A/N: Thank you once again to all who reviewed and finding this story once again through the title change. It just seemed to fit especially with the new direction I decided to take the story.
The Senshi sensing that the two could use some time to themselves headed back inside the castle for a way down, but they were stopped by Serenity's call.
"I want all of you to go home." Serenity said softly and the others looked at her speechless. Did Serenity know what she was saying? Didn't she know that they would never leave her side.
"Serenity, no. We're gonna find this healer, you're gonna live and we're going to spend the rest of our lives together. And I promise Serenity I will never let you go again." Endymion said clutching her even tighter.
"The one my mother spoke of, is not a healer." Serenity pointed off toward the woods spanning far below the balcony. "Those woods, when this Kingdom existed no one was allowed in or out of those woods it was heavily guarded. For there was one who lived within those woods that defied the laws of the Moon Kingdom by using magic that was forbidden. Normally the spells she conjured would have meant death, but my mother for some reason spared her life, even after the fall of the silver millennium, my mother granted her immortality. She is not a healer, she is one who is rumored to twist the hands of fate, one who can control the life of a person, she changes destinies." The Senshi looked at her with confusion.
"What do you mean? Why would you mother send us to someone who performed black magic? How do we know we can trust her?" Neptune cried out wondering why Queen Serenity would have suddenly become so foolish.
Serenity gave a slight smile. "She refuses to accept what father and I know, my destiny cannot be escaped. The lives of the lunarian family are written out at birth, when I died during the silver millennium it was my time, and it had come to be my time again. For others destiny isn't so concrete, when mother sent the people of the moon kingdom she changed their destinies, but she cannot change mine. In two days the anniversary of my death on this balcony will come to pass, and I will die once again."
"No Serenity, you can't think that! I won't give up on you! I can't live without you Serena! I can't live without you….I don't want to." Enydmion cried out looking down at her with overwhelming sadness filling his eyes. Serenity gave a weak smile and brought her hand to caress her lover's face.
"Please my love, your destiny is not to die beside me this time. I will leave my kingdom and my people to you to watch over." Serenity said softly.
"Finally accepting your fate Serenity?" The senshi gasped as they looked at Malachite looming over them. "It is time you learned to die!" Endymion tensed as he watched the man that had hurt his beloved.
"Darien my love, goodbye." Enydmion's gaze was taken away from Malachite as he saw the woman he loved more than anything in the world give him a faint smile and disappear.
"No! Serena! Don't leave me! Please don't leave me!" Enydmion fell to his knees oblivious to all else, even Malachite's attack upon him. Luckily Jupiter was paying attention to their enemy and pushed the Prince out of the way.
"Brother, come back to us. We can feel the energy of the silver crystal within you. Embrace it and return to us." Once again the Senshi were startled to see more men upon the balcony.
"you'd think this was a backyard bar-b-que" Uranus muttered as she saw the three generals appear.
"Didn't we kill you?" Venus asked the three figures standing before them.
"Serenity thought that if she couldn't be here with you, maybe we could make you happy." Jeditie looked sadly at Mars. He knew it was a silly idea, as glad as he was to see Mars, nothing would make the pain of losing Serenity go away.
"Silence! I came here to ensure the death of Serenity, the rest of you will not survive the night without her." Malachite turned to leave through a portal and Nephrite knew there was only one way to bring his brother back.
"Venus talk to him! Make him remember!" He called and for a moment Venus hesitated. How could she make him remember when she hardly remembered herself?
"Kunzite" They all seemed to witness a small flinch at the mention of his name. "Please Kunzite return home to me. I forgive you and I love you, I always will." As she spoke Mars concentrated on turning herself into her princess alter ego in a shimmering orange dress.
"Mina?" Malachite breathed softy not wanting to believe that his love had returned to him.
"Yes my love, please allow the power of the silver crystal within you to bring you home to me." Princess Mina's eyes were pleading and Kunzite found that he was still unable to say no to them. He gave a small nod and was then surrounded by a white light. The power of Serenity's silver crystal was pushing out the darkness that had encompassed him so long.
