 Disclaimer: As Always, Sailor Moon doesn't belong to me, I'm just borrowing the characters.


				Secret Garden:  Chapter 2

	Serenity reappeared on her balcony as the last rays of the moon touched the earth. 
 In her delicate hand was clutched the rose of the purest red.  She looked at the orb above
 her, closing her eyes as the image of Endymion's face flitted across the back of her
 eyelids.  She shifted her hand on the rose carefully and cried out when her index finger
 caught on one of the thorns. She let the rose go out of reflex, her eyes popping open as
 she brought the injured finger to her mouth.  She tasted blood.  Tears welled in her eyes
 as she crouched next to the flower.  She felt lighter and the flower had drifted, in what
 seemed to be slow motion, to the ground.  She picked it up carefully and, sucking on her
 injured finger, turned and entered her room, being sure to close the balcony doors behind
 her.  She looked around cautiously; going to check her door, making sure no one had entered
 and noticed her gone.  She breathed a sigh of relief as she found the door still locked.  

	Walking back over to the dresser she placed the rose on it and then frowned, 'How am
 I ever going to keep it without someone noticing the red?' She thought silently.  She
 looked around, chewing on her lower lip absently.  Her eyes brightened as she pulled out
 one of her drawers and dug beneath her undergarments.  She pulled out a small book.  "The
 History of Earth" read the worn title.  She opened up the book and placed the rose, after
 inhaling it's sweet scent once more, between the pages, pressing it gently.  She hated the
 thought of having to press this beautiful flower and not show it off, but if her mother
 ever found out that she had been to earth she was sure to be punished.  She carefully
 placed the forbidden book back in its place and then sat down at her dresser for the second
 time that night and undid her hair.   The gold pooled on the floor as she stood and reached
 back to undo the buttons on her dress.

	She froze as she heard voices outside her door.

	"Are you certain?"

	"Positive.  The Queen said that the Princess needs to be taught some of their
 fighting techniques.  Apparently the little girl is attracting quite the crowd when any of
 the parties are held.  The Queen is worried some over amorous suitor will try something
 with the girl."
	
	"Are you kidding?  A child that young?  Why, who would want to dance, or anything
 else for that matter, with a child without curves?"

	There was a sound of musical laughter as the two voiced passed outside her door.  

	Serenity wanted to go scold the two, but not knowing who they were, and dressed as
 she was, she knew she wouldn't have made much of an impression.  She crept close to the
 door to listen to the two.  She felt tears clouding her eyes and brushed them away.  She'd
 show them, she was going to be beautiful, just like her mother.  Let them laugh now... they
 wouldn't be laughing in the future.

	"Indeed.  I heard that the handsome man from the ninth planet of galaxy 4, Prince
 Diamond, I believe is his name, is quite in love with her.  The two have not even met yet."

	"Really?  What did he hear about her?"

	"He apparently saw a picture and fell in love with her eyes," there was a soft
 giggle, "Can you imagine?  Falling in love with those baby eyes?  I do not think so!"

	"Come now, the Princess' eyes are her redeeming feature," said the other voice, half
 in reprimand, "She has got to have something to make up for having all angles and no curves!"

	"How about that personality?  She is the sweetest person, even if she has a thing for
 hanging around with those warriors from the other planets.  Not to mention the outcasts
 around the palace."

	The voices had been holding a stationary position a few feet away from the Princess'
 door.  They suddenly started to get more distant, "Well, it is a good thing she will never go
 to Earth.  I hear that the prince is a real ladies' man!  All that raven colored hair and
 those ocean blue eyes.  He's a handsome one that one.  Prince End..." the voice trailed off
 as the two walked out of earshot.

	"Prince, who?" whispered Serenity, "Certainly my Endy is not the man they are
 speaking about.  A Prince of Earth that looks like him from description, though... No...
 There have got to be a lot of men with black hair and blue eyes on earth..." she trailed
 off, realizing she was talking to an empty room, her dress half off and her hair trailing
 out behind her, over a foot of the golden tresses dragging on the floor.

