A fan fic by Caleyndar.
Rating: PG.

Notes: This is the beginning of Part Five in "The Name 
Endymion...", and it follows straight on from Part Four. 
This is the introduction to a new section of the story, and
is fairly important to what follows. 
	Also, in my notes in the previous chapter, I said 
that reading on may be unwise. I referred to the final
ending, though that does not mean it will be a sad ending. 
I was just warning you. 
	Comments? Send them to: caleyndar@tac.com.au
	If you care to visit my web site (SM Fan Art submittions 
need!), the URL is http://members.xoom.com/portalsms/

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me; only the
few I make up. The story, however, is mine.


The Name Endymion...

Part Five: The War of Peace...

Chapter One...

	Hearts were not meant to be broken. Perhaps that was 
why they could never be mended sometimes, no matter how 
gifted the healer. Yet humans, with their almost unnatural 
ability to adapt to the cruelest emotions, were often left 
only changed, not broken. 
	If I were ever to give my beloved Serenity a ring to 
symbolise our immortal love, then I would give her one with 
the precious gem humans have named diamond. For it was the 
most beautiful in many respects, and the hardest known 
substance in our fragile universe. And it was clear, like 
glass, only infinitely more valuable, as she was, and it was 
untainted, like the love between us. It also seemed the most 
unlikely element to change over time, for I hoped our love 
would never change, only perhaps grow stronger as the years 
slipped by into eternity.
	My assumptions were wrong. Even the hardest gem 
changed under pressure, under pain.
	But I was foolish to have thought that the Prince of 
the Black Moon Kingdom would not be touched by seeing the 
one he loved embrace another, and kiss him with such pent up 
passion. Even in such simple and logical situations such as 
this I was a fool! I was no mettle fit to be a prince!
	Perhaps it was the heated glare of his icy blue eyes 
that finally made me look away from Serenity and back into 
the nightmare that surrounded us. His eyes which blazed with 
cold blue fire that they burned into mine, hating me with 
such energy and emotion I felt sure he would attack me on 
this bloodied battle field. I did not falter physically even 
if I was sick at heart. I silently stared back at him, almost 
challenging him, until he threw up his hands is anger and 
frustration and turned his back on everything, including his 
brother who tried to comfort him.
	I think I felt pity for him. I understood what he 
felt well. That utter despair when your guiding star died 
from you dismal life, and you felt lost in the pit of 
darkness which was bottomless. And did I feel guilt too? 
Making him feel such loss and pain? Perhaps. Because I was 
all to human at heart. I felt too much. It was my weakness. 
My heart, my soul.
	Slowly I stood up. Serenity supported me in doing so. 
My body was still weak from the poison. Kunzite quickly took 
over from Serenity, giving me a small smile. Sparing a glance 
towards my wound, I saw it was still bleeding, and to my 
despair, I found I could not use any of my power. I could
read no mind, move nothing without physically touching it, 
and I could not materialise my weapons nor teleport. As much 
as I tried to conceal my shock and disappointment, both my 
generals who were blood bonded to me, as well as Serenity 
with whom I shared my soul, felt these emotions run through 
me.
	"Endymion, we will find some way to return you to 
your kingdom. Do not concern yourself with that now," Kunzite 
spoke up from beside me, trying to calm me down. 
	"But what can I do! I am mortal like this!" I 
whispered back. "Until I regain enough energy, I am all to 
mortal and venerable! And the worst thing is, I can not 
protect Serenity."
	"My Lord, there is no threat now. Do not concern 
yourself with something which does not exist! In time, you 
will have your powers back, but you will not do so by 
expending what little strength you have now worrying over 
nothing!" Kunzite replied, shifting my weight across his 
shoulders. 
	I shook my head, wanting to protest, but I knew he 
was right. But then, why was I so edgy? As if some great 
danger loomed on the horizon which no one could see but me? 
