AN: Ah! I love the smell of a new chapter and coffee in the morning. This chapter is some basic exposition, as well as furthering the new character a bit. I love how my mind works so that no one knows what I'm planning. (rubs hand together maliciously) MWAHAHAHAHA!
Er, um, here are the review replies:
oxostardustoxo--Hmm...I like the way you think. You are definitely on the right track. I had to think of those things before I even started chapter 1. Good on you!
Firesoulliz--Thank you! That is so nice, and especially what I need when I'm feeling inferior.
DarienGirl1--Oooh, close! He does slightly resemble Diamond, but he's not. No connection to him at all! Good try, though!
essielynne--I hate them too, which is partially why I do them, payback for the past writers who have done this to me. Lol, jk. I am trying to stop with the huge cliffhangers, though.
Sailorsun144--Thank you, I think I shall!
starangel07--You got it!
aQuA rHaPsOdY--That actually made sense to me. (ponders sanity for a moment) HAven'tseen your reviews for a while, thanks for coming back, though.
anime chick--You're welcome, I'll do the same, let me know if you don't want to be recieving emails anymore.
elianthos--So we meet again, Stubborn Gal:) Yes, shy priest disappears when he is alone with a teenage Chibiusa. And I like the Serenity/Endymion romance, so I can't help putting in moments like that and their bedroom scene. After all, who knows how long their relationship can stand up once the stress becomes worse? (Whistles innocently.) I fear Endy will have to take out a restraining order on you. sigh IT's just so much paperwork. Best be on to it.
way2beme--Yes, yes they are. But they're adorable and getting married, so you must forgive them.
the princess of the desert--You will have to wait for sometime to figure out that one, sorry.
kay-kay--Ah-ha! Thank you! Not as much romance in this, as I'm sorry to say.
Breezybree--First came the will to write a Crystal Tokyo story. Then came the secret. Then came the brother. You do the math. (wink)
"Hello, baby sister."
Serenity instantly rose to her full height. "You are not welcome here!" she said, placing her hand on Endymion's shoulder.
The man only chuckled softly.
Endymion tightened his grip on his saber. "The lady said you're not welcome. I'd leave if I were you," he said.
"Well, Endymion," the man said, taking a step, "you're not me."
Endymion swiped his sword across the man's chest, seeing the armor crack. Endymion smiled, "Looks like your armor's got a crack or two."
"Huh. So it does." The man ran his hand over the crack and it repaired. "Now it doesn't." The man's smirk made Endymion and Serenity's blood boil.
Without another thought, Serenity thrust her open palm towards the man and a bright silver light shot through it and hit the man square in the chest. He fell hard, onto his back, and slid back a little bit.
Endymion looked down to her oddly. "What the hell was that, Serenity?"
When she looked back up at him, she looked…well, different. "Put the sword away, Endymion. It will do naught against him." Endymion frowned, but put the saber back nonetheless. "We need to get the Outers to a comfortable place. Can you watch them for a minute?" her tone was not especially worried, or emotional at all.
"Sure," he said uncertainly.
Serenity only nodded. Her mind was racing as she walked inside the palace and told the servants to prepare a room with three beds, immediately. Was it truly him? But…how? …why? She brought three of the guards outside with her to collect the Senshi. When she returned to the spot where she left Endymion, she saw him leaning against the wall, with a gash on his head. "Endymion!" She ran to him, her pigtails flowing behind her. "What happened?"
"Had a bit of a squabble with Brother-Dearest," Endymion grimaced, and then winced when she touched his wound. "He left, teleported away, actually." The palace guards were looking at him oddly, so he pointedly nodded to the Outers lying on the ground. The guards scrambled to the women and lifted them into their arms, bridal-style, and walked into the palace.
"Are you okay?" Serenity asked when they were alone.
Endymion managed a charming grin. "Of course, dear." He pulled her close to him in a tight embrace. He kissed the top of her head and asked, "Shall we go and check on the Outers?" She nodded and took his hand as he led her inside.
As they turned to go up a stairwell, they were both knocked down onto their backs. Their pink haired daughter was sprawled out on top of them, rubbing her red forehead. "Oh, hey guys!" she said jovially when she recognized them. Serenity and Endymion pushed Small Lady off of them. "I was just looking for you!"
