Almost forgot to post it here lol sorry about that
Endymion followed the priest through Elysion. The architecture jogged a few memories from the perspective of who he assumed to be the real Endymion. How to behave, what to do, what not to do. Things his father had taught them when he was younger, over a thousand years ago. It made him smirk, as this was quite the opportune moment to use those memories to his advantage.
"I'm glad to see you've awakened and come to see me so soon, Your Highness. I've been waiting since I felt your presence return to Earth. Although, I must admit…" Helios turned around to face him and Endymion almost flinched in surprise. "I thought you and the Moon Princess would come here together. Have you not found her, yet?"
Endymion relaxed, as he was worried Helios had caught on.
"Yes, I have actually, we just have yet to… bridge the gap between us. Our lives are different, but… Not as drastically as last time. We'll get there eventually." He plastered his face with a fake, reassuring smile. He wanted her power, but keeping her around may serve its own purpose…
"Ah, I see. Well, bring her around when it does happen. I look forward to meeting her."
Endymion almost scoffed had he not caught himself before it happened. He merely agreed and continued to follow as Helios talked.
It was a lot about responsibility and some history, but Endymion could care less. He paid attention to hear about anything genuinely interesting, but most of it was old and irrelevant nonsense. He only perked up in interest at the mention of the "Golden Crystal."
"...had passed from your parents to you in the past, at least, it should have. Beryl and Metalia had attacked before that could happen, and you fell on the Moon, beside the princess. Given the years since you were born this time around, you're well beyond the age you should have tapped into the power. Fortunately, you've lived a peaceful life up to now."
"Yeah, it's been…" He had to come up with something. "...Normal enough. Less pressure growing up normally compared to being raised a prince." He was more curious about this past conflict now, too. Beryl had not mentioned much, but he got the hint her interest in him and hate for Serenity stemmed from this tumultuous Moon and Earth War.
"...Killed that brat for stealing Endymion from Earth…"
A phrase he heard as he passed the chamber where Beryl sat upon her throne, ordering other monsters to carry out her bidding. He needed more details than that, but if she had gone out and destroyed a whole two groups of planetary kingdoms over jealousy… He shook his head. He would get rid of her completely this time. Her idiocy was astounding and she did not need to be in charge of such powerful dark magic.
"I'm sure. Since you have the time to be here now," Endymion coughed nervously at Helios' words. "I'll be showing you how to access that power. It's long since passed after you turned eighteen, after all."
"Really…? That's still possible?" He struggled to hide his smirk.
"Yes. You're still the heir of Earth, even after rebirth. Even if you had a child any time recently, it would still default to you until your child came of age, or until you decide they're ready for it." Helios spoke so matter-of-factually, not questioning his Prince's surprise.
"Then… Show me what you can, Helios." Endymion was feeling quite delighted with the news. "I am rather delighted to… tap into the powers I was kept from over a thousand years ago."
"As you desire, Your Highness or I suppose Your Majesty, as you also should be crowned King sometime soon."
"Stay in contact with us, Tsukino. We should reach out again to you for your great work soon. Don't be afraid to share your ideas, either. With such a creative brain, I'm sure you have a story to tell too, and readers may enjoy it." The woman sitting at the desk before Usagi had complimented the blonde's work.
"Oh, no… I'm not that creative…!" She laughed nervously, but she still thanked them for the opportunity should she ever come up with a story one day.
"I understand, but don't limit yourself. There's a lot more you may have to offer than just your great artistry skills." The woman smiled before shooing the younger woman from the room.
Usagi sighed in triumph as she had completed her work and received a generous payout from her employer. It was enough money to split up to send half to her account to save for her own apartment, ideally with Minako or one of the other girls, and to have a bit of spending money. Leaving the building, she headed off to the bank to quickly sort her finances.
