but as they left the market she prayed that the others were having better luck than she was.
Serenity failed to notice the excited whispers that accompanied two young men entering the market. Jadeite and Nephrite, two men made popular by their looks and position in court, cut a swathe through the crowds and caused many wistful looks on girls' faces. Anyone paying attention would have seen the two men stopping at each stall to examine the goods and make casual conversation with the different merchants and vendors.
Serenity failed to notice Jadeite approach the merchant wearing the oddly shaped hat. And so she missed seeing the merchant wave his hands excitedly and mention a noblewoman's considerable interest in his crystal necklaces. A noblewoman with hair so blonde it appeared like silver.
Nephrite cocked his eyebrow and looked at Jadeite. Turning, they thanked the merchant for his time and left the market quickly.
* * * *
As the milky twilight softened the edges of time and space, a rider approached the courtyard of the Moon Ambassador's small castle bearing a message. Casually whipping his long blonde ponytail behind him, the messenger smiled charmingly at the blue-haired member of the Moon Princess's court and hand-delivered an elegantly rolled invitation.
The invitation lay forgotten on the bed as the horrified eyes of the Moon Princess read over a message recently transmitted from her Moon Council. There had been a series of explosions on several prominent Terran trade ships returning to Earth, and some important political figures had been killed. The Council suspected a terrorist group made up of Moon rebels intent on sabotaging Lunar-Terran Relations. The Council mandated that the Ruler Pro Tempore of the Moon Kingdom take one of two courses of action.
Her hands shaking with fear and confusion, Serenity read how she could either return to the Moon and prepare for a new cycle of Lunar-Terran wars or, *gulp*, forge an alliance with Earth. The Council suggested an alliance of the connubial kind in light of the severity of the crisis.
Oh Goddess. She had to find that necklace.