I looked down at Serenity who was a little distance away, 
talking softly to her soldiers and my other three generals. 
She was so dear to me. I never wanted to see her hurt by 
another, nor myself. I merely wanted her safe.
	"Endymion," Mariuss voice said in front of me, 
calling my attention away from Serenity. "Perhaps you could 
take the Weapons space craft? They would have to had come 
in such a contraption for they do not have the power of 
teleportation over such vast distances," he said softly, 
hands clasped in front of him, dazzling red velvet cloths 
dancing before my eyes.
	"Thankyou, Lord Marius, for that suggestion. It may 
be the one which will pull us through this predicament," 
Kunzite said, answering for me. 
	Marius smiled gently. "There is no need to call me 
Lord. Times change. I may have once bore that title, but 
now, I am just another man on the streets trying to survive." 
Marius spoke to me directly then, forcing me to listen to 
his kind voice. "Endymion, go as soon as you can. If you do 
take this space craft as your transport back to your kingdom, 
then it will take you some time to arrive there. Lestat,
Louis and I will meet you there. And then we will talk to 
Armand. You may find what he has to say interesting, as I am 
surly to. Do not think though, that because two of the 
Weapons are dead, and for most part, the Shadow Kingdom is 
defeated, and that you and Serenity will so bring to a close 
this eternal war, that peace will flourish." He paused and 
looked towards my deceased family. "Is there anything you 
would like me to do for them?"
	I dared not look again at their bodies. I feared I 
would break down and cry. I shook my head, biting my lip. 
"No. Ive said goodbye to them," I whispered, willing myself 
not to form my endless tears. "I do not think they would mind 
how there bodies are erased from this world. I think it would 
be better to make it look like an accident to my relatives 
here on Earth. They also knew I was back. If you can, please, 
make it look as if I died with them," I said, my voice 
faltering, words sticking in my throat. "And there is one 
last favour I must ask of you. I have told of my existence, 
my life, to two of my friends. I do not want them to think I 
have died. Please tell them I have left, that I am happy."
	Marius nodded, and looked at our house, the one I 
had grown up in. I caught the image of flames from him. He 
turned away, shoulder length blonde hair illuminant in the 
dim light.
	I watched as he motioned for Lestat and Louis to 
follow him towards the bodies, three silent and deadly 
hunters of mankind. Even their movements were graceful like 
that of dancers, giant cats who hunted the great plains in 
some counties on Earth. And in my light heady state, did I 
see them cut their wrists with their shape eye teeth to heal 
the broken flesh? The bodies of my family were whole once
more, and these they carried with them into my home.
	The police officers were not happy with this 
development, though they were all still dazed by everything 
that had happened before their eyes. Things which they could 
not explain. Despite their confusion, they finally decided 
to step in and intervene. 
	Few steps were taken when a flash of light radiated 
outwards from where Serenity and her Soldiers stood. I 
started, yet unable to run to her aid. But before any rash 
action over took my weakened body, I realised that the light 
did not touch any of us. Only those humans who looked on: 
the police officers, the families in their homes. And they 
froze. 
	Pluto, her dark sea green hair a great silken mass 
behind her, kneeled on one knee in front of Serenity who told 
her to rise. The garnet orb of Plutos staff pulsed with 
living fire, keeping the world around us still whilst we 
breathed and lived. 
	The three immortals returned, empty of their burdens. 
Marius nodded his head towards Pluto, and made his way 
towards them. Lestat and Louis walked silently towards to 
body of Sabre. 
	"I can not believe this!" Lestats voice travelled 
to my attentive ear in the deathly silence. "Why am I 
cleaning up after someone else!"
	Louis just shook his head as he squatted down to 
look at Sabres wound which had been caused by my hand. With 
a few droplets of his enchanted blood, the wound was no more. 
His body too was carried into my old home.