After the last monster attack, she looked around more often, as that feeling of being observed had never gone away, and it had made her paranoid. The energy was one she felt she had been intimately acquainted with before, but she could not pinpoint it in her immediate vicinity. Especially after her run-ins with Endymion, she will be on edge for a good while because just seeing her face tends to make her nervous. With Mamoru seemingly gone and being replaced by an evil altered version of Endymion, she knew it would never look or feel the same to talk to him.
As she finished that thought, she ran into a familiarly soft fabric covering a very solid warm body. She did not need to look up to understand that it was Endymion that she had run into. Again.
"You seem to be just everywhere, aren't you Bun-head?" He asked, practically purring in her ear.
"Not like how you seem to be…" She sighed, the sadness overwhelming her being. "I'm… sorry for running into you for the… umpteenth time."
"It's really no problem… I wouldn't say I wouldn't exactly complain about the circumstances." There he goes again, insinuating he rather enjoys their run-ins again. She hates the hope it gives her and how it makes her heart flutter.
"Really…?" Oops, some of her hopefulness slipped through. "I'd be annoyed if I was you… Even though I'm sure I couldn't even leave a bruise on you." She jokingly nudged his arm, keeping things lighthearted. His sharp gaze would not leave her face and it made her nervous. "I'm actually rather busy, right now… I got money to… put away and all."
She could not quite put her finger on the light that emanated from Endymion, but it was different. Stronger. Scarier. Yet his low smile seemed to never waver, as he stared at her like a predator eyeing its prey.
"Money?" He asked, almost genuinely curious, but she knew he was only trying to keep close for whatever reason he may have had. "You work?"
The way he had asked had caused her to turn red, embarrassed. He seemed to think she was unemployed.
"Y…Yes! I draw for a living…! I make good money for it here!" She yelled, turning her back to him as she would have done before. "I'm… I'm offended you think I could not keep a job!"
"Hm…" He sounded more amused than annoyed. "I see. I didn't mean to anger the bun-head with my… insensitive comment. I just never knew what you did for work." Endymion smugly smiled, hoping his inner voice got to hear that he got to hear such important information about this girl.
"Oh… Well… I still have to get going… I, uh… Money is dangerous to just carry around." She wanted to leave and moved to step around him and continue on her path.
"Mind if I tag along?" He asked, stepping aside and falling in step beside her, even despite his longer strides.
Fuck.
"...Sure. I guess I wouldn't mind it." Her mind raced as she accepted to have him tag along. As it stands, she could use this as an opportunity to use the crystal on him. As stupid as it might be, and her friends would surely yell at her for it later, but he had to take any chance she could get.
They kept it to small talk as they made their way for Usagi to handle dropping off the money she got. Endymion stood aside and observed her as she managed her money, and took the opportunity to observe the area and human activity. It made him wonder what the owner of his body would do. If he had done mundane things such as go to a bank or eat out at a diner.
His memories of before becoming Endymion were vague, and his brain seemed to want to hide any memories of "old Endymion" from him as well. Likely the doing of that voice in his head.
"You awake in there, still?" He mumbled, a smirk playing along his lips.
"Stay away from Usagi." It hissed in return.
"Ah, there you are… No." He answered quickly and shortly as Usagi approached, the voice going off on another lecture about something. He always tuned it out once those lectures started. "That certainly took a while."
"I forgot a certain pin. Anyways… Are you hungry? We can… get something to eat?" She asked, hoping he would take her offer. She would be able to focus her energy better if she could sit down. That way, if she was exhausted after, she could act tired from work. It surprised her when he accepted and she excitedly took advantage to grab his hand and lead him out to Crown, running cleansing energy through him subtly.
He wondered why his hand had been warm as he followed along and sat across from her as they got a booth table. It was an unfamiliar and uncomfortable warmth he was not sure he liked. The feeling continued to invade him over the hour he had spent in the presence of the chatty princess. It got unbearable after reaching a full hour mark, and he was feeling almost completely drained. This never usually happened so quickly when he was gone from the castle for hours on end, so he had to conclude it was the proximity near the Silver Crystal. Maybe, that brief contact from earlier was able to drain his power… He needed to get out and return to rest, and soon.
