Hey Minna-chan! Been a while, ne? Well, I'm back, and with a vengence, no less! ::giggles:: Anyway, I have to thank everyone who emailed me (MG, Greek Maiden, AJ and Lady Spring to name a few...^_^) about continuing both this story and Cadre Sister... you are all the greatest, let me tell you! Also, this part is dedicated to Antigone, who's Silver Millenium fic puts my stuff to shame, go read her stuff, gentlepeople, I promise you won't be disapointed. ^_~ One last note. Some one brought to my attention the fact that I reffer to a TON of different sources and stuff throughout this fic, so I'm going to publish some side notes and cover my rear. Not like anyone will read them ^_^ but just so that they're there. But, I do need to point out that the part about Cassiopeia's past (trust me, you'll know when you get there) was inspired by something that happened to Marie Antoinette. That said, fair reader, venture forth! Luv you all and thanks again, Meredith Ps. BIG thanks to Endymion no Megami, who beta-d this for me since My regular proof reader is out of order ^_^ The Will of Heaven 8/? By Meredith Bronwen Mallory mallorys-girl@cinci.rr.com ------------------------------------- Olympus Earth (Capital of the Terrain Empire) Nine p.m. Earth Standard Time ------------------------------------- The wind came up, seemed to rise out of the Earth angrily. It brought with it pillars of thunder and rain, sweeping over the land with the force of a tsunami. It reached the Earth Palace, making the inhabitants shiver, while the older servants shook their heads in mutual agreement; it was the worst storm they'd seen in years. The leaves on the trees turned over, to welcome the water. Standing by the window, Serenity watched them, their tall branches reaching for the sky. This always surprised her, the way trees grew on Earth. Only vines and flowers crawled her native moon, and yet, the young woman loved this lush green world, just as she loved it's kind, charming prince. A gentle smile curved on her features, anticipating his evening visit, when the world would be shut away and it would be just the two of them. Often she wondered why he always came, though she was thankful he did. In her mind, Serenity measured herself against the elegant ladies of the court, and found herself sadly lacking. She did not understand that it was the very things she lacked- the fake smiles, blinding makeup and glittering, gaudy jewelry- that made her so attractive. Some ways away, the fire crackled happily, waiting for Prince and concubine to come together. Serenity's revere, however, was shattered by the shutters as they dashed themselves against the outer walls. "It's really getting bad out there," Ami remarked, coming up from behind. Together, the two women pulled the shutters closed, sheltering themselves from the storm. "Is it always like this?" Serenity asked. "Actually, no," her friend replied, blue eyes darting nervously towards the shuttered windows, as though she could still see the threatening black thunder clouds, "It's our wet season, but I've never seen it this bad." Serenity nodded mutely, following Ami away from the window. In silence, the two girls took turns brushing each other's hair, though Ami's took considerably less time than Serenity's. All the while, they would glance worriedly at the window, the dim roar of thunder becoming louder by the minute. A small shiver climbed up the golden girl's spine. Though Endymion had explained it to her, she still hated the bright flashes of light and loud noises that came from the sky. He would be here soon, though, so it would be okay. The crystaline liquid slipped through the cogs in the water clock, each droplet a moment, turning the mechanism until it marked minutes and hours. Sitting alone on the coach, Serenity shivered and hugged herself, eyes darting between the closed windows, and the growing hours marked above the mantle. A small, almost unnoticeable frown of worry made it's way to her face, but the golden girl didn't seem to notice, she was too busy fighting off the thoughts put forth by her traitorous mind. He would come, he *always* did. In all of three months he had never missed a single night. But then, some part of her mind whispered, never in all of three months had he been late, either. Frustrated with herself, Serenity rose to her feet and began to pace the length of the room. The area which had once seemed so large and spacious was now as confining as her harem cubical had once been. Endymion had just been detained, probably by his mother and those would-be moon princesses. And wasn't there supposed to be a diplomatic dinner tonight? Yes, he'd probably had to stay late for that as well, and entertain the daughter of whatever noble had been visiting. Well, there were any number of reasons he could be late... "Unless, of course, he just isn't..." Serenity clamped a hand over her mouth, as though she needed to physically restrain herself from saying it. Slowly, she forced herself to swallow the words, and though they burned going back down her throat, saying them would have been much, much worse. Saying them would have made it true. The wheels on