Disclaimer: Don't own nothin', no point suin'…

The song for Serenity and Endymion I chose is Loreena McKennit's "The Dark Night of the Soul"

…Upon a darkened night…
…The flame of love was burning in my breast…

Quiet reigned in the garden, only the tinkling sounds of the fountain breaking the stillness. The small feet in their delicate slippers moved as softly as they could. The gardens soothed her, as they always did. No one would bother her here for some time, and she wanted to enjoy the peace.

Princess Serenity looked around quickly, making certain she was alone, before sinking onto her favorite bench. Her silver hair tumbled back freely as she tipped her head, looking up into the star studded sky. There, spinning over her head, was the beautiful blue and green jewel of the solar system.

"Earth."

Her heart filled with longing, though she did not know why. As befitted the Heiress of the Silver Millennium, she had visited almost every planet in the solar system. She had danced in a wild masquerade ball on Venus, driven a horse-drawn sleigh across the ice planes of Mercury, helped build the fires in the Great Temple of Mars, and chased tiny, brilliant butterflies through the jungles of Jupiter's moons. She had ridden the wild steeds of Uranus for hours, dismounting only to leap into the fathomless oceans of Neptune. She had even been close enough to touch the rings of Saturn, and glimpsed, however briefly, the shrouded Titan castle, home to the young orphaned Princess. Once, when her mother was not watching, she snuck into the forbidden chamber, and stole a glance at the beautiful Time Keeper, Sailor Pluto.

Of course, then the mists of time had come rolling out, and she had fled the room in fear… She still did not know if lovely Pluto had caught her, but her mother never mentioned it, so she did not think so.

So many treats, and yet still, she wanted more. She wanted to descend to the surface of the wild Earth, to step on stones untouched by any of the White Moon for centuries. She wanted to unwrap the white clouds and blue skies of that orb, and see the people who lived beneath them.

Forbidden.

The lock on the treasure chest, the warning to keep the unwary child from venturing where they would be hurt, the one thing that could make Serenity drop her eyes from her jealously coveted prize. Earth was forbidden to the people of the Moon Kingdom, only spoken of in hushed whispers and sidelong glances. No one could touch her beautiful blue and green jewel.

Part of her, a tiny part she did not always like to admit existed, always gladdened a little when she thought that while she could not go there, neither could anyone else. Somehow it made it seem as though Earth belonged to her, and only her. It might be wrong, but she liked that thought.

"Serenity!"

Turning in surprise, she found herself face to face with a very annoyed Princess of Mars.

"Mars!" she wailed, clasping a hand to her chest. "You scared me!"

"I called your name three times!" Mars snapped without remorse.

Serenity stepped back, putting herself a safe distance from her friend's legendary temper. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. I was just thinking."

"Don't bother trying to fool me," Mars advised, beginning to tap her toe. "You were daydreaming again, without a thought in your head."

Serenity wrinkled her nose in confusion. "How can you daydream without a thought?"

"And don't talk back!"

"Ow! Don't pinch me!"

"Oh, there you are!"

Grinning with delight, Venus came running towards them through the rows of flowers, her hands out. Automatically, Mars and Serenity each placed one of their hands into hers. They found themselves twirled around, then rushing back the way their golden friend had come.

"Where are we going?" Serenity cried, stumbling as she tried to keep up with Venus' excited pace.

The other girl giggled impishly and threw them a mischievous grin. "Duke Adonis is here, with Sir Eluves, and Lord Furor!"

"Oh, no!" Mars groaned. She dug her heels into the path, finally managing to haul them all to a halt. "No, no, no! I have no interest in speaking with him!"

Venus tugged hopefully on her arm. "We're not speaking with any of them, Mars! We're looking at them! They're speaking with the Queen!"

"With Mother!" Serenity glanced at Mars, both surprised. "About what?"

"I don't know! That's why I left Mercury and Jupiter there to keep an eye on them, while I found you!"

"You mean, you ordered Jupiter and Mercury to spy for you," Mars corrected dryly. "Venus, if the Queen wanted us to know something, don't you think she would tell us?"

"Mars, don't be so boring," Venus huffed, annoyed. "If it were a real secret, they wouldn't be discussing it in the garden!"

"She has a point," Serenity conceded. "I want to hear what they're talking about, too!"

"Excellent!" Venus cheered. "Come on, Mars. You don't want to be left out, do you?"

Her eyes widening with horror at the thought, Mars muttered, "Well, I guess it can't be too secret…"

Venus grabbed her hand again, and took off running.