Usagi had noted he looked incredibly tired, and she was also feeling quite sleepy herself, but she had to keep going. The energy had shifted in her favor, and she just needed an hour longer—
"I believe it's time I return to my home…" He suddenly spoke, interrupting her. It caught her by surprise and made her panic because she was so sure she could hold out. "You're looking rather tired too. All the more reason to leave. I'll see you around, Bun-head." He reached out to caress one of her hair buns, thinking they were soft, before swiftly exiting the booth, disappearing in a nearby alleyway, and falling on his bed in the castle hidden at D Point.
Usagi watched his back disappear behind the exit door and leaned back to sulk. She should have practiced more and focused when Luna told her.
"Then I could have moved faster to help him…" Her eyes welled with tears as she finished her food to give her energy for her walk back home. She wiped at her face with unused napkins, feeling ridiculous for being in her twenties and crying like a kid. "This is gonna hurt more than I thought…"
Her partner had not faired as well himself, only having a moment's peace before Beryl came into his room, demanding answers to his whereabouts. Knowing what he does now, he now understood why she was insistent on his visits being short. This woman still withheld those silly carnal desires from over one thousand years ago, and even being on the same planet as the moon princess was enough to get her heated. His making a visit to the Garden of Elysion and then Tokyo (even if she didn't know the first part) did not look good.
He simply waved her away, indicating to his haggard body that he was exhausted and needed time to recuperate. As long as he did not wake up to her standing over him again.
The redheaded woman stormed out and Endymion waited for her heels to disappear before calling for the fourth general.
"You never usually call me… Is there something you need, Endymion?" Kunzite had healed significantly since Endymion had last seen him, at least from what he could see in the darkened hallways. The general still spoke in his usual tone of distaste for the Prince.
"Come here." Endymion motioned, and Kunzite hesitated, clearly unnerved by the sudden request. "I won't hurt you like Beryl does. I… pinky promise?" He felt awkward making something as silly as a pinky promise, but it seemed to ease the other man's discomfort.
"Fine, I'll trust you." Kunzite's trust in Beryl had substantially decreased over time, especially as it came to her and Metalia killing off the previous generals. It did not mean he completely trusted the prince, but he at most had a tense rivalry with him. Endymion had not used any power against him in discipline, and he had even spotted a scowl on the Prince's face during Beryl's attacks. At most, he could trust this man would at least only fight him if necessary.
Taking the other man's hand in a handshake instead, he felt energy coarse through his body and it felt familiar. He felt a lot of his injuries fixing themselves, cuts closing up, and not even leaving a scar.
"Healing magic. My specialty, but that's not why I called you over." He grabbed Kunzite's arm to use both of his hand's full power. "I need you to be clear of Metalia's influence and to only be loyal to me."
This confused the general before the influx of energy from the Golden Crystal, wiping the energy of Metalia from his inner Gemstone, and it restored his memories and personality to what it was before the corruption. Endymion was curious to see who Kunzite was when he was not an evil slave of the monster of corruption.
The silver-haired man took a moment to gather his bearings. He looked around before his eyes settled on Endymion surprise in his eyes. Then he quickly fell to one knee, his head down.
"Forgive me, my Prince! I was weak. I let Beryl lie and convince me to go against you and the Princess! I will make up my disloyalty to you for the rest of my time or until you kill me. Please find it in you to let me continue to be your guardian. Kunzite, knight of Purity and Affection, at your service."
This… was not what Endymion was expecting. He had no memories of Kunzite in such a position, but he could not refute the possibility either.
"...Rise, Kunzite." The other man did as ordered, standing at attention for his king. "I'll keep you as my head guard for now. As it is, you will only work for me, and I am hoping I can trust you with the plan I am about to disclose to you. I expect your full transparency and that you'll only report to me."
