Author's Notes: I have an editor!!!! Exciting, ne?? Sorry this is such a
shorty
chapter, but since it was written pretty fast-- :P! Thanks Kyrie!
Another World
Chapter 7
Serena lazily rolled over, still half asleep. She let out a yawn, and enjoyed the warmth of the sun coming through the window. When she opened her eyes, she was slightly surprised to see where she was before she
remembered. She sat up in bed, stretched her arms over her head, and glanced over at the couch.
Endymion was already gone, the blankets apparently folded and put away for another night. She looked around in confusion. What time was it anyways?
At that moment, there was a light tapping at the door. "Come in," Serena called, pulling the blankets up to her chest.
Peggy (AN: the maid, remember??) opened the door and stepped in with a shy smile. "I wasn't sure if you'd be awake yet."
"Do you know what time it is?" Serena asked, glancing over at the couch once more.
This did not go unnoticed by Peggy, who replied, "Nearly eleven o'clock, miss."
Serena bolted out of bed. "What?! Why didn't anyone wake me up!" she cried and raced to her closet. All Peggy saw was a blur rushing past her, and she grinned.
"You seem to be in a better mood than you were yesterday," she teased lightly as Serena quickly shuffled through various dresses in the closet.
She grabbed one at random and turned to Peggy to get help putting it on. "I feel much better, Endymion's been a sweetheart the whole time," she
said with a secretive smile.
Peggy raised her eyebrow and giggled. "Oh, really?"
Serena slipped the light day gown over her head, giggling through the material. "Get your mind out of the gutter young lady!" she joked.
Peggy smiled, and waited for Serena to turn around so she could pass judgment. "Hmm. You look great! Now, for the right shoes and jewelry. . ." Peggy mumbled, wandering over to the closet again.
Serena smiled fondly at the once-shy girl who seemed to opening up to her rather quickly. She went over to her small jewelry box and sifted through the small pile of bracelets and necklaces before finding the desired item. She held up the golden bracelet, which was made of shimmering golden pearls. Attached to the bracelet was a beautiful golden locket in the shape of a star. According to her mother's old legends, the locket was supposed to somehow open in the presence of true love. Since she had never
seen anywhere on the locket where it could be opened, she assumed it was merely a legend.
"Oh, Serena, that's gorgeous," Peggy said from behind her, jerking her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Peggy holding the perfect pair of slippers for the dress. She slipped them on and got Peggy to help her clasp the bracelet around her wrist.
"By the way, have you seen Endymion?" Serena asked, letting a note of concern enter her voice.
Peggy thought for a moment, and replied, "Sorry, I don't think I've seen him today."
A worried look creased Serena's forehead, but Peggy assured her not to be troubled over it. The Prince often woke up early and came back later
in the day.
Serena smiled at her friend's attempts to cheer her up, and headed towards the hall for breakfast.
***
Endymion ran a hand through his already-messy hair and sighed. "You sure there's no other way?" he asked wearily.
The captain of guards nodded, straightening out the map of the surrounding lands tensely. "We need to stop this uprising before it begins. Someone is rallying the rest, stirring up trouble and discontent. If we don't stop it now, it could get out of control."
Endymion nodded slowly. He had heard a few pessimistic comments about his betrothal and marriage to the Moon Princess, but it had seemed most Earthlings were overjoyed with the union. Now someone was stirring up the old prejudices against the Moon again, just when they had begun to get past them.
Endymion straightened up, a determined look on his face. "We'll go then. Get some troops together to deal with civilian threat, and my generals and I will go a border patrol."
The captain nodded in agreement, and Endymion left the room. Now, the only thing left to worry about was how to tell his bride of less than a day that he was leaving.
***
"It seems Metallia has begun to rise again."
The voice startled Serena and she ducked around the corner, listening
for her mother's voice again.
"Queen Serenity, are you certain? Perhaps it's just a civil uprising," Endymion's father responded, the worry evident in his voice.
There was a hesitation before Serenity spoke again. "I am almost positive. I have never seen civilians feelings change from peace to hate so quickly save when she was involved."
Serena frowned. There were tales of an ancient evil called Metallia on the moon, but she had assumed they were just old wives tales.
"Then this means we must prepare for war," the King replied, his voice heavy. "I have already sent my son and some troops out to the border
to begin dealing with her followers."
"Good. We cannot let this news spread, it would cause an uproar," Queen Serenity said after a brief pause.
There was silence, until Serena heard the drag of a chair against the
floor, and she realized someone was getting up to leave the room. She looked around in panic, finally settling on hiding behind a dusty set of armor. She silently watched her mother walk by, the Queen's brows furrowed in deep thought.