	Sabre would be me. Burned until only a resemblance 
of a human remained. It seemed an act most incorrect to 
Heaven. To let the killer of my family burn in a funeral pry 
with them. But it was an act which had to be done for the 
sake of others. And to me, Heaven was still a place which 
existed only in the minds of those who believed in God. So it 
would not matter, would it?
	 "Princess Serenity, I come to take Uranus and 
Neptune back to their posts around the Crystal Star Kingdoms 
boundaries," Pluto said softly to Serenity. "I myself will 
return to the Gate of Time shortly afterwards. Our posts have 
been neglected for some time, and I fear what damage may have
been caused in our absence. My spell will lose power shortly 
after I am gone."
	"Yes, of course. I thank you for you help here. You 
serve myself and my mother well," Serenity said, smiling 
softly, face glowing with kindness which was her nature.
	I watched Pluto turn her back and walk into a portal 
of nothingness, Uranus and Neptune following without another 
word. The Crystal Star Kingdom. Locked from our space by a 
Space Divider Field for centuries. What was so important 
about it that it had to be guarded by two Soldiers of the
Moon Kingdom, as well as the Soldier of Time and Space?
	I did not like this. That once again questions were 
forming which I could not answer. This was how my previous 
suffering had been born. Too many question, too few answers.
	The entire house which had once been my home burst 
into a fireball, taking my mind off such dark thoughts. I 
watched as the flames licked at the roof and burned with 
intense heat which fell away in waves from it, hitting our 
bodies. The three vampires stood on the street in front of 
it, watching it, controlling it with powers they possessed, 
but which were unknown to us. 
	Serenity took that moment to raise her Silver Crystal 
above her head and whisper healing words, sending warmth and 
forgetfulness to those frozen in time. My house still burned. 
It was black and charred, like mere twigs balancing, waiting 
for the wind to blow apon it and send it tumbling. Time 
passed. I watched my funeral pry. Only the last of the fires 
burned. 
	Marius walked towards Serenity, and I followed with 
the help of Kunzite. I clumsily fell against Serenity, and 
to my surprise she caught me. I smiled at her and 
straightened up, holding her small warm form against me. 
Marius looked on, an amused expression on his face. 
	Marius cleared his throat and spoke. "No one will 
question their means of death now. Sabres body has been 
burnt beyond recognition. The authorities will assume it is 
Darien Shields, the son of the Shields family who recently 
returned." Marius stopped talking and looked at the many 
humans frozen in time and place. "You have erased from their 
minds this night?"
	"Yes. Theyll remember nothing when time flows again. 
And we must be leaving," Serenity said and looked up at me. 
"Endymion, you are not strong enough to teleport yet, are 
you?"
	"No," I answered softly.
	"I will ask Sword about using her ship," Kunzite said. 
	He promptly departed towards the crying girl, and I 
could not help but follow, Serenity still by my side. The 
others stayed, confused about their course of action. Venus 
joined the one she loved. 
	Sword looked up, eyes glazed, red, from her endless 
tears which even now poured down her flushed yet pale face. 
She cowered back in fear as we approached, and it reminded 
me of a frightened animal. I felt no burning hatred, but that 
may have just been my exhaustion, that it even drained such
emotions from my being. I think I just wanted to sleep.
	Kunzites voice was tight when he spoke. Unlike me, 
he felt the turbulence of his emotions raging inside of him. 
He hated this girl for what she had just done to the humans 
I had once called my family. Like a wave of heat this anger 
poured off him, yet his training demanded that it stayed 
within his fragile physical shell, that he showed no emotion, 
and only complete his duties. 
	"Sword, I requestion on behalf of my Prince, that we 
be allowed to use your ship to return to our Kingdom," 
Kunzite said through clenched teeth. "We will require your 
help, and in return, we will consider it payment for your 
crimes here today. Once we arrived at our destination, you 
will be free to leave if you so wish." Each word was stressed. 
My High General was against this. Only my condition forced 
him to ask for Swords help. Would he, had we not needed her 
help, have killed her by now?