"Yes, of course. I will do anything, as I swore in my oath I had broken years ago." Kunzite looked at Endymion, relieved eyes full of sincere adoration. "I'm glad to see you again, in the flesh. Alive and hopefully soon, happy with the Princess."
Endymion found himself in awe once more, as these words were genuine and he could tell Kunzite was truly glad to see him. The contrast to the Kunzite he knew before… It made him feel guilty.
"...Welcome Back, Kunzite. Now… Onto my plans for our very fruitful future…"
Days after their impromptu date, Usagi felt restless, tossing and turning in her bed. She could not bring herself to tell the others. Their reactions would all be predictable about her being weak-minded to Mamoru and not holding her ground.
With all her jostling movements, she was sure to move Luna to her cat bed so that the poor cat could sleep instead of dealing with her and her current incapability to sleep. It was the early hours of the morning, and she had spent most days just learning household deeds from her mother. She sighed before getting up and creeping out of her room to the kitchen. Grabbing a glass and began to fill it with water, hoping it would soothe her to sleep.
"Quite the midnight get up, Sailor Moon." The glass fell and shattered at her feet before she could take a sip. She only turned her head since moving would possibly cause her to cut her feet and that was the last thing she needed. She could sense Endymion had appeared behind her, his ominous energy invading her family kitchen.
"I'd consider you a princess, but wearing that… It's rather unladylike." Endymion taunted. She could see the smirk on his face and it irritated her. "Or should I just call you… Usagi?'
"What?! You…!" Her hand covered her mouth and she looked away, unable to look the obvious intruder in the face. He had Mamoru's face and voice, but the two were nothing alike. "So... What brings you to my house at... " Her eyes gazed over to the clock. "Four in the morning?"
"I just have a... plan, in store. It involves getting rid of Beryl and Metalia..." He spoke, walking towards her as her back was facing him. The sound of his shoes making the glass crack a bit alerted her of his movement. He was moving to get closer to her while she had her back turned. It made her more nervous.
"Really? You expect me to believe you'd go against your queen?" She crossed her arms, aware of his closeness to her back.
"Not really. However, trusting me will be the key to their destruction..." He whispered into her ear.
"So what...? I can't trust you no matter what. How do I know you won't just kill me?" She says this, but it would not be an easy feat. Usagi would make sure to put up a fight should he even try, and knowing she was currently unable to properly manage the power, she may "accidentally" blast him with a strong healing spell.
"You don't." His voice was closer as he seemed to have leaned in closer to her ear, his hands becoming visible as they rested on the counter in front of her, trapping her. He knew what he was doing, and was actively trying to mess with her on purpose. Usagi sighed, embarrassed and annoyed now.
"... If I don't, I assume you'll threaten to hurt my family and friends...?" She leaned away from him, trying to not let him distract her thoughts.
"Most likely, yes." He sounded smug and that just irritated her more. "I found your home after all… I wonder how that little brother of yours sleeps… He'd never see me coming." It took everything in her being to not turn around and punch him in the face.
"Figures... Just let me leave a note..." Usagi went to move before remembering the glass and she held her foot up, afraid to put it down. "Fix the glass…! My mama will kill us both for it…!"
Endymion rolled his eyes before picking her up and placing her in an area with no glass.
"Clean it, now…!" She whisper-yelled and pushed him, catching him by surprise. He grumbled before using magic to fix the mess.
"Better…?" He asked sarcastically, and she nodded a smile of triumph on her face, hiding her fear of telling this powerful magical man to clean up his mess like her mother would have. She shook slightly, but it was easily hidden in the darkness.
Grabbing a pen and a sticky note, she wrote about how she was going to spend the night at Rei's because of a weird dream she wanted her to decipher. A stupid lie, but whatever. It would work, as she has asked Rei to decipher dreams before, and she was a careful adult most of the time. Her parents would not mind her disappearing in the night, if only briefly.
