A/N: Hmm... :p Happy June! :p

BY THE WAY!: Just a thanks to unlockurdestiny for pointing out that it's ELF DAWNED BOOK 2, not 1 on the bottom there. :p My bad... So I'll fix the other two chapters eventually. :p Just bear with me until I do. ^^ Sometimes the copy/paste method does have its drawbacks! :p

Disclaimer: All rights are reserved to Naoko. I do not own Sailor Moon, but the story is all my creation.

Summery: She came once, sucked under the spell of Endymion's eyes. She left, forgetting everything. Now she's back, learning it all over again... but this time, she's running for her life from the beginning.

Elf Dawned Book 2: By Chance...

Chapter 6:

There was a knock on my door, but I didn't bother to respond. I knew exactly who it was. He had been knocking on my door for the past week, trying to get me to come out.

Endymion opened the door, and peered inside. His hair was wet and stuck to his forehead, and he was dressed loosely, comfortably.

He came up behind me, and took my hair out from between my chair and back, and began to brush it.

"You've been in here for a week. Don't you want to come out? You look miserable."

I sighed. "Maybe it's because I am."

"Did I mention how sorry I am about what happened?" he asked, looking at me through the mirror in front of me. I looked away before I could see the expression on his face. I had made a mistake of looking at it before, and it had only brought me to endless tears.

I nodded. "You have – several times. I believe you now. Isn't that enough?"

He frowned. "No, Serena- I mean Serenity," he coughed. "I want you to enjoy your time here."

"How can I enjoy it while knowing that my aunt is stuck with a murderer?"

He shrugged. "Willowing in agony isn't going to help her now, is it?"

"I'm mourning. It's what people do."

"Your aunt isn't dead, so why would you be?"

I didn't say anything, because I didn't want to be the one who spoke aloud the possibility.

I looked up at myself. "It just makes me so mad! I can't do anything, and she's the only family I've got. She helped me when I was in trouble, and here I am sitting in my room while she's…" My eyes flashed red, most likely a trick of light, but it made me jump all the same.

Endymion flinched. "Did you see…?"

He stared at me, confused. "What?"

I shifted my gaze away from the mirror. "Nothing. Amy said that you did some things you regret. Care to share?"

He stopped brushing my hair, and when I looked at him, I wished I could have taken the words back.

"Why don't you want to tell me? You always avoid the question."

"Because, Serenity, it's not about you. Even though I do think you deserve to know, I just can't talk about it to you yet."

"Is it because you don't know me well? Is that why?"

His grip tightened on the handle of my brush. "Not at all."

"Well, then, why?"

"Because… Could you drop it?"

"No, why won't you tell me?"

"Serenity-"

"Tell me! Please! You said so yourself, I deserve to know. I've been thinking about it, and every time I talk to someone, it seems that all my problems seem to lead to you and your story."

He didn't respond, and I didn't bother to push it again. He began to brush my hair again, and I continued to look at myself in the mirror.

"By the way, do you know where the envelope from my aunt went?"

"I thought you had it," he said, his eyebrows knotting together. "You said you read it, right?"

"Yes," I said, "But I put it somewhere and now I can't find it. I know it was on a table in here… I've checked every flat surface and hiding spot I could think of."

"Was anyone else in here?" he asked, running his fingers through a tangled knot in my hair.

"No one but the maid."

"What… maid?" he asked, his brush strokes stopping instantly.

"Well, the maid that you told to clean my room a week ago," I said, turning to face him.

"I didn't assign a maid to your room ever, Serenity, except for the one who came in to draw your bath your first day here."

"What? Yes you did, she had black hair and-"

"Serenity?"

"Yes?"

"Did you leave this… maid… alone in the room?"

I nodded. "I went to walk around, and then I found that weird sun room."

"How could she have come in, though…? Did you let her?"

"What?"

"This room is rigged so that only certain people can enter, unless you or I give them a signal to do so. Did you let her in?"

I furred my brow. "I must have, I suppose…"

He sighed. "I don't think you'll be finding that note again, Serenity."

"You mean she stole it?"

"Most likely. I'm going to go get someone to check everything out. Go out and socialize with the girls and Frost. They're worried, you know."

He left my room, not even bothering to explain.

The only problem was that I didn't feel like socializing at all. It didn't feel right.

Then there was a knock on my door again. I almost jumped out of my skin. I got up and opened the door, peering out. "Mina?" I asked, surprised. I had expected it to be Endymion again, and was ready to lash out at him.

"Hey, hey!" she greeted, entering the room past me. "We feel neglected, and so we all decided to kidnap you on a shopping spree you promised me a few years ago."

I was stunned. "We?"