the water clock turned another notch. ------------- On the other side of the palace, another soul was in pain. The room in which he sat was shrouded in darkness, the shutters banging against the outer walls, the rain pouring in the window, drenching the floor, the curtains, everything with in reach. Endymion didn't even notice, just sat on the couch, half dressed and miserable, head held in his hands. Had a medium been present they would have fled the room immediately, for only they would have sensed the dangerous anger making the Prince's aura flare like a supernova. "It's not fair," he said softly, blue eyes glancing up at the water clock on the wall. Without mercy, the device informed him the time was 1 am; he was three hours late for his usual meeting with Serenity. A meeting he had been forbidden to have. He didn't understand his mother. She, who claimed to love him, claimed to want what was best for him, was the source of all this pain. And yet all she could think of was the damn Moon Princess and some decade old promise to her dead best friend! Though the memory was hazy, the Prince could recall being there when the news of Queen Serenity's death became known. If he remembered nothing else, the look of complete and utter guilt etched on his mother's features would remain with him always. 'It's my fault," she had remarked to her husband, clutching young Endymion to her breast, "I could have prevented this. Serenity and I knew the Mineral Kingdom was trouble. She asked me to help her appeal to the alliance, see if we could curtail their activities, but I wouldn't help her. It's all my fault!" Her voice had carried a note of pain and sorrow the young prince had never heard before, had never imagined he could understand. He understood now... all that and more. But knowing that this marriage was his mother's way of atoning didn't ease Endymion's suffering in the least. Before he'd met Serenity, there had been no one with whom he could share his problems. It was as if, because he was was Prince, everyone expected him to be almost god-like, without worries or emotions. Sensing that from those around him, young Endymion had shut himself off, feeling that he had no right to be fearful or complain about anything, because of his rank. For seventeen years he had gone through life being who everyone expected him to be; the Crown Prince, the Son of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, the heir to the throne. But with Serenity, his sweet, shinning Serenity, the Prince discovered a part of himself even he hadn't known about. He was Endymion, not a Prince, not a godling, just a normal human being, with human wants and human fears. He saw Serenity's loving, positive image of himself, and in turn, began to respond to that image. Not only did he become a better person, but a better Prince as well. But now there was no one to share that with, no one who would look at him and smile reassuringly. Worst of all, his body ached for Serenity's warmth as much as his mind ached for her companionship, as much as his heart ached for... "DAMN IT!" the sudden outburst almost made the Prince jump out of his skin, and it was even more frightening when he realized that it had been his own voice shouting. Despair welled up inside him, if he was this miserable now, how painful would it be tomorrow... a week from now... The anger that had been building since his mother's fateful order rose to the surface, in some ways more powerful than an exploding star. Without warning, Endymion's hand shot out, strong fingers wrapping around a nearby vase before he lifted it and hurled it against the wall with surprising force. For a moment the Prince just stood there, stunned at both his anger and his lack of self control, before collapsing onto the couch and burying his head in his hands. For a moment, he swore he heard a familiar voice sobbing his name, carried across the palace by the tide of the storm. "Gomen ne, Serenity-chan," he whispered brokenly, "Gomen ne." ---------- At last the storm clouds parted, allowing the sun to briefly color the horizon with dazzling shades of purple, gold and red. The landscape, though battered by the harsh winds, seemed almost beautiful now, the raindrops catching the light of the sunrise. Slowly, Serenity opened the shutters of her room, to see if dawn had really arrived, to prove that Endymion had not come. As she poured the spoiled tea out on the lawn, a chill made it's way up her spine, turning it to ice. Oddly enough, she felt no instant of heartbreak, as if the situation had no true reality. It was as if her whole form had turned to stone, and she could no longer feel anything at all. It was almost voyeuristic, she considered distantly, like she was looking at someone else's emotions from a long ways away. Dimly she recalled another time, a another place, when she had hovered above herself, and a strange white haired guard, a thin thread of humanity her only link to the world. She felt that way now, only this time, there was no one to pull her back. Like a thing on automation, the young woman went to dress for the day, but there was no mistaking the tear stains on her