A fan fic by Caleyndar.
Rating: PG.

Notes: The war lies before the one who fears it. Friends
of old return and support the Prince, but he must confont
himself and the truths he barely knows. Yet he has guessed
the bitter truth on The Soldier of Time and Space's face,
he has glisped the outcome which Sailor Pluto will not 
speak of. And he too is unwilling to accept it...
	The song "My Only Love" was used in this chapter.
It does not belong to me. Note what lyrics I used. They 
echo the future.

Email: caleyndar@tac.com.au
URL: http://members.xoom.com/portalsms/
UIN: 26786123

Free feel to contact me for whatever reason. I'll do my 
best to answer any questions you have.

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 Four...

	Lights blinked in the darkness, in the void that 
filled the whole view port. There were no stars, just the 
many thousands of battle cruisers against the backdrop of 
nothing. The Space Divider field. It seemed almost darker 
than normal empty space. It had the menace of a black hole, 
but this was a human creation. 
	Some time had passed. A day and a night, though out 
here, without a sun or ground, day and night was only marked 
by man and his little ticking contraption known as a clock. 
Most of my powers had returned, and I was once again flawless 
physically, and dressed in my full armour, complete with 
sword and cape. The thought of having such accessories out 
here was almost laughable. After all, how much use would a 
heavy board sword be against laser fire? And the cape would 
only get in the way. 
	But such thoughts were trivial, and they only covered 
my deeper thoughts. Thoughts which I did not want to think 
about, but none the less bothered me, refusing to leave me 
in peace. 
	Peace. Elios had said a short time of peace would 
follow the ordeal on Earth. Where had that vanished to? But 
Endymion, what did you wish for? You never meant that you 
wanted world peace. You wanted peace of mind. You wanted to 
be happy. And were you not content and at peace when you 
spent those few short days with Serenity? I think I smiled. 
	Nick and Dawn would be arriving today. I could not 
wait until I saw them again. Weeks have passed since I was 
with them, and I missed them dearly.  They had been right, 
hadnt they? That I would return. I bowed my head. One thing 
I still hated myself for was returning to Earth. It was 
pointless. Yes, I had learnt much about myself and about 
life, but at what cost? The death of three loved ones? And 
my horse. Wild Spirit. That death was on the border line. He 
had always been Elios. And Elios had been an Angel. 
	"Endymion?" Serenitys soft voice asked from behind 
me. She never did make a sound when she walked. Her hand 
touched me gently on my arm, warm and caring even through the 
thick black cloth. 
	"Serenity," I breathed the name, my arm winding 
itself around her waist and pulling her closer. Never mind we 
stood on the main deck in the command center, and that dozens 
of officers were there. I pressed my lips to her bare 
shoulder, just holding her against me. "I feel helpless," I 
whispered. "Fifteen years of my life I have been a normal 
boy, without a care in the world except to hand homework on 
in time. Now this. So many lives resting apon my shoulders."
	She caressed my head, letting my fine black hair slip 
through her delicate fingers. "Trust in yourself, Endymion. 
Your heart is pure. Whatever you do will be right."
	I wanted to say that was not true. That she said only 
these things to comfort me. Because I believed that I only 
did these things so in the end I could be happy and at peace, 
within the arms of the one I loved. But I did not. I just 
held her tighter, eyes staring out into the darkness.  
	"Your friends will be arriving soon," Serenity said 
softly after moments of silence. 
	"We grow up too fast," I sighed, releasing her from 
my embrace and stepping back. "Innocence slips to quickly 
from our fingers like sand. But," I smiled, eyes shining with 
playful intent, "there will come a day, somewhere far away, 
in your arms Ill stay, my only love," I sang softly under
my breath. 
	She laughed with delight and pulled me towards the 
elevator which would take us down to the landing bays. I 
grinned boyishly and let her lead the way. 
	We were the only ones to greet Nick and Dawn. Our 
guards were else where, talking over possible tactics, backup 
plans, attacks, weapons. It was their element. I wondered 
though, how effective our magical powers would be in the 
vacuum of deep space. 
