If any of you readers noticed I did just recently change the description of this story, in an
effort to make the story sound more interesting. I also had a sneaking suspicion that
sentence was grammatically incorrect, which really bothered me.
I realize that the last couple of chapters were incredible short, so this chapter is longer
this time. In fact it's several pages longer. That's for all you awesome people who keep
give me feedback on my writing!
Chapter 4- Promises
***
Usagi snorted at the absurd statement. He couldn't be serious, the Keeper of Time?
"You know you really had me going there." She gave a forced laugh. "You almost had
me convinced, but this is way too far-fetched. I may be gullible, but I'm not that
gullible." Crossing her arms protectively, Usagi eyed him critically.
Endymion grimaced in frustration. "You don't believe me?"
"Of course not. First of all, no one can 'keep the time,' and second I'm not the one with
an impaired memory. Mine's just fine, thank you. I remember my past clearly, which by
the way, did not include being married to you!" Once again Usagi found herself
retreating, this time due to the look in his eyes. He looked dangerous, like a man being
driven over the edge.
"It doesn't matter, you're coming with me anyway." Agitated, he ran a hand through his
dark hair, brushing it away from piercing blue eyes.
Usagi wasn't in the mood for another scuffle that she was sure would ensue if she tried
running away once more. Physically, Endymion could easily overcome her resistance.
His muscles fairly rippled with health, and he towered over her. Really, she told herself,
she had no choice but to comply.
"Fine," She said breathing outward heavily, in a way that sounded suspiciously like a
sigh.
Skepticism flickered across Endymion's face. Trapping her hands in his, he reeled her
closer. "Promise me that you'll stay with me." Deadly serious now, he unconsciously
caressed her the inside of her sensitive wrist with his thumb.
Usagi shivered. She tried to think of a way of hedging the promise he was trying to
extract from her. "You mean until we reach this 'Keeper.' Right?"
He looked startled for a moment, as if he hadn't ever considered the possibility that
eventually they might part. "Yes," he ground out between clenched teeth.
She thought about it for a minute, cocking her head slightly. "All right." She said.
His hands tightened on her wrists. "All right, what?"
"All right, I'll come with you to see the 'Keeper.' But that's as far as I'll go, after that I
can't promise you anything." She nervously twisted her arms in an effort to loosen his
grip.
Satisfied, Endymion dropped one arm. The other arm he kept, using it to lead her back
over the territory she had just sprinted. Usagi was practically dragged along, as he
briskly covered the distance.
"Sheez, I said I'd come with you. You don't need to haul me around. I'm perfectly
capable of walking without your help," Usagi said with some annoyance leaking into her
tone.
Endymion abruptly dropped her arm and walked away. She saw him occasionally,
risking backwards glances in her direction, as though to make sure she was still following
him. Was he afraid something would happen to her or did he just generally not trust her?
Usagi felt hurt with the last thought. He should trust her, especially if he believed he was
married to her.
Endymion halted in front of her, and Usagi, with her mind absorbed elsewhere failed to
notice. She didn't stop and subsequently ran straight into his broad back. Quickly she
took a step back, rubbing her nose. Embarrassed, Usagi tried to act nonchalant, as if
nothing had happened. Maybe he hadn't noticed her slip. She had no such luck though.
Endymion gave her an amused grin before he returned his attention to what had made
him stop in the first place.
It was a horse. It was an intimidating, gigantic, black, animal. It snorted, twitching silky
ears as Endymion reached for the bridle. Usagi had never been particularly fond of
horses. Endymion swung himself onto its back, in a swift motion. He offered a hand
down to the gaping Usagi.
Usagi shook her head. "We're traveling on that thing?"
Impatience filled Enymion's tone. "Yes, how did you think we'd be getting there?
Walking would take us far too long."
"I don't know, maybe a car." Usagi was starting to regret her impulsive promise. Why
did she keep convincing herself he was sane?
"A car? What are you talking about?" Obviously baffled, Endymion's look was filled
with confusion.
"I mean a car. C-A-R. It has four wheels, a steering wheel, and you get in it and drive
places. You know..." Usagi trailed off, glancing back up at him to read his expression.
His face held no recognition of the word or her description. He seemed to let this pass
though, as another symptom of her illness. His eyes narrowed. "Get on the horse,
Serenity," he commanded.
"I don't want to." Usagi crossed her arms in defiance, and glared up at him. No one
ordered her around like that. Who did he think he was?
Endymion leaned down from the horse, and snatched her up by the back of her dress.
She heard a ripping noise as the material gave. Shrieking, Usagi scrambled to rearrange
her legs in a comfortable position as he plopped her down on the horse. Angrily, she
turned around and hit him in the shoulder. The man must have been made of stone
though, because he barely flinched. Usagi was forced to give up her assault. She rubbed
her sore hand and decided to glare at him, instead.
