The desolate expanse of the North Pole stretched out like an endless canvas of ice and stone—a barren wasteland where the sky and ground seemed to merge into a single sheet of cold, unforgiving gray. Jagged spires of obsidian and ancient ice pierced upwards, and the remnants of a grand dead stone palace loomed into the sky, its once-majestic spires now crumbling under the weight of darkness and eternal frost.
The air was thin and biting, carrying the scent of cold stone and despair. Freezing wind blew from every direction, encapsulating everything in the desolation of forgotten glaciers. Nothing breathed. Nothing lived.
Endymion stood amidst the swirling snowflakes, his dark cape billowing around him like a shadow given form. The bitter cold seeped into his bones, but the dark energy pulsating within him kept the chill at bay. His gloved hand tightened around Sailor Moon's throat, fingers pressing into the delicate curve of her neck, the warmth of her skin contrasting with the cold that enveloped the landscape.
"Tell me!" he screamed above the roar of the wind. "What's this 'Great Power of the Moon' that you speak of?"
The only sound she made was a sickly gurgle.
"Where is it?!"
Her wide cerulean eyes locked onto his, shimmering with a mixture of fear and tears.
"Endymion," she whispered, her voice strained yet soft, each syllable escaping like a fragile wisp of warmth against the frigid air.
The way she spoke his name resonated deep within him, like a key turning in an ancient forgotten lock. He snarled, his grip involuntarily loosening for a fraction of a second. The icy wind whipped around them, carrying her scent—a blend of strawberries and something undeniably familiar—straight to him.
The layers of darkness flickered, revealing fragments flashing like distant stars in the night sky. Her hand came up and rested gently on his wrist. The contact sent a jolt through his arm. Something dangerous spreading from the point of touch and coursing through his veins.
"Please," she gasped. "I know you're still in there. Remember who you are."
A sharp pain ignited behind his left ribs, a visceral reaction that clashed violently with the cold numbness swirling inside. The dark energy around him surged, shadows twisting and writhing. Shadows pressed harder in his mind, the cold unyielding force smothered any flicker of light. Yet gazing into her eyes…
It was a trap.
But he should have anticipated her deception. She was of the White Moon, after all. They were all liars and thieves. Her other hand reached for the Silver Crystal, grabbing it before he could react. The explosion of light and energy sent them both flying backward.
He slid back, skidding to a stop on his knees. At least she took the brunt of the force, and in her weakened state it did her no favors. Sailor Moon flew backwards and smashed into a wall. Bone crunched off stone with a crack. For a moment, she lay stunned as he stood and brushed the remnants of power from his clothes.
"Princess," he purred. "Was that power just now… your own? Can you control it? Or was it the Legendary Silver Crystal?"
Sailor Moon struggled onto her elbows, her chest rising and falling with labored breaths. Her gaze burned into him, fierce and defiant. He could feel the weight of it, the fire in her eyes sending a thrill through him.
Slowly, a cold smile curled at the edges of his lips. There it was—the first glimmer of contempt he'd drawn from her. Finally, she was grasping the truth, the inescapable reality that he would kill her.
But just as the tension thickened between them, voices echoed down the endless stone halls, the sound bouncing off the cold walls like a haunting refrain. Footsteps followed, their rhythm cutting through the silence, louder with each passing second.
Endymion resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Now that the other guardians had arrived, things were about to get far more tiresome. He could almost taste the irritation building in the back of his throat. This was going to get annoying.
As if their presence awakened her, Sailor Venus stirred, and the others helped her rise. Then he was facing their venomous glares. But before they could utter a word, the atmosphere changed.
The air in the cavernous chamber grew heavy, as if the very molecules were being compressed by an unseen force. A chill swept through the room, far colder than the arctic winds outside. Endymion felt it in his bones, a primal fear that even the darkness within him couldn't fully suppress.
Sailor Moon's eyes widened, her gaze darting around the room. "What's happening?"