	All I could feel was Serenitys warmth against my 
left side and the chill of the night wind on my right. Other 
thoughts began to flee me. The sweet darkness of 
unconsciousness beckoned me, and I shook aside those random 
thoughts which fluttered through my mind like moths. 
	Through this haze I glimpsed Venus put a gentle hand 
on Kunzites shoulder, and my general seemed to calm down by 
a few degrees. Sword had shakily rosen to her feet, and her 
tears had dried, leaving only trails down her cheek and 
reddened eyes. 
	"It can only fit seven passengers and myself," Sword 
whispered in so soft a voice that the breeze almost snatched 
away her words. She dared not look at me. The ground seemed 
to capture her blue watery eyes. Eyes which I had almost 
trusted once. They had been so compassionate. Blue with gold 
and silver flecks reflecting the starlight from the Heavens 
above and in the pool below.
	Again I banished my thoughts and forced myself to 
speak. "That is more than enough," I said with a voice 
almost as weak as her own. "Only I need to be flown back. My 
generals can teleport."
	"Yes, it is enough. But I can not allow you to be the 
only passenger. I will accompany you, Prince Endymion," 
Kunzite said in the same stressed voice. His whole being was 
distrust. 
	"And I will also," Serenity said quietly.
	I wanted to protest. I did not want to place her in 
any danger, and though I felt pity for Sword, the malice gone 
for now, I did not trust her. She had deceived me before. She 
had stood by and watched as her brothers tortured Serenity 
and Diamond. Curse my weak body! Could I not just gain enough
strength to teleport! Weak, pathetic human!
	Yet. Yet I wanted it this way. I wanted Serenity 
close to me. I did not want her to leave me again, no matter 
if it was only for a short period of time, a few days. What a 
selfish being I was!
	"Then I will come as well," Venuss voice cut into 
my thoughts. She smiled up at Kunzite, who momentarily broke 
out of his angered state and smiled back. Strange. Had I ever 
seen him smile genuinely before? I could not recall.
	"If Princess Serenity must accompany Prince Endymion 
on this voyage, then I will also. I still have a duty to keep 
my honour and word, and see the princess home to her Mother, 
Queen Selenity," Diamond spoke up from a distance away, his 
back to us, voice choked with emotion yet desperate to hide 
it. Was he crying? I knew I would have been, were I him.
	It was decided, our course set. Seven passengers on 
a little streamline ship, floating in darkness. What would 
fate bring? Dared I to think of it not. I only half watched 
with heavy eyelids sliding over my vision as we walked at an 
achingly slow pace into the dark woods, leaving the frozen
world behind. The three remaining Soldiers and Generals has 
already teleported back to their respective kingdoms to being 
the journey of recreating destroyed worlds and ending our 
seemingly endless war. The vampires had disappeared into the 
night, promising that they would be among the welcoming 
committee to greet us as we arrived in the Dark Dragon 
Kingdom.
	I could see through the thick dark, almost solid 
foliage, the still staring headlights of cars on the main 
road. Time for this world had not yet continued its eternal 
journey. Serenitys warm hand clasped in mine comforted me in 
this darkness. The light of the moon and the stars touched us 
not through the net of branches and leaves which formed the 
canopy above us. But sadly, I could hardly feel her. My body 
was too far gone into that dreaded sleep of nightmares and 
dreams. It was an effort to place one foot in front of the 
other, let alone feel the beating heart of her hand in mine. 
I was almost thankful for the Weapons hovering contraptions. 
They led the way, clearing a path for those behind. In my 
state, I would have fallen flat on my face otherwise, with 
all the thick branches and abundant leaves blocking my path 
and obstruction the invisible ground. 
	The shrubs disappeared from in front of me, opening 
out into a clearing artificially made by the forced landing 
of the space craft which sat like a deformed silver boulder 
in the middle, stubborn and impossible to move. The monstrous 
machines hovered over to a side panel of the ship, almost 
invisible to the human eye, and loaded themselves obediently 
into it. 
