Only one word...FINALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since this is an incredibly long chapter, I have placed all author's notes at the bottom. So I'll see you at the end. ^_^ << >> = thoughts [ ] = author's note Rated: PG Without further ado...Please ENJOY! ============================================================================ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> A Shepherd's Kiss <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ========================= << By Cosmos >> ================================== Chapter 15: The Closure of All Emotions A face gazed out at him with dark sea-green eyes, devoid of compassion. His forest-green hair surrounded his narrow face like a black hood, making his features looked even colder and inhuman. He stared at his reflection as if it were another person challenging him with its hostile glare. A single dark mark running across his left cheek always caught his attention no matter how hard he tried to avoid noticing it. The scar's burning reminder fired in the forefront of his mind like a hot branding. Images of that dark night rose in his thoughts, although he attempted to push them back. Suddenly, cold sea-green eyes altered into vengeful dark azure spheres that glared back at him with unimaginable hatred. Silhouetted by her long silver hair, her eyes glowed fiercely in the darkness of night. That image of her never could be erased from his mind. That and the vengeance she had sworn to take upon him. Shaking his head slightly, he ignored the bitter chill slowly rising from within his soul. He glanced out at the dark window and frowned in confusion. He sensed that there was something different tonight, a change in the wind. Perhaps it was simply his imagination, but a strange foreboding feeling constantly tugged restlessly from the depths of his mind unwilling to give him peace. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< She could sense her strength leave her as quickly as the ebbing of a great tide. Her vision slowly blurred but she strained to remain conscious, at east until she reached the moon. Flying at the very edge of Earth's atmosphere, she struggled to rush past the massive strength of the giant's gravitational pull. If she could only make it some distance into space, the gravity of Earth would be much less. Perspiration drifted down her face like a small stream. The energy capsule, surrounding her, burned brilliantly as it encountered the great friction of the atmosphere. Her brows knitted in concern as she found it more difficult to maintain the maximum energy level of the capsule, which protected her from the dangerous elements of space. "I'm not going to die here," she cried through clenched teeth. Closing her eyes, she made a final attempt to escape the great pull of the gravity and atmosphere that were found close to Earth. The energy capsule suddenly radiated blinding white light as her energy flow increased dramatically. In a burst of light, she pushed pass the natural barrier and found herself floating gently in the cold environment of space. Opening her eyes, she viewed a world dipped in silence and total darkness. The vastness of this place took her breath away and made her feel more isolated than ever. Unimaginable distance separated all the bodies of each living world as nature attempted to imprison each group of beings into their own little quarters on their planets, but life's heart could never truly be isolated and the mind would always find a way to contact another. The cold silence of space took hold of her heart. Its peace was unlike anything she has felt before. It was a kind of tranquility that felt welcoming to the disturbed soul, at first, but as time passed by the silence felt more like a prison than a sanctuary. The depth of utter stillness and complete seclusion was something that brought fear to her. All around she looked was only darkness and vast distances of emptiness. Looking down at her feet, she saw only the abyss of deep space. Nothing was supporting her, no ground, no footing, no one, nothing. Emptiness… Silence… Coldness… Isolation... It suddenly dawned on her that what she was now witnessing was in fact a reflection of her soul. The void of this cold environment was merely a physical representation of what she felt deep inside. It was almost as if she did not travel to space, but simply to her heart. This sudden realization and recognition created great fear in her. It was always a frightful thing to encounter one's own soul, especially when one actually saw it personated in the harsh environment surrounding one. "No," she gasped aloud, the sound of her voice dissipated before her lips like a frosty breath, "I can't stand this anymore," her voice heightened in fear, "I don't want to see this anymore!" The dark void seemed to shrink and surround her as she stared wildly around, "No! I must escape! I must get out of here before I loose my mind! I can't…I can't live this way!" Screaming in fear, Serenity used up her remaining resource of energy and streaked through space in a wild dash for the safety of the Moon. Landing safely on the dully-illuminated ground of her home, she immediately collapsed in exhaustion. Her eyes barely remained open as she gazed at the Earth hanging delicately in the velvet sky. Her vision gradually blurred until she could see nothing more but a mere sphere of light against a dark background. Determined to remain conscious, she struggled to sit up but realized with fear that she was too weak to do so. <> she thought wearily, <> With that last disturbing thought in mind, she lost out to the great tides of the deep subconscious. Several hours passed before a beam of pale blue light fell close by her. A tall silhouette emerged from the fading light and stood solemnly over her unconscious form. Gazing at her with saddened eyes, the shadow stooped down and gathered her into its arms. The unseen figure, with her held protectively in strong arms, faded into the cloak of darkness like the dissipation of a wave into the still surface of a lake. