AN: The plot bunnies have awakened and writing has begun. I hope to finally finish this story before summer break is over.
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Three weeks went by like nothing at all, and when the day of Challenge came, Endymion thought he would be sick. Additional consultations with Helios had not eased his worries, as the priest had instead reported that the Golden Crystal was growing more active by the day. The coming trial had consumed all of his waking thoughts, much to the distress of his parents and the ladies they had tried to ply him with.
When he had to formally announce the opening of the main tournament, it took all of his years of training to keep him rooted to the spot rather than bolting for the nearest bush to empty his stomach. Instead, the prince almost felt detached from his body, watching it recite the needed phrases by rote while the rest of him spun in a dizzying panic overhead. The concerned looks he received from his generals told him his disquiet had not gone entirely unnoticed, but thankfully it seemed that it had escaped the rest of his audience.
Endymion was thankful that he had nothing to do for the first part of the event when they'd done the planning. Faced with it, though, knowing he would have to sit and watch a long day of tournament matches, he thought he was going to start hyperventilating.
"Your highness seems ill at ease," a new voice said beside him, taking a seat in the royal box as though they belonged.
The prince spun in place, ready to demand who the newcomer thought they were, but he recognized the huge violet eyes that returned his gaze. "Mars?" he asked in a harsh whisper. "What are you doing here? Is Serenity in trouble?"
The fire priestess sighed. "Your princess is fine, Endymion. She asked me to come today since she couldn't, to make sure you were all right. She has been sensing your distress for weeks now and needed to do something to help you."
He frowned. Mars' specialty was fire and foresight, and he wasn't sure how either were supposed to help him when he would be facing single combat. "Have you… Seen something?"
She studied him contemplatively. "Yes, and no. I suppose the most accurate answer to your question would be that I have Seen this day many times, but nothing in those visions would be of use to you, and there have been many different outcomes. All I can really say is that something dangerous is brewing on this planet, but I cannot yet See what or where." Her eyes darted away, seeing someone heading in their direction. "I will join Jadeite in keeping watch. She will watch through me."
It actually soothed Endymion a great deal, to know that his intended would be with him in spirit even if she couldn't be there in body. He was able to start focusing on the competition in front of him, taking note of which participants stood a chance of making the finals, looking for strengths and weaknesses that he would need to know if he wound up facing them himself.
It seemed obvious, especially to him, that Kunzite would take the prize. The eldest general had a knack for spotting traps, to the point that the others had occasionally theorized it was one of his magical gifts rather than something mundane. Regardless of its source, it served him well in battle, allowing him to avoid any feint or attempts to back him into a corner. He wasn't always the strongest, the fastest, or the smartest combatant, but he could never be forced into a position where that would count against him, and as he remained utterly cool and in control, he did not make a rash misstep as so many others would.
Yes, he thought, as the games broke for midday, Kunzite would be the one standing on the other side of the sandy grounds when he took the field. They had all expected as much, though he knew Zoisite and Nephrite were putting in their best efforts. His greatest concern was that, while Challenge didn't require him to beat his opponent, he didn't know how to put up a good enough fight to even prove his worth.
Endymion applauded with everyone else when Kunzite did indeed take the title, then drifted toward the tent set aside for his use to gather up his equipment and make ready to take the field. Mars and Jadeite followed close behind him, keeping watch for any sort of threat.
He was surprised to see Lady Beryl standing outside the canvas entrance, wringing her hands with nerves.
"Good day, milady," he said politely, wanting her gone but knowing he had to be kind.
"I wanted to wish you luck," she said in a rush.
The prince flashed a quick smile. "Thank you."
She stared at him, visibly gathering her courage. "May I have a moment of your time?"
Endymion blinked twice in surprise, looking back at his companions. Mars was frowning at the other woman, though Jadeite seemed unconcerned. He wasn't technically supposed to see anyone but his guard before the start of his Challenge match, but he didn't see how it could hurt. "I don't see why not. Just one, though. I have to prepare."
"Thank you." Beryl followed him into the tent and went straight to a pitcher of wine on a nearby table, pouring two glasses. "I am sure you could use a drink."
"That would be nice. I have been in the sun all day." He accepted the proffered goblet. "What did you need?"