	Their shuttle landed with the continuous hum of 
repulser engines, and then a loud clank as it set down on the
metal deck. With the usual hiss of pressure releasing, the 
hatch lowered, revealing the handsome tall figure dressed in 
black with golden blond hair and bright blue eyes. His face 
broke out into a grin when he saw me, and forgetting all his 
training, ran down the ramp like a child and threw his arms 
around me. I laughed as his momentum almost knocked me over, 
and over Nicks shoulder I could see Dawn shaking her head, 
trying not to smile. She walked down the ramp more slowly 
and smiled at Serenity. 
	"Hey, youve got quite a catch there, Darien," Nick 
whispered into my ear. "Now didnt I tell you that you two 
belong together? So, how was your visit to home sweet home?"
	I fell sombre, and held him away from me. "My family 
is dead, Nick."
	He face faltered. "Im really sorry, Darien."
	"You should not be. It was my fault," I answered 
quietly. "Well, at least White Angel is well. Lukes looking 
after her. I cant say that about Wild Spirit though. Perhaps 
hes looking out for me?"
	"You mean your horse is dead as well?" Nick asked, 
frowning.
	"Yes," I said, looking down at the ground. I did not 
want to tell him everything, and my action seemed to say to 
my best friend to move onto another topic of conversation. 
	"So, want to fill me in on what all this is about?" 
Nick asked. We had started walking back up to the command 
center, Serenity and Dawn walking in front of us. 
	"The Sun Kingdoms forces are on the move, and their 
target seems to be the Crystal Star Kingdom. Held behind the 
Space Divider Field is the Eighth Sailor Soldier, Sailor 
Saturn, the Soldier of Death and Rebirth. We think they plan 
to use her in some way to destroy the universe," I answered
grimly. 
	"Well, the outlook for the universe is terror and 
destruction!" Nick attempted to joke, but his face fell even 
more. "We heard that there would be a conference about 
permanently ending the war between the Earth and Moon 
Kingdom, and that the leaders of the Shadow Kingdom had been 
either killed or defeated. I guess we were too optimistic to 
think that a time of peace would follow." He fell silent for 
a moment. We walked on down the sterile corridors that 
resembled those of hospitals. "Hey, I also heard youre in 
command of the entire Earth Kingdom now?"
	"Yes. But I wish somewhat that I was not. Its too 
much responsibility to have billions of lives in my hand. And 
you know me. I am not very confident," I replied. 
	"Maybe, but its good to be cautious," Nick answered 
easily. "And I mean, you have to be cautious around someone 
like Dawn. Otherwise, youll get a bashing before you even 
know what youve done wrong!" Nick whispered loudly into my 
ear. 
	Serenity tried not to giggle, and Dawn just stopped 
in her tracks, fists knotted. "I will pretend I did not here 
that, Nicolas!" she growled through clenched teeth before 
storming on ahead. 
	With life, comes changes. On the surface, as I looked 
at the smiling faces seated before me, laughing and seemingly 
carefree, little was different. We were all older, some of us 
a little more mature. But still we seemed like teenagers who 
loved life and was innocent to its cruelty. 
	But once you scratch the surface, you find the truth. 
Two of them, perhaps the most child like still, had been torn 
away from everything they had ever known or loved, and 
subjected to training which hurt them both mentally and 
physically. Another one had been tortured on different levels, 
physically by enemies, spiritually by the one she loved. And 
the last, the boy who was hardly a man, had lost his family, 
killed his Father, and believed himself responsible for all 
the suffering and sorrow in the universe. 
	We all grow up sometime. Whether we wanted it or no. 
Was it not better then, to know yourself and all that you 
were responsible for than to linger in ignorance and seek 
peace and comfort in what you know makes you happy? 
	Please, sweet mind, please, do not travel there. Do 
as you promised yourself! Stop these people who threaten your 
very existence and the lives of others! But do not ask 
questions you can not answer. And do not try to understand 
others. You do not even understand yourself. You are what you
are. Be content with that, and just live. Do everything you 
can to stay alive and die afterwards.
	Yes, but I am immortal, no?
	Mentally I hit and cursed myself. 