	She felt a blush cover her cheeks and quickly stripped.  She slipped her nightdress
 back on and then sat on her bed in a pool of pink fabric and golden hair, the blue-white
 dress in hand.  She carefully inspected it for stains.  She breathed out relieved when she
 found none, having been certain all that falling, she blushed at the thought, would have
 left a mark.  She quickly hung her dress back up and then closed her wardrobe.  She
 smothered a yawn with one hand as she walked back to her bed and climbed between cool satin
 sheets.

 ********

	Endymion awoke as a slight breeze ruffled his bangs, causing them to tickle his
 eyelids.  He heard a soft melody playing in the background as he tried to identify where he
 was.  By the hardness he was lying on and the soft breeze blowing over his face he knew he
 wasn't in his chambers at the royal palace.  His eyes flew opened suddenly and he sat up,
 "Angel?" he called, looking around, the events of the night before flooding back into his
 suddenly reawakened consciousness.

	His midnight eyes darted around the clearing searching for a sign of the angelic
 creature he had met the night before.  His gaze finally rested on the pile of armor sitting
 a few feet away (except for his shoulder plates which he had used as a pillow of sorts) and
 the star locket that was by his right hand.  He sat up, stretching and yawning, scratching
 him head as an itch formed on his scalp.  He scooped up the locket and looked around, idly
 wondering what time it was.  His gaze settled on the position of the sun in the sky and he
 smiled slightly, running a hand through his hair to straighten it slightly.  He knew it
 must be devilish after sleeping on something so hard all night.  It couldn't have been
 later than early morning, a couple of hours before noon.  

	Endymion stretched back out. 'This is nice' he thought absently, 'No one to wake me
 up, only the sound of the locket my angel dropped and the whisper of the breeze.  Maybe
 I'll sleep outside of the palace more often.'  He finally rolled to his feet, kicking off
 his boots as he looked at the small pool of water.  He quickly shrugged out of his clothes,
 leaving them on the bank, and then dropped into the pool naked.  He shivered as the cold
 water hit his skin, "Cold!" 

	He dropped quickly down into the water, dunking himself.  He was pleasantly
 surprised to find that the small pool, no more than 10 by 10 roughly square, was deep
 enough that he could dunk himself just by bending his knees.  By standing on the bottom,
 his toes squishing in algae, the water came up to his neck, almost all the way up to his
 chin.  It was cold but the depth of the water was a nice switch from the infernal tub he
 had to use at home.  He could barely sit in the thing to wash, let alone lie down!  He
 quickly scrubbed his hands through his hair and then climbed out of the water.  Her shook
 his head, spraying droplets everywhere and then, lying naked on the moss-covered ground, he
 let the sun dry him out.

	The heat of the day was rapidly increasing and he was dry in no time.  He quickly
 dressed in his clothes and then in his armor, placing the Star Locket underneath his armor
 over his heart.  Making sure he didn't forget anything, he strapped his sword back on and
 then ducked back into the passageway behind the waterfall.  He paused at the other
 entrance, his eyes falling on the two figures that were sitting near by watching the
 beautiful waterfall.  

	He bit back a curse as he silently settled down on the ground, crouching so not to
 get to uncomfortable.  He didn't want to risk anyone else knowing about his secret hide
 away.  With nothing better to do, he listened to the conversation.  

	"I hear that the moon Queen and her daughter are thinking of abolishing the
 forbidden laws between the earth and the moon."

	"You are not serious?  The Lunarians would actually do that?  Even with the
 consequences?"

	"Oh yes, I hear the Queen is rather put out with the fact that someone eliminated
 the Earth from the Alliance those thousand of years ago when the law was first brought in.
  Apparently she thinks Earth can be a very powerful ally.  Besides, nothing has happened
 with the laws in place, surely nothing will happen in the future."

