Serenity is nervous about a speech she has to deliver to the whole kingdom. Luckily Endymion is there to support her. Mixed Manga/Anime canon, but leaning more manga. Written for the 30th Anniversary of Prince Endymion and the Miracle Romance, and in celebration of the Golden Crystal.

Rated: T - Romance/Hurt/Comfort - Words: 1,767 - Luna, Queen Serenity, Princess Serenity, Prince Endymion

A/N: This is a gift for my friend G-Althena.

Leaning back against the tree, Endymion stared up at the crescent Moon for the umpteenth time that night.

Where was Serenity? It wasn't unusual for her to be late, but they were supposed to have met hours ago. The plan had been for the darkness of night to provide cover for them, but Endymion could already see the first flickers of dawn upon the horizon.

Could Serenity have failed to shake off her bodyguards? From what little he knew of them they were less accommodating than his own. But then, his protectors had yet to learn who he often met with.

Huffing out a breath, he pushed off from the tree and paced back and forth along the lake's edge. The Moon was just bright enough for him to see his own watery reflection upon the silver surface. Feeling fatigue beginning to creep in, Endymion knelt down, scooped up some water and splashed it on his face.

As his vision cleared, he spotted a strange shape poking up from the water about a dozen feet from him. Focussing, he realised it was a lotus flower, its white petals appearing silver within the moonlight. However, there was something unusual about its shape that he couldn't quite figure o-

"Endymion!" The prince's head snapped to his right and he stood up sharply. Serenity, garbed in a dress as white as the lotus, was running up to him.

All annoyance vanished from his being as he embraced her. However, it wasn't long until his joy vanished too, replaced by fear and concern as he felt the damp patches on Serenity's cheeks.

"What's the matter? What's happened!?"

Serenity sniffled and wiped some of her tears away with her palm. "I-I-I…have to do a public speech!"

Endymion blinked. Internally, he reran Serenity's words, making sure he'd understood what she'd just said. A laugh welled up in his throat and threatened to break free until Endymion stifled it.

"Is…Is that why you're late? You were practising?"

Serenity nodded frantically. "And trying to talk mother out of it! But she just won't budge!"

"It'll be okay Serenity," Endymion said, trying to sound consoling, "I remember I was really nervous for my first speech too."

Serenity shook her head at such speed that her pigtails slapped Endymion's upper back. "It isn't just a public speech. Mother is going to be broadcasting it to the entire kingdom! The Moon, the Earth, the whole Solar System will be watching!"

Despite the darkness, Endymion could still see a fresh batch of tears welling up in Serenity's large, round, sky blue eyes.

"Then…I guess I'll have to help you."

Wide eyed, Serenity gazed up at him, almost childlike. "You can change my mother's mind."

Coming from anyone else, Endymion might have presumed the reply was sarcastic. "No. But I can help you practise."

"Oh." Within the tiny vowel sound, Endymion could practically hear his beloved's spirits drop like a stone into the lake. "Well, Luna is actually helping me do that, Mercury too."

"It can't hurt to get another set of helping hands," Endymion replied, "Plus, no disrespect to Luna or Mercury, but I probably have more public speaking experience than them. I can give you some helpful tips."

"Like what?" Serenity asked in a tiny voice.

"Like, imagine you aren't addressing a crowd. Imagine instead you are talking to just one person. You can do that, right?"

"I…I think so. Just one person..."

Endymion kept his pace deliberately slow and measured as he walked onto the balcony of the Earth Palace. Once he was out in the sunlight he, like virtually everyone else across the Solar System, cast his gaze skywards. Within seconds the clear blue sky was replaced by a vision in silver, white, and gold. All save two, large, round spots. Endymion had to admit it was rather odd to lock eyes with Serenity like this, to know that across space she was staring at him, and he at her.

"It brings me great joy today to address each and every loyal subject of the Silver Millennium. I hope, in the life that looms ahead of me, I will prove worthy of that loyalty as I meet every challenge and opportunity as your Princess, and someday, as Queen."

Endymion might have been the only person on Earth who could see past the seren veneer, who could clearly detect the nervous tells behind Serenity's carefully composed features.

"Indeed, I encourage every citizen of this glittering kingdom of ours to walk towards the future together with unwavering faith…"

Serenity paused just a little too long. With any luck, most people would presume she was trying to add solemnity to the speech, but Endymion could knew she was starting to come apart.