The young woman took a deep breath. "I know you do not share my feelings, but nonetheless, I must confess that I care for you deeply. I wish… If only you felt the same, if only you wanted me as your queen…"
The prince took a sip of his wine to try to snatch a space to order his thoughts, to avoid his gut reaction of telling her that he didn't care for her at all and would never marry her. "Lady Beryl, I–"
He didn't get the thought out. It felt like his blood had been laced with fire. He gagged, goblet falling from his hand, his body quickly joining it on the ground as he retched.
There were hands on him, and for a moment he thought he would soon feel the comforting chill of Zoisite's icy healing powers, eliminating whatever was causing him such agony, but he quickly realized that the touch was not one he knew. The hands were too small and delicate for one of his generals, and his intended was far away. That unwanted contact only sent another jolt of excruciating pain through him as his entire being tried to recoil from a woman he wasn't bonded to.
An abrupt snarl cut through his mental fog, and he managed to pry his eyelids far enough open to see a blur of blue and blond launch itself at his assailant while a second figure with dark hair rushed to his side. The hands on him were too small, again, but at least familiar and staying within the bounds of propriety.
"Get him to touch the ground!" he heard Jadeite order before the blond turned back to Beryl and snapped out something he couldn't quite hear.
Beryl vanished, and Jadeite joined Mars in rolling him to his back. Endymion promptly choked, his body struggling against whatever had him in its grip, so they hurriedly changed course and turned him onto his stomach. In a flash of concentrated fire, the floor of the tent vanished from beneath them, and they pressed him firmly against the earth as Jadeite cut his shirt and jacket away to bare skin.
A golden surge shot through him, trying to battle back his sudden illness, but he could feel the two warring in him. The light at least gave him back a measure of clarity, and he ordered his power to help him vomit out the wine he'd drank. A painful retching did just that, and he gasped as a little of the searing pain receded.
"We need to get Zoisite in here and tell everyone to cancel Challenge," Jadeite told Mars. "He can't hope to participate like this."
"No," Endymion groaned, forcing himself up a bit so that he could roll away from the mess. "I have to."
"Endy, are you insane?! You are shaking so badly you look like you're having a seizure. No one would think ill of you for taking care of yourself first."
"No," the prince repeated. "Challenge has to be completed."
Mars shook her head. "Prince Endymion, Jadeite is right. You are in no shape to fight, and you need a healer since whatever this is seems to be affecting your powers enough that you can't do it yourself."
"Burn it out," he ordered.
"What?!"
"The drug," Endymion grunted. "Burn it out. I have to get out there. There's no time."
"Are you– Endymion, if I tried to do something like that, I could kill you."
The prince dragged himself into a kneeling position. "I'm going out there. Even if it's like this. I have to."
Wide eyed, Mars stared down at him. "You don't know what you're asking. I can control my fire, yes, and I could burn whatever she dosed you with out of your system, but it's in your blood. The pain would be unimaginable."
"Do it. Everyone is already waiting."
She turned to appeal to Jadeite, but he just mutely shook his head. He didn't see any way to change his prince's mind. Inhaling sharply, the fiery Senshi gave a single tight nod and laid one hand on his chest, just above his heart, placing the other on his forehead.
It burned. He'd known it would, had expected it, but it still hadn't been enough to prepare him. It was like every centimeter of his body, inside and out, had simultaneously caught fire. Endymion tried to hold out, to resist, but he couldn't help the bloodcurdling scream that ripped loose. It startled Mars so badly that she almost let go, but Jadeite hurriedly covered her hands with his, forcing her to continue. His roar of pain seemed as endless as the torture itself, though what little of his conscious self persisted knew that it took mere moments.
Finally, finally, Mars jerked away, shoving her hands into the bowl of water that had been left for him to clean up with. It erupted into pure steam as it quelled that insistent heat. Endymion laid gasping on the ground, twitching in agony as the searing in his veins continued. Jadeite crouched down next to him, drawing away the excess fire until the prince could breathe.
"Help me sit up," Endymion finally ordered.
"Endymion, that was a stupid risk," Jadeite warned as he complied. His voice was unusually soft, and there was a look of sheer terror in his eyes.
"Had to be done," he gasped. "Get my armor. My sword."
"There is no way you can fight right now," Mars snapped.