	All that occurred after was nothing to me. It was a 
blur of dark colours, my eyes refusing to separate the 
different light waves and making them recognisable shapes. A 
rectangle of light accompanied by a hiss of released pressure. 
Muffled voices floated pass me and faded. A warm hand tugged 
at me. Tender lips against my numbed cheek. Words of comfort, 
whispering of sleep.
	Alone, but not alone. Sealed off from the world, yet 
accompanied by all that mattered. My glazed deep blue eyes 
stared into nothing, flashes of gold in long streamers, pools 
of sky blue reflecting my very soul. Relief flooded through 
me as soft hands guided me to sit, taking the weight of my 
body from my weary and strained long legs. Those same hands, 
with the touch as light as butterfly wings, glided over my 
body bound in its hard cold armour and removed it, leaving 
only the black pants. My body was able to breath once more, 
but the chilled air bit into my wound, sending rivulets of 
fire down my arm and into my chest, making me cry out in pain.
	"I am all to weak," I whispered through clenched 
teeth. Those words hardly seemed to be mine. I could not feel 
my tongue making such sounds.
	"We all fear pain," was the only reply, and a cool 
soothing lotion pressed against the wound on my arm, caressed 
by a tight bandage against my inflamed skin. 
	I let silence surround us until I summoned the nerve 
to speak once more, gathering what remained of my strength. 
"I want to say so much. I could speak for a life time and 
not conjure from my soul all the words I wish to pass from 
my throat. But I am so tired," I whispered. "I just want to 
be with you. And by that, I say I am selfish."
	"All living things, to some degree, are selfish. We 
always put ourselves first. It is our nature to survive, our 
habit to want to be happy and filled with love. Do not say 
you are selfish in such a hateful tone. I do not want to see 
you hate yourself. And I want to be with you too," Serenity 
answered softly, silky warm hand gently touching my hand 
which rested apon my knee. 
	My lips parted to ask another question, but her lips 
covered mine, silencing me. When she finally pulled away, 
her only word to me was "sleep". So I did, lying beside my 
angel, her warm body pressed against my cold one, our legs 
intertwined, as were our arms and hands.
	Did I believe that this resting of my body and mind, 
next to the one I loved, would be peaceful? Untroubled by 
dreams or nightmares? I think perhaps I did believe that as 
I sank into unconsciousness. Thus that was why I was so 
shocked, so surprised, when a vision entered my closed eyes 
and invaded my mind, making false those fragile beliefs.
	Standing amongst ruins. Ancient marble columns 
littered the cracked mosaic floors, and faded painted 
ceilings filled with angels were in pieces all around me. 
Only the empty blue sky covered me. Only the lonely wind 
whistled through the once beautiful structures.
	"Peace, without a certain element will never last." 
Words very similar to those which Elios had said to me in 
our last meeting. Yet this was not his voice. 
	I turned round and round, arms flung out, eyes 
searching wildly for the speaker. There was none. I opened 
my mouth to call out, to say Who are you!. 
	An invisible force formed. It took shape and surged 
down my very throat. Down and down it went. I could feel it 
travel the length of my body and surround my heart. How I 
wanted to scream! But I could not! Even movement was deprived 
from me! 
	Like icy fingers this force clutched my heart. It 
tore it open. And inside. Inside, a beautiful golden crystal, 
shining with brilliant yellow light, as bright and warm as 
the very sun! This it ripped from my heart! This it took by 
force from my body! 
	"The Golden Crystal," the same voice said. There was 
no sense of evil, no hint of anger. "The Crystal of Dreams. 
This is the last element."
	The tiny crystal flew up and up. Into the silent 
cloudless blue sky. 
	And shattered it. The sky fell.
	My world was destroyed. And I was wiped from 
existence.
	
End Part Five, Chapter One.

