Death Can Not Stop True Love
By: Moonlight Rose
Chapter Nine – The Past Returns
Serena's eyes fluttered opened. She felt warm and cozy, wherever she was. She sat up slowly and looked around in horror. She was in her bedroom, but it wasn't the one she had on Earth, this one was…
"I'm one the Moon. No way." Serena said to herself, still shocked beyond belief. Suddenly, the memories came rushing back to her. Darien not believing in who he was, her trying to comfort him, Zentraff sending a surge of power towards her. 'That's what happened. Zentraff sent me back to relive my past, but why and how far back I'm I?'
Serena got out of bed and searched the room for any clues as to 'when' she was. She searched through dresser, cabinets, books, and little boxes. She found nothing that could tell her exactly when she was. She sat on her bed and felt like crying. If is didn't know when she was, how could she possible do anything. Anything she says or does may affected the time line.
She looked at her bedside table and found a picture with a necklace taped on the back. The necklace was a present from Darien for her sixteenth birthday. Or more exactly, Endymion had gave it to her. 'Well, at least I know that I've met him already. And if I slip and call him Darien, I'll be n trouble and maybe they will think I'm imposter or something.'
Behind the picture, se found a mini calendar. Just what she needed. The calendar was turned to July and it was the three. The year was 1000, which was exactly 1000 years from her time in 2000. "I guess I get to play it like a movie. Trying to remember all my lines and what I did."
The calendar said, 'Don't forget to take Endymion out for a walk in the Gardens to show him how wonderful life is!' Serena frowned. This was Zentraff's made-up world. But she didn't know what happened here to have affected Darien the way it did. "I guess I'll find out." She said holding the necklace in the air. And it made her feel happy as it glowed brightly in the sunlight.
Darien jumped and did a somersault in the air over Zentraff's head. Zentraff quickly sliced the sword thought the air behind him. Darien rolled back away from the dangerously sharp blade. 'I have to give Serena more time.'
"Give up Endymion. Join Metallia and me. Together we can rule the Universe." Zentraff smirked.
"Now where have I heard that before?" Darien laughed. Beryl had said the same thing to him, when they lived on the Moon. Her exacted words were, 'Well, I can see why she'd hang on to you. But why protected this twit, why not come and enjoy the taste of winning Endymion. We can rule the Negaverse together.' He had refused of course, but it still made him laugh.
"I hope you'll change your mind, before I kill you." Zentraff said in anger.
"Don't count on it!" Darien snapped back. Zentraff attacked. Darien jumped out of the way just in time.
Serena walked out onto the stone walkway. Endymion was standing a few feet away looking out over a small pond. He was wearing a black long-sleeved turtleneck and blue jeans. 'What is it with him and the colour black?' Serena thought.
She, herself, was wearing a knee high white dress with no sleeves. Just thick straps and her hair was down.
She walked up to him. "Hi." She said to him as though it was automatic.
Endymion looked up and stared at her. Her eyes as blue as the sky and seemed to sparkle like little crystals. He thought she looked like a beautiful angle in a white flowing dress. "Hi." He answered.
Serena could tell what he was thinking. " Are you nervous?"
" Well, I've never actually been in a live garden before and pus I barley ever get to be alone with you." She could tell he was hiding something back. She had a clue what it was.
"Your friend Zentraff doesn't like me very much, does he?" Serena asked, even though she knew the answer.
"No, he doesn't. He keeps begging me not to come here. Probably has something to do with the fact that I'm suppose to be against you and now, things are different." Endymion looked a little down.
Serena came closer and smoothed his hair. "Come on. The garden will help cheer you up." She reassured him.
They walked side by side, hand in hand towards the gardens to walk among the flowers.
Darien landed hard. His back burned, his arm was almost useless and his head was throbbing hard.
"You look worn out, Endymion. I shouldn't do this but I'm going to anyways," Zentraff used his powers and a sword sliced out of thin air into his hand. Darien looked at the sword with recognization. He didn't want to be near it, after what had happened.
"So you do recognize the sword. It has your name carved into it you know. Prince Endymion o the Golden Kingdom," He read from the handle. "Too bad it wasn't all that golden." Zentraff walked towards Darien, twirling the sword in his hands.
"I remember when I fought you in the battle field on the Moon. You had lost your sword in the battle and I killed you with it." He laughed slightly in remembrance. " This sword has a very long history. It killed you. It killed your lovely Princess. Your Princess had used this sword to commit suicide. Now that was a beautiful site to behold. Here, take it!" Zentraff chucked the sword at Darien. It hit the ground with a clattered and stopped directly in front of him.