"I can. I will." Seeing that he'd pushed them as far as he could, Endymion instead focused and summoned his gear to him, letting the armor unfold across his body as his sword manifested by his side.
Jadeite let out a string of curses but took the prince's hand when he reached out and hauled him to his feet. "At least lean on me while you walk."
Endymion shook his head. "I will go out there on my own and I will face Kunzite. The two of you need to get that wine back to the castle and find out who Beryl was working with. There is no way she was the only one."
"Endymion–"
"Go. I have to do this."
The prince squared his shoulders, forcing himself to stand straight and tall despite the pain still ravaging his system. He strode out just as Zoisite appeared in his tent, looking scared and confused, greeted only with his prince's back.
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Endymion could see that Kunzite knew something was wrong when he took the field, but the eldest general said nothing, only saluted as custom dictated and moved to his mark.
Don't go easy on me, he thought to the Shitennou opposite him.
Endymion, you are clearly not well.
He gave a minute shake of his head. Really, Kunzite. Don't. I have to do this right.
'Right' would not involve an already hurt man being forced into a difficult fight. Please, Endymion. My task is to protect you, not to do you further harm.
Now your task is to fight me. I need you to do this.
He could feel Kunzite's hesitation through their bond, followed close behind by resignation as the general conceded to his prince's wishes. The flag dropped, and he was instantly there, twin swords flashing in the waning sunlight. It was a struggle, but Endymion managed to get his own blade up in time to block the blows. Kunzite immediately teleported away, and Endymion spun to prevent him from getting to his back.
His vision darkened, but he ignored it through sheer force of will. Sensing Kunzite's reappearance behind him and to his left, he pivoted sharply and swung high, catching both blades with his and throwing them back.
Endymion lost track of the battle, of the swings and blocks, of the pain still threatening to consume him. His mind was focused solely on keeping moving, not stopping, not giving up. Eyes useless, he relied on his ability to track his generals with his mind and power, though that power felt like it was being dragged through molasses, thick and unwieldy the majority of it was still focused on trying to mend the damage throughout his entire body.
He was tiring quickly. He knew, had known before Challenge even began, that he had no shot at beating Kunzite in single combat, but he had also expected to enter the ring primed and ready, not halfway to oblivion. Every stroke of his sword took effort. Every step had to be deliberately placed. His body screamed at him to stop, to rest, to heal, but he had to keep going.
And everything went dark and quiet.
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Endymion wondered, at first, if he was dead. He'd certainly been ill enough, his vision gone and the pain overwhelming. WIth his surroundings cool and dark, the spectators gone, it didn't seem so bad.
The empty darkness started to change, becoming midnight washed with gold. A single blinding spark manifested, pure and bright in the nothingness around him.
Helios spoke behind him. "It is, has always been, waiting for you, Master."
"Helios?"
"Take the Golden Crystal, Prince Endymion. It has only ever been yours."
"I thought I had to prove myself first."
"You did," the priest answered. "When you were suffering, when you were in pain, you chose to do the task that was required of you, no matter the risk, because it was the right thing to do. That is what a king must be – a man who does what he must, no matter the personal cost."
"Did you know this would happen?"
"No. I knew the crystal would come to you eventually, but Challenge was always just a formality, not a real test. The Golden Crystal woke the day of your birth, the very moment. It simply waited until you demonstrated that you were ready."
He thought of being angry that such a thing had been kept from him his entire life, but he couldn't quite manage it. Not with the crystal calling to him, at last ready to be one.
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A wave of energy poured from the prince's limp form, a healing power that sank into the land itself.
Endymion had lost consciousness without warning, collapsing as Kunzite launched yet another blow. Only his years of training allowed the general to check it in time, turning the sword away before it could complete its fatal strike. The crowd had fallen into stunned silence, only then realizing that something was horribly wrong with their prince.
Thankfully, that harsh terror was short-lived – mere seconds before the glorious golden light. The prince's eyes, when they opened, were limned with that same impossible color before returning to their normal sapphire.
Endymion got to his feet to a great cheer from the crowd. He bowed in response, lifting a rose to his people, and for the first time teleported away.
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AN: I know a lot of you probably gave up on me. I kind of gave up on myself, but I'm trying. Please give me a read, drop me a line, tell me what you think. Till next time!