The others gathered close, clutching to each other like the scared girls they were. The shadows along the walls began to writhe and twist, coalescing into a dense, oily mass that seemed to devour what little light remained. Great vibrations wove through the stone, a low rumble that grew in intensity with each passing second.
That smile on his lips grew.
She'd arrived.
A voice, ancient and terrible, echoed through the chamber. It wasn't heard so much as felt reverberating in their minds and souls. "At last, the defeat of the White Moon is imminent."
The darkness above him churned violently, twisting into a spiraling vortex that clawed at the air. From its depths, a figure emerged, its form a writhing mass of shadows that seemed to shift and reshape with every heartbeat. Its body had no clear edges, only an ever-changing silhouette that flickered and warped.
Where its eyes and mouth should have been, two sickly red lights gleamed with malevolent intent, pulsing with a sinister glow. At its forehead, a brilliant reddish-purple diamond burned fiercely, cutting through the shadows like a twisted beacon of power.
Queen Metalia had arrived.
Endymion's cape unfurled in the whipping wind, and he stood proud to serve such a magnificent creature. Inside, there was a part of him that recoiled, screaming in silent protest against this show of subservience.
But he was Endymion of the Dark Kingdom, and Metalia was his queen.
The air crackled with dark energy, making it difficult to breathe. Sailor Moon and the others stood their ground, skirts and bows rolling in the wind. Queen Metalia's laughter filled the chamber, a sound of pure malice that promised only destruction and despair and stone.
Wind howled with a ferocity that matched the tempest within Endymion's soul. Snow whipped around them in blinding flurries, the bitter cold intensifying as the dark clouds swirled overhead, blotting out what little light the overcast sky offered. The grand dead stone palace groaned, ancient stones shifting as if reacting to the building power.
"Now," he said. "You'll taste the pure power of destruction!"
Endymion knew what Metalia had planned—a devastating surge of darkness and shadow, a force so immense it would swallow everything. Yet, despite the cold certainty of destruction, a strange reluctance stirred within him. His body tensed, resisting the inevitable. It wasn't until the swirl of Metalia's dark energy curled around his spine, an icy caress, that he realized there was no escaping this. No turning back.
With a deep, shuddering breath, he surrendered. He braced himself, opening to her will, and in an instant, a colossal bolt of energy tore from him. It roared through his veins like molten fire, searing his insides as it burst forth. The ground beneath him trembled as the raw power, dark and insidious, crackled through the air, devouring the light and sound in its path.
The guardians barely had time to react. They raised their shields, fragile and shimmering like glass, but they shattered on impact—futile against the overwhelming might of the Dark Kingdom. Their cries echoed faintly in the distance, lost under the thunderous crash of energy. They were nothing compared to him. They had never stood a chance.
It should have filled him with triumph. It should have brought him the satisfaction of duty fulfilled. But as Sailor Moon staggered beneath the onslaught, her form barely holding against the storm of power, something twisted inside him. A shadow within the shadows. A whisper of doubt that gnawed at the edge of his mind.
This was his purpose. This was what it meant to be Endymion of the Dark Kingdom, the bearer of shadow and destruction. And yet…
A burst of light cut through the gloom. Radiant, brilliant, it sliced through the darkness like a sword forged from pure moonlight. The glow was so intense, so achingly familiar, that it momentarily blinded him. He had seen this light before—back in a crumbling palace, a blade bathed in moonlight, cleaving through shadows and tainted flesh.
His chest tightened. Memories flared, fleeting and disjointed, before the light faded and the dark retook its hold.
When the energy ebbed away, leaving only the echoes of destruction, he could see the guardians huddled together, gathering around the small, black cat. The sight filled him with a strange, hollow ache. He tried to hear what they were saying, but the wind howled through the crumbling stone, drowning their words in a swirl of dust and chaos.
"You must seal away Queen Metalia!" Luna shouted. "Banish her from existence. That time is now Sailor Moon!"
