Third Time's the Charm

By Bashfulglowfly

Chapter Four

"At least I'm not claustrophobic." Endymion felt rather stupid that he was speaking aloud since he was alone but the tightly woven rose bushes that towered over his head were making him slightly nervous. There wasn't much space on either side of him and there was probably less than a meter's worth of space from front to back. Every step he took, the bushes would move aside but they quickly closed up behind him. He hadn't tried but he didn't think that he'd be able to go back the way he came.

Finally the wall of rose bushes opened into an empty space. There was grass but it was dead and dry. In the center of the space, curled up on the ground was Serenity. Her long white dress was ragged and torn, her golden hair dull and tangled. He knew that this was not reality but more than likely how she felt about herself at the moment.

Endymion walked across the dried grass, wincing as it crunched nosily beneath his feet. Serenity flinched and curled into a tighter ball. He sat down by her side and carefully laid a hand on her shoulder. He could feel her trembling beneath his hand. "I'm sorry about your parents, Serenity. Zoicite told us that you tried to save them from the tsunami."

"I'm a failure."

He barely heard her whisper the words. He couldn't see her face because her hair was covering it but he began to stroke his hand along her back. "I don't think that's quite right. You tried to save all of them. You were able to save your brother."

"I've always been a failure."

"How have you always been a failure?"

"I failed in the Silver Millennium. I failed now. I'll fail again in the future."

"How did you fail in the Silver Millennium?"

"I killed myself."

Endymion was shocked. THAT certainly wasn't anything he or the Senshi remembered. "Why did you kill yourself?"

"Because I was alone."

Endymion frowned. He couldn't put his finger on it but somehow he knew that wasn't quite right. "Can you show me? I don't remember the end of the Silver Millennium."

"That's 'cause you were already dead." Came the whisper.

"Okay, I was already dead. So, in order for me to see how big a failure you claim you were back then, you'll have to show me what happened." He was rather proud of how calm and matter of fact his voice was.

He watched as a tiny hand came out from under the curtain of hair and lightly touched his.

The fight was desperate. The Moon Kingdom was losing. Queen Serenity was in her tower directing the fight and using her power to attack the invading army. But it was of no use. Beryl and the Shitennou were winning with their massive army. Finally the Army of the Moon was defeated. The only ones left where Serenity's Senshi. One by one they also fell to the swords of the Shitennou. Endymion was killed by Beryl's Black Magic.

Beryl raged at Serenity. "You are MINE! I shall use you any way I wish and before I am done with you, you will beg me to kill you. But I won't, I shall give you to my demons for them to use you in whatever way they desire!" She continued screaming at the Princess who hummed to herself as she cast a spell bring the bodies of her lover and her Senshi to her side; restoring the damage the battle had done.

General Nephrite looked at the humming girl. "My Queen, I believe that girl has gone mad."

Beryl turned on him and blasted him with a spell, knocking him to his knees. "Mad? She's gone mad?! No! I will not have that. I will not allow her to escape me! I will do what I wish with her!"

"I will not be your puppet."

Beryl turned and looked. Serenity knelt next to Endymion. She was smiling. "I will not be your puppet." She repeated. "Ever." At that, Serenity plunged Endymion's sword through her breast. She fell across his body. Blood poured across the pair and onto the ground.

Endymion jerked back to reality. He shuddered and took several deep breaths to try and recover. He looked down at Serenity. Her hand had retreated back against her body. He knew what had to be done.

He picked her up and pulled her into his lap.

Serenity struggled and protested as he carefully pushed her hair back over her shoulders but he was too strong for her. He held her on his lap with his left arm while his right hand lightly gripped her chin and tilted her head, forcing her to look at him. Cerulean blue eyes stared into midnight ones.

"Death before dishonor."

"W…what?"

Endymion didn't smile. "Death before dishonor. You weren't weak because you killed yourself. You were strong. You had two choices. Allow Beryl to torture and abuse you while using you against the survivors of Earth and the Moon Alliance. Or to kill yourself. If you allowed Beryl to have her way…you may have survived but you would have been her puppet. Her slave. You would have NEVER been able to live with yourself, then or now, if you allowed Beryl to do that. So, death before dishonor."

"I made the right choice?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. But from your point of view at that time, it was the only choice you had. Can you think of something else you could have done back then?"

"No."

"So you made the right choice back then."

"I'm still a failure."

Endymion pulled Serenity closer so that her head was resting on his shoulder. "You tried your very best to save your family, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"I'm the Prince of the Earth. I don't think even I could have prevented the tsunami. Hell, I can barely Heal the damage being done by the nuclear power plant. But, I'm trying."

"Trying…that's all we can ever do…right?"

He kissed the top of her head. "Exactly."

"Kunzite is going to be mad at me."

"I don't think so. He's just worried about you."

"He's my brother."

"Really?"

"Yes." Her tiny hand reached out and touched his cheek. He Saw how Kunzite was really her cousin and how he became her brother. And he Saw how Kunzite found the other Shitennou. Finally he Saw what happened to them when they were captured by Beryl.

Endymion shook his head, taking deep breaths to keep from vomiting. "My Shitennou have gone through a lot, haven't they?"

"In their last lifetime, yes. I don't think how Kunzite's mom or Neph and Zoi's dads will really affect them in this one.

Endymion laughed softly. Serenity looked up at him inquiringly. "We're going to have to get Kunzite that chastity belt to protect his virtue."

"I don't understand."

"Minako is guy crazy. And, since they had a relationship in the Silver Millennium, I'm sure that will cause certain feelings. And since Minako is ten years younger than Kunzite, he's going to resist being in a relationship with her."

"And that will cause Minako to push and chase him even harder?"

"Yeah."

"Dimi…" Serenity's voice was even smaller than before.

"What is it, darling?"

"You know the new enemy?"

"Demando and the Black Moon Clan?"

"Yes."

"What about them?"

"He captured me."

Endymion's blood ran cold. He knew how men could treat women…and Serenity wasn't that big a person. She was smaller than her Senshi. He held Serenity closer. He didn't want to know but he had to ask. "Did he rape you?"

Serenity shuddered. "No. Kunzite rescued me before he could do…anything. But he…he changed my clothes while I was unconscious, he injected me with the Black Crystal and…and he tried to make me love him."

"He tried to make you love him? How."

Once again Serenity touched him and he Saw everything that Demando tried to do and how Kunzite found Serenity just in time. He scowled over the fact that Demando fled before Kunzite could take off the bastard's head. Then he smiled a wicked smile at the thought of being able to do it himself.

"Dimi…"

"Hmm?"

"I have to keep a promise…there's something else that I need to show you."

Endymion looked down at the girl he didn't know in this lifetime but knew he would always adore her no matter what. He smiled. "Go ahead. Show me."

Serenity touched his face and another memory flooded through him.

Author's Note: To see how Kunzite became Serenity's brother and how he found the other Shitennou, please read my story The Shitennou Awakened.