Endymion's eyes darkened, but it wasn't in anger. Usagi followed his glance to her
overexposed bosom. The white dress, which hadn't been the best quality to begin with,
had finally torn beyond repair. A great expanse of cleavage was now visible to the eye.
In fact her dress was barely covering her top half, only offering the most minimum of
protection, as it clung to her upper curves. Heat rushed to her face. She muttered
something incomprehensible, and gathered the fabric about her. Clutching the remains of
it to her, she turned her head away from his, in an effort to gather herself together. She
wasn't sure she could recover from this mishap.
A hand reached out, gently turning her face. Positive she was now beet red, Usagi tried
not to meet his eyes. The hand didn't let go, and Usagi eventually forced her eyes to
meet his. He was staring at her so intently that Usagi shifted uncomfortably.
"You don't have to hide yourself from me." He seemed to convey tender, understanding.
"You're beautiful."
The statement touched Usagi. In her entire, existence she didn't recall anyone every
calling her beautiful before. She didn't know how to respond, so she simply said nothing.
She stared back at him, with wide eyes, fascinated by his reaction.
When she didn't pull away he lowered his head to her neck. His large hands spanned her
body, caressing her ribcage. He traced her collarbone with his mouth, as he kissed her.
Heat pooled within the depths of Usagi's stomach. She turned her head and caught his
mouth with her own. It was warm and receptive. She instinctively opened her mouth, as
he had taught her. They melded together, Usagi's anger forgotten.
Endymion pulled his mouth away from hers, his body tensing.
"We need to get going." He said harshly. He unfastened the black cloak he was wearing
and wrapped it about her shoulders. His hands were brisk and efficient, in direct contrast
to his previous, loving caresses. He had an angry expression on his face, and his jaw was
set.
Usagi was suddenly hurt and embarrassed. She barely knew him. Of course she had
dreamed of kissing him before, but that wasn't the same thing as actually kissing him in
real life. He must think she was a loose woman. No, that wasn't right, if he truly
believed they were married. Didn't married people share such intimacies? Why was he
angry with her then? He was a confounding man. Usagi snuck a glance at him, but he
ignored her. He had kicked the horse into motion, and was guiding it along.
Well if he was going to be like that, it wasn't going to bother her. Two could play that
game. In the saddle, Usagi scooted as far away as possible, trying not to lean into him
with her body. The motion of the horse kept moving her back into contact with him
though. Annoyed, Usagi would move away again, only ending up exactly where she had
started. Finally his arm came around her forcing her to lean back into his hard chest.
Tired, Usagi didn't resist. Her eyelids were heavy, and the emotionally draining day was
finally taking its toll. The steady, rocking motion of the horse lulled her into sleep.
***
The room smelled of death. Even Diamond who was somewhat used to the smell had
trouble not gagging at the stench. The area was dimly lit; shadows fell in errie bands
across gray flooring. In the center of the room, a dark crystal hovered above a stand,
pulsing as it fed off malignant energy discarded carelessly in the room.
Evil lived here. It was an ancient, pure, unadulterated evil. It manifested itself in the
cloaked figure hunched by the throbbing crystal.
"Wiseman," Diamond addressed it. It had never told him its true name, which was lost,
in centuries of time and forgotten. Death had surely come to those that had ever known
it.
It turned what should have been its head in Diamond's direction. Two ruby-red eyes,
burned into his soul.
"I need your help." Diamond said as moved towards the hunched figure.
"Sssso...you come to me." Its voice was a raspy, growling sound.
"Yes." Diamond ducked his head in acknowledgement. "Serenity has escaped,"
Diamond told it.
"Your obsession with that girl exceeds my understanding," Wiseman answered.
"She'd be a powerful alley, if she were under our control." Diamond said defensively.
"I know. That's why I have not rejected your request. She may hold the key to our
enemy's destruction." Wiseman's cloaked figure no longer touching the ground, instead
it hovered several feet above it.
"You will help me find her then?" Diamond feared that his hold on Serenity had
diminished with her escape. He wondered if she was with Endymion. Silently, his hand
curled into a fist, turning white as he squeezed it.
"I will do more than that." If Diamond had been able to distinguish Wiseman's face he
would have said that the lips were twisted into a smile. "I will make her come to us."
Wiseman's dark figure glowed unnaturally, in the dim light.
Reassured, Diamond's hand slowly unclenched. No one had ever escaped Wiseman.
Unchallenged in power, Wiseman had extended his reach far beyond that of any mortal.
Serenity would not be able to escape him this time. Diamond's mouth twitched.
With Wiseman's help, Serenity would walk willingly into his arms.