face. ------- The sun came and the sun went, the weather raged against the Earth Palace, as though it embodied all the anger Endymion felt. Though no one could really put their finger on it, something was different; perhaps it was the way Serenity looked when she'd entered the kitchen, no sunny greeting for the scullery maids. The spiteful young servants who normally only scowled in her direction, suddenly found themselves turning worried eyes to her form. Meals were strained for the Royal family, and soon it became common knowledge that the Queen and her son were no longer speaking to one another. At times everything seemed silent as death, the only sounds being the roar of rain and the insistent turning of water clocks. Serenity went through her days desperately trying to make herself care. But it was like someone had placed a pane of glass between her and the world, and try as she might, she could not penetrate it. With icy fingers, the golden girl went about her tasks, met with her friends, did everything she usually did. But it did not escape her friend's notice when she was unusually quite at lunch, or when she did not touch her food. Like worried sisters, they conferred with glances, their hearts going out to Serenity, whom they knew to be in pain. Only Ami, who shared quarters with Serenity, knew why the young woman's eyes looked so haunted; though three days had passed, she never stopped sitting up to wait for her friend. The sun had no chance to shine on the third day, going unnoticed as it sank below the horizon, hidden by the storm clouds that had become common place. Shivering, Serenity sat on the couch in her quarters, staring off into space, the aroma of brewing tea all around. She was still there when the sun rose again, but for some reason, the sight of it, shedding it's light on the world, broke the dam within her. The ice melted and the pain came in. With a cry of despair, Serenity sank to the floor, and almost instantly, faithful Ami was by her side, cradling her friend as she sobbed painfully. Almost against Serenity's will, the words she'd been trying to choke down for days, came to her lips, and this time she didn't have the will to stop them. "He's not coming back..." she whispered brokenly, "He's never coming back..." The pure agony in the voice of someone normally so happy, broke Ami's heart. ---------------------- Two Days Later ---------------------- "I am a fool," Queen Cassiopeia remarked with much despair, deep blue eyes darting over the papers spread out on her desk. Five hundred and fifteen reports, each on one of the would-be Moon Princess, and every one of them a fraud Resting her head in her hands, the Queen rubbed at her temples, as though such a simple action would relieve the pounding headache that had been following her for days. Outside the gray, rainy day did nothing to relieve a body prone to weather sickness. Had there ever been a time when she hadn't felt so old? Almost fearfully, Cassiopeia sat back and looked at her hands; how withered they seemed, as though each wrinkle marked a year of her age. The business with the Moon Princess would not be settled as easily as the Queen had hoped, indeed, now that she looked at it, she realized she had been rather naive in her approach. Oh, but there was nothing she could do now, not with five hundred fifteen women residing on palace grounds, and more arriving each day. Besides, there was still some prideful part of her that hoped this plan *would* work, if only to diminish the sense of failure she felt crowding around. She seemed to have diverged with her destined path, trying, and failing, to return to the road she knew she needed to follow. The night before, Cassiopeia had visited the shrine of Poseidon, but even the water spirits refused to speak to her. The Queen felt forsaken, and oddly enough, it was her own fault. With a sigh, she pushed her chair away from the table and leaned back, willing herself into a light trance. Dimly, she let the silence surround her, waiting for the unmistakable murmur of Serenity's humming to reach her ears. Though she'd rather die than admit it, there were times the Queen was unerringly thankful for the young maid servant. Like a leach, she fed off the glow of the other woman's youth, knowing it could never be her's again. That was why she had relented so easily when Endymion had come to her early the morning after their argument, pleading that she not punish Serenity. It had been he who'd instigated the meetings to begin with, the Prince had argued, it would be unfair if any punishment should fall on the girl. In her own way, Cassiopeia was thankful her son had given her an excuse not to hurt the young girl, otherwise, the Queen's own pride would have done Serenity in. Pride. There, at the root of everything, was one, single word that meant the world to Cassiopeia For a moment, she saw herself in her mind's eye; sixteen years old, standing naked in the middle of Olympus Square. Her traditional grab, the robes of Callistian Royalty, had been taken from her, and for a moment, the frightened teen stood bare on the wooden podium, before her future subjects and future