Endymion's laughter echoed across the desolate landscape, sharp and bitter as it mingled with the howling wind and the shifting stone beneath them. Metalia's power was too vast, too ancient for an untested princess to even hope to banish. Earth would fall—it was inevitable. The lush, vibrant planet would become nothing more than barren stone, a monument to their failure. The citizens of Earth would succumb and no longer dream beautiful dreams.
"Power?" Metalia sneered, her voice laced with dark amusement. "The Legendary Silver Crystal has limitless power? I should have known! Give it to me!"
A voice, sharp and defiant, cut through the air. The black cat—small but fierce—turned to face Metalia, her eyes burning with determination. "This power will bury you!"
Metalia's laughter rang out, a sound so dark and twisted it seemed to ripple the air itself, crumbling stone in its wake. "You're nothing but a worthless, pathetic queen! And you dare to think you'll succeed? Ha! I'll preserve your corpses in the Dark Kingdom as a reminder of your failure."
The ground trembled violently, fissures snaking outward as the forces of light and dark clashed, the very earth buckling under the strain. Snow and shards of ice hovered momentarily in the air, suspended in the chaos, only to shatter as the pressure mounted.
Sailor Mars didn't hesitate. Fire blazed from her hands, fury burning in her eyes. "Evil Spirit! Be exorcised!"
The flaming ball shot forward, tearing through the darkness, momentarily pushing the shadows away—only for them to surge back, stronger than before. Endymion's smirk deepened, knowing the attack was useless. The flame struck Metalia squarely in the chest, and then… nothing. It disappeared, swallowed whole by the black void.
Metalia's form pulsed with renewed vigor, absorbing the energy like a ravenous beast. "Give me more! More energy!"
Sailor Mars staggered back, her eyes wide with disbelief. "It did nothing? That's impossible!"
The others launched their attacks—chains of love, shards of ice, bolts of lightning—but with every strike, Metalia only grew stronger, feeding on their efforts. Endymion could barely contain his amusement. They were fools, repeating the same mistake over and over, hoping for a different outcome.
"They're only wasting their energy." The dark satisfaction settling deep within his bones.
The energy shifted, gathering like a tidal wave around Sailor Moon as she raised the Moon Stick high. Light began to coalesce, radiating outward, but it didn't just burn—it reached deeper, unearthing emotions and memories that had long been buried beneath Metalia's suffocating control. The ache behind Endymion's ribs flared, not with pain, but with a crushing sense of yearning that nearly buckled his resolve.
His hand moved instinctively to his chest, fingers trembling as they brushed the Silver Crystal's glow. The power pouring from it wasn't foreign—it was familiar, intimate, like a long-lost part of him whispering to be reclaimed. He shuddered, feeling the connection spark and simmer, something the darkness couldn't fully sever.
But… he was Endymion of the Dark Kingdom… wasn't he?
He gritted his teeth, muscles pulled taut as he fought to maintain control. The shadows surged around him, more violent now, a maelstrom of cold, writhing darkness lashing out at everything in its path. Black tendrils struck the stone, leaving jagged scorch marks in their wake, a stark reminder of the power that coursed through him.
Yet, even as the darkness raged, the light persisted.
"Moon Healing Escalation!" Sailor Moon's voice rang out, clear and pure, as the radiance enveloped him, wrapping around the area in the softest, warmest embrace. It clashed with the cold weight of the shadows, each pulse of light chipping away at the walls Metalia had erected around his heart, illuminating fragments of a truth he had long forgotten.
There was something—something hidden, something he had lost.
"You can't defeat me!" he growled, though the words felt hollow, more snarl than conviction. The weight of the darkness still pressed on him, but the flicker of doubt remained, gnawing at the edges of his mind.
For a moment, the light surged stronger, the power of the White Moon glowing with undeniable force, but then it vanished, extinguished as if it had never been there. The shadows closed in instantly, cold and relentless, wrapping around him tighter than ever, reminding him of the bitter truth they whispered constantly.