	One of the two ladies sniffed, "Indeed.  I just hope she is not going for a marriage
 alliance." Endymion looked up at this one's words, his eyes narrowing, everyone seemed to
 be wanting to plan his wedding all of a sudden, "After all, everyone knows that the Prince
 is only going to marry me.  Not some little moon twit."

	"Beryl, are you sure you should be talking about the Prince like that?  I mean, he
 only danced with you once, and showed you the rose garden, at your insistence, I might add.
  He could have any woman he wants! With those gorgeous blue eyes... Oh, they are to -die-
 for!"

	The one named Beryl let out a sputter of amazement, "He showed me the rose gardens
 because I asked to see them, yes, but he wanted too.  I could tell by the way he was looking
 at me... He is totally head over heels for me, I tell you!"

	The other lady laughed, "I take it you cannot see how someone of his age and maturity
 would want to be aligned with the moon and have to marry a girl that's barely into her
 teens, then?"

	"Indeed not! I am closer to his age by far, only a year younger.  I should think -that-
 was obvious.  Besides, the moon brat probably can not match my beauty anyway."

	Endymion felt his blood boil as they talked about the moon and it's royal family. 
 'Could my Angel have been the moon princess,' he found himself suddenly thinking in shock.
 'No, impossible.  My Angel was too sweet to be royalty.'

	"Oh you are wrong there Beryl, I heard from a visiting diplomat that the daughter has
 just beginning to blossom and if the rumors are true she is going to be just as gorgeous,
 maybe more so, as her mother.  Yes, Princess Serenity is starting to grow up and many men
 from all galaxies have been asking the Queen for her hand in marriage.  I would not discount
 her so easily, Beryl."

	"Ha!  She has probably got all lines and angles.  Look at these curves, Hianna, no
 moon child can compare.  And my hair? No one has the flame color like mine.  Not to mention
 these eyes.  These are the eyes that captured the Prince's heart.  I am irresistible!"

	"Beryl, you are not hearing me.  The Princess is rarely seen, but it is rumored she has
 got locks of gold that shimmer like the sun and blue eyes that you would not believe.  She
 should not be discounted so easily.  She has broken as many hearts, if not more, than our fair
 Prince.  Only difference is that hers are mostly by accident."

	"Whatever.  She is no match for me.  Where do you suppose the Prince is this
 morning...?" Their voices trailed off as the two ladies suddenly began to move and Endymion
 stood, watching them through the water, his eyes burning with a midnight colored fire. 
 'Beryl will pay,' he thought darkly, 'If for no other reason than revenge.  No one should
 be allowed to bash royal families like that.'

	As the ladies disappeared Endymion slipped from behind the fountain.  He sighed as
 he placed Beryl's name and grimaced.  She was from of the families his mother had invited.
  She was curvaceous all right, with a body that wouldn't quit and amazing red hair but she
 couldn't hold a candle to his moonlight angel.  He smiled remembering her innocent smile
 and quickly made his way back through the gardens to the palace.  He jumped to his second
 story balcony easily and slipped into his room.  His mother already knew he was gone, he
 suspected, but he swore he wouldn't give her the pleasure of seeing him come in too late
 for the morning court session.  He usually arrived late, but it was rare that he was needed
 before he chose to get there.  

	He went inside, locking the door behind him, and quickly changed out of his black
 shirt and pants, tossing them in his hamper.  He didn't mind servants but he couldn't stand
 keeping his room cluttered.  He looked around as he slipped a new shirt over his head, his
 armor lying on his bed to be replaced after he finished changing.  His room was done in
 blacks, navy blues and dark greens.  It held a huge bed, a dresser, a desk, and a chair. 
 There was also a floor length mirror on one wall.  He had a small, half-wall wardrobe that
 held numerous pairs of black clothing.  He went and checked his chamber door, finding it
 unlocked, and wasn't surprised.  The sun filtered through the window onto his armor,
 causing it to glitter.  