husband, completely venerable Cassiopeia's marriage to Cepheus had been arranged, for political gain, to unite the people of Callisto and Earth, but never for love. That had become clear to the young girl as she gazed out on the crowd, and her eyes locked with that of the Crown Prince, or, more over, the sneer resting on his lips. Then, her torture was over, moments later, her maid servants had helped her dress once more, this time in the gown of a Terrain Princess. That single instant had been a pivotal one for the young woman, and though she had not understood it then, somewhere in the back of her mind, she had vowed never to feel that way again; lost, vulnerable and alone. When everything had been taken from her, she resolved to keep her pride in tact. But now that pride seemed more destructive than protective; her relationship with her son was in shambles, the search for the Moon Princess was a disaster. So Cassiopeia leaned back and listened, but only silence came... The Queen's eyes flashed open, this time filled with annoyance. Earlier that morning she had put Serenity to work just across the halls, polishing the ballroom floors. The rabbit *always* hummed, or sometimes even sang, while doing monotonous chores, so why then, did Cassiopeia not hear her now? Was the girl neglecting her duties? No, for all the faults she attributed to Serenity, disobedience was not one of them. Swiftly, the Queen rose from her chair, intent on seeing just what was wrong. She pushed when she reached the threshold of the ballroom. To her eternal surprise, Serenity was indeed hard at work, but there was no graceful tune escaping her lips this morning. Instead, the young woman scrubbed hard at the marble floors, as if her very life depended on the cleanliness of those tiles, back bent over, hair falling haphazardly around her. Cassiopeia frowned, since when had Serenity worked so hard? Oh, the girl did the job alright, but it was never perfect, and the older woman had developed a habit of pointing out every last flaw. Had she been standing closer, the Queen might have seen the heartbroken look in Serenity's eyes, one of a young girl who had discovered love, only to have it torn from her grasp. It was one of those moments where time stands still, one soul looks at another and says 'for the first time, I think I understand'. Because suddenly, Cassiopeia saw herself in Serenity, of all people. A young girl, removed from home and family, involuntarily, under circumstances she could not control, taken to a strange foreign land where she was all alone. That could describe either one of them, Queen or concubine; how ironic. With a will of it's own, Cassiopeia's foot moved forward, as though she was about to go to the young woman, before common sense and her own foolish prejudices reasserted themselves, and she squared her shoulders, turning away. After all, she had things to do. ------------ Rain, Serenity decided, was the color of sadness She sat on the veranda, propped up on her elbows, gazing down at the open court yard of the Training Center. If she noticed her friends, who stood off to the side, she gave no indication of it, simply staring out at the rain and occasionally playing with a droplet or two , rubbing her finger in the tiny puddle until it all but disappeared But her mind was elsewhere, dwelling in the gray, shadowy land of her own self-doubt as she longed for her Prince. She could not fathom what she had done to make him end their relationship so abruptly. They'd been on such good terms the night before, and then, suddenly... nothing. Not a word, not a message, not even a glimpse of his handsome visage! Had she been too forward? Too trusting? Too... presumptuous? It would have been better if she had a reason for his sudden departure, all this wondering and worrying was driving her insane. Without realizing it, the golden girl began to cry, but she was so used to tears running down her cheeks that she didn't even notice. Her tears seemed as endless as the rain. 'Why?' Serenity asked the heavens, 'Why?' Natsumi's voice rang clear in her head. 'Falling in love is the worst thing a woman can do to herself. You may believe the man you love is honest and true, but trust me, he will break your heart. Its what men do.' Some ways away, Serenity's friends looked at her worriedly, before all eyes turned to Ami, demanding explanation. "So you're telling me," Minako said in a low whisper, looking over to see if Serenity paid them any heed, before going on, "That she and Prince Endymion had been meeting, secretly, at night?" "Hai," Ami replied sadly. She hadn't wanted to tell the others, but she felt almost as if she did Serenity a greater disservice by not protecting her, than if she'd kept the secret to herself. "Six nights ago, he just stopped coming, period. There's been no word. At first I, and I think Serenity too, hoped he would return, with an explanation, but now..." "Bastard," Makoto seethed, "Of all the low-life..." she couldn't even finish the sentence, so filled with rage. It simply wasn't right that someone so happy, so *glowing* with life as Serenity was, should become so dead, all because of