	The almost silent swoosh of the door grabbed my 
attention from the dark void I had drifted to. The four of us 
had been conversing on the command deck, seated around a low 
metal and bullet proof glass table, and now others were to 
join us. The four Inner Soldiers and my generals filed into 
the room, their presence instantly felt and respected. 
	"The latest calculations show that the main fleet of 
the Sun Kingdoms forces will be arriving tomorrow at 
thirteen hundred hours. If no problems are encountered, one 
of the two Earth Kingdom fleets will arrive approximately one 
hour before, and the other, three hours after the enemys 
fleet. The Moon Kingdoms fleet should be here at fifteen 
hundred hours tomorrow, and the Dark Dragons forces will be 
arriving at eight hundred hours tomorrow," Mercury said as 
soon as everyone had gathered around the small table. 
"However, we have also received news of the Black Moon 
Kingdom and the Shadow Kingdoms forces have allianced 
themselves to the Sun Kingdom. Their motive for this is
somewhat unclear, but we suspect it to be revenge like in 
nature. Their estimated time of arrival is at fourteen 
hundred hours tomorrow," Mercury concluded, activating a 
small device which showed the information in the form of a 
hologram in the air centred above the table. 
	"To summarise that, we will have two fleets here 
before the Sun Kingdoms forces arrive," Nephrite said 
shortly. "We also have our current Dark Dragon star fleet, 
which makes three. However, as of fourteen hundred hours, 
those three fleets will most likely be over powered, as the 
technology of the Shadow Kingdom is much more advanced than 
what any of the other fleets in the galaxy have. Even when 
the second fleet from the Earth Kingdom and the Moon 
Kingdoms fleet arrives, our chances of victory are not good 
to say the least."
	"Alright," I said, letting out a breath of distressed 
air, a headache already brewing in my head. "Forget that for 
now. Tell me when my Mother and Queen Selenity arrives. I 
want to end one situation before another blows up in my face."
	"They should arrive tonight, nineteen hundred hours," 
Kunzite said.
	"Thats good. It will give us a little time before 
the predicted fighting starts," I muttered more to myself 
than any of the others. "What of the three Outer Soldiers?"
	"We are here," the omniscient voice of a women said 
quietly yet with command from an area of space I could not 
see. Even without turning around, I knew who had spoken. 
	I think I hated her. And I hated myself for feeling 
such a strong dislike towards her. She who knew all things, 
she who could glimpse into the future. She was the only one 
who had the power to change things for the better. Yet she 
did nothing. She watched like a petty goddess on the 
sidelines, enjoying the suffering of others. But that was a 
lie. Perhaps I told myself those things to soothe myself. Why 
else did we deceive ourselves? No, Pluto, the Soldier of Time 
and Space, had once said to me, when I was a little less wise 
to the ways of the world, that she hated knowing all these 
things, that she wished she could change them. But she was 
afraid. Afraid to take apon herself responsibility. 
	So why did I hate her? Because she was a coward in a 
way. For not taking that risk for a better future, for a 
better life. She would rather live with knowing the horrific 
outcome of a situation than to step in and change it, and 
live with the guilt should her judgement be wrong.
	So why did I hate myself for thinking this way? 
Because she was also very brave and strong. Did I think she 
did not suffer to know such things? And had she not at times 
broken down and corrected what she thought was wrong, even if 
it meant hurting others more? My mind raced back to the time 
we had stood face to face on another world, Serenitys life 
threatened in the distance, and she blocking my way to her. 
I closed my eyes. That seemed like an eternity ago. Certainly 
another lifetime.
	I rose and greeted the three soldiers who had entered 
via a portal already disbursed. Uranus nodded to me, and 
Neptune smiled. Plutos expression was blank. I knew what 
that meant. I dared not ask. I feared the answer too much. 
	"Uranus and Neptune are the guardians of the Crystal 
Star Kingdom, is that not correct?" I asked, slightly amazed 
at how clam and collected my voice sounded to me. "How will 
their defenses hold up against the fire power we predict the 
oppositions to have?"