"Well, you found us," Endymion grunted. "But-we've really got to be going," he said, thinking of the Outer Senshi. Small Lady leapt up.
"I'll come with you!" she chirped, and laced arms with her mother and her father. "So, I have some…news for you guys…" she said vaguely.
"I hope its good news!" Serenity said, head drooping slightly.
Small Lady thought for a moment. "It really depends on your perspective I guess." Then she paused. "Um….uh, Helios and I…we, um, er, got engaged last night."
Serenity and Endymion both stopped in their tracks. Serenity blinked and then looked down at her daughter. "WHAAT?" Small Lady flinched, expecting a lecture, but instead…"THAT'S WONDERFUL!" She clasped hands with her daughter and began to jump up and down. "Engagement parties!"
"Bachelorette Party!"
"Rehearsal Dinner!"
"The Wedding!"
"The Reception!"
For each event, the girls jumped up and down at least three times, excited. "Money and antidepressants…" Endymion murmured. "Um, Serenity, dear, we do have the others to attend to."
"Others? Who's here?" Small Lady asked.
"Oh!" Serenity said, remembering. "The Outer Senshi, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn are here, but they're badly injured, we were going to their bedside when you tackled us."
"Well, we have to go…now! I can't have part of my wedding party dying!" Small Lady whined, and then broke off into a run, but stopped a few meters ahead. "Um, where are they?" Endymion sweat-dropped and led the way.
When they opened the door to the Outers' room, they saw all of them sitting up in their beds. "Guys…!"
"My Queen," Uranus said, looking down at her clenched fists. "We failed you…I failed you. I'm sorry."
"I told you before, Uranus," Serenity said walking over and putting a hand on Uranus's shoulder, "you didn't fail me. You're one of my protectors. You all are," she finished, looking at Saturn and Neptune.
"Thank you, Serenity," Neptune smiled.
"You are quite understanding. I am proud to call you my queen," Saturn said, and noticed Small Lady standing next to her. "Chibiusa-chan! How are you?"
"Engaged," Small Lady said, grinning.
Saturn got up and gave her friend a tight hug. "Helios finally popped the question?"
"Yep!" Small Lady squealed.
"Oh, dear. Another Lunarian wedding," Neptune said, shaking her head but smiling.
"My wedding wasn't that bad!" Serenity whined.
Endymion snorted and Uranus said, "For those people who didn't end up in the hospital."
"You had a small fracture!" Serenity pointed out.
"The doctor was worried I would never be able to walk again!"
"You wore a suit to my wedding. I specifically picked out a dress for you, and told you if you didn't wear it that there would be dire consequences," Serenity said simply.
"It was a joke, I had the dress in the back room, I just wanted to see your face first! But then you stomped my foot," Uranus said bitterly.
"I still warned you," Serenity said, crossing her arms and turning around defiantly.
"Well," Endymion said, clasping his hands, "if we could talk about something other than weddings, I'd like to know what happened."
He looked expectantly at the women, and then heard Serenity whisper to Small Lady, "He's always like this about weddings. It's the man in him." Then she looked up and smiled sweetly to him, and Endymion glared back.
Before a feud could begin, Saturn spoke up. "I felt a darkness, darker then anything before, pressing against the ends of our solar system. I immediately contacted Uranus and Neptune and we set off to find this dark force. When we finally locked onto it, the force had made its way to the other side of the planet."
Taking it all in, Serenity asked, "What did they look like?"
Saturn closed her eyes, to better see the dark force. "Shadows. They were shadows. Given shape, form, and powers." Saturn opened her eyes. "Of course, all we could see of them was a black mass. But we do know that they were powerful, far too powerful for us to have not sensed them before." Saturn paused while Uranus swore an oath under her breath. "We fought, but in vain. We were all eventually defeated. Death seemed imminent."
Now Neptune broke in. A bright, warm glow surrounded us. MY first thought was that it felt like the power of Serenity, but it clearly wasn't. It was different than Serenity's magic, it felt a bit more powerful."
The Royal Family felt a little off-put by this. A force more powerful than Serenity was not something that they wanted to contend with. "Did you see who saved you?"
"It was the man who brought us here," Uranus explained. "Your brother."
See, not so much of a cliffhanger...right?
Right?