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< "So what's the report on Earth?" a cold voice commanded. "Well, your majesty," a young soldier clad in dark green uniforms began, "the rebels are making a vast come back on Earth." "I see," he said calmly, "I thought the M Officers have managed to capture all Era soldiers? So how could this be happening?" "Well…uh…," the soldier hesitated as the phrase was more of a threatening statement than a question. "The…the prisoners managed to escape somehow, your majesty." "Really?" his sea-green eyes flashed dangerously, "How?" "We…we aren't sure," the young soldier stuttered, "but they somehow managed to break through the Ternate Crystonium wall without alerting the surrounding guards." "What about their leader? Has he managed to escape from Snafu as well?" "Ye…yes sir, " soldier choked out the response. "We just received a message less than a day ago that someone attacked Lady Snafu's mansion…and killed her." Darius' eyes widened at this news. <> he thought in shock, but quickly regained his solid composure he continued. "Incompetent fools," he remarked in a low deadly tone. "Tell the M Officers I want to see them immediately." "Yes, King Darius," the soldier bowed humbly and retreated quickly from the throne room to deliver his message. He sat in brooding silence as his mind raced through the information just conveyed to him from his soldier. <> His fist clenched tight as his eyes glowed an eerie turquoise, <> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< The moon traveled silently across the velvet sky as the night aged. Its pale light shifted in position to illuminate a small wooden bed whereupon occupied by a slender figure tucked beneath a pale-blue hand-woven blanket. The figure remained motionless, trapped beneath the suffocating waves of unconsciousness and sorrow. The magical light of the moon revealed an ashen colored mist seeping through the small window to gather by the bedside of the figure, whose face was hidden in darkness. Astonishingly, the mist began to take shape, warping and molding itself into the form of a beautiful woman around her early forties. With blanched eyes, whose colored pupils have long since faded, the ghostly figure gazed warmly at the young woman lying unconscious in bed. She held out a translucent hand and stroked the silver hair pooled around the white pillow with great affection. "Serenity…," the spirit whispered her name with a voice that could very well be mistaken for the wind. "My dear Serenity," she called her name again, "what has happened to you?" A transparent tear drifted slowly from her misty face to fade into the dark air around her. She could sense the dark energy radiating from Serenity indicating that her heart was not the same. "Dearest daughter," the old Queen murmured, "what have you gone through to change your innocent heart into one so dark?" Closing her eyes in grievance, the ghost whispered, "All this time, I have hoped to protect you from the amoral of this world but I fear I have done you great injustice. By trying to hide all the evil from your tender heart, I have weakened it…made it even more vulnerable to the slightest infliction of pain. You have suffered so much, my Serenity that I could see. I only wished I could be here for you in flesh and bones and not as a mere wind in the night." Opening her eyes, she caressed her daughter's pale cheek with a translucent hand, "Forgive me," she whispered in a broken voice. "I have failed you as a mother. I was unable to help you when you needed me most. I couldn't protect you when you needed protection; I couldn't comfort you when you needed love. Forgive me." Slowly, the figure on the bed began to stir. "Mother…," the one word escaped from her pale lips. Suddenly, the door to the room opened quietly and a young man stepped inside. Shutting the door behind him, the young man walked slowly toward the bed and sat on a chair close to the Serenity's face. The old Queen watched closely with curiosity shining brightly on her ghostly face. "Who are you?" she asked the gentleman but he did not respond. She did not expect him to reply since she knew that he could not hear her. She watched him reach out a strong hand and brushed a strand of silver hair gently away from her daughter's face. The simple gesture was enough to tell the old Queen what was burning in this man's heart. "You love her don't you?" she asked. "But then, why such a mournful look on your face?" She watched a single tear slip from his magnificent blue eye as he continued to gaze at Serenity's sleeping face. He reached out to hold her hand in a tight grasp as if fearing she might fade away at any moment. He buried his face in the cover by her side as he cried silently pouring all his pain and loneliness into the white sheets, unaware that a ghostly figure watched his every action and felt all his pain. "I have once witnessed another young man who loved her," the old Queen recalled, "but I have never seen such a love as this." Floating closer to the crying figure, the Queen placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, although it was a futile gesture since he could neither see nor feel her. Glancing down at his ebony hair, she asked in bewilderment, "Why do you cry with such grief? She is there, is she not? She is still alive. Then why suffer so, young heart?" He did not respond. She looked at him in confusion then to her daughter. Instantly, she noticed the dark shadow that seemed to hide her daughter's lovely face. Now she understood fully this young man's pain. "Her changed heart has brought this pain unto you hasn't it?" the Queen whispered sorrowfully as her gaze remained on Serenity's face. "She was not like this, you know. She was not like this…" "Serenity," the young man's muffled voice rose to her ears. The Queen returned her attention to