When she was gone, Serena didn't feel better at all. Metallia was apparently reincarnated, a conflict was brewing between the earth and the moon, and Endymion was leaving soon on patrol. Her heart sank, and she made her way to the hall, where breakfast was already underway.
"Hey, Sere!" Venus called out happily. "We saved you a seat," she said, patting the empty chair beside her.
Serena attempted a smile, and slumped down into the chair. If her old manners teacher could see her now . . .
Jupiter eyed her with concern. "What's the matter, Sere? Did something happen last night?" she asked gently.
Serena mustered up a more believable smile. "No, nothing's wrong, I just had trouble's sleeping last night." She hated lying to her friends, but she couldn't very well tell them the truth before she'd had time to think it over.
"Ohhh, now I see!" Venus said with an obvious wink. "Been a busy girl, eh?" she continued, leaning over to Serena and giving a knowing raise
of her eyebrows.
Serena giggled. "Venus! Please, he was a perfect gentleman! Don't you ever think about anything else?"
Venus leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, I AM the goddess of love, you know."
Serena laughed. "Yeah, right."
The rest of meal continued in easy-going banter and teasing between the five best friends until Endymion came up behind Serena.
"Sere?" he asked quietly. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"
Her small frame froze, her fork halfway to her mouth. She knew what he wanted to say, but she couldn't help prolonging the agony. She put her fork down again and patted her mouth with a silken napkin. Slowly, she stood up and turned around, her head down.
The senshi watched in confusion as Endymion led their princess away.
"What the hell was that?" Mars blurted out.
Mercury's forehead wrinkled in apprehension, but before she could respond, Zoicite entered the room, the rest of the Generals trailing behind.
They sat down and began talking with the senshi about almost anything, but while the rest of the senshi seemed delighted at the attention, Mercury knew there was something wrong. Zoicite gazed at her with worry in his deep green eyes. Something was about to happen, and she had a horrible feeling that no one would be able to stop it.
***
Endymion had led Serena to a secluded spot in the garden that almost no one else knew about. There was a majestic pearled fountain that was covered in splotches of dark green ivy. The water that came out was clear and pure, and reflected the morning sky in its calm surface.
Endymion cleared his throat, trying to be professional about this. After all, they didn't care for each other. They had a marriage of convenience, that's all. At least, that's all he thought they had.
He took a deep breath, trying to think of the best way to tell her this. He watched her toes trace circles in the soft dirt. "Serena, I.I have to leave," he finally blurted out.
She looked up at him, and he was taken aback by the sadness in her eyes. "When?" she asked, her voice low and quiet.
He looked at the ground before looking back at her face. "Today."
Her eyes widened and she quickly stood up. "Today? You can't leave today! It's too soon!" she cried.
He stepped closer, realizing too late that this left only about a half a foot between them. "I'm sorry, I can't do anything about it. I'm needed to help patrol the borders."
She looked up at him, her gaze slightly pleading. She hoped he wouldn't notice. "Couldn't they find someone else? There are lots of other men in this country!"
He stared at the ground and reached his hand out to barely brush against hers. "There is no one else. I have to."
She swallowed and nodded, trying not to let her fear for him show. "When will you be back?"
He bit his lip. "Maybe a week, maybe a month. I don't know. But I will come back," he insisted as she turned away.
She turned back to him and smiled unhappily. "I know you will," she replied, reaching her arms around his neck and hugging him. He stiffened for a moment in shock before he began to relax. He should be preparing for the long trip ahead, but for now, it was enough to just hold her.
***
The news had been told in much the same way to the senshi. They all stood now alone in the place where they had shared memories with their lovers; Jupiter in the tallest tower, staring desolately at the telescope, Venus sitting in the center of the ball room with her head on her knees, Mercury sitting on the swing and staring at the sky, and Mars leaning against the wall of an empty hall where Jadeite had stolen a secret kiss.
The five girls came together about two hours later at the front entrance of the palace. The Generals immediately went and held their senshi close, but the Prince and Princess merely stood looking at each other.
Finally, Serena stepped forward and broke the silence between them. "Just come back."
He reached for her hand and held it tightly. "I will always come back, never doubt that," he said, and kissed her hand. Then, they were gone, leading a column of soldiers on horseback and a few carriages.
***
Serena went through the rest of the day in a strange blur, an unsettling feeling leaping up at odd times. Night came after what seemed to be minutes, but it also felt like days had passed.