Darien stared at the sword. He knew all too well that in order to defeat Zentraff he would need to use it, but he didn't want to touch it. He was afraid that he would become the very monster Zentraff described him as if he used it.
The sword was beautiful though. It's golden coloured hilt with a bit of black in it. It described him well. Serenity had given it to him as a present one day. It wasn't a special occasion or anything. She just did it because she felt like doing something for him. He had always used it after that. An it ended up being the very thing that ended their happiness together.
"Oh. Poor Endymion doesn't want his sword. To much bad history celled inside it." Zentraff laughed. He was enjoying making Endymion suffer.
"Don't call me that again. My name isn't Endymion anymore!" Darien snarled as he looked up at Zentraff with evil eyes.
"Then what is your name. Cape Boy?" Zentraff teased.
Darien rose to his feet. He left the sword where it was. He would rather die then touch it.
"No!! It's…Darien!"
Serena and Endymion stepped into the garden. Endymion looked around in fascination. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life. Well, excepted Serenity.
The Garden was a beautiful sight. Pink, red, blue and purple flowers were everywhere. White flowers sparkled in the sunlight. Green vines covered the walls like a carpet and the green maple trees made a lovely shady roof, though some sunlight seeped through.
"Do you like it?" Serena asked.
"It's beautiful." He looked around in wonder. They slowly started walking through it. Watching birds sing. A dove soared by and Endymion, for the first time, felt at peace with himself.
" See. Life is a wonderful thing. You don't destroy it. If you nurture it, it will grow into something wonderful." Serena knelt down on the grass by a bed of flowers.
"Come." She said, and Endymion knelt down beside her. She picked a pink flower from the bunch and handed it to him.
"What do you want me to do with it?" He asked
"Breath it in. Smell how wonderful and lovely it is." She answered.
Endymion smelt the flower. It's sweet lovely smell tickled his nose, but made him even happier. Even more happy than when he was in battle.
"It beautiful." He said, handing the flower back to her. "It almost feels like this garden is magic." He glanced around.
"It is magic. Just look. Birds flying through the air. Flowers blooming. New flowers emerging. It's all made of magic." She said. 'Gees, I sound like a philosopher or something,' She thought to herself.
"I was wondering if you would like to come to he ball tonight." She asked hopefully.
"Is that an invitation?" He asked, teasingly.
"Yes I guess it is." She giggled.
"I'll try to come. It's just that Zentraff would kill me if he found out that I was coming up here again. So if I can come, it won't be until later." He said.
"Well, as a great man once said, better late then never." She figured that in this world, she was pretty much a know-it-all.
"Come on. We better get you back to the palace before Zentraff yells at you for being late, coming home." The stood and walked towards the palace.
Darien landed on the floor, again, by his sword with a big thump. He couldn't fight anymore. He knew he had to, but he just… couldn't.
Zentraff saw how weak Darien was getting and laughed. "You should use that sword, Darien. Is that what you said your name was. I can't believe that your denying who you are." Zentraff took advantage of the moment, and ran towards the helpless Serena who was still laying on the floor. He held his sword high.
Darien panicked. He picked up his sword. Power began to surge through him. It tried to change him. Into what, he didn't know. He threw the sword at Zentraff. It flew between him and Serena. Zentraff jumped back just in time. It almost hit him as it whirled between him and his target.
Darien clamed himself. He wasn't sure what the sword was trying to change him into, but he didn't want to find out. Somehow, whatever the sword tried to turn him into to, it felt somewhat familiar. He didn't lust for blood or felt like going on a killing spree. It had felt peaceful and welcoming.
Darien picked himself up and walked between Zentraff and Serena. "Your not going to hurt her again." He said firmly. Darien knew he wasn't going to win this battle. If he was Prince Endymion he might be able too, but he had nothing to fight with, not even a small knife. There was only the sword, but he refused to use it.
"Acutely, I am going to hurt her, but not in the way you think. If I kill you, she won't be able to go on living. She'll kill herself again, and you know it." Zentraff teased.
Darien sighed. He knew Zentraff was right. He knew he was going to die in this battle and knew that since Serena loved him so much that she would kill herself. Darien would do the same if Serena ever died. He was going to too, when she had been dead for those few minutes.
"Give her up. All your suffering will disappear after she's dead." Zentraff was trying his hardest to win Darien over to his side.
" I can't give her up, Zentraff. It's not the way things work. I can't live without her. I'd rather die, which is the chose you've given me. Give her up or die. Then I choose death!" He yelled.
"Fine then. I'll see you in hell!" Zentraff attacked again. Darien grabbed him by the chest and threw him towards the other side of the room, away from Serena. 'I've got to protected her as long as I can!'
