Chapter 9
The small group walked in silence until they approached the stonewall surrounding his home. It was early morning and the sun was just beginning to rise. Endymion led them to the middle of the southern wall.
"Uh . . . Endymion? How are we supposed to enter? There's no passageway here," Amy asked examining the wall.
Endymion just smiled as he pushed a series of stones. An instant later the stones swung open to reveal a hidden door.
"That's how. Only Jadeite, Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and myself know the right combination to open the door. And it is different for each time of the day. It's an ancient form of magic. We don't even know how it works."
The girls followed Endymion anxious to get inside and see for themselves what was troubling Endymion and his friends. Serenity stayed close to Endymion as her sisters huddled together a little farther behind. Once they were all inside the door once again became a seamless part of the wall.
They continued to approach the house in the center. Serenity was looking around at everything contained in the walls. It looked as if the battle lasted years instead of weeks. She was so intrigued by the devastation that she did not notice the group get so far ahead of her or the hooded figure approach her. A hand reached about her waist and she felt a cool blade against her throat. She tried to scream but found no voice. When she struggled to get free the knife was pushed against her throat.
"Tell me who you are and what you're doing here and I may spare you. No use in struggling. Tell me who you are."
Tears filled Serenity's eyes. Where were her sisters and Endymion? They should have noticed she was gone from them. Shouldn't they? Did they get captured too? This was Endymion's home though; did it fall into the enemy's hands?
"My patience is growing thin. Who are you and what business do you have here?" The arm around her waist tightened with her lack of response.
Suddenly a red rose flew from out of nowhere and cut the hooded figure's hand that was holding the knife. He dropped the knife and released his prisoner. His eyes stared at the rose in disbelief.
"Endymion?"
Endymion and Serenity's sisters stepped into view as the figure removed his hood.
"Endymion! We thought you were dead!"
"Jadeite! What were you doing to Sere?" he said as he walked over to a stunned Serenity.
"Endymion, I'm sorry I didn't know you were here or that she was a she and with you. You know we are in the middle of a war and unfamiliar people are considered enemies until their identities are confirmed."
Endymion ignored Jadeite's explanation, "Sere are you alright? Did Jadeite hurt you?"
"I'm fine Endy. He just scared me, that's all."
Jadeite looked at Endymion with shock in his features. Endy? He smiled to himself and looked at whom Endymion brought with him. Five girls? He has been busy. No wonder he took so long to get back. Jadeite chuckled to himself.
"Endymion, let's all go inside and you can introduce your friends to everyone at the same time."
Endymion nodded not looking away from Serenity. Jadeite turned and led them all inside the house. He called for his friends to come down and see who Endymion has brought with him. Three men came down and greeted Endymion with hugs and friendly slaps on the back.
Endymion cleared his throat and told his friends of his journey. "At the inn I met Solario and his five daughters. I'll let them introduce themselves to you."
Lita went first, "I am the oldest of my sisters. My name is Lita." She smiled as she looked around at Endymion's friends. Perhaps she let her eyes linger too long on Nephrite because she felt Amy nudge her in her side.
"My name's Amy. I'm the second oldest." She blushed as Zoisite smiled at her.
"My name is Raye." She glared at Jadeite while she spoke. She had not forgiven him for how he greeted her sister earlier.
"Hi! I'm Mina." She glanced at Kunzite before she sat down. She looked at her sisters; each was staring at one of Endymion's friends. She also looked at Serenity who was seated by the window only half listening. She cleared her throat. "Serenity?"
"Hmm?" She said as she looked around the room. "Oh right. I'm the youngest and my name's Serenity."
"I guess we'll introduce ourselves next. My name is Kunzite."
"I'm Zoisite."
"As you already know, I'm Jadeite. I'm sorry again for how I welcomed you Serenity." She nodded her head at him and went back to looking out the window.
"And I'm Nephrite. I just finished making breakfast before you got here. I'm sure you're probably hungry so come into the kitchen and help yourself."
All the girls except Serenity got up and went into the kitchen. The guys followed leaving Serenity alone with Endymion.
"Sere, are you alright?"
"I am." She stared out the window as if seeing something no one else could. "Endy?"
"Yes?"
"Sit with me?"
"Of course."
He sat next to Serenity and she leaned against him. They sat there a few minutes before they spoke again.
"This once was a beautiful place, Endy. I can see what it once was."
"It was Sere. I can still see the beauty too."
"No that's not what I mean."
"What do you mean Sere?"
"If I concentrate, I can actually see what it used to look like. There were lots of flowers, especially roses. They were every color imaginable, much like my gardens at home."
Endymion stared at her. She turned her head so she was looking him straight in the eye.
"Is this magic that I use?"
"Yes Sere, I think it is."
"Good. I want to be able to help you, but I feared I couldn't. My sisters all have powers and I had none. Even this little bit I have now isn't strong enough to help you. But I have magic and hopefully I can be of some use to you."
"Sere, you have been the greatest use to me," Serenity held a questioning look in her eyes. "You helped me make it home again. You gave me hope that I did not have."
"Oh Endy." Serenity closed the distance between them and kissed Endymion. He pulled her closer to him. He wanted more but felt he had not yet earned her. She was so pure and innocent he did not feel worthy of being this close to her. They pulled away only when they needed to breathe.
"Sere, why don't we go get something to eat." He helped her up and led her into the kitchen.
AN: Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it. Sorry I haven't written in awhile but I have had a lot going on. I only have five more days left of school! YEA!!! Please tell me what you think of this story. I really want to know. Thanks for reading! Love ya, KoKo Belle
The small group walked in silence until they approached the stonewall surrounding his home. It was early morning and the sun was just beginning to rise. Endymion led them to the middle of the southern wall.