Serena stood uncertainly in Endymion's --*their*-- room. It felt strange, like she was an uninvited guest. She quickly changed into her nightgown, brushed her hair out, and settled under the blankets. She shifted, unable to get comfortable. She rolled over on her side, letting out a frustrated sigh. What was the big deal? So he would be gone for a few weeks, it wasn't like she would never see him again. Besides, they were just friends- if that.
She went onto her back and stared blankly at the ceiling. Slowly, painfully slow, she drifted to sleep, still unable to shake Endymion from her mind.
***
A week full of consoling her lonely friends, dealing with politics, and trying not to think of Endymion passed for Serena.
At the moment, she was in her room reading a book that she found impossible to concentrate on. The book wasn't bad; in fact, it was quite good. The problem was, she couldn't keep her mind off of her husband. His
quirky grin, his mysterious eyes, his tousled hair . . .Oh, no! she thought, sitting up and slapping a hand to her forehead. She was becoming just like
the other senshi! Moping over some guy who she barely knew!
"That's it, I'm out of here," she grumbled, quickly changing into riding pants and a blouse and heading out to the stables.
***
Endymion rolled over in his sleeping bag, unable to sleep during the few hours he was permitted to. He couldn't stop imagining Serena's face in
his mind, eyes pleading with him not to do this, not to leave the day after
they were wed. Hell, this should be their honeymoon! he thought to himself.
The battles here were going reasonably well, but he disliked the fighting against simple civilians, who were often outfitted with no more than a rock or rusted sword at best. So far, there had been no real bloodshed; slowly, the villagers had begun to surrender.
It was also unsettling that this anger was contained in such a limited amount of land. Some men had gone to the surrounding villages, but had found none such feelings a hate. Rather, they had wished the prince good tidings in his marriage.
Only this village was affected. But how could that be? Endymion sighed. "Shut up, brain," he half-moaned, half-pleaded. Finally, his eyes
slid shut and he was able to sleep.
***
Author's Notes: Wow, this is so much easier when I know where this story is going! Hopefully, the chapters should be coming out faster now, as long
as pesky school doesn't interfere! BTW, I'm not really sure how many chapters this is going to be..I'm thinking around 15 or possibly more, because the chapters are kind of short.
Random Song Quote: Les poissons, les poissons, hehehe! Haw Haw Haw!!!!
-From Disney's 'The Little Mermaid'
Another World
Chapter 7
Serena lazily rolled over, still half asleep. She let out a yawn, and enjoyed the warmth of the sun coming through the window. When she opened her eyes, she was slightly surprised to see where she was before she
remembered. She sat up in bed, stretched her arms over her head, and glanced over at the couch.
Endymion was already gone, the blankets apparently folded and put away for another night. She looked around in confusion. What time was it anyways?
At that moment, there was a light tapping at the door. "Come in," Serena called, pulling the blankets up to her chest.
Peggy (AN: the maid, remember??) opened the door and stepped in with a shy smile. "I wasn't sure if you'd be awake yet."
"Do you know what time it is?" Serena asked, glancing over at the couch once more.
This did not go unnoticed by Peggy, who replied, "Nearly eleven o'clock, miss."
Serena bolted out of bed. "What?! Why didn't anyone wake me up!" she cried and raced to her closet. All Peggy saw was a blur rushing past her, and she grinned.
"You seem to be in a better mood than you were yesterday," she teased lightly as Serena quickly shuffled through various dresses in the closet.
She grabbed one at random and turned to Peggy to get help putting it on. "I feel much better, Endymion's been a sweetheart the whole time," she
said with a secretive smile.
Peggy raised her eyebrow and giggled. "Oh, really?"
Serena slipped the light day gown over her head, giggling through the material. "Get your mind out of the gutter young lady!" she joked.
Peggy smiled, and waited for Serena to turn around so she could pass judgment. "Hmm. You look great! Now, for the right shoes and jewelry. . ." Peggy mumbled, wandering over to the closet again.
Serena smiled fondly at the once-shy girl who seemed to opening up to her rather quickly. She went over to her small jewelry box and sifted through the small pile of bracelets and necklaces before finding the desired item. She held up the golden bracelet, which was made of shimmering golden pearls. Attached to the bracelet was a beautiful golden locket in the shape of a star. According to her mother's old legends, the locket was supposed to somehow open in the presence of true love. Since she had never
seen anywhere on the locket where it could be opened, she assumed it was merely a legend.
"Oh, Serena, that's gorgeous," Peggy said from behind her, jerking her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Peggy holding the perfect pair of slippers for the dress. She slipped them on and got Peggy to help her clasp the bracelet around her wrist.