	A flash of gold caught his eye and he walked over to examine it, buttoning the
 buttons on his sleeves as he did.  His breath caught.  There, trapped by his armor, was a
 silken strand of his angel's hair.  He gently pried it out from between the buckles and
 metal and ran it through his fingers.  It was long, dangling from his hand almost to the
 floor.  With a smile, he brought it to his face and gently ran it over his cheek.  He froze
 suddenly as he realized that he was doing.  He was acting like a lovesick fool!  Him, the
 crown prince of earth, over a little slip of a girl he'd met for barely two hours!

	He walked over and placed the strand of pure gold on his dresser and then thought
 better of it.  He scooped up the star locket, making sure to keep the top closed, and
 pulled out a box that he kept in one of his drawers.  He opened the lid, revealing a teddy
 bear, worn and patched from years of use and put the locket and golden strand in with it. 
 He covered the lid, replacing the box, and then stood and finished getting dressed.  

	He was smiling as he opened his chamber door and strode into the palace.  Today,
 even though he knew contact with the moon was forbidden, he was going to talk with his
 mother about abolishing that ruling so that he could see his Angel again.  No matter what
 it took, he swore he would hold her again and, this time, he would be able to keep her.


 **********

				Secret Garden: Chapter 3


	Princess Serenity calmly ate her breakfast, her small fingers easily finding the
 right utensils without thought.  Her eyes never left her plate as he mother spoke about the
 duties she was to attend that day.  Her mind registered the words, but her thoughts were
 with a certain handsome Earthling.

	"...and when you are finished with your speech lessons you are to join the rest of
 your guard in the training garden.  I want them to teach you some basic hand-to-hand combat
 abilities.  You do not mind, do you dear?"

	Serenity looked up, "Of course not, mother, I do not mind.  May I be excused?  I have 
 to change before my voice lesson."

	"Of course dear."

	She started to get up, folding her napkin properly beside her plate but froze at her
 mother's next words, "Angel, are you alright?"

	She choked, "My name is Serenity, mother, just like yours.  Please, do not call me
 angel." She managed to hide the tears that threatened long enough to get the words out and
 then ran from the room.

	Queen Serenity looked after her daughter shocked.  'What is wrong with my baby? 
 What is bothering her so much that she can not talk to me?'

	The Princess ran to her room and shut it quickly; hot tears staring to run slowly
 down her cheeks from beneath closed eyelids.  She slid down the door and buried her face in
 the fabric of her dress.  The cool material didn't help any and she wrapped her arms around
 her legs as he body was wracked with uncontrollable tears.  She bit the fabric, using it to
 muffle the sounds of her crying so that nobody would think anything was wrong with her. 
 The image of Endymion was behind her eyes and she cried all the harder.  She cried until a
 soft knock on her door a few minutes later brought her head up sharply.  

	"Dear?  Are you alright?" came the concerned voice of her mother.

	She took a deep breath, swallowing hard and trying to sound normal, "Yes, mother. 
 Just changing my dress, I will be at my voice lesson in a few minutes."  She knew she
 shouldn't have said anything the moment she spoke.  Her voice was hoarse, if only slightly,
 and husky from her tears.

	"Can I come in and talk to you, Serenity?"

	She almost panicked, "I... would prefer if you did not mother," she told her as
 another hot tear trickled out from the corner of her eye.  She swiped at it, managing to
 smear the crystalline liquid over her cheek.

	"Ang- Honey, I am worried about you.  Please?  If not me, then talk to Mina or one of
 the other senshi, but please, talk to someone."