The White Moon couldn't be trusted.
Princess Serenity had caused all this suffering.
Pain exploded in his head, a sharp burst of agony as the shadows surged back, their fury renewed, pushing down that spark of light before it could grow any stronger. Sailor Moon stared at him, her gaze heavy with unshed tears that shimmered like fragile diamonds, catching the dim light and reflecting it back with an almost ethereal glow. The moisture in her eyes made the color burn brighter, a vivid, desperate plea that cut through the surrounding darkness.
"No," she whimpered, her voice barely a whisper.
He didn't need words to hear her. He could feel her thoughts, each one pulsing through the air between them. How can I bring him back, the echo reverberating in his chest. How do I make the crystal whole, a ripple of energy, faint but insistent. Is he someone else now, the question lingering, clinging to him like mist in the night. Her unspoken agony hung in the silence, heavy and suffocating, making it even more painful.
"No!" Her scream shattered the stillness.
A shockwave tore through Endymion, each jagged emotion slicing through him like shards of glass. His body convulsed violently, muscles locking under the strain as conflicting energies warred within. He was being torn apart, his soul split down the middle, each half pulling in a different direction.
The vibrations inside him grew, the pressure building until it felt like his very skin would tear. Sound warped around him, transforming into twisted echoes of themselves, sharp and menacing. His vision splintered, the world nothing more than a swirl of boiling color and shadow.
He clenched his teeth, fighting the sensation of losing himself completely. If this continued any longer, he knew—he was certain—he would shatter.
Thankfully, the blessed shadows surged to his rescue, wrapping him in their protective embrace. They cocooned him, shielding him from the assault of light, and he dragged in a ragged breath. Rage surged through him, fiercer now. Endymion's eyes snapped open, glowing with a sinister red hue, burning with a hatred that consumed everything. The darkness had saved him from the purity of the White Moon, and now he would exact his revenge.
He would destroy the princess.
Her body would rot in the Dark Kingdom, entombed in shadows and nothingness for the rest of eternity. The very air seemed to thicken, hardening under the weight of the darkness. The biting wind died, replaced by an eerie stillness that pressed against the land, a suffocating blanket of cold dread.
He was Endymion of the Dark Kingdom.
He was Endymion of the Dark Kingdom!
Energy pulsed through him, gathering around his hands as the darkness coalesced into a swirling, chaotic mass above his palm. The earth beneath them cracked and groaned, ice splintering and shattering as reality itself buckled under the weight of the encroaching void.
It didn't matter that her tear-filled eyes were locked on his. It didn't matter that her chin trembled, on the verge of crumbling into an uncontrolled sob. None of it mattered. The only thing he cared about was ending her—ending the White Moon—once and for all.
"Endymion, please!" she cried, her voice trembling as it echoed into the abyss.
But there was no answer. No recognition. Only the cold, unfeeling gaze of a man lost to the shadows, a heart swallowed whole by darkness. The world around him seemed to shrink, the vast expanse of the frozen wasteland narrowing until only the two of them existed within this shattered moment.
Only the distant groaning of the dying place and the crackling of dark energy that swirled around Endymion broke the ceaseless silence. Darkness flooded his senses, obliterating all thoughts that weren't aligned with Metalia's will. His eyes glazed over, the faint glow of humanity snuffed out and replaced with an abyssal void.
He advanced towards Sailor Moon, each step measured and unyielding. There was no hesitation in his movements, only chilling resolve. Now the promise of impending doom lingered in the air, weighing it down.
"Mamo?" her voice wavered.
Still, he approached.
The world froze until it was only vague recollections of beautiful dreams and powerful promises. Even nature itself recoiled from the impending tragedy. The ruins of the stone palace stood a silent sentinel, shadows stretching long across the frozen expanse.