"By the way, have you seen Endymion?" Serena asked, letting a note of concern enter her voice.
Peggy thought for a moment, and replied, "Sorry, I don't think I've seen him today."
A worried look creased Serena's forehead, but Peggy assured her not to be troubled over it. The Prince often woke up early and came back later
in the day.
Serena smiled at her friend's attempts to cheer her up, and headed towards the hall for breakfast.
***
Endymion ran a hand through his already-messy hair and sighed. "You sure there's no other way?" he asked wearily.
The captain of guards nodded, straightening out the map of the surrounding lands tensely. "We need to stop this uprising before it begins. Someone is rallying the rest, stirring up trouble and discontent. If we don't stop it now, it could get out of control."
Endymion nodded slowly. He had heard a few pessimistic comments about his betrothal and marriage to the Moon Princess, but it had seemed most Earthlings were overjoyed with the union. Now someone was stirring up the old prejudices against the Moon again, just when they had begun to get past them.
Endymion straightened up, a determined look on his face. "We'll go then. Get some troops together to deal with civilian threat, and my generals and I will go a border patrol."
The captain nodded in agreement, and Endymion left the room. Now, the only thing left to worry about was how to tell his bride of less than a day that he was leaving.
***
"It seems Metallia has begun to rise again."
The voice startled Serena and she ducked around the corner, listening
for her mother's voice again.
"Queen Serenity, are you certain? Perhaps it's just a civil uprising," Endymion's father responded, the worry evident in his voice.
There was a hesitation before Serenity spoke again. "I am almost positive. I have never seen civilians feelings change from peace to hate so quickly save when she was involved."
Serena frowned. There were tales of an ancient evil called Metallia on the moon, but she had assumed they were just old wives tales.
"Then this means we must prepare for war," the King replied, his voice heavy. "I have already sent my son and some troops out to the border
to begin dealing with her followers."
"Good. We cannot let this news spread, it would cause an uproar," Queen Serenity said after a brief pause.
There was silence, until Serena heard the drag of a chair against the
floor, and she realized someone was getting up to leave the room. She looked around in panic, finally settling on hiding behind a dusty set of armor. She silently watched her mother walk by, the Queen's brows furrowed in deep thought.
When she was gone, Serena didn't feel better at all. Metallia was apparently reincarnated, a conflict was brewing between the earth and the moon, and Endymion was leaving soon on patrol. Her heart sank, and she made her way to the hall, where breakfast was already underway.
"Hey, Sere!" Venus called out happily. "We saved you a seat," she said, patting the empty chair beside her.
Serena attempted a smile, and slumped down into the chair. If her old manners teacher could see her now . . .
Jupiter eyed her with concern. "What's the matter, Sere? Did something happen last night?" she asked gently.
Serena mustered up a more believable smile. "No, nothing's wrong, I just had trouble's sleeping last night." She hated lying to her friends, but she couldn't very well tell them the truth before she'd had time to think it over.
"Ohhh, now I see!" Venus said with an obvious wink. "Been a busy girl, eh?" she continued, leaning over to Serena and giving a knowing raise
of her eyebrows.
Serena giggled. "Venus! Please, he was a perfect gentleman! Don't you ever think about anything else?"
Venus leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, I AM the goddess of love, you know."
Serena laughed. "Yeah, right."
The rest of meal continued in easy-going banter and teasing between the five best friends until Endymion came up behind Serena.
"Sere?" he asked quietly. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"
Her small frame froze, her fork halfway to her mouth. She knew what he wanted to say, but she couldn't help prolonging the agony. She put her fork down again and patted her mouth with a silken napkin. Slowly, she stood up and turned around, her head down.
The senshi watched in confusion as Endymion led their princess away.
"What the hell was that?" Mars blurted out.
Mercury's forehead wrinkled in apprehension, but before she could respond, Zoicite entered the room, the rest of the Generals trailing behind.
They sat down and began talking with the senshi about almost anything, but while the rest of the senshi seemed delighted at the attention, Mercury knew there was something wrong. Zoicite gazed at her with worry in his deep green eyes. Something was about to happen, and she had a horrible feeling that no one would be able to stop it.
***
Endymion had led Serena to a secluded spot in the garden that almost no one else knew about. There was a majestic pearled fountain that was covered in splotches of dark green ivy. The water that came out was clear and pure, and reflected the morning sky in its calm surface.
Endymion cleared his throat, trying to be professional about this. After all, they didn't care for each other. They had a marriage of convenience, that's all. At least, that's all he thought they had.