They found Mercury and Jupiter kneeling behind a rose tree, whispering excitedly to one another. Whatever Jupiter said, Mercury shook her head, her blue hair fanning out around her head. Then she muttered something, and Jupiter nodded.

"Well?" Venus hissed, panting a little from the run. "What are they saying?"

"You aren't going to believe this!" Mercury told them, her big blue eyes amazed. "Queen Serenity is sending an envoy to Earth!"

"WHAT!" Venus and Mars chorused. Their leader fell to her knees beside Mercury, squeezing closer to look out at the Queen. "Why!"

"Sh!" Jupiter cautioned. "They might hear you!"

"Listen!" Mercury added.

Serenity peered around the other side of the tree, glimpsing her mother standing before the great marble fountain. With her were Duke Adonis, Lord Furor and Sir Eluves. Serenity raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise. Duke Adonis was one of the six Dukes of Venus, second in power only to King Desiderus, Venus' father. Lord Furor was Mars' cousin, the only son of her uncle, the Regent of Phobos Demos Castle. Sir Eluves was half-brother to the Princess of Neptune. Prominent figures in the Moon Court, and everyone spoke highly of all three young men. Rumor said the trio were competing amongst themselves for the next position in Queen Serenity's council.

Each handsome, they maintained the best traits of their planet's royal line. Sir Eluves stood several inches taller than Lord Furor and Duke Adonis, but both he and the Duke were slender, where Mars' cousin was stocky and powerful. Eluves' hair was a pale bluish-green, not as brilliant as his more royal sister, but lovely with his bright emerald eyes. Deep red hair, naturally curly, made a pleasing frame for Furor's tanned face and dark eyes. Adonis' windswept pale blonde locks and twinkling blue eyes gave him a dashing, daredevil look. Serenity liked Eluves' smile best, but thought Furor the funnier of the two. She was never certain what to make of Adonis, so mysterious, and almost too charming.

"…growing necessary to intervene," the Queen was saying. "I do not like all this unrest."

"But, Your Majesty," Furor spoke up, "what danger could the barbarians possibly pose to the Moon Kingdom?"

Adonis gave him a patient look. "Perhaps they are not as technologically advanced as ourselves, Furor, but there is a frightening amount of power in brute strength, and in numbers. They have more livable land then any other planet in this system, and have consequently decided to breed like some form of rodent. They could crush us under the weight of their untrained forces."

Queen Serenity did not appear to approve of Adonis' reasoning. "You would all do well not to underestimate the people of Earth. They have been cut off from the Moon for a very long time, and have therefore had to…adjust."

"Adjust?" her daughter whispered. "What does she mean?"

"I heard the royal family has become deformed," Venus murmured from the side of her mouth, eyes still on the young noblemen. "They grew horns for their sins!"

"They have cloven hooves," Jupiter added excitedly, "and tails!"

"Their crown prince," Mars finished decisively, "has a great bushy mane, like a lion."

"Oh, really!" Mercury interrupted. "That is ridiculous! Why should distance from the Moon deform someone?"

"They have learned to make do without some of the things we of the Silver Millennium take for granted," the Queen continued, unaware of the arguing spies. "There is strength in that, and ingenuity. Also, I will not have the Royal Family of Terra insulted! If the three of you cannot be civil, I will certainly find other ambassadors."

"No!" they cried out in unison.

"Of course not, Your Majesty!" Eluves continued, glancing reluctantly at the other young men. "We apologize, and we will strive to embody all that the Silver Millennium considers best and just."

"Our solemn vow, my Queen," Adonis added. "But, if I may, my Queen, why now?"

The Queen turned her gaze up to the shining Earth, and Serenity let her eyes follow. She heard her mother's answer as if from far away.

"The Royal Family has given us a new hope. Their Crown Prince, Endymion, is…a man worthy of a place in this Court. With any luck, and with our help, he will be able to calm the troubles plaguing Earth at this moment, and lead his planet into a new era. I want to help him do this."

Sir Eluves and Duke Adonis bowed, accepting this reason. Lord Furor hesitated, then added his own acquiesce.

"Good. Thank you, my lords. I will send with you both my advisors, Luna and Artemis. You are welcome to choose any other to take with you, but no more than four each. I do not want the Royal Family to think that we are sending an army. Are there anymore questions?"

Both Eluves and Furor opened their mouths, but Furor was quicker. Before Eluves could speak the Martian lord almost shouted, "May I have a word with you, Majesty!"

The Queen started slightly in surprise, and he lowered his voice to mutter, "Please."

"Yes, of course. Duke Adonis, Sir Eluves, I will see you tomorrow."