the handsome gentleman. "Why won't you let me help you?" Endymion's painful gaze fell upon her face, "Why must you always push me away? I love you Serenity," he whispered although he knew she could not hear him, "with all my heart. Can't you see that? Will you never…will you never…" He left the sentence unfinished. The old Queen watched with great sympathy for this kind young man. "It is hard for a wounded heart to heal," she whispered to him, "and it is harder still for one whom was betrayed to learn to love again." Floating over toward her daughter, she placed her hand on both of theirs, "Do not worry, young heart," she said, "your love for her is strong, I can sense it. Give her time to heal the wounds of her heart. Be patient and let her learn to see pass the hatred that has enveloped her soul." She turned to look at her daughter, "This was never what I have hoped your future to be. I have so wanted to guide you to what is pure and true, but Lady Fate has severed my thread and left me only with my woes," a ghostly sigh escaped from her, then she continued, "You cannot continue in this way, dearest Serenity. If only I were flesh and not a mere apparition in the night, I could hold you in my arms and allow my tears to wash your pains away." Outside, the opposing light of dawn began to color the distant horizon. The old Queen looked up in sorrow for she knew her time was drawing to an end. "Brilliant Aurora," she wailed, "when has thou become my enemy?" Glancing at her daughter for the final time, she whispered, "Serenity…always remember that the world is not all darkness. There will forever be a few who carries the light in their heart that will shine through the gloom, but you must seek that light to find it." The ghostly figure began to melt away like the dissipation of a mist. Her form wavered into nothingness as she last whispered, "It is closer than you think." Serenity began to stir and a small painful groan escaped from her. Endymion immediately snapped up to look at her face with concern. "Serenity?" he whispered. "Mother…," she murmured, "Mother don't go!" Suddenly she jerked up into a sitting position in bed as she called out her mother's name. Her eyes searched wildly around her in hope to see her mother before her, but she saw nothing. "Mother," she whispered inaudibly as a tear escaped from her. <> she thought, <> Giving a tired sigh, she thought, <> "Serenity?" a husky voice drew her attention toward her bedside. Her eyes widened in surprise as she soon realized she was lying in bed with a familiar figure by her side. "Endymion?" she gasped, "But how? Where am I? Why are you here?" "Slow down and give me time to answer," he replied in an amused tone. "Never mind," she mumbled, "I have to go." She began to get off the bed when she felt a strong hand grab her wrist and held her down. "What?" she cried out astonished, "Let me go Endymion." "No," he said in a low determined voice, "I've made that mistake before but I will not make it again. You are too weak to be going anywhere." "I am of my own judgement," she argued in a cold voice, "I do not need you telling me what to do. Now I warn you let me go." "No," he said determinedly Her eyes widened in surprise but quickly narrowed to irritation. "Do not underestimate me, Endymion. I am not one you would want to anger." "Why not?" he said cockily, "You are like every other soldier out there. Hot-tempered and foolish." "Why you…you…," she was too angered to reply. Instead, her free hand replied for her as it punched him in the stomach. Her attack came unexpected and he immediately released her hand in pain. "Alright Serenity," he said in determination, "if a fight is what you want, then a fight is what you'll get." Before she made it to the door, he grabbed her from behind and threw her back. She fell heavily onto the bed. Serenity glared at him beneath thick lashes. Her gaze was cold and fierce, but it did not deter him in the least. "You will not be able to hold me that easily, shepherd!" She raised her hand and, before he realized what she was about to do, blasted the window open and jumped out. "Damnit!" he yelled in frustration, "that girl is fast." He dived through the blasted opening after her. He saw her figure quickly running toward the thickets of the forest in an attempt to escape. With long strides and incredible stamina, he soon caught up with her. He pounced on her like a cat, causing them both to tumble to the ground. She immediately rolled away from him and stood up in a defensive position. Her face was cold and dangerous as she glared at him some distance away. "You are a stubborn idiot!" she yelled at him with infuriation. "Don't you know when to give up? I told you to leave me alone!" "No!" he replied, "I am not letting you go get yourself killed. You have not fully recovered yet. If it weren't for me, you would still be lying unconscious somewhere in the woods." She remained silent. Although her gaze has not changed, her position softened. "You are the greatest fool I have ever met," she said in a low voice, although amusement could be found in her tone. "Very much like you," he replied. But soon the amusement was gone from her eyes as the coldness returned. "I told you back on Earth that I have a mission to fulfill and no one, not even you, is going to stop me." She held out her hand as a beam of light shot out from her upheld palm. The thin beam solidified into a silver sword with a solid silver handle on the other end. A thin gold wire snaked delicately around the blade of the sword creating a peculiar design much like a vine crawling along the trunk of a tree. Her hand wrapped around the hilt in a tight grip as she pointed the tip of the mystical weapon in his direction. He looked at her with a calm composure. Her obvious threat was taken lightly on his side for he knew she would never harm him. From the look in her eyes, he knew that for certain. <> he thought, <> Serenity noticed his calm appearance. He