one man. "Now, Mako-chan," Minako soothed, "Maybe there's an explanation..." "No," Ami said curtly, drawing the other's attention, "It's been almost a *week*, Minako-chan, surely he would have found *some* way to contact her..." "The Prince refuses to speak to the Queen," the blond girl pointed out, "Maybe that has something to do with it." "Perhaps..." Ami replied. Makoto just shook her head and clenched teeth and fists, glancing over at Serenity. Her heart filled with a sisterly, protective love when she saw the other woman was crying. "That's it!" she said, stalking over to Serenity and taking her hand, "Come on, we're going to put some life back in you! I can't stand seeing you this way!"With that she dragged the golden girl, who remained listless and unprotesting, towards the stair well, and the practice hall bellow. The others followed. Rei, who had been silent through the discussion of Serenity's love life, followed a bit behind the rest, confusion in her violet eyes. Oh, she had an idea of what Makoto planned, that wasn't what puzzled her so. While the other's had been engrossed in Endymion's faulty handling of the situation, the priestess had been quietly reading her friend's aura. There was something different about Serenity, she could tell, she seemed withered, more so than a little heart break could account for. That golden river Rei had sensed the first day they'd met now seemed buried deep, deep down and covered with a heavy blanket of darkness. This worried the Martian woman, it was one of the symptoms of a dying spirit. But because the blinding light of Serenity's aura had been toned down, Rei was able to look more closely. What she discovered both confused and excited her. Serenity had a link, a soul bond, with someone very dear to her, and close by as well. The priestess could almost *see* the silvery thread of their connection, tight and thick, as though the two souls had traveled together for centuries and intended to do so for many, many more. But without the aid of the sacred fire, Rei lacked sufficient skills to follow that link and discover who the other person was. Whoever it was, the Martian girl could tell that they were putting Serenity in a great deal of pain. the priestess considered as she followed the other's down the winding steps, Rei frowned. The darkness she felt in Serenity's aura was not something that came from simple puppy love heart break. That kind of darkness, which, before now, Rei had only heard about from her teachers, was the kind caused by separation from one's soul mate. She sucked in a breath, hand flying to her mouth so swiftly it was almost audible With iron control she willed herself to be calm as she pulled Ami aside. "Ami-chan, I just remembered, I'm supposed to meet with the Queen soon, I can't stay," she lied, "Will you tell the others?" The blue haired girl glanced up to see that the trio ahead of them had already rounded the corner. "Hai," she nodded, forcing a smile. "Alright, arigato," Rei said turning, forcing herself not t flee in her excitement, "Ja ne!" "Ja ne, Rei-chan!" Shaking her head, Ami turned and picked up her skirts, hurrying to catch up with the others. She came through the threshold of the main hall just in time to see Makoto press a fighting pike into Serenity's hand, ushering her over to one of the practice dummies. "Serenity-chan, you need to let it out," she said gently, giving her friend a nudge when she failed to extend the pike right away. "I know you want to help, Mako-chan," Serenity said softly, gazing down at the weapon in her hand, as though she were afraid it might bite her, "But I'm really not..." "Nonsense," the Captain said tersely, "You haven't practiced in almost a week. Come on," her tone came almost jovial, "humor me." For a moment, Serenity paused, considered throwing the pike down and just plopping beside it to cry. But she'd learned that her tears gave her no release, and besides, what harm could it do to oblige her friend? Her own reluctance surprised the golden girl, normally she was anything but lethargic. Lately however, it just didn't seem worth the effort to move. Slowly she moved her feet to fighting stance, spread wide, moving her hips to the right just slightly, her hands moving the grasp the pike properly. It took her a moment or two to get everything right, like Makoto had said, it had been a while since she'd practiced, but it quickly came back to her. Then, so quickly she surprised herself, Serenity lashed out at the dummy, the blunt end of the pike connecting with it dead center. Then it happened again, and again, and again, until the golden girl was performing the ritualistic warm-ups better than ever before. To her amazement, it actually seemed to help, all the tension flowing out of her heart and into the metal weapon until they were one, moving to and fro, the rest of the world falling away. Behind Serenity, Makoto smiled. She knew that though this could not take away her friend's pain, it could at least help her express it. ------------------ As soon as the Training Center was out of sight, Rei broke into a run, ignoring the blinding rain as she hurried towards the