***
effort to make the story sound more interesting. I also had a sneaking suspicion that
sentence was grammatically incorrect, which really bothered me.
I realize that the last couple of chapters were incredible short, so this chapter is longer
this time. In fact it's several pages longer. That's for all you awesome people who keep
give me feedback on my writing!
Chapter 4- Promises
***
Usagi snorted at the absurd statement. He couldn't be serious, the Keeper of Time?
"You know you really had me going there." She gave a forced laugh. "You almost had
me convinced, but this is way too far-fetched. I may be gullible, but I'm not that
gullible." Crossing her arms protectively, Usagi eyed him critically.
Endymion grimaced in frustration. "You don't believe me?"
"Of course not. First of all, no one can 'keep the time,' and second I'm not the one with
an impaired memory. Mine's just fine, thank you. I remember my past clearly, which by
the way, did not include being married to you!" Once again Usagi found herself
retreating, this time due to the look in his eyes. He looked dangerous, like a man being
driven over the edge.
"It doesn't matter, you're coming with me anyway." Agitated, he ran a hand through his
dark hair, brushing it away from piercing blue eyes.
Usagi wasn't in the mood for another scuffle that she was sure would ensue if she tried
running away once more. Physically, Endymion could easily overcome her resistance.
His muscles fairly rippled with health, and he towered over her. Really, she told herself,
she had no choice but to comply.
"Fine," She said breathing outward heavily, in a way that sounded suspiciously like a
sigh.
Skepticism flickered across Endymion's face. Trapping her hands in his, he reeled her
closer. "Promise me that you'll stay with me." Deadly serious now, he unconsciously
caressed her the inside of her sensitive wrist with his thumb.
Usagi shivered. She tried to think of a way of hedging the promise he was trying to
extract from her. "You mean until we reach this 'Keeper.' Right?"
He looked startled for a moment, as if he hadn't ever considered the possibility that
eventually they might part. "Yes," he ground out between clenched teeth.
She thought about it for a minute, cocking her head slightly. "All right." She said.
His hands tightened on her wrists. "All right, what?"
"All right, I'll come with you to see the 'Keeper.' But that's as far as I'll go, after that I
can't promise you anything." She nervously twisted her arms in an effort to loosen his
grip.
Satisfied, Endymion dropped one arm. The other arm he kept, using it to lead her back
over the territory she had just sprinted. Usagi was practically dragged along, as he
briskly covered the distance.
"Sheez, I said I'd come with you. You don't need to haul me around. I'm perfectly
capable of walking without your help," Usagi said with some annoyance leaking into her
tone.
Endymion abruptly dropped her arm and walked away. She saw him occasionally,
risking backwards glances in her direction, as though to make sure she was still following
him. Was he afraid something would happen to her or did he just generally not trust her?
Usagi felt hurt with the last thought. He should trust her, especially if he believed he was
married to her.
Endymion halted in front of her, and Usagi, with her mind absorbed elsewhere failed to
notice. She didn't stop and subsequently ran straight into his broad back. Quickly she
took a step back, rubbing her nose. Embarrassed, Usagi tried to act nonchalant, as if
nothing had happened. Maybe he hadn't noticed her slip. She had no such luck though.
Endymion gave her an amused grin before he returned his attention to what had made
him stop in the first place.
It was a horse. It was an intimidating, gigantic, black, animal. It snorted, twitching silky
ears as Endymion reached for the bridle. Usagi had never been particularly fond of
horses. Endymion swung himself onto its back, in a swift motion. He offered a hand
down to the gaping Usagi.
Usagi shook her head. "We're traveling on that thing?"
Impatience filled Enymion's tone. "Yes, how did you think we'd be getting there?
Walking would take us far too long."
"I don't know, maybe a car." Usagi was starting to regret her impulsive promise. Why
did she keep convincing herself he was sane?
"A car? What are you talking about?" Obviously baffled, Endymion's look was filled
with confusion.
"I mean a car. C-A-R. It has four wheels, a steering wheel, and you get in it and drive
places. You know..." Usagi trailed off, glancing back up at him to read his expression.
His face held no recognition of the word or her description. He seemed to let this pass
though, as another symptom of her illness. His eyes narrowed. "Get on the horse,
Serenity," he commanded.
"I don't want to." Usagi crossed her arms in defiance, and glared up at him. No one
ordered her around like that. Who did he think he was?
Endymion leaned down from the horse, and snatched her up by the back of her dress.
She heard a ripping noise as the material gave. Shrieking, Usagi scrambled to rearrange
her legs in a comfortable position as he plopped her down on the horse. Angrily, she
turned around and hit him in the shoulder. The man must have been made of stone
though, because he barely flinched. Usagi was forced to give up her assault. She rubbed
her sore hand and decided to glare at him, instead.