"Grab your crystal first," Endymion demanded after she stuck it to the table. Usagi rolled her eyes and slowly walked to her room to not wake her family or Luna. As she moved, she thought about how to tell this to the girls. Maybe her healing had worked better than she assumed? But he still had those eyes… and he was not being very Mamoru-like. Even if he had made the mean comment, he would never have snuck into her home to scare and threaten her. Luna would be the most upset by the current turn of events, even if Usagi had disclosed the "date."
Speaking of the cat, she saw the aforementioned feline in a deep sleep and she gently petted her before grabbing her brooch. She watched the cat for a moment, deliberating on her plan if what Endymion was saying was true. What worried her more was there was a change to his aura. He had a different and stronger power hidden within, and the golden glow her heart associated with him, a glow only she could see, had grown brighter. Something in her gut told her she needed to be cautious and to alert the girls somehow. There had to be something she could leave, at least.
Grabbing one of Ami's books that she had borrowed, she left a folded note between the pages. Ami would certainly check it since she would always make sure the girls never damaged her books. She should eventually come by to ask her family for it, as usual. Placing it on her table for her mother to find, she left her room quietly, walking down the stairs to an impatient Endymion.
"You certainly took your sweet time." His arms were crossed, and he looked upset. He was suspicious, which would make sense.
"Well, yeah." She held up the brooch. "Look at the size of this thing. It goes wherever I can put it, and I have a lot of clothes. You know. Women!" She gestured wildly, nervously trying to dissuade his suspicion. He just stared at her.
"Okay, got it? Now what? What do you impatiently need me for?" He grabbed her arm and immediately teleported them to the Dark Kingdom castle.
The sight that greeted her was dark and bleak hallways if only decorated with art pieces that looked abnormal. Mutated to fit in a way that still stood out but it seemed to have derived from the original unnaturally. The air was chilly, but not unbearably cold, and the décor of curtains and statues gave her a bad feeling. It sent shivers down her spine and solidified her current predicament: She was in enemy territory.
That or she was just cold due to her pajama situation.
"This is…" Her voice trembled as she gained her bearings. The dark energy was almost overwhelming as it felt like it was draining her energy. Then, Endymion grabbed her and pulled her to a wall as he heard noise approaching them.
"What are you…?!" He covered her mouth with his hand as he towered over her smaller frame.
"Shut it, Princess! You don't want to be caught, do you?" He growled through his teeth. Usagi shook her head and moved his hand. Monsters passed nearby, walking down a nearby hall and the two observed to make sure they did not spot Usagi.
"…Okay, where to then…? I hope you know I'm missing out on sleep for this…!" She whisper-yelled at him, growing agitated by the moment. She was tired from lack of sleep, dammit!
He sighed, knowing this would be a very difficult morning for him. Something about dealing with this woman was messing with his head, and he was unsure of how to feel about it.
Using his cape and height to his advantage, he hid her as they quietly made their way into his living quarters. She huffed the whole time about it, but quietly, so no monsters heard. Endymion found it amusing, if risky to let her have her mini-tantrum as they moved slowly. Once his room door was shut, she quickly pushed away from him, keeping a safe distance from him physically.
"Why take me here? I thought you'd just… poof us to Metalia, and boom! She's gone." Usagi dramatized with her hands. Observing the extravagantly designed room, she noticed the dark décor was even more unsettling than that of the hallway and couldn't help but frown. It spoke a lot to the gloomy and uneasy feeling that surely spread throughout the whole castle.
"I can't just rush you in unexpectedly, especially so… ill-equipped." He gestured to her pajama-clad body. "Don't you have to… transform, or whatever?"
"… Yeah, I do…" It did make her question any other magic use outside of uniform. Besides healing, of course.
"Then, get to it. I have this planned out to move quickly, and completed by today. I just need your cooperation, and that needs to be now." He emphasized, crossing his arms as his gaze roamed over her smaller figure. It made her raise her arms to cover herself as if she were not currently clothed.