	"I shall think about it.  I will be out in a few minutes, mother." She moved away 
 from the door, pushing herself to her feet and walking swiftly to her dresser.  On it was 
 a basin of cool water and she quickly scrubbed her face so that no trace of her tears was
 visible.  'I cannot believe I lost it in front of mother!' she thought as she scrubbed her
 cheeks and then patted them dry, 'Now mother will never stop bothering me about it!  I
 cannot tell the girls either, they would tell her I went to earth and then I would be in 
 a lot of trouble.'  She sighed as she went to change her dress. 'No more than I already am,
 I suppose.'

	When she had lessons, her mother insisted she wear her formal princess gown.  She
 hated the thing.  It was nice enough, yes, the gown having been made from the whitest of
 fabrics, sewn together with moonbeams, or so the rumors went.  The bodice was embroidered
 with gold and lined with peals.  It was another gown that was done up in the back and
 didn't cover her shoulders.  She quickly changed into it, restyling her hair and then
 checked to make sure no signs of her weeping was visible.  Bolstered unexpectedly by the
 formal outfit, she found the courage to smile a small smile.  

	She turned at the sound of another small knock at her door.  "Serenity?  Dear, are
 you all right?  You are not coming down with something are you?"

	She almost started to cry with frustration at the sound of her aunt's voice, "No,
 aunt Mianna, I am fine."

	"May I come in, dear?  There is something I wanted to talk with you about."

	Serenity sighed and opened the door.  In front of her stood a woman who could have
 been her mother's twin.  She was a tall, stately blonde with an air of royalty.  Her hair
 was done up in a blue bow at the back of her head and left to hang loose otherwise.  On her
 forehead was a tiara with an orange stone in the center, the color of Venus, and she wore a
 short, sailor's fuku, also orange, with high-heeled shoes.  She was one of the Queen's
 court and also one of her protectors.  Her daughter, a member of Princess' Serenity's
 court, also wore the fuku of a sailor most of the time, also the color orange.  Though the
 younger Venus wore a red bow so not to be mistaken with her mother.  

	Mianna stepped inside her niece's room and closed the door behind her.  "Serenity, I
 think it is time you know the truth," she said, her voice soft.

	Serenity started, "Pardon me?  I am sorry, aunt Mianna, but that is not what I
 expected to hear!"

	Mianna smiled, "I know, darling.  Take a seat, this could take some time to
 explain."

	Serenity seated herself on her bed as her aunt took her chair, "What do you mean,
 'the truth'?"

	Mianna pulled the chair close to her niece and took her hands, "I know you went to
 Earth last night, Serenity, and I know whom you met."

	Serenity almost pulled back.  She forced herself to remain calm and meet her aunt's
 gaze, "Are you going to tell my mother?" she asked, her voice only slightly trembling.

	Mianna shook her head, "No.  She would not understand.  My younger sister thinks she 
 knows everything but in fact she knows little of the heart.  She loved your father very much,
 Serenity, but she would not understand the soul-bond if it was ever explained to her." 
 There was a rueful smile, "And believe me, it -was-explained to her."

	"Soul-bond?"

	Mianna nodded and reached up to touch the crescent moon that shone with a golden
 light on Serenity's forehead, "Yes, honey, soul-bond.  Last night I was watching the stars
 closely and I saw something happen.  More particularly I felt it happen.  As the goddess' of
 love and beauty my daughter and I can sometimes feel and see when two people are meant to
 be.  Last night she came to me because we had both felt something stronger than anything
 ever felt before.  We looked for the answers and, as I am stronger than your cousin at
 reading and detecting the matters of the heart, took it upon myself to find out.  She
 does not know what happened exactly, but last night I saw, in a vision, the merging of two
 souls.  One from Earth and one from the Moon."  She looked at Serenity with clear blue
 eyes, squeezing the Princess' captured fingers, "Endymion and you, Serenity, forged the
 last threads of a bond last night that cannot be broken, not even by death."