When it was finished he fell down in a crumpled heap beside his love. Weak from the power struggled that had been going on so long. Mercury knelt down beside him and used her knowledge of healing to awaken him.
"Mina my love I am so sorry please forgive me. I cannot live without you any longer." Princess Mina knelt down beside him and kissed the lips that she had dreamt of and hungered for so long. When they broke apart Kunzite noticed his Prince, still kneeling on the floor unable to accept that his beloved is gone. He got up and walked over to his kneeling liege.
"Endymion…I know you can never forgive me, but I couldn't help it. You know how much I loved Serenity….I am so sorry Endymion…" He stopped he knew there were no words that would ever make it better. No words that would bring Serenity back unless…
"Endymion….we can bring her back. The witch who changes destinies still lives upon this moon. But Endymion she has long forsaken the Moon Kingdom which imprisoned her, and her magic is strong, getting to her will not be easy. But if she can change Serenity's destiny then we can bring your Princess back." Kunzite spoke softy as he knelt next to his liege. He knew that if they were unable to save Serenity, Enydmion would not survive either. The man may force himself to live, but the Prince they all knew as Endymion would die with his beloved.
Endymion face hardened in grim determination. He would not accept Serenity's death as easily as she had. He would not let her give up on the life they dreamed of…he could not let her.
"Come let us find this witch." Endymion said jumping down off the balcony and landed safely on the ground among the woods that guarded the rear of the castle.
"So Serenity accepted her destiny. She has matured" The man said watching over the water with his wife.
"But the others won't let her die so easily. They will save her. They have to." Serenity said softy.
"Serenity my love how can you be so selfish? She knew it was her time to die and instead of dragging out her death she used the last of her strength to bring back Endymion's generals. Why can't you accept her fate and be proud of her?" He asked getting angry with his wife. His daughter had at least gotten a chance to save the lives of those men before dying. Instead of fighting a cause she knew she could not win.
"Selfish? How can it be selfish to want her to live? Can you not see how miserable they are? Look at Endymion I will not be surprised if he followed her to the grave. And what of Princess Amara? She will always blame herself for my daughter's death." Serenity said tears starting to pour down her face. Her daughter needed to live not just for her own sake but for the sake of those who loved her so dearly.
"Do not worry Mother. Endymion will not die, I promised to leave my Kingdom to his keeping. He will care for it well mother." Queen Selenity turned to see her daughter there already having been greeted by her father.
"Serenity…no. Please go back Serenity, it isn't your time to die? Can't you see what you are doing to Endymion? They can save you my daughter let them try!" Queen Selenity found herself pratically begging her daughter to live, but she would hear nothing of it.
"Mother! If I could live I would. If I could live out my life with Endymion loving him and having children with him I would. I would fight with everything I have for that Mother. But my destiny is something I cannot win against…I am of the Lunarian family and as such my destiny is set in stone. But at least this way, my senshi can be with the ones they love and not have to suffer the fate of Endymion and I." Serenity herself broke down crying thinking of having to watch her beloved live out his life without her. Thinking of never again kissing him or being wrapped up in his arms.
For a moment the man looked toward his wife and began wondering if he had been wrong. Perhaps his daughter should fight against her destiny. She should not be separated from the one she loved so dear, and he knew that he would not survive being separated from his beloved Selenity for so long.
"Daughter, there is always a way. Somehow you and Endymion will be together. Lend them your strength from her and maybe that witch in the woods will be able to change your destiny. Please my daughter you are too young to be without love and without hope." Selenity looked strangely at her husband and gave a weak smile. He finally understood.
"But father you always said…" He held up a hand to silence his daughter's protests.
"Lend them your strength in death. Let Endymion feel you, let him know of your love and to fight for you. Give him hope, remind him of the man he is with your love, if his hardens his emotions he will fight with his anger and he will lose. Help him fight with his heart, with the love he has for you, and I promise you if there is a way to change your destiny he will find it." Serenity bounded up into her father's arms.
"Thank you father! You have given me hope!" He smiled as he daughter ran to sit by the pool and watch her love.
Selenity and her husband watched from a distance, wrapped in a warm embrace as they watched their only daughter fight for her right to live and her love.