"...a high courage and…" Another pause, and this time Serenity's eyes visibly wavered. "…a quiet heart."

Endymion's chest only half unclenched. The silence could reasonably be passed off as a joke, or Serenity trying to literalise a 'quiet heart'.

"It is…my sincere belief…that armed with these, we can as one, make our ancient star-crossed kingdom an even…grander thing than it has been since its foundation…long ago."

From both practising with her, and practising his own speeches, Endymion was all too aware of the warning signs. Serenity was unravelling fast and the speech was on the cusp of being ruined altogether. It would take a miracle to salvage this now.

Endymion did not believe in miracles. Or rather, he hadn't. Not until he'd met Serenity.

Refusing to avert his gaze, Endymion instead focussed his very soul. "You can do it. I believe in you," he whispered as if she were in front of him, rather than over 200,000 miles away.

A ray of sunshine seemed to cut through the hologram for a moment. Simultaneously, Endymion felt a tiny flicker of warmth briefly ignite within his chest. Almost immediately, the warning signs upon Serenity's enlarged features seemed to vanish. She was once more serene and composed, but much more naturally now.

"To that end, I make this pledge. I declare before you all that I will dedicate my life in service to you, this kingdom, and the values of peace, love and justice. Thank you."

As Serenity bowed her head in deference, applause broke out across the palace grounds and, Endymion was sure, the entire Solar System too.

Later that day, Endymion strolled along the lake shore once again. This time however, Serenity was not late, although she was crying again. But, from the skip in her step and the smile upon her face, Endymion knew they were tears of a decidedly different nature.

Just as the sun began to set, Serenity leapt into Endymio's arms and he, in turn, spun her around until her back was to the lake. "I did it!" she exclaimed joyfully.

"I never had any doubts."

"Well I sure did. Even during the speech I was starting to screw up until…"

Endymion cocked his head inquisitively. "Until what?"

"Well," Serenity began, "I don't know how to explain it really. But towards the end of my speech, when I thought I might've ruined everything, I felt this weird tingly feeling in my chest. It made me feel a zillion times more powerful, like I could do anything, and then…"

Endymion leant in closer. "And then?" he asked softly.

Serenity's eyes had dilated, as if she had begun to drink him in. "And then I thought of you. I imagined I was talking just to you." She shrugged, "After that everything seemed simple."

Endymion smirked. "Then I guess you'll be thinking of me in your next speech?"

Serenity smirked back. "And every moment between." Her voice dropped. "And after." She raised herself upon her toes. "And forever."

The sun had almost completely disappeared when Endymion leaned in. Just before his eyes closed, he caught one last glimpse at the lake.

Once more he spotted the white lotus, but this time, amidst the day's dying light, he could see it much more clearly. The flower did not have a strange shape at all. There had simply been another lotus growing beside and beneath it, almost propping up the other flower.

Unlike the other lotus, the second flower's petals were starkly yellow. However, bathed in the hues of the sunset, they seemed, to Endymion's eye, to be solid gold.

A/N: Whilst this fic celebrates Serenity, Endymion and the Miracle Romance, it more specifically is meant to commemorate the Golden Crystal.

Miraculously, I managed to crank this fic out in a morning, but thinking about it took MONTHS. I was really stuck on how to commemorate the Golden Crystal and settled merely upon WHEN I would do that fic. Logically, It should be when the Silver Crystal debuted.

The fic then went through various iterations before I settled on something simple. After all, the single most memorable thing about the Golden Crystal (in my opinion) is its connection to the Silver Crystal, so I wanted a fic that revolved around Mamo/Endy supporting Usagi/Serenity (that didn't just revisit moments from the manga where that happens).

In fact, playing it like this, where it is a little ambiguous as to which canon we are dealing with, I felt was both subtler and also allowed me to use this as a second fic to celebrate Endymion and the Miracle Romance.

Also, Serenity's speech was LOOSELY based upon the speech the Queen Elizibeth II gave on her 21st birthday when she was still a princess. R.I.P. Your Majesty salutes.

Also also, just to let you know I am involved in a discord called 'Moonlight Legends' which is dedicated to sharing all sorts of Sailor Moon fanworks, including other fanfics. If you would like to join so you can share your own work, get help with your current projects or just connect to other fan creators shoot me a PM and I'll send you an invite. All are welcome!