Endymion's eyes darkened, but it wasn't in anger. Usagi followed his glance to her
overexposed bosom. The white dress, which hadn't been the best quality to begin with,
had finally torn beyond repair. A great expanse of cleavage was now visible to the eye.
In fact her dress was barely covering her top half, only offering the most minimum of
protection, as it clung to her upper curves. Heat rushed to her face. She muttered
something incomprehensible, and gathered the fabric about her. Clutching the remains of
it to her, she turned her head away from his, in an effort to gather herself together. She
wasn't sure she could recover from this mishap.
A hand reached out, gently turning her face. Positive she was now beet red, Usagi tried
not to meet his eyes. The hand didn't let go, and Usagi eventually forced her eyes to
meet his. He was staring at her so intently that Usagi shifted uncomfortably.
"You don't have to hide yourself from me." He seemed to convey tender, understanding.
"You're beautiful."
The statement touched Usagi. In her entire, existence she didn't recall anyone every
calling her beautiful before. She didn't know how to respond, so she simply said nothing.
She stared back at him, with wide eyes, fascinated by his reaction.
When she didn't pull away he lowered his head to her neck. His large hands spanned her
body, caressing her ribcage. He traced her collarbone with his mouth, as he kissed her.
Heat pooled within the depths of Usagi's stomach. She turned her head and caught his
mouth with her own. It was warm and receptive. She instinctively opened her mouth, as
he had taught her. They melded together, Usagi's anger forgotten.
Endymion pulled his mouth away from hers, his body tensing.
"We need to get going." He said harshly. He unfastened the black cloak he was wearing
and wrapped it about her shoulders. His hands were brisk and efficient, in direct contrast
to his previous, loving caresses. He had an angry expression on his face, and his jaw was
set.
Usagi was suddenly hurt and embarrassed. She barely knew him. Of course she had
dreamed of kissing him before, but that wasn't the same thing as actually kissing him in
real life. He must think she was a loose woman. No, that wasn't right, if he truly
believed they were married. Didn't married people share such intimacies? Why was he
angry with her then? He was a confounding man. Usagi snuck a glance at him, but he
ignored her. He had kicked the horse into motion, and was guiding it along.
Well if he was going to be like that, it wasn't going to bother her. Two could play that
game. In the saddle, Usagi scooted as far away as possible, trying not to lean into him
with her body. The motion of the horse kept moving her back into contact with him
though. Annoyed, Usagi would move away again, only ending up exactly where she had
started. Finally his arm came around her forcing her to lean back into his hard chest.
Tired, Usagi didn't resist. Her eyelids were heavy, and the emotionally draining day was
finally taking its toll. The steady, rocking motion of the horse lulled her into sleep.
***
The room smelled of death. Even Diamond who was somewhat used to the smell had
trouble not gagging at the stench. The area was dimly lit; shadows fell in errie bands
across gray flooring. In the center of the room, a dark crystal hovered above a stand,
pulsing as it fed off malignant energy discarded carelessly in the room.
Evil lived here. It was an ancient, pure, unadulterated evil. It manifested itself in the
cloaked figure hunched by the throbbing crystal.
"Wiseman," Diamond addressed it. It had never told him its true name, which was lost,
in centuries of time and forgotten. Death had surely come to those that had ever known
it.
It turned what should have been its head in Diamond's direction. Two ruby-red eyes,
burned into his soul.
"I need your help." Diamond said as moved towards the hunched figure.
"Sssso...you come to me." Its voice was a raspy, growling sound.
"Yes." Diamond ducked his head in acknowledgement. "Serenity has escaped,"
Diamond told it.
"Your obsession with that girl exceeds my understanding," Wiseman answered.
"She'd be a powerful alley, if she were under our control." Diamond said defensively.
"I know. That's why I have not rejected your request. She may hold the key to our
enemy's destruction." Wiseman's cloaked figure no longer touching the ground, instead
it hovered several feet above it.
"You will help me find her then?" Diamond feared that his hold on Serenity had
diminished with her escape. He wondered if she was with Endymion. Silently, his hand
curled into a fist, turning white as he squeezed it.
"I will do more than that." If Diamond had been able to distinguish Wiseman's face he
would have said that the lips were twisted into a smile. "I will make her come to us."
Wiseman's dark figure glowed unnaturally, in the dim light.
Reassured, Diamond's hand slowly unclenched. No one had ever escaped Wiseman.
Unchallenged in power, Wiseman had extended his reach far beyond that of any mortal.
Serenity would not be able to escape him this time. Diamond's mouth twitched.
With Wiseman's help, Serenity would walk willingly into his arms.
***