She never looked away from him, even as he stalked closer to her. But something about her expression seemed to melt, as if she was coming to grips with her future. Her chest rose and fall with each labored breath. Those deep, stormy eyes lingered on his. There was a sorrow etched in them. It seemed to seep into the very air between them, thickening it with bitter despair.
Endymion didn't know when she grabbed the Legendary Sword, but she now held it. The blade gleamed with a glimmering, ethereal light. Like ghosts dancing across the ice, the wavering shadows cast by the sword's light embodied the memories and emotions haunting them both. The weapon almost seemed alive, humming softly, as if aware of the gravity of the moment.
A single faint breeze dared to disturb the stillness and sent his dark cape billowing. He came to a stop as the shadows billowed. Still, their gaze remained locked.
Deep within, a fissure formed in the wall of darkness, encasing his light. A golden light was breaking something fragile and vital. His soul strained, but still Metalia's grip held.
Her hand trembled, knuckles whitening as she gripped the hilt of the sword. He could feel her hesitation, almost hear the weight of reluctance pressing down on her. The sword was heavy—too heavy—burdened by more than just its physical mass. The hum of anticipation mixed with dread, almost deafening in the silence between them.
Each second stretched into an eternity as they stood on the precipice of a decision that would alter the course of their destinies. No part of her wanted to do this. Not a single shred of her being. But duty and love converged into this heartbreaking necessity.
The Legendary Sword shimmered in her hand, reflecting a future he couldn't hope for and a past he couldn't remember. Shadows cast by the blade wavered uncertainly, as if also fighting the darkness.
He was Endymion of the Dark Kingdom, and no little girl would best him.
The moment shattered.
"I'm sorry." The clash of light and dark nearly drowned out her voice.
Then she was upon him, the Legendary Sword arcing through the air. The blade caught the dim light, its edge glaring with pure moonlight.
Time slowed.
Endymion tried to react, but his body stayed rooted to the spot, unable—or perhaps unwilling—to move. His eyes locked onto hers, and in that instant, a myriad of emotions passed between them: love, regret, and profound understanding.
"Usako." The name echoed softly in the recesses of his mind.
The blade met its mark.
Sharp pain blossomed in his chest, right over that ever-present burning spot, spreading outward like ripples on a pond. The darkness recoiled, shrieking in outrage as the connection to Metalia was violently severed. Shadows unraveled, dissipating into the air like smoke caught in a gust of wind.
Is this my fate? To be reborn, only to lose you once more.
Sailor Moon was before him, trembling, tears glistening like shattered stars. Her lips parted, as if she wanted to say something, but the words never came. Instead, the world slowed to match the pace of her breaking heart.
The warmth of her breathing ghosted over his skin, brushing against the cold that had settled deep into his bones. Her hand, trembling and blood-streaked, reached for him, her fingers barely grazing his cheek. Despite the pain, despite the darkness that had consumed him, there was something purifying in that touch—something that made him feel alive again.
The kiss came like a desperate confession, her lips pressing against his in a way that stole the very breath from his lungs. It wasn't soft. It wasn't gentle. It was raw, a collision of pain and love, an outpouring of every emotion they had ever buried.
His blood smeared across her lips, the taste of iron mingling with the salt of her tears, but none of it mattered. He kissed her back, a guttural need rising from the depths of his soul. Their breaths mingled, as though they were trying to pour every unsaid word, every lost memory, a moment stolen from life and death.
She tasted of sorrow, desperation and, underneath it all, the lingering sweetness that had always been hers alone. Each second felt like it could stretch into eternity, but he knew it was slipping away, faster than either of them could grasp.
Her lips quivered against his, a quiet sob escaping between them. Then, with a slow, painful breath, she pulled back, their lips parting with the softest brush. Her breath remained shaky and uneven, as if she were holding herself together by the thinnest of threads. The light in her eyes flickered, the spark of hope dying as she whispered his name—so soft, so full of love and regret.
"Endymion."
The word shattered something inside of him.
But before he could act.
Before he could think.
He lost himself once again as colors blurred and feeling faded.