palace. Like an archeologist unearthing their find, excitement pounded in her veins, and with disregards to all propriety, she rushed past the guards and into the outer chamber of Aries' shrine. The young men who stood watch outside the door exchanged glances; it was not often one saw a drenched Aries no Miko running into the shrine like all hell was on her heels. Kneeling before the sacred fire, Rei tried to still her trembling hands as she lit a rod of bamboo , using it to ignite the small candles scattered about the altar. Then, she closed her eyes, mouth moving to form the ancient words of a long forgotten language. The priestess concentrated on driving away all distraction, leaving herself empty, to be filled. The physical world fell away as Rei's soul climbed from her body, closed eyes peering into a dimension composed only of auras. Like an April witch, her psyche flew back towards the Training center, racing along the folds of wind in search of the answers she might find there. Carefully, the Martian woman blocked out every aura, one by one, searching for the golden fountain of Serenity's soul. At last, she began to follow the strand of silver that connected her friend to her ever-mysterious-soulmate. Rei was so deep in her trance that she did not notice the shadows dancing wildly along the walls of the shrine, back in the physical world. At last she seemed to reach the end of the bond, a tall commanding aura standing, shadowed in pain, just as Serenity's had been. But just as Rei was about to read it's identity, she found herself strangely blocked, dark wings beating her back. she asked the fire, her psyche contorting in the equivalent of a frown. The fire refused to answer, only forced the priestess back, keeping her from the truth. Angrily, Rei pushed a little harder, but was yet again blocked. Inwardly, her eyes narrowed. Though her respect for the fire was deep and great, she would allow nothing to come between her and this truth. It was the key... she knew it, could feel it in her bones. Mustering one huge surge of energy, the priestess fought past the fire and shoved blindly towards the shadowed aura. It was Endymion. Though somewhere deep with in, Rei had known or at least suspected, nothing could compare to seeing real, 'tangible' evidence of the truth. Why the fire had chosen to try and hid this from her, the Martian girl could not fathom, but now she *knew*. The only way Serenity and Endymion could have this tight a bond, this soul searing need to feed off each other's souls, was if Serenity was the Moon Princess. THE MOON PRINCESS. All this time they had been searching, high and low, calling women from every corner of the globe, interviewing day and night, hoping and praying... all this time the Moon Princess had been right underneath their noses. Serenity, the concubine, the maidservant, Rei's friend, was of royal birth. Incredible. So taken aback was Rei by the sheer surprise of her finding, that she was unprepared for the sudden, psychic attack that jammed her soul back into her body with the force of a tsunami. Darkness crept over her vision as she fell backwards, only managing to catch herself just before her head connected with the hard marble floor. She stared up at the fire, almost accusingly, before her vision cleared, and she observed with wide eyed fear, the shadows' manic dance along the walls. It was as though they were *alive*.... The fire flared up instantaneously, and the priestess scooted away fearfully, watching as the flames seemed to condense... and form a... *woman*? It was a woman, now the blaze fell away and Rei could see her clearly, black cloak gathered around her shoulders, tight velvet dress hugging her curves almost possessively, in stark contrast to her deep green hair and penetrating, crimson red eyes. "Who... what are you?" the Martian asked fearfully. She could *feel* the sheer energy, the uncontrollable power surrounding this being, and it frightened her. "Aries no miko," the creature, woman said, black feathered wings spreading out around her until she looked like an intimidating, avenging angel, "Why have you chosen to disrespect the sacred fire?" "I... I wanted to know the truth!" Rei's tone was defensive, "All this pain Serenity feels, it doesn't have be this way, for her or Endymion!" "IT IS NOT YET THE TIME FOR HER SECRET TO BE KNOWN!" the woman boomed threateningly, crimson eyes ablaze. "All things come in time, Aries no miko, all things come in time. You have flagrantly disregarded the rules places upon those of your order, you should ashamed," now her voice seemed to soften, and she descended from her perch in the fire, one perfectly formed bare foot placing itself against the marble floor, before the other followed it. Quickly, she advanced on the hapless Martian priestss, who tried in vain to back away, but soon found herself up against the wall, staring at the taller woman in mute terror. The stranger reached forward, placing her icy hands on Rei's temples in an iron grip that though secure, seemed almost intangible; the ghost of a touch. Her crimson eyes stared into the other girl's brown depth, as though she could see strait