	"Magic and technology do not interact well with one 
another. However, technology can not manipulate magic, but 
our powers will certain cause some harm to their hardware," 
Uranus said shortly. "But of course, our powers are not 
unlimited, and we do not have a fraction of what an entire 
star fleet has at its finger tips. We will be over powered, 
and quickly at that."
	"And we must also note that the Shadow Kingdom has 
inventions which can absorb our powers and use them against 
us," Mercury spoke up.
	"That is shit," Nick said a little too loudly. 
	"Its life," I answered. "And well, shit happens."
	All the soldiers and generals looked at me as if I 
had just started speaking in another language. Nick and Dawn 
tried not to be amused, but in the end, they laughed out loud.
	"Earth saying?" I said with a shrug. "Anyway, how in 
particular can they breech a Space Divider Field? I thought 
space was non existent in the field, thus nothing could pass 
through?" 
	"By theory, every field must have a source from which 
it is emitted. This field is spherical, and is like a globe 
or an enormous sphere. One would then deduct that the source 
would be inside the sphere, like a nucleus of an atom. But 
some of my calculations would suggest otherwise. As if the
energy controlling the field is on the outside of it, and 
continuously moving," Mercury trailed off, absorbed by the 
screen of her hand held computer which fed her numbers at an 
incredible rate. 
	"If the source is outside, then they would attack the 
source, not the field itself," I muttered. "Damn it. Could we 
work out what and where this energy source is?"
	"The energy source itself is more like the powers we 
possess. Unfortunately, no. Its as if the source does not 
want to reveal itself," Mercury said, eyes never leaving her 
screen, fingers flying over the keys.
	"There is not much else we can do. We do have plans 
for attack, but we do not wish to be the first to open fire. 
We will have to wait until the opposition arrives and watch 
their strategy," Venus sighed, leaning back against Kunzite. 
Everyone looked very tired.
	"Well, lets all get some rest before Queen Selenity 
and Queen Giai arrive," I said softly, reaching down and 
helping Serenity to her feet. "We would be little use in 
fighting if we are too exhausted."
	Jadeite raised an eyebrow. "Do I detect an underlying 
meaning to that?" he wondered, elbowing me, a smile with 
mischief on his boyish face, eyes glittering.
	Mars hit him in the head and dragged him from the 
command bridge. 
	"What did he mean by that?" I asked, looking at the 
backs of the departing two.
	Nick stood and rolled his eyes at me. "Never mind, 
Darien. Never mind." He paused, as if thinking, before 
speaking in a serious voice. "Hey, if you need a friend to 
talk to, Im always here for you, okay?"
	I smiled at him and nodded. "Thanks, Nick."
	In silence I watched as my friends and guards walked 
out with their loved ones. Uranus and Neptune left together 
also. And then I looked down at my hand clasping Serenitys 
so tightly. Her tender face peered back up at mine, and I 
could not help but smile. But Pluto still stood on the 
command deck, her ivory staff held in one hand, the other 
hanging like a dead thing at her side. She stared into the 
darkness with a sad expression on her face. 
	"Serenity, can you please go and rest?" I asked 
softly, lifting her hand to my lips. I turned her small hand 
until I reached her open palm, and to this I pressed my lips. 
A kiss of request. "There are things I must know, or die 
trying to uncover. Please, I will join you shortly."
	She nodded, understanding my intent perfectly. "I 
love you, Endymion," she whispered before turning and 
hurrying off the command bridge. 
	"Do not waste you breath, Prince Endymion. You know I 
can not tell you the outcome of this war of peace," Pluto 
said quietly, her voice without emotion, made so by her will.
	"This is a war of peace?" I questioned, coming up 
beside her, letting my eyes wander the darkness and the tiny 
lights. "The War of Peace." I sighed. "How can two so 
different things be placed together?"
	"Hate and Love. That is one and the same. So can not 
War and Peace be too?" she replied. "Yes, this is a war of 
peace. It is the outcome of humans attempting to bring peace 
to this universe. Peace in this scenario is silence and death."
	"So there are many definitions for peace. Well, will 
this war end peacefully?" I asked, playing on the word with a 
slight smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
	"Of course," was her short blank answer.