made no move to prepare himself for an attack. She frowned in confusion. <> she thought, <> "Just let me be on my way, Endymion," she spoke coldly, "and I will not harm you." "Who said you can harm me?" Endymion asked in amusement, then added beneath his breath, "or intend to harm me?" "What?" she said, "Do you think my skills are inferior to yours? That my powers are weaker? I told you once Endymion, never underestimate me." "I never underestimate my opponents," he replied in a low voice, "but I understand their every move." Her eyes widened in surprise. "Next lesson of the day," she said in an icy tone, "Never challenge me." She swiped her sword across the air in front of her and a beam of energy was released from the blade. The energy flew toward Endymion at an incredible speed. To her surprise, he made no move to dodge her attack. He remained rooted to the ground with his gaze never leaving her face. Whoosh, the energy blade flew pass him barely a centimeter from his face. "What are you doing?" she cried out in frustration. "Why aren't you fighting?" "I am," Endymion replied calmly, "and I figured this is the best way to fight you." She stalked up to him in a menacing manner with her sword held out in front of her. Soon, the tip of the silver blade was pointed directly at his face, but he made no move to avoid its deadly glare. He noticed her frustration and the turmoil raging in her eyes. He knew she was determined to complete her task and will strike down any obstacle in her way, but he was something she did not expect. She was unsure as to how to deal with this particular obstacle. There was one simple solution, which lay in her hand, but her heart refused to allow her to carry it out. She suddenly swung the sword out then back at him again as if to strike him down for the final time. For a moment, fear rose in him as he watched her actions and the darkness of her eyes. Perhaps, he did underestimate her, or overestimated the kindness of her heart. As the blade flew quickly toward his face he thought his fear would soon be proven true. However, the incoming blade suddenly vanished in a thin puff of gray mist close to his face, and a pale hand appeared through the mist, instead, to slap him hard across the face. He turned around and looked at her. Her eyes were raging with fury, but she made no further assaults against him. Instead, she turned and strolled slowly toward the stump of a tree and sat down with arms crossed in anger across her chest. "It appeared that someone can defeat you," he said in a low voice. She glared up at him, "What do you want from me, shepherd?" He did not respond. <> he wanted to say but remain silent instead. For a moment, they said nothing toward each other, simply stare and glare. Nonetheless, he soon spoke up, "I will not hold you back from what it is you are so determined to do, but I will not let you make a suicidal attempt in trying to complete this mission of yours in such a pitiful condition." She looked up at him in surprise. "Come," he motioned toward the small hut, "I'll make us some breakfast," then he added with humor, "you look like you need it." She stood up but before making any movement toward the house, she said softly, "Why do you care for my well-being after what I have done to you? I mean my actions border incivility." He turned to her with solemn eyes. Taking a hand, he gently stroked her soft cheek and watched as her eyes widened in surprise again. "I thought you knew," he replied in a gentle whisper. He quickly turned and stepped inside, leaving her to watch the entryway in astonishment. "I thought I did too," she whispered as she raised a hand to her cold heart. "I thought I had finally figured out what it is that I must do…but now…I am not so sure." >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "How dare you allow the prisoners to escape!" He raged. The M Officers remained silent as they watched their King stew in his seat. "I want you to search them all out again," Darius commanded, "and recapture them all. This time make sure they do not escape again!" "But King Darius," Michiru spoke up, "the rebel camps are irrelevant to our success in this war." "What we need is to find the power source buried within Crystal's Child Mountain," Makoto said. "What we need," King Darius said in a deadly tone, "is to obey a king's command. Do I need to make myself any clearer?" Makoto opened her mouth to retaliate, but Minako stopped her. "We understand, your majesty, "she said with a low bow. "We will capture the rebel camp as you ordered." She gently pushed her companions out the door and shut it behind them. "What do you think you're doing?" Makoto shouted at her. "Shush, Makoto, " Minako warned. "It would be useless to fight against him now, not like this. We must think this through carefully. You should remember, Darius is King of Earth nonetheless." "Minako is right," Michiru said thoughtfully, "we must make our moves carefully, or everything will backfire on us, especially when he has gained greater power with this new conquest of the Moon Kingdom." >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< The setting sun glowed brilliantly between the tree trunks in the distant horizon. She let out a lonely sigh that froze before her lips in the chilled night air. Wearing only the torn Green soldier's uniform, Serenity could feel the icy wind seeped into her clothing and raked its cold nails across her skin. It would be an extremely cold night tonight. <> she thought in bitter amusement. Taking a deep breath, she filled her lungs with the chilly night air. It flowed through her chest like a winter wind; its coldness seeped into her body and embraced her sequestered soul. Within the warm hut, she could hear the voices of her dear companions. Not a few hours before, Luna and Artemis returned home from a neighboring village where they went to sell their fall's harvest to the local market. During the commotion early morning, Serenity felