The aftermath.

What? You thought it was over?! ^-^

Chapter 18

Serenity awoke to her mother's soft cooing. Her head was resting in the dainty lap. Her friends surrounded them.

"Speak to me, Serenity-love," Mother hummed.

"Mmm . . . where's Demando?" Her eyelids fluttered.

The Queen exhaled deeply, as if she'd been holding her breath the entire time. The loyal senshi murmured in relief. Cut and bruised, battered and weary, their concern was first and foremost with their princess.

Serenity shot up, but regretted it immediately. The blood rushed to her head and she swooned back into her mother's lap. "You're all safe!" she sighed. "I'm so glad."

"You did it, Seren-chan," Jupiter stroked her hair softly. "You defeated Metallia."

Uranus beamed proudly. "Everywhere the henchmen of the Dark Kingdom are retreating. As soon as their devil queen dissolved, their pseudo-courage did the same. Hn, without her, they have no power or pathetic will to continue."

"Thank Kami," Venus grinned. "Not that it wouldn't have been easy to put them in their places. But I'm feeling rather tired myself!"

Everyone laughed, even Saturn and Pluto.

Endymion appeared in Serenity's plane of vision. "I can take back my kingdom now. It will be easy. Thanks to you . . . Sailormoon."

"But I didn't do it alone!" she protested. "It was Demando, and – the child. The child, most of all. All three of us, together: we drew the strength from each other and went forward. But it was all of you, the Nemesians and the rest! How could we have succeeded without your help? We've won only by coming together."

"So we have," Pluto's voice had a lilt at the end. "Serenity-hime, you are the light of the Silver Millennium."

Serenity crinkled her nose sweetly. "O Princess Pluto, not you too!"

But they hadn't been witnesses to her private conversation with Demando.

"Demando!" Serenity attempted for the second time to rise. Her mother's arms came around to her back and supported her, a little girl again.

Everyone looked away to her left and she trailed her eyes along the green grass. Surrounded by his own posse of friends and subjects, Demando was laying there just as she had been only moments ago a few feet away. The Ayakashi knelt about him, twittering like birds, and Saffir was shaking him gently.

The clouds dissolved away, the light became stronger. Demando's eyes blinked open. He pushed up with his elbows and gazed around intently, looking for her. When he saw her smiling, he fell back down weakly, satisfied that no harm had come to her.

* * *

If looks could kill, Luna's would have done away with the squirming Princess immediately.

"Serenity-chan! If I see you out of that bed one more time . . ."

"I'm fine, Luna! I want to see everyone."

"And just where do you think everyone else is?" Serenity didn't answer, understanding it to be a rhetorical question. If she waited here long enough, Luna would answer it herself. And she did, "In their own beds, of course! They've got enough sense to rest until their strength returns." Luna frowned to herself. "Poor Artemis is the worst off. But thanks to your ginzuishou, he'll make it through. Just had to be courageous and go out to spur on the ranks, now didn't he?"

Serenity suppressed a giggle. It was obvious she was in love with him.

"What?" Luna demanded sharply.

"Oh nothing."
Luna resumed half talking to herself absently, tucking the sheets around her royal charge. "And that foolish prince – the blue one, he went careering right into the midst of the battle out of nowhere. I tell you, though, he was lucky to get out with just an injured shoulder. That wife of his – such a spitfire! She's as stubborn as you are."

"You mean Petz."

"Hm, well yes. If you ask me, all those weird sisters could use a lesson in courtesy."

"From yours truly?"

Luna smirked. "Don't be cute, Serenity. It's unbecoming of a princess."

Serenity was feeling playful. She stuck out her tongue at the indignant woman.

"I give up," Luna threw her hands up into the air.

Serenity settled against her pillows contentedly. The ginzuishou slept soundly inside of her. "The Ayakashi are my friends. When you get to know them, you'll find they really have good souls."

"You see goodness in everyone," Luna sighed.

"I only see what's there," she insisted.

Luna smiled, against her better judgment. "Perhaps," she conceded.

"How is Demando?"

She looked at her strangely. "He's restless, just like you." Then she added, making her point, "But he stays in bed when I ask him."

"You'll tell him I asked after him, won't you?"

"Of course I will . . . you do love him, then, don't you?"

She grinned. "My baby seems to think so."

A frown crinkled her brow. In quick, furtive movements, she alit on her bed, sitting like an intelligent cat. "Now I don't want you to get your hopes up. Though it's promising there will be a sturdy alliance, a match would be – how should I say – a great deal more complex."

The look on her face was that of heartbroken child.

"I'm not saying it's out of the question, only that it will take some convincing. And if there's anyone who was ever any good at convincing, it was you Seren-chan, especially when it comes to Her Grace the Queen. At any rate, we have some time before we must think of that. Lord Rubeus of Nemesis is successfully overseeing the tenth kingdom while the princes are indisposed. It will be a while, I believe, before they're healthy enough for travel."

Serenity patted her belly affectionately. As far as she was concerned, Demando could take all the time he needed before returning home.

* * *

Beruche waltzed through the gardens, completely smitten. Never before in her life had she seen anything so beautiful. Of course she had first seen the beauty of the Moon Kingdom when she'd arrived for battle, but then it had not really registered.

Sitting perched atop a marble white bench like a delicate sparrow, a frail girl watched her with large, depthless eyes. Beruche waved at her, but the young girl did not reciprocate. Instead, she rose and approached her, infinite eyes soaking her in like moisture.

"You're a friend of the Princess's." It was more a statement than a question.
"That's right." Beruche held her ground. It registered with her that this wisp of a girl was the fearsome and most deadly powerful sailor senshi. And yet, the woman could have broken her over her knee.

Then the adolescent did something totally unsuspected. Taking the elder woman's hand, she gave her what represented a shy smile. "Welcome."

* * *

In a formal ceremony, the Queen consecrated the new alliance between the two moon kingdoms. She stood in the royal courtroom, where Demando and Serenity had first spotted each other, on her dais before the exquisitely crafted, gold-velvet throne. The chamber was full to bursting, and people had come from miles away to witness the momentous event. The day had been declared a holiday to celebrate their victory over the deadly and Enemy and the newly founded alliance, and all the people were exempted from their strained, hard-working efforts in rebuilding their mauled kingdom. Fortunately, the palace had been built with quality and on a strong foundation. It was as superb as it had been before the war.

Prince Demando knelt in front of the dais, head bowed reverently as the Princess Serenity handed the wooden carved sword to the Moon Queen, who knighted him with the token. Standing, Demando received the wooden sword in his hand: it was a symbol of peace, because a wooden sword could not be used to draw blood.

The cheers swelled up and filled the vast room to the ceiling.

That day, the revelries lasted far into the night. The Ayakashi did well with the royal ladies-in-waiting, though efforts were somewhat strained involving the more serious sovereigns of the outer planets. Saffir, with his intelligence and courteous ways, charmed everyone. Though Demando, as usual, kept mostly to himself.

Princess Serenity sat unnoticed on the top of the stair that opened onto the festivities lawn. It was where the Prince of Nemesis had met her that summer day so long ago for the flower festival. The warm breeze hinted of autumn. Prince Endymion emerged from the crowds and ascended the stair purposefully. He sat down next to the princess, whose arms were wrapped around her stomach protectively. She smiled at him, and he gazed at her thoughtfully.

"It's a funny thing isn't it – life?"

"Why do you say so?"

"You know why."

She did.

He touched her hand. "I'm sorry I was angry with you."

"Sorry?" she was genuinely shocked. "Why should you be sorry? You had every right to be angered."

"Maybe so; but I know if I had been in the same position, you would have pardoned me."

"I'd hope so."

"I know so."

"Oh, Endymion; I could have loved you."

"I know."

"I wonder what it would have been like."

"Don't."

"What?"

"Don't wonder; it's silly. What might have been is not the same as what is. We should focus on here, on now. Don't you agree?"

She was so pleasantly surprised; all she could do was shake her head up in down dynamically.

He trailed his hand away and smiled. "I'll always be here for you, you know." With that he stood and descended the stairs, in no particular hurry.

A raven head in the crowd turned and weaved its way through bodies to meet him at the bottom of the steps. Mars greeted the Earth prince fondly and they went back into the throng together.

Serenity almost missed how Endymion slipped the priestess's arm around his own absently, naturally. She watched them until they disappeared, two caps of thick black bobbing into the horizon.

On the other hand, crowd watching, it was impossible to miss the stark white hair that moved apart from the celebrants. Serenity rose so Demando could see her and come. He motioned her to him, and she met him down the stair. He took her hand wordlessly, and they moved along the edge of the festive citizens.

They were going to the Queen, who appeared to be awaiting them along the edge of the sloping orchards. The fruit there was just entering its ripest stage. It would be ready for picking in a matter of weeks. When they reached Queen Serenity, she did not speak to them, but turned and walked in the opposite direction. They followed behind her, separating so that Serenity could settle to her left and Demando fall into step with her on her right.

Upon entering the orchards completely, Serenity noticed for the first time that they had not gone without their own blow. Many trees were uprooted, some were crackling to dust, and others were all but obliterated. Still, the entirety of the orchards themselves had managed to survive the enemy's onslaught.

Queen Serenity slowed her pace. "So, tell me Serenity; I hear that you've been married."

Around her mother's form, she raised her eyebrows at Prince Demando, who only jerked his head toward the queen in encouragement upon meeting her gaze. "Yes, Mother; according to the customs of Nemesis, Prince Demando and I were wed there." She added helpfully, "Before the child's conception."

Queen Serenity nodded imperially, but did not let on to what she might be thinking. "What are we to do, then?"

"Mother?"

She stopped and faced her child. "I can't very well separate a husband and wife joined in wedlock, but neither can I deny my people an heir to the throne."

"I . . .," Serenity gazed intently at her feet, mind racing.

The Moon Queen sighed. "And now there's a child to be accounted for. What kind of person would I be . . . what kind of grandmother would I be if I severed its link with either devoted parent?"

"My Queen." Their attention turned to the Nemesian prince, who dipped his head respectfully. His flawlessly calm features were enough to catch anyone's interest. "This child is an heir to two kingdoms." The women, especially the younger one, just caught how he spoke the word child with a paternal admiration. "Your Grace of course knows this. This is an enormous advantage to both sides. Think of it. The common sovereign would ensure peace in the solar system among the feuding planets for at least another millennia, or as long as the line lasts. If the child is a double-sovereign, why not its mother?"

Queen Serenity weighed his words, head lifted high. "I see you meaning, Prince Demando. I agree that the Princess Serenity could very well rule both your Nemesis and my kingdom, but how she will go about doing that is yet another dilemma." She took her daughters hand dotingly. "What do you say to this predicament?"

Serenity's eyes gently floated about her, taking in her surroundings. One orchard tree in particular caught her notice: a pomegranate tree, completely untouched by the devastation. "Half the year . . ." she talked softly. "Half the year with the dead, no," she caught herself blushing, "I mean on Nemesis . . . the other six months at home . . . Summer on the white moon, winter on the black one."

The Lunarian woman frowned. "It's not exactly a perfect arrangement."

"No. But I never liked the term 'happily ever after,' even as a child. It seems to fool people into believing that their life must be perfect or else something's wrong with it."

The queen fondled her daughter's silky strands sadly. "So old – I seem to keep forgetting; you're quite grown up." She took Demando's hand dexterously. "What do you say, Prince of Nemesis?"

"If it is the Princess's wish . . . it is also mine."

Serenity tried vainly to keep her lips from curling in response to his semi-smile.

The queen inhaled deeply, let out the breath-turned-poison slowly, creamy chest heaving. "So it shall be – starting now. The Princess will accompany the Price Demando back to Nemesis where she will give birth to her child and heir." Giving her daughter one last tender pat on the hand, she added informatively, "But first there will be another ceremony of course – you didn't think that I was about to accept such an unceremonious wedding, and for my only daughter! You two will be wed properly, according to the traditions of the Moon Kingdom." With that, she walked ahead, hearty laughter rippling after her, leaving the two spouses gaping in her wake.

Demando recovered quickly. "Well," he said slyly. "Now I know where you get your hard-headedness from."

"Beg your pardon?"

He was subtle, even in teasing, concealing all emotion skillfully. "Since you asked so nicely . . ."

But she tackled him before he could finish, kissing him hard, thoroughly on the mouth, and reveling in his astonishment. At last, they pried away from each other, gasping for air, and he leaned back into the soft, sweet grass, crossing his arms behind his head to support it, and allowing her to straddle him. "I never thought," he mused out loud, "that a summer visit to the Moon Kingdom would alter my life, let alone the course of history."

"If you had foreseen it, would you have still come?"

"Probably not." He confided, "Before I was a cynic. I would have disregarded any prophesy of my own or my kingdom's future happiness." Besides, he thought to himself, what oracle could possibly communicate to him the utter wonder and inner simplistic beauty of the creature before him? He exhaled deeply. "Thank Kami you proved me wrong."

She lay down on him, somewhat awkwardly, but adjusted herself until she was comfortable. She listened to the rhythm of his heart and felt herself move up and down with his chest in time with his breathing. Music drifted on the wind over the orchard.

They wouldn't speak of their overflowing happiness that drowned this moment. Somehow, it would have made it seem lesser. Besides, it was not the prince's way to share his emotions. Serenity had learned to read them, to feel them out with her secret senses. It was a mutual skill they had developed, useful only with one another. So they lulled there, floating as if in the cool waters of the lake down only just beyond the trees, content in each other's presence.

"I like your warmth," he whispered to her, as if entrusting her with a hallowed secret.

Her Demando was so beautiful – such a beautiful person.

The cadence of music spun in harmony, a pale imitation in comparison to the perfect harmony of their souls.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Wow. The final draft falls horribly short of the cherished image in my mind. Like I said above, speaking of it makes it somehow lesser. But I hope I got across what I was trying to, if only vaguely. A wise man once said that writing is easy for everyone but writers. Pretending for just a moment that I've earned that hallowed title, I have to agree with him.

Hope you'll all stick around for one more chapter. Still have some loose ends to tie up.