to Rei's soul. "Go now...," she spoke softly, "and forget...." Try as she might, Rei could not fight the glow that surrounded her, the last thing she saw being the stranger dissolving into a cloud of black smoke. When Serenity came looking for her three hours later, Rei was still sprawled on the floor, unconscious ---------------------------------------- Parsa, the Moon Colony of the Mineral Kingdom 25 miles north of Susa ---------------------------------------- He was drunk. Perhaps more drunk than he had ever been before- then any human had ever been before. The gods, now they were another case. Oh, Demando cursed the gods, sitting, half hunched over on his stool in a seedy, cheep little bar, bottle of sake in hand. He cursed everything in the universe, really, except Serenity. And she, his gold angel, was the root of his problems. With a half hearted sigh, Demando took another sip of his drink. His commission, the one that would have allowed him to buy Serenity back, had fallen through. Damn the prey for killing himself before Demando could get to him! Now it would take him weeks to earn even half as much as his rich, ex-employer had offered for a single job. So close, and yet so far. It was as though the fates themselves conspired to keep him from her. Fate, well, he cursed fate too. Stumbling, he pushed through the door and out into the bitter night, the world spinning around him pleasantly With a groan, he ran a hand through his hair, making his way towards home. Half way there, though, his legs refused to support his body any more, and he slunk into an alley, sliding down the wall, sitting with his head in his hands. Gods, he felt awful. He'd thought perhaps, that the drink would cloud his mind, that by crawling into the bottle he could somehow forget her. It didn't work, Demando knew, for in the alcohol induced haze that dimmed his mind, memories returned with unbearable clarity. Serenity's face, voice and smile, became more real to him than things tangible. And... she was not with him. "Curse you," he raged at the universe, "You won't beat me, I'll win her back yet!" When he had become so dependant on one person, he would never know. As if he had been blind, he had not known his life was empty, meaningless and dark before Serenity had opened his eyes. And the Universe had taken her from him. "Show a little more respect, Demando," a voice said, terribly familiar, cutting him to the bone. Instantly, he straightened, not wanting to be seen in a weak moment. He was Demando, Captain of the late King Ulexite's guard, scourge of his underlings. Serenity or no Serenity, he would be strong, keep the illusion of his independence, to his last breath. "Who...?" he began, eyes darting to the shadowy corner of his sanctum. The gray specters seemed to move aside, part like the reverent members of a monarchs court. And from that crowd of shadows rose a familiar hooded figure. The black velvet hid all form from Demando's gaze. If not for the flash of her crimson eyes, peering out from the darkness of her face, he would never have known it was she. But he did know, he remembered those red orbs, staring him down, sizing him up. "You would think you might be a little more grateful towards the fates," the figure went on, "After all, they did save your precious Serenity," her tone, condescending, irked him to no end. Rage built up inside him, rising like a fire dragon, intense and dangerous. Without warning, he sprung from his fetal position, lunging at his tormentor. His training had been extensive, even drunk he was more agile than normal man. "Bitch!" he shouted angrily. He could tell by the almost unnoticeable way she drew back, that he'd surprised her. A smug smile bloomed on his face just before impact, fading quickly as he stumbled *through* her, barely stopping himself from colliding with the wall. Twisting around, he looked at her incredulously. "What *are* you!?" "You don't want to know," she said dryly. "What do you want with me?" he asked climbing to his feet, "You've caused enough trouble for me!" ""That's gratitude for you," she remarked, carelessly. Then she seemed to tire of their previous subject, switching to another train of thought. "You love Serenity, no?" "Of course!" her words put him on the defensive. "She is not yours to have!" "And who are you to decide that?!" he challenged. "Demando," her voice stopped him, just as he was about to turn , leave her, whatever she was, "Serenity needs your help. If you do not aid the heavens, she, and the man she loves, will die." The guard's violet eyes narrowed as he met her crimson gaze head on. "You want me to help the fates when they abandoned me, denied me the one thing I wanted?" "Baka!" she cried, visibly restraining herself from hitting him, "Are you so prideful that you would sacrifice a life in favor of your ego!? Have I misjudged you? Listen to me, she will *die*." Demando sighed then, almost unnoticeable, but one of defeat. "Very well, what need I do?" "Keep your eyes open, your ears as well. The time is coming when you will happen upon information regarding the Prince of Earth. This involves Serenity as well, for they are as one. When this happens, you will know what to do." Demando blinked. Whatever instructions he'd been expecting, these were not it. 