Serena sat alone on a chair in the Ball room and watched people dance. She watched lovers kiss and hold each other in their arms and wished that Endymion was there to do the same to her.
He said that he would try to come and if he could, he would be extremely late. She glanced at the clock. It was almost one o'clock in the morning, and still, she waited. She would pull an all nighter if that's how long she had to wait.
Serena was too busy watching couples dance and kiss to notice a man dressed in a black tuxedo walking towards her. He had a long black cape and a white mask which shielded his eyes.
"Princess, May I have this dance?" Serena looked up and smiled. She knew who it was.
"You came." She said, delightfully.
"Of course I came. I couldn't just leave you here alone with no one to dance with." He held out his hand. Serena grabbed it.
Endymion lead her out into a cleared space under the strung lights where other couples danced. He took her into his arms when she reached for him, and they swayed together. And for a sort time, the Prince and Princess were at peace. There was no past and no future. Only the comfortable now.
Glass Shattered, and someone screamed. Endymion and Serena stopped. Everyone stopped. A tall young women accompanied by a man came into view. Both Endymion and Serena knew who they were.
"Endymion! I thought I told you to stay away from her. Zentraff has told you and so have I. Kill her!!!" The tall women yelled.
" I'm not yours to command Metaillia! I'm not your little pet anymore!" Endymion yelled.
Serena wished she could do something, but she didn't have the power to be Sailor Moon and her mother had the silver crystal in this world. She felt so helpless. She knew Endymion was going to be killed.
"Endymion! You traitor! You've betrayed your throng and your planet! If you want to die protecting this scum, then you've turned your back on every thing that you are! Have fun dying! Attack!!!" Millions of Earth soldiers attacked the palace. They sent missiles, they killed with swords and guns, and the whipped out whatever and whom ever stood in their way.
Guns fired around Serena and Endymion. Endymion shoved Serena towards the ground and covered her body with his own. Serena was panicking. She had never seen so much blood and destruction before in her life. This was even worst then when the Moon Kingdom was attacked in her past.
"It's going to be alright, Serenity. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise.' Endymion whispered in her ear trying to comfort her.
" You won't be able t keep that promise if you die!" Endymion held her close. Serena embraced him. She was crying. She didn't want to live through this again. The past she and Darien remembered and Zentraff's made-up one both had the same ending. They both died.
Endymion picked Serena up and ran. He did this because he could dodge bullets and Serena couldn't. Endymion jumped through a glass window. He shielded her from the glass, but he was cut.
They landed hard. Endymion put Serena down and they both started to run.
"Endymion, where do you think your going?!" Zentraff yelled.
Serena and Endymion stopped dead. They turned. Zentraff was standing sword in hand. "I'm not finished with your Princess. Let me slice her throat."
Endymion drew his sword. The sword that Serena had given him. The sword that would kill them both.
"Endymion, please don't!" Serena pleaded.
"I have to, Serenity. Or he'll just keep coming." Zentraff and Endymion engaged in combat. Serena knew what the out come would be.
Fog clouded over. Zentraff and Endymion disappeared in it and Serena knew that she wasn't going to see him alive again.
"Endymion!!!"
"Endymion! Endymion, where are you?!" Serena screamed as loud as she possibly could, but the sounds of battle drowned her out.
Guns fired and swords clashed. Men and Women were screaming out in pain and little children were being slaughtered for no reason-excepted pleasure.
Serena kept running, kept searching. She knew she shouldn't be out here, but she just couldn't sit and wait to find that Endymion was dead. What if he was hurt? What if he was dying? She couldn't just sit around when she could save him.
She caught a small glimpse of him, but only for a second before the clashing of swords blinded her vision. Her heart lifted and she ran faster. She didn't want to lose sight of him. "Endymion!!!" She yelled trying desperately to get his attention.
She could see him clearer now and her heart shattered. Tears trickled down her cheeks at the horrifying sight that lay before her. Endymion was lying flat on the ground. Blood was everywhere and a big sword mark was imbedded into his chest. His sword lay next to him, covered in his own blood.
Serena collapsed beside his lifeless body. She shook him, not willing to let herself believe that he was dead. "Endymion, Endymion, please. Wake up!!" Nothing. Tears were in her eyes, as the loneliness in her heart. Her love was gone. Gone forever, without even saying good-bye.
"No!!! Please… You CAN'T be dead, you just… Can't be. I love you to much to lose you now!!!" She chocked on her words. Pain and sorrow filled her. She couldn't stand to be without him. Distracted and alone, Serena picked up his bloody sword and shoved it right through her heart, committing suicide. She died screaming Endymion's name.
"Endymion!!!"