	"If you will not tell me how this will end, who will 
live or die, then tell me why Sailor Saturn is destined to 
destroy this universe. Can she not judge for herself? Can she 
not question what is right and wrong?" I demanded in a low 
voice.
	"Sailor Saturn in an innocent child, Prince Endymion. 
Her destiny is to never grow old. She lies sleeping within 
the Crystal Star Kingdom, and when she is awoken, when the 
curtains of darkness have been lifted from her eyes, she will 
do what she is destined to. She will say the only words she 
knows and destroy the universe, and create a new one from its 
ashes.
	"Humans, because of the nature, because they seek to 
find a purpose, a finality to all that is in existence, will 
attempt to create what is not theirs to create. In doing so, 
they will destroy that which they were born from. The Sun 
Kingdom does not wish for death. They wish to know the final 
truth to life. They believe Sailor Saturn, the Soldier of 
Death and Rebirth, will know the answers to all their 
questions. 
	"Sailor Saturn has existed since the beginning, since 
this universe was conceived. You have been told that the 
Crystal Star Kingdom locked itself away a few hundred years 
ago. No one knows that for a fact. Records have been lost, 
destroyed. But what is known is that all the Sailor Soldiers 
have existed since time began. In other forms, but always the 
same soul. We have died, we have changed, and we are now 
mortals. Saturn, though she existed, did not know of her 
destiny or her powers. She was always the child, the innocent 
girl. However, she awoke centuries ago, realised her powers, 
her fate. And then she alone was locked within the Space 
Divider Field. There is no kingdom. Only one soul," Plutos 
last words were a whispered, as if she dared not talk of this 
loudly. 
	I did not answer at first. I reflected on what she 
had told me. And I felt immense pity for the Soldier of Death 
and Rebirth. To be alone for so many years. To be without that 
which we needed to survive. Love, the company of other souls. 
What would it be like? Was it like death?
	"Who locked her away?" I asked in a small voice. 
	"That I do not know. Who had the power?" she answered, 
lowering her gaze to the cold metal floor. "But the name. Why 
name it the Crystal Star Kingdom?" she wondered before 
turning away from the view port. A wave of her hand and a 
dark portal appeared. "I must guard the Time Gate. I will
return when I am needed." She stepped through and was gone. 
All this was said and done before I could answer her question. 
But it did not matter. I did not know the answer. 
	I sank back into the fear and depression that had 
long ago become my constant companion. Despite the many 
humans than monitored the command ship apon which I stood, I 
felt very alone. I did not like to be alone. It made me think 
thoughts I did not wish to ponder, walk down dark roads I did
not want to travel. To be alone was to fear. And I disliked 
fear. I disliked pain. I feared pain.
	She stood in her pure white and silver gown, the 
golden mass of her hair spilling down her back and almost 
touching the richly carpeted floor of our suit of rooms. She 
seemed not to stand on the ground, but rather floated. Like 
the angel she resembled. To the darkness she looked, and I 
was not graced with her sweet smile as I stepped into our 
rooms. Her eyes were fixed to where Sailor Saturn slept, as 
mine had been earlier in the day. The Darkness always called 
out to the Light.
	"Do you dream of our future?" her voice asked moments 
after the door closed behind me.
	This question I had not predicted, and I was at a 
loss for words. Frankly, I had not thought much of the future 
beyond that I wanted peace, beyond that I wanted to hold her 
in my arms for eternity. And did I believe, perhaps deep in 
my soul, that we did not have a future? That with the sense
of finality I felt from this War of Peace, as Sailor Pluto 
put it, I also thought we would die?
	"When this war is over, do you think well have any 
children?" she continued. "My dream is to create a galaxy 
where there is no war, where innocent children can grow up 
knowing happiness, without doubts of their lives being 
severed because of others greed."
	"You have such immense and pure dreams," I said 
softly, letting blue energy wash over me and clothing my 
weary body in comfortable black cloths. "And you always see 
that which is good about people, about the world in general. 
That is, you always believe there is a better side, a 
brighter future. It is like you are the light, the hope, and 
that I am the darkness, the doubt. I wonder if I am bad for 
you, because as much as I hate to admit it, I fear our future 
may not exist at all."