He took a deep breath, trying to think of the best way to tell her this. He watched her toes trace circles in the soft dirt. "Serena, I.I have to leave," he finally blurted out.
She looked up at him, and he was taken aback by the sadness in her eyes. "When?" she asked, her voice low and quiet.
He looked at the ground before looking back at her face. "Today."
Her eyes widened and she quickly stood up. "Today? You can't leave today! It's too soon!" she cried.
He stepped closer, realizing too late that this left only about a half a foot between them. "I'm sorry, I can't do anything about it. I'm needed to help patrol the borders."
She looked up at him, her gaze slightly pleading. She hoped he wouldn't notice. "Couldn't they find someone else? There are lots of other men in this country!"
He stared at the ground and reached his hand out to barely brush against hers. "There is no one else. I have to."
She swallowed and nodded, trying not to let her fear for him show. "When will you be back?"
He bit his lip. "Maybe a week, maybe a month. I don't know. But I will come back," he insisted as she turned away.
She turned back to him and smiled unhappily. "I know you will," she replied, reaching her arms around his neck and hugging him. He stiffened for a moment in shock before he began to relax. He should be preparing for the long trip ahead, but for now, it was enough to just hold her.
***
The news had been told in much the same way to the senshi. They all stood now alone in the place where they had shared memories with their lovers; Jupiter in the tallest tower, staring desolately at the telescope, Venus sitting in the center of the ball room with her head on her knees, Mercury sitting on the swing and staring at the sky, and Mars leaning against the wall of an empty hall where Jadeite had stolen a secret kiss.
The five girls came together about two hours later at the front entrance of the palace. The Generals immediately went and held their senshi close, but the Prince and Princess merely stood looking at each other.
Finally, Serena stepped forward and broke the silence between them. "Just come back."
He reached for her hand and held it tightly. "I will always come back, never doubt that," he said, and kissed her hand. Then, they were gone, leading a column of soldiers on horseback and a few carriages.
***
Serena went through the rest of the day in a strange blur, an unsettling feeling leaping up at odd times. Night came after what seemed to be minutes, but it also felt like days had passed.
Serena stood uncertainly in Endymion's --*their*-- room. It felt strange, like she was an uninvited guest. She quickly changed into her nightgown, brushed her hair out, and settled under the blankets. She shifted, unable to get comfortable. She rolled over on her side, letting out a frustrated sigh. What was the big deal? So he would be gone for a few weeks, it wasn't like she would never see him again. Besides, they were just friends- if that.
She went onto her back and stared blankly at the ceiling. Slowly, painfully slow, she drifted to sleep, still unable to shake Endymion from her mind.
***
A week full of consoling her lonely friends, dealing with politics, and trying not to think of Endymion passed for Serena.
At the moment, she was in her room reading a book that she found impossible to concentrate on. The book wasn't bad; in fact, it was quite good. The problem was, she couldn't keep her mind off of her husband. His
quirky grin, his mysterious eyes, his tousled hair . . .Oh, no! she thought, sitting up and slapping a hand to her forehead. She was becoming just like
the other senshi! Moping over some guy who she barely knew!
"That's it, I'm out of here," she grumbled, quickly changing into riding pants and a blouse and heading out to the stables.
***
Endymion rolled over in his sleeping bag, unable to sleep during the few hours he was permitted to. He couldn't stop imagining Serena's face in
his mind, eyes pleading with him not to do this, not to leave the day after
they were wed. Hell, this should be their honeymoon! he thought to himself.
The battles here were going reasonably well, but he disliked the fighting against simple civilians, who were often outfitted with no more than a rock or rusted sword at best. So far, there had been no real bloodshed; slowly, the villagers had begun to surrender.
It was also unsettling that this anger was contained in such a limited amount of land. Some men had gone to the surrounding villages, but had found none such feelings a hate. Rather, they had wished the prince good tidings in his marriage.
Only this village was affected. But how could that be? Endymion sighed. "Shut up, brain," he half-moaned, half-pleaded. Finally, his eyes
slid shut and he was able to sleep.
***
Author's Notes: Wow, this is so much easier when I know where this story is going! Hopefully, the chapters should be coming out faster now, as long
as pesky school doesn't interfere! BTW, I'm not really sure how many chapters this is going to be..I'm thinking around 15 or possibly more, because the chapters are kind of short.
Random Song Quote: Les poissons, les poissons, hehehe! Haw Haw Haw!!!!
-From Disney's 'The Little Mermaid'