"… Stop looking at me first… I won't do it when you're facing and clearly judging me for my choice in sleepwear…" She scowled at him. He had not realized he had been staring unnecessarily. Blushing slightly, he turned his back to her to give her a modicum of privacy.
Endymion felt a shift in the energy of the room, the purity and strength of the Silver Crystal undeniable. Despite his discomfort, he felt a familiar tug in his tainted soul, one that alerted him to her transformation. That was another thing he needed to rid himself of, much like the voice. Although knowing her more now, he could use it to his advantage, it was just a matter of keeping her around…
Keeping her around.
Endymion smirked to himself. He had read a creation spell in one of those ancient texts about creating such devices of control, giving the creator rights to keep an eye on their wearer subtly while limiting the wearer's power. It would only ever come off if the creator willed it to be removed, not the wearer. Supposedly, the magic had been used by ancient rulers of old Earth nobility to keep Earth-born magic users in check. Something about worrying over a potential uprising until a King of Earth declared them illegal, at least, if the history written in the old scroll was to be believed. Had it not been Beryl to gift him something he did not wear…?
Shaking his head, he recalled the details regarding the spell. It can either be entirely made out of magic, only drawing more energy than necessary for the creator, or a pre-made object. All he needed to do was focus and give a piece of his energy into the item and it would work until he decided it would be dissolved. Simple, yet tricky to figure out how to trick her into wearing a randomly gifted object… Unless he insisted.
Sailor Moon stood in silence as she stared at Endymion's back. Her own thoughts had wandered as she waited for him to realize he could turn around.
"Right now... I have a clear shot of him... I could purify him here and now... but maybe he'll notice my movements if I suddenly moved and used the Silver Crystal on him." She stared. "Maybe after this plan with Beryl and Metalia..."
Turning back around to her, Endymion was met with the Sailor Scout, who had been staring at him the whole time.
"Does something interest you about me, Princess?" He smiled, smugly.
"Well, he noticed that..." She blushed a bit before turning her back to him this time.
"Nothing to do with you at all! Just was waiting for you to return from la la land, Endymion." She snickered, and he felt embarrassed and even more driven to assert his control, if purely out of spite for her making fun of him.
"I'd still watch your mouth there, Serenity," He noticed her frown when he called her that. "Seeing as I very well am your lifeline here."
"Sure, whatever. Do you know when Beryl and Metalia will be in the same room?" She inquired, just trying to hurry and get it over with. Being in enemy territory was scary enough, dealing with the big bad soon would be ideal if she wanted to continue living a normal life.
He rolled his eyes before responding, "She typically calls for me telepathically to join her little… brainstorming sessions. I think it seems like Beryl is putting me on her own level…" He grimaced at the thought of being that inane woman's partner.
"No wonder attacks are so frequent..." Sailor Moon complained. "Anything yet?"
"Not currently, no. It's early in the morning. Well… I've never seen the witch sleep, so I don't know if she's in bed…" Endymion had to ponder. Despite supposedly being next to Beryl's room, he was not sure he had ever actually heard or seen her in that room. "It may be a while, though.
While it looked like they would be in the room for a while, Endymion decided to get to work on that spell. He grabbed the offending gift from Beryl that he had hidden away in a cabinet, and it radiated in her energy. The simple ring looked a bit big, even for him, but it seemed like it would adjust size, had he blindly put it on. He shivered at what could have happened had he been lost to her control completely.
As he absorbed the energy to put his own into the object, Sailor Moon took the time to look around, observing the massive room. She had not seen such a sizable room since Silver Millennium, and it reminded her of her mother's room.
Queen Serenity…
She momentarily faced the balcony door to pray to the Moon. This was all moving quickly, and it was not how she saw her adult life going, but she did not blame anyone. Least of all the woman who gave her this second chance with her friends and beloved, even though the latter was currently filled with the evil of Metalia.