	"Endymion, it is natural to fear such things. I do 
too. I can not tell you to be optimist as I try to be, but 
conjuring up the worst scenario is not the answer either," 
she said strongly, turning around and walking up to me until 
we were at arms length. "Let me put this to you in another 
way. If this war ends with our death, if Sailor Saturn is 
awoken, then that is the end. But what about the other way 
this could go? What if we win, and peace follows? Have you 
not planned for that?"
	The ugly truth hit me. I wanted this war to end with 
my destruction. And perhaps I wanted Serenity to die with me? 
Could that be why? Why I did not even think of our future? 
Why I have always wanted peace? Because the final peace was 
death!
	In a fluster of movements I had stumbled backwards, 
mouth gaping open and close like a fish out of water, eyes 
wide and unbelieving. Dear God, if this war killed me, I 
would not have to think about the Golden Crystal, I would 
not have to live with the guilt. 
	But. 
	But what? 
	Why was it so important that Serenity and I be 
together? Why the intertwined symbol?
	"Plans, plans," I whispered frantically when I saw 
her expression apon noticing my own bewildered one. "I can 
not think so much as of tomorrow so engrossed am I with my 
own petty life. Please do not look at me like so. I have told 
you before. I am weak. And the truth is simply this: I want
this war to kill me! Yes, I am a coward because I can not 
even bring myself to knife out my own heart, and because I 
could not bare to see your tender face cry for me when I die, 
knowing that I caused it directly!"
	Her hand slapped me across my face, the pain stinging, 
the shock running through my body. 
	"How do you think I feel when you say such things!" 
she demanded. "Endymion, I love you. Life without you would 
be not worth living. Please, just do not say you want to die. 
Do not even think of it. Live for me. Live because you love 
me," she sobbed, throwing her arms around my neck and pulling 
me close. "Please dont leave me. It hurts to not have you 
near me. And I fear pain too."
	Her last words mildly surprised me. She knew me so 
well that she realised it was what I was thinking, what I 
felt. My arms surrounded her small body and held her in my 
tight embrace. It was only then that I realised we were both 
crying. 
	I do not understand why you love me, Serenity. Time 
after time I appear a coward and a human being not worth 
living to myself. What do I appear to you? What do you appear 
to yourself? And how do I see you in my eyes? You are the 
Angel, you are a goddess. Myself? I am but a mortal fool. 
	Thoughts of one on the verge of sleep.
	In each others arms we laid, seemingly peaceful. But 
our minds? They were not. Cried we did, until we were to 
exhausted to cry. The silent tears dried and sleep beckoned 
us. But still in this sleep we thought of the future; our own 
futures. We did not know where the road would lead us. We had 
no choice but to follow. And on the borderline of sleep, 
Plutos sad solemn face appeared before me; the messenger of 
Death.
	Hours later I awoke. Serenity slept beside me, her 
face peaceful, happy, and sad, smoothed in sleep. For long 
moments I merely watched her breath, but inevitably, my 
thoughts drifted to the hours before.
	With my out pour of emotions, my deepest fears of 
myself, what new light has been shed apon my soul? In the 
past, I had feared failure. What did I fear now? I feared 
pain. But failure and pain were connect. They were one and 
the same. If I failed to win this war, I feared the pain of 
dying. If I failed to lose this war, I feared the pain of 
guilt, of having to arrive at a decision concerning my final 
destiny. And both ways, I feared the pain of losing Serenity.
	So what have I learnt?
	That I must be brave. That I could no longer be a 
coward. That I could not decide for myself the path I must 
walk down, because I could not make such a choice considering 
of all the factors involved, and because I had no way of 
knowing how things would be. 
	There was an eerie peace in not knowing ones future, 
to know that to an extent you were helpless and subject to 
the whims of destiny and fate. But Pluto. Her expression had 
said it all. It had told of the outcome of this war. And I 
was powerless to divert its course.
	Hope, Endymion. Pray. Wish it would not be true. 
After all, it was that speck of hope, was it not, that you 
feared the other paths? Yes, hope. Or denial.

End Part Five, Chapter Four.