The Neptunian noble clenched his jaw, but bowed stiffly, then turned and walked away. The Venusian smirked, bowed with more grace, and turned to follow.

"How strange," Mercury noted. "Eluves does not seem happy."

Mars shook her head, looking none too pleased herself. "Of course not. He wanted to speak with the Queen himself, and I'm willing to wager on the same subject."

Venus nodded, her face surprisingly serious, and Jupiter bit her lip on some unpleasant emotion. Mercury and Serenity looked at them all in equal confusion.

"What subject?" Serenity whispered.

"Your Majesty," Furor began, his voice somewhat strained, "in three months, your daughter, our fair Princess Serenity, will turn eighteen."

The Queen raised an amused eyebrow. "Yes, I am well aware."
"Um, yes," he stumbled. "Of course you are. And, as you are also aware, eighteen is the age when a young woman of our Court may, um, may, well, may—"

"Oh, just spit it out!" Mars growled.

"—may marry."

The Queen's face immediately became grave. "I do know that, Lord Furor. However, I do not expect her to marry any time in the near future."

"No!" he cried, spreading his hands quickly. "No, of course not. Eighteen is still very young! But at eighteen, one should begin thinking of these things. So I wished to ask you if, with your permission, of course! if I might present myself to Princess Serenity as a possible future husband."

The afore mentioned Princess' jaw almost hit her chest.

"You may present yourself however you like to my daughter," Queen Serenity told him, "but if you are hoping that I will promote your cause against the feelings of my daughter, you are at fault, my lord."

"No, Majesty, of course not!"

She held up a silencing hand. "Now listen to me, and feel free to tell whomever you must the same thing. At the age of eighteen, my daughter may marry. That does not mean she must marry. I know that many of the young men of the court wish to fix their interests with her at this time because she is becoming eligible for marriage, and I, quite honestly, do not like it. If I must, I will certainly pass a new law that she may not marry until she is twenty-eight, or seventy-eight!

"Like myself, my daughter will only marry for love. Is that clear?"

The young man flushed brightly, but bowed. "Yes, my Queen. I understand you completely."

The Queen's sudden smile seemed to throw him off. "Perhaps you do not. I have no objection to you courting the Princess, but only if you are interested in her heart, as well as her crown."

This seemed to soften the blow enough that he managed an answering smile, and gave a much more elegant bow. Then he took himself away, following Eluves and Adonis with a brisk step.

Queen Serenity watched him go, her face slowly becoming grave again. She sighed, and sank down onto the edge of the fountain. She let her fingers trail through the water, her eyes closing a little. Her head tilted to the side, as if resting on someone else's shoulder. She smiled, though the faint beginnings of tears were in her eyes.

The Princess turned away quickly, unable to face her mother's pain. She's thinking about Father again.

A hand pulled on her arm, and she blindly allowed her Senshi to steer her away from the rose tree. They pulled her down several paths in silence, finally sitting her gently onto her bench again. They took their places around her, looking at her with compassionate eyes.

"Are you alright?" Mars brushed a lock of hair back, her voice barely a whisper.

"Marriage?" Serenity gasped. "I hadn't even thought…I don't love Lord Furor!"

"No one loves Lord Furor," Mars muttered.

"I don't love Sir Eluves, either! I don't want to marry either of them!"

"You won't have to!" Venus reminded her, clasping her hand. "Your mother said you would only marry for love, and I'm sure she meant it."

"But I've never been in love with anyone!" Serenity wailed. "And…whenever Mother talks about Father, she looks so sad! I don't want to be in love! I don't ever want to marry!"

Jupiter laughed. "You're being silly! Not every marriage is sad. My parents have been married since…well, a very long time. And Venus' parents, and Mars' parents, before they died, and Mercury's parents—"

Wincing, Mercury muttered, "Perhaps it's better if we don't mention my parents."

"But there's no one in the Moon Court I want to marry! Some are handsome, and some are kind, and some are funny, but…I want something else!"

Venus squeezed her hand. "What do you want, Serenity?"

Serenity looked up to her beautiful blue and green jewel. "I want…I want to go to Earth!"

"WHAT?"

"I want to go to Earth, before I turn eighteen," she announced. "Before Eluves and Furor and Adonis go there. It's mine! I love it, more than they ever will! I want to go, before they touch it, before it changes!"

"Princess, you can't!" Mercury gasped. "It's forbidden!"

"Don't break the law!" Mars ordered. "I know you daydream about it all the time, but Serenity, reality is not what you think it is."

"I will go to Earth," she whispered, unheeding her friends. "Before I ever marry. Before I have to give up my dreams."