	Serenity pulled away shocked.  She couldn't believe what her aunt had just revealed
 to her.  She'd heard of the mythical soul bonding and had just shrugged it off as a tale
 from the past.  Now, here was her aunt telling her that she was not only wrong for
 disbelieving in them but that she was a part of one!  It was too much for her young mind to
 handle.  Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted.

 **********

	Endymion pulled his mother to the side after the morning hearings were finished.  He
 held her arm respectfully, "Mother, I need to speak with you about something."

	"Yes, Endymion?" she said, taking a sip of the glass she was holding.

	"Mother.  Why is contact between the Earth and the Moon forbidden?"
	
	She started, "Pardon me?"

	"You heard me, mother.  I wish to know why."

	She looked up and down the halls, which were bustling with servants, guards and
 other assorted people.  "Come."  Endymion followed his mother down the winding halls of the
 palace, up many flights of stairs and finally into a small study-like room.  His mother
 bolted and locked the door behind them, "Why are you suddenly asking me about the Moon?"

	Endymion met her gaze squarely, "For my own reasons.  I remember hearing stories,
 but I want the truth.  Why is it forbidden for Earth and the Moon to come into contact?"

	His mother closed her eyes sadly and he saw that she was in fact aged.  She usually
 looked so young but suddenly she looked so very old indeed.  He had to strain his ear to
 catch her soft words, "Because of you, my son."

	He pulled away from her sharply, "Me?  How is it that a law that passed over a
 hundred years, maybe more, back is because of me?"

	She nodded, opening her eyes to look at him, "More specifically because of you and
 the Princess Serenity of the Moon kingdom.  You see, before you were born there was a
 prophecy that two soul-bonded children would be born, one on Earth, to the Royal family, one
 on the Moon, to their royal family. If they should ever meet it would bring about the
 end of Peace and the fall of the Silver Millennium."

	Endymion reeled with the news and found himself suddenly sitting in a chair with no
 recollection of how he'd gotten there, "Why?" was all he could ask.

	"The end of peace is not something desired by any of the planets allied with the 
 Moon!  If it means keeping the descendants of our two planets separated for all eternity
 then we have to pay that price!  You and she have to pay that price."

	Endymion leapt to his feet, his sword rattling as his hand closed over the pommel,
 "I have no desire to have my life lived and planned for me.  The fact that you and those
 before you would plot to keep two people destined to be with each other away from one
 another is not something I can tolerate!  Mother, you know the legends as well as I do. 
 Soul bonded people can find no other love and search endlessly for their missing halves!  I
 can -not- live my life as half a person!"

	"You have no choice, my son."

	He looked at her with a bitter expression, "You are wrong mother.  So wrong."  With
 no further explanation he unlocked the door and swept out of the palace.  Without a
 thought, he went and saddled his horse, Midnight, and quickly rode out of the Palace gates.
  His thoughts were in turmoil, 'Was my angel the princess of the moon?' he found himself
 wondering.  If that was true, and if what his mother said about the soul bond was true,
 then he could have no doubt.  What he had felt for those brief hours the night before in
 the arms of his moonlight angel was beyond description.  If he was indeed soul bonded to
 the princess, as his mother claimed, then he had no doubt in him mind that his angel was,
 indeed, the princess.

**********


 Author's notes: First, I'd like to thank everyone who wrote me, encouraging me to continue
 this story.  I know I put two parts up this week, but with the responces I got, how could I
 do anything less?  I admit, this story has gotten longer than I thought it would and there
 is little interaction between Endymion and Serenity in these two parts but, as in all 
 stories, not everything can be romance, somethings have to be put in to give some 
 background.  I promise to get those two back together in the story soon *smile*  Feed back
 as always, is welcome.  Let me know what you think.  Jade_Max@innocent.com

 Thanks! Jade_Max
 
 p.s. Author's note 2: I would give credit where it is due to the person who first throught 
 of the soul bonding idea, but in complete honesty I don't have a clue who's idea it was.  If 
 it was you, please write me and let me know.  Thank again!