"Amy, Lita, Ray, Frost, and myself. Today. Right now."

I sighed and went back to my desk. "I don't know, Mina… I just don't feel like shopping today."

"I've been waiting for years to go shopping! We still even look alike, so anything that looks hot on you will still be hot on me. If you keep putting it off, I might never get this chance again! Come on, please?"

I pursed my lips. "Do I have to go?"

"Yes," she said, nodding her head determinedly. "And you are required to enjoy it."

I tapped my fingers against the surface of my brush. "I don't know, Mina, I just don't feel like it…"

"Look, Serenity," she said, turning my chair to face her, "you've been cooped up in this room for a week. How is this going to help your aunt?"

"That's not the point-"

"Answer me. How is this going to help your aunt?"

I frowned.

"I will take that as an 'it will not'. In that case, wouldn't you feel better using your time more productively? Besides, how do you know that we won't, for some odd reason, find one of his evil plans in the making? He's bound to be looking for you, and the town's a great place to start!"

"Yeah, that makes me feel better."

"Serenity… please come?"

I gripped my brush in a tight grip. "Will you all leave me alone if I do?"

"Not a chance."

"Then I won't."

"I think that you'd find that you have no option."

"What do you mean?"

She smiled wickedly. "Girls!"

Right then, the door opened and Lita and Ray entered, picked me up by the elbows, and began to drag me out.

"What? Hey! Stop this! I'm not a toy! Put me down!"

"Not unless you'll come willingly. We will drag you through town like this unless you cooperate," Ray sang.

I struggled for another moment before I gave up. "Fine. Just put me down, then!"

They set me down and I brushed away the wrinkles in my dress and humphed. "You are all pure evil."

I went to my desk and grabbed a few clips, pulling my hair back, and securing it with them. Then I came out of my room.

We met up with Amy and Frost outside, Amy holding a basket packed with food. "We were also thinking of going on a picnic afterwards," she said, her smile almost mischievous. Frost peered out from behind Amy's blue hair, almost invisible, and gave me thumbs up.

"I want to ride with Serena!" she announced.

I picked her up and placed her on my shoulder, and she giggled excitedly.

The girls took me out to town, which was surprisingly close to the castle. Mina instantly dragged me into the first boutique she spotted, and made me try on a few of their necklaces. There was one she particularly liked, that had two people in an embrace inside of what looked like a glass bubble, or balloon.

"Bubble," she insisted. "It obviously symbolizes dangerous freedom. Just when you think you're at your strongest, at your tallest, the bubble pops, and everything you've ever loved or held dear, everything that you've gotten used to… it all falls apart and you have to start all over."

Her whispered description sent chills down my spine, and made the hairs on my neck stand on end. I rubbed the goose bumps on my arms until they mostly faded.

"Hey, you ok?" Frost asked, putting her cool hand on my neck.

I nodded, slowly, so not to disturb Frost. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You look really pale. You know Mina wouldn't mean anything by what she said, don't you? I mean, she's just trying to convince herself to buy it."

I laughed. Frost was right, and I didn't know why I had suddenly freaked like I did.

"Alright, I got it! Off to the next store. Come on, Serenity, I know the best little stand that sells amazing bows. You'll love them!"

I let her hook her arm through mine and lead me from the store and down the trail.

"What about the others?" I asked, trying to keep up with her excited pace.

"Oh, Lita found something that looks like a mini-cookbook the size of your fingernail," she said offhandedly. "I don't know why she'd want that, but all of them are trying to make out the small print like their lives depend on it. Especially Amy. 'There's no book I can't read' she said, and this is the best way to prove it. Especially since the writing is in old English. Who makes a cook book in old English?"

I grinned "Really creative elves."

Frost snickered, but Mina just gave me a look. "Really, Serena, one day I'll find the small-cookbook-in-old-English guy, and he'll turn out to be a bum. And when I introduce him to you, I expect an apology."

I should have been watching where Mina was walking, especially since she wasn't. The next thing I knew I was covered in blueberry, staring up at a pretty, horror-struck elf girl who bent over to try and help me.

"Hey! I'm so sorry! I should have been looking and I- Oh my gosh you're covered in blue! Let me help. I'm so sorry!"

I laughed as she helped me up. "No, no it's my fault. I'm fine, and I smell delicious."

"Yeah, I was going to make a pie out of that." She looked forlorn, and I instantly felt bad about running into her.

"Let me pay you back for this," I gestured to my blueberry covered dress, and took out the coins that Mina had given me.

"No, no, you keep them."

"I insist," I said, holding the coins out to her.

"No, I can't, I-" she had reached out to push the money back at me, and froze as soon as she made contact. Her eyes went blank, and her mouth parted in a prayer.