"Give me the strength… The support… Let this end." She mumbled, her forehead moon sigil glowing in response and the Moon also responding to her wish in tandem. She could feel it telling her, that when she was ready and the moment was right, she would be blessed with the power to handle the evil Queen as she saw fit.
As she was distracted with her thoughts and prayers, Endymion had finished his magic work, holding up the black ring, and smirking at his handiwork. The aura emanating from it was sickeningly negative, and he could feel his connection to it. Turning back to face the princess, he approached quietly before he grabbed her left forearm. Sliding her glove off, and ignoring her protests and questions, and he slid the invasive article onto her ring finger.
"What are doing?! What is that?!" She shouted, pulling her arm away and grabbing her glove back. Looking at her hand, she blushed, seeing as it was the hand where a wedding band would usually be placed… Just what was this guy thinking…?! Why did she let her guard down?!
"Just in case." He said plainly before walking back to his bed.
"Just in case?! In case of what?! It's…!" She had to stop freaking out, but the energy flowing from the item that would not come off… It gave her an ill feeling, the kind where she wanted to throw up and where her limbs felt heavy. The power encroaching into her body was leaving her feeling drained as he own powers struggled against the foreign feelings. She held a hand to her head before walking backward, her back slamming against the cold wall. "Ugh… I feel nauseous…"
Endymion smiled, rather intrigued by this reaction. He expected something, but not a clash of powers within the woman that would end up causing her physical symptoms. He watched as she sat there, breathing in deeply to regain her composure, observing how her hands grabbed at nothing before switching to hold her head.
"It seems your body is trying to reject the negativity… Not surprising, seeing as you're often a ball of positivity, and your crystal being the epitome of light." He smirked, walking over to her. Then he picked her up with no resistance from her as she was still gaining her bearings. Setting her to sit on the comfortable bed, she shortly was able to get back on her feet.
"What was this for…?" She held up her hand, clearly upset and her glare was icy compared to the usual warmth of her eyes. She was more mad than he had ever expected to see on the countenance of the Moon Princess.
"Consider it as a form of commitment to our promise." He explained, crossing his arms and smiling at her. "Much like any wedding ring."
"… Why? Do you think I wouldn't do anything to get rid of this evil?"
"I wasn't particularly worried, no. But, I should have a physical and visible way of being able to rely on you. You've been my enemy since I awoke." He leaned in, his hair hanging over his eyes and his breath tickling her skin. "You've been an annoying, thick, and sharp thorn in my side. Maybe pardon my lack of trust in the Moon Princess who attempted to use her powers to change me into the Endymion of your desires. Maybe don't be so obvious about it next time, hm?"
He pulled away, turning to pace his room as she processed his words. She had nothing to say to his words, as she should have known he could have been able to tell. Of course, she did not know how long he had known who she was, but it made her current predicament all the more concerning. Her gaze fell on the ring on her hand, as she had no clue what this thing was for. Maybe Endymion did put it on to be able to trust her, but he could also be lying and it could do something completely different. The power that ran through her after he put it on was enough to make her fall temporarily ill. It was definitely nothing good, and she needed to find a way to make things even.
Sliding her glove back on to ignore the sight, she resolved to find something to counter or at least have a similar effect on him. Her eyes turned to Endymion, who had stopped pacing, his hand to his forehead as if he had a headache.
"They're calling for me now." He looked back at her. "You ready to face the witch?"
She stared at him momentarily, before summoning her Moon Stick, the crystal manifesting physically and centering itself on the device. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."
He motioned for her to follow along and covered her with his cape. Walking carefully, they made their way towards the throne room. Monsters roamed the halls but paid no mind to Endymion or his hidden castle guest. Sailor Moon nervously walked quickly to keep up with the taller man beside her.
As they approached the large doors, Kunzite greeted them, allowing them entry to see Beryl and Metalia.