Epilogue

The Dénouement

The day of Serenity and Endymion's formal wedding ceremony dawned bright and clear, with the birds singing sweetly in the trees. They had decided to have it outside, on the front grounds of Golden Palace.

All of the palace staff was present and visible – including the four maidservants who had taken so well to Serenity. And the four Sailor Soldiers – Ami, Rei, Lita, and Minako – were there, dressed in pale pink, serving as Serenity's bridesmaids. The girls were in a gazebo, readying the bride for her day.

Serenity giggled with glee as Minako, her maid-of-honor, slipped a silver tiara on top of her head. "Oh, this is going to be wonderful!" Serenity exclaimed. "I always dreamed about my wedding day..."

"Hold still, Serenity!" Minako yelled playfully, yanking Serenity's arm. "You're moving around so much!"

"Hey, you're one to talk," Serenity teased back. "A little birdie told me you moved around just as much on your wedding day!"

Minako blushed and giggled.

"It's such a pretty day outside," Rei said, peering dreamily behind the translucent curtain of the gazebo. "A good portent for a wedding ceremony."

"A good thing, too," Lita added. "We don't want to get rained on!"

"Silly!"

Serenity sighed as she watched her friends playfully tickle each other as they gathered their things together. "I always thought my parents and sisters would be here to celebrate this day with me," she said wistfully.

"Cheer up, Queen Serenity," Ami said, wrapping an arm around her friend's shoulder. "They're here in spirit..."

She opened her other hand and showed Serenity the two orbs hovering over her hand. One sparkled in navy; the other glowed in aqua.

Serenity smiled. The two crystals had been found while crawling away from the collapsing rubble of the obsidian palace, set on the bottom of the hill the fortress had been built on. It had been a peace offering, a sort of apology, although her sisters' deaths had not been the fault of the souls under control of Beryl.

"Yes," she said softly, taking the crystals into her hand, "I suppose they are..."

She released them, but they remained and hovered over her shoulders.

"King Endymion."

"Helios, I'm busy," Endymion said, straightening his bow tie. Three random servants had already interrupted him to ask him about reception cuisine, how to arrange the flowers, and to find the priest to ready the altar.

"Oh yes...Helios, they're looking for you to ready the altar."

"Of course, your highness, but I can't go out there..."

"Why not? They need you now."

"Yes, your highness, I know, and preparing the altar will take some time, which is why I need you to—"

"Helios, please!" Endymion turned to face his best friend. "What could possibly be so important that it impedes you from fixing the sacred altar?"

"The golden arrow, Endymion!" Helios answered, his voice slightly raised. His normally pale face was a little pink. "In all the excitement of the last few days, you've forgotten..."

Endymion turned red and placed a hand over his mouth to stifle his laugh. "You mean...all these days you've still been in love with Serenity?"

Helios' blush deepened. "Yes, highness," he admitted. "I didn't want to bother you – planning a wedding ceremony in a week is quite an undertaking – but I cannot prepare the altar like this...it will defile it."

A crooked smile sprung to Endymion's face. "Were you jealous?"

"Endymion." Helios dropped his honorific title for the second time, but Endymion could hardly notice.

"Were you?"

"I...ah." He sighed, knowing he would not get off the hook without answering. "Of course, King Endymion. You know your father's magic."

Endymion burst into laughter.

"Endymion," Nephrite said, poking his head into the gazebo where the men were preparing for the wedding. "Where's – oh, there's Helios. Helios—"

"He knows, Nephrite," Endymion said, a twinkle still in his eye. "But he can't leave me, otherwise he may attack my wife."

A grin leaped on Nephrite's face, and he laughed heartily. When Minako – barely aided by a blushing Serenity – told the story of Helios' striking with the golden arrow, even Helios had to laugh at himself.

Still smiling, Endymion closed his eyes, and he a hand on Helios's forehead. The priest glowed a bright golden color. Endymion stepped back and opened his eyes.

Helios smiled at the prince.

"No burning love in your heart for Serenity?"

Helios chuckled, turning red, and he placed a hand on his chest. "None that I can feel, your majesty."

"Just don't jump on her when we get to the altar."

"Of course not, your majesty." I will be teased about this for the rest of my natural life, he thought, and sighed.

Endymion looked down at his hand, then quickly tucked it behind his back.

It wasn't quick enough, however, for Endymion's best man not to catch the tremble.

"A little nervous, King Endymion?" Kunzite whispered, a chuckle in his voice.

"Shut up..."

"Endymion...you're married already," Zoisite said, barely able to hold his laughter.

"I know...but this is so...formal," Endymion whispered back. "We really will be linked together for life. And Serenity will really be my queen."

"She was already," Nephrite said with a smile. "And she will be just as wonderful as she was before. This only makes it official."

"Yes, and—"

Helios whispered a loud shhh, and the five men straightened up like little boys called to attention. Zoisite's eyes glazed over as Ami walked in first, dressed in pale pink and carrying a nosegay of pink roses.

The four generals watched in awe as their loves wandered in, like dreamy goddesses, dressed in airy pink gowns and crowned with flowers. No more talking ensued as all the men watched the bridesmaids enter the room.

A pregnant pause hung in the air, and then the gathering sighed collectively, and they rose together to honor the bride entering the palace.

Endymion breathed deeply. Serenity...his queen, his lover, the wonder of his life...

She was dressed in the wedding gown he had picked out and dressed her in the day he brought her to his palace. A serene smile alighted her face, and a light illuminated her eyes when she looked up to face her husband.

Endymion trembled with the force of staying his passion and not running up to Serenity and smothering her with his kisses.

He did, however, stretch out his hand to take hers as he led her up the stairs to the elevated platform where the altar had been placed.

Helios smiled at the two, then began his service.

But the two lovers could barely listen to the words of the priest as they stared at each other. All they could think about was their dreams for their new life together, unthreatened by any evil forces.

At a point in the ceremony, Helios paused and nodded to the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Nephrite, Kunzite, Rei, and Minako stepped onto the platform, each pair bearing a sparking golden necklace. They placed it over their heads, letting them rest around their necks.

The two blue orbs – one aqua, one navy – soared from over Serenity's shoulder and came to rest in the four-pronged endings of the chains, turning the golden chains into pendants.

"Uranus and Neptune – Diana and Trivia – wished it to be this way," Helios said softly. "Their spirits are alive, and they spoke to me in a dream. They wished to be bonded to you, so that your two souls – a husband and wife – would be as close as those who came from one, and were bonded together from birth."

Serenity's eyes welled with tears, and she looked down to finger the aqua orb resting on her chest. Trivia would be close to her heart, always. And Diana would be, too – through Endymion.

"You may kiss your bride, Endymion," Helios said, and smiled.

The words did not have to be repeated, and Endymion enveloped his beautiful wife into a tight grasp, kissing her with all he had in her.

They were bonded by the everlasting power of their love...and their souls.