'You will know what to do'? What was that supposed to mean! He opened his mouth to ask just that, but a chill wind swept through the alley, stealing not only his words, but the mysterious specter as well. Like a fluted cloud of smoke, she vanished entirely. "WAIT!" Demando cried, "I don't understand!" The wind answered not. ------------------------------------- Olympus Earth (Capital of the Terrain Empire) One o'clock Standard Time ------------------------------------- Endymion felt trapped. He'd never been claustrophobic before, had once even liked the security of high walls and tall, intimidating columns. But now his spacious suite was more like a dungeon cell, closing him in, burying him alive. He'd awoken from a dream, of what he could not remember, but he'd found himself shouting Serenity's name desperately. Like a child, he had wished for her to come and hold him, smooth his hair and tell him that, yes, she was alright. He'd laid there for a moment, trying in vain to will her to his side, feel the warm of her smile, the satin of her hair, but it would not come. When pacing the length of his room did not help to calm the Prince, he at last surrendered, dressing quickly that he might go stalk the corridors of the palace. He glanced at his shadow as it moved along the columns, ever in tandem with his own jerky motions. It looked like a jaguar, almost, rummaging about in the jungle for prey. But Endymion wasn't searching for prey, he was searching for solace, for serenity, both literally and figuratively. Once upon a time he had not understood the word 'longing'. It had always seemed so strange; was it a length, could it be measured? Was it perhaps saying that the length got longer the further down it you traveled? Now he understood that, no, it wasn't a length, it was an eternity wanting for something you could not have. Something like Serenity. He should have known his traitorous feet would take him there, he knew the way by heart. But still, it came as a surprise to the young Prince when he found himself standing before the door to Serenity's chambers, staring at it, imagining the angel lurking just beyond it's barriers. Blue eyes glanced up at the water clock in the hall, it was one in the morning, what was she doing right now? Was she sleeping, or did she still wait up for him... oh, how he hoped not, he couldn't stand to put her in pain. Or, some part of his mind whispered, did she care at all that he never returned. Caught up in his thoughts, the prince nearly jumped out of his skin when the door opened. For a second, his eyes darted around wildly, searching for a place to hide, but as it turned out he did not need one. It was only Ami, the blue haired mouse-like girl who acted as Serenity's servant. The girl's navy eyes seemed to freeze over when she saw him, and Endymion wondered at once what he had done to offend her. "Your highness," her tone, though not disrespectful, seemed to hold reproach, "Is there something I can do for you?" He stared at her intently, wondering what he should do, before he seized the opportunity "Ami-san," he said quietly, "Your mistress... is she well?" Ami stared at the man before her, wondering what he could possibly be after. Endymion had caused her friend so much pain, and for a moment, the young girl considered not answering at all, merely turning her back and shuttering the door, no matter how disrespectful it might be. But there was something in the Prince's eyes, a smoldering dark flame, that made her wonder if she would ever be so lucky as to have such a gaze directed at her. Whatever it was, it prompted her to answer truthfully. "She is not well, Endymion-sama," she said, her voice a mere whisper, unable to look him in the eye, "She does not eat, or sleep very much for that matter." Looking up, she saw the raw pain in the man's eyes, before his voice became intense, commanding. "Is she sleeping now?" "Hai." "I would see her," he said, almost wonderingly, as if he hadn't expected such a thing to come out of his mouth. "But you will not tell her of this, promise me." "I-," Ami faltered. Whatever evil's she might have accused the Prince of, it was obvious to her that he still loved Serenity. Why he chose to break her heart was another matter all together, but how could she promise not to reveal information she *knew* would put the light back in Serenity's eyes? "Promise me," Endymion prompted again, standing over Ami. Nodding, she shrank back a little, intimidated by his height, but allowing him to enter the room. "Arigato," he muttered. ----------- Feeling like a man possessed, Endymion made his way unerringly through the main room and into Serenity's bedchamber. In the center of the room stood a large, four-poster bed, made out of crystal, sheer pink curtains draped across the posts. Quickly, the Prince reached out to draw bad the curtain and see his angel fully, when the strangest sense of deja vu gripped him. It wasn't a feeling of having done something before, but rather, a feeling that he would do this again.