"Hey, what happened?" Mina asked, watching the girl. "Did you do something?"

"No… ah… hello? Are you alright?"

Mina put a hand on the girl's shoulder, and she instantly came out of it and pulled her hand away as if I'd stung her.

"What? What happened?" Mina asked, watching the girl carefully.

"Her. She's not of this world," the girl whispered.

I shrugged. "Yeah, I know-"

But the girl wasn't finished. "She's a Blood Hound, isn't she? Why doesn't she have the power, though? Something very bad is after her."

Mina gave me a look, and then turned back to the girl. "What did you see?"

"She's at her weakest. She can't trust anyone… except…"

Mina and I looked at each other. That's when Frost's voice murmured in my ear. I had forgotten completely that she was there, and now that she spoke, she scared half the life out of me. "She's having trouble seeing," she said. "Touch her again."

I didn't.

The girl blinked. "He's where she least expects him to be."

"What?" Mina asked. "Who?"

"He. The man bathed in blood."

Then she shook her head and the look was gone, replaced by the gentle look she was giving me now. "I don't want your money. Good day."

As she turned to leave, as if nothing happened, I made a sound that surprised even me.

"What?" she asked, turning back, and annoyed look crossing her delicate features.

"You were saying something before… something about me not trusting anyone except… whom?"

"Oh," she said, her annoyed look replaced by one of confusion. "Well, this may seem strange, but I think I saw the Lord… But it wasn't very clear. It was as if he was mucked up. If I were you, I wouldn't try to figure out his story."

"Why not?"

"Because if you do…" she paused, searching my face. "Because if you do, you'll lose. The outcome might vary, but you will lose. Now, if you excuse me, I shouldn't be talking to you at all. I'd keep from spreading my name around if I were you, hun. There's a lot of history here that you don't want to get caught up in… Not this time around."

She nodded to Mina and walked past me, avoiding my eye. I watched her go until she disappeared from my view amongst all the other elves.

The conversation suddenly caught up with me, and I felt dizzy and nauseous all at the same time.

"Are you ok?" Frost asked, tugging at my hair.

"Serenity?" Mina asked.

That's when I threw up my barely existent breakfast.

"Oh, Serena! Not the shoes!" Mina sighed and took me by the shoulders. "Come on, let's get you someplace you can sit down, and I'll buy you a drink."

I let Mina guide me, but I didn't see where we were going. All I knew was that the conversation with the girl had struck a nerve somewhere.

"Mina… did that girl call me a Bloodhound? As in, that dog?"

"Ah…"

She didn't respond.

"Mina?"

"I'm going to go get the girls. You just relax here under this tree until I get back."

She sat me down and handed me a cold container of what looked like apple juice that she had somehow gotten a hold of, and jogged off.

That same nerve struck again, and I kept the feeling of it there, ringing throughout my body. Thoughts, barely there, pushed at me, but I couldn't form them, as if they were in some sort of other language. But I knew that it was something important that I knew and must've forgotten. I just wasn't sure why they were trying to come to me now.

When the girls found me some ten minutes later, the feeling had passed and all I felt was drained and empty.

"Hey," Lita said, patting my shoulder. "You alright? I hear you chucked bits onto Mina's shoes."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Must've been something I ate."

Ray snorted. "More like something you didn't eat."

Amy, standing awkwardly with the basket of food, peered at me from under her bangs. "Maybe it's a good time for that picnic now? This is a good spot."

"Great idea," Frost said. "I'm starved. Got some shaved ice?"

Amy nodded quietly, and placed the basket down. In no time, we had set up the picnic, and I was munching away at a whole-wheat sandwich of consisting of peanut butter and bits of coconut and nuts.

"This is a peculiar taste," I said after a while of awkward silence.

The girls instantly, excitedly, began chattering about the food, which led to other subjects revolving around cooking, the mini-cookbook that Lita had ended up buying, and the small stand that we were going to go to before I had bumped into the girl.

Which reminded me that no one had commented on my blueberry covered dress.

I decided to let it slide, since Mina had told them about me losing it. She must've had to fill them in on why I had lost it, particularly.

We ended up going there after the picnic, and I had purchased a sweater, since the nights had suddenly gotten chilly and the flimsy night gowns that were provided for me weren't enough to cover me up for when I walked around at night, which I had recently found was quite relaxing.

We headed back after that, ending our day with a very few amount of store-bought merchandise. No one mentioned the incident. Everyone skirted around it.

And for now, I was ok with that.

TBC

A/N: Alright, so I'm BACK to writing this, and since summer is starting up I'll be on much more to write. :p Happy reading! :p