"Uh . . . Endymion? How are we supposed to enter? There's no passageway here," Amy asked examining the wall.
Endymion just smiled as he pushed a series of stones. An instant later the stones swung open to reveal a hidden door.
"That's how. Only Jadeite, Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and myself know the right combination to open the door. And it is different for each time of the day. It's an ancient form of magic. We don't even know how it works."
The girls followed Endymion anxious to get inside and see for themselves what was troubling Endymion and his friends. Serenity stayed close to Endymion as her sisters huddled together a little farther behind. Once they were all inside the door once again became a seamless part of the wall.
They continued to approach the house in the center. Serenity was looking around at everything contained in the walls. It looked as if the battle lasted years instead of weeks. She was so intrigued by the devastation that she did not notice the group get so far ahead of her or the hooded figure approach her. A hand reached about her waist and she felt a cool blade against her throat. She tried to scream but found no voice. When she struggled to get free the knife was pushed against her throat.
"Tell me who you are and what you're doing here and I may spare you. No use in struggling. Tell me who you are."
Tears filled Serenity's eyes. Where were her sisters and Endymion? They should have noticed she was gone from them. Shouldn't they? Did they get captured too? This was Endymion's home though; did it fall into the enemy's hands?
"My patience is growing thin. Who are you and what business do you have here?" The arm around her waist tightened with her lack of response.
Suddenly a red rose flew from out of nowhere and cut the hooded figure's hand that was holding the knife. He dropped the knife and released his prisoner. His eyes stared at the rose in disbelief.
"Endymion?"
Endymion and Serenity's sisters stepped into view as the figure removed his hood.
"Endymion! We thought you were dead!"
"Jadeite! What were you doing to Sere?" he said as he walked over to a stunned Serenity.
"Endymion, I'm sorry I didn't know you were here or that she was a she and with you. You know we are in the middle of a war and unfamiliar people are considered enemies until their identities are confirmed."
Endymion ignored Jadeite's explanation, "Sere are you alright? Did Jadeite hurt you?"
"I'm fine Endy. He just scared me, that's all."
Jadeite looked at Endymion with shock in his features. Endy? He smiled to himself and looked at whom Endymion brought with him. Five girls? He has been busy. No wonder he took so long to get back. Jadeite chuckled to himself.
"Endymion, let's all go inside and you can introduce your friends to everyone at the same time."
Endymion nodded not looking away from Serenity. Jadeite turned and led them all inside the house. He called for his friends to come down and see who Endymion has brought with him. Three men came down and greeted Endymion with hugs and friendly slaps on the back.
Endymion cleared his throat and told his friends of his journey. "At the inn I met Solario and his five daughters. I'll let them introduce themselves to you."
Lita went first, "I am the oldest of my sisters. My name is Lita." She smiled as she looked around at Endymion's friends. Perhaps she let her eyes linger too long on Nephrite because she felt Amy nudge her in her side.
"My name's Amy. I'm the second oldest." She blushed as Zoisite smiled at her.
"My name is Raye." She glared at Jadeite while she spoke. She had not forgiven him for how he greeted her sister earlier.
"Hi! I'm Mina." She glanced at Kunzite before she sat down. She looked at her sisters; each was staring at one of Endymion's friends. She also looked at Serenity who was seated by the window only half listening. She cleared her throat. "Serenity?"
"Hmm?" She said as she looked around the room. "Oh right. I'm the youngest and my name's Serenity."
"I guess we'll introduce ourselves next. My name is Kunzite."
"I'm Zoisite."
"As you already know, I'm Jadeite. I'm sorry again for how I welcomed you Serenity." She nodded her head at him and went back to looking out the window.
"And I'm Nephrite. I just finished making breakfast before you got here. I'm sure you're probably hungry so come into the kitchen and help yourself."
All the girls except Serenity got up and went into the kitchen. The guys followed leaving Serenity alone with Endymion.
"Sere, are you alright?"
"I am." She stared out the window as if seeing something no one else could. "Endy?"
"Yes?"
"Sit with me?"
"Of course."
He sat next to Serenity and she leaned against him. They sat there a few minutes before they spoke again.
"This once was a beautiful place, Endy. I can see what it once was."
"It was Sere. I can still see the beauty too."
"No that's not what I mean."
"What do you mean Sere?"
"If I concentrate, I can actually see what it used to look like. There were lots of flowers, especially roses. They were every color imaginable, much like my gardens at home."
Endymion stared at her. She turned her head so she was looking him straight in the eye.
"Is this magic that I use?"
"Yes Sere, I think it is."
"Good. I want to be able to help you, but I feared I couldn't. My sisters all have powers and I had none. Even this little bit I have now isn't strong enough to help you. But I have magic and hopefully I can be of some use to you."
"Sere, you have been the greatest use to me," Serenity held a questioning look in her eyes. "You helped me make it home again. You gave me hope that I did not have."
"Oh Endy." Serenity closed the distance between them and kissed Endymion. He pulled her closer to him. He wanted more but felt he had not yet earned her. She was so pure and innocent he did not feel worthy of being this close to her. They pulled away only when they needed to breathe.
"Sere, why don't we go get something to eat." He helped her up and led her into the kitchen.
AN: Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it. Sorry I haven't written in awhile but I have had a lot going on. I only have five more days left of school! YEA!!! Please tell me what you think of this story. I really want to know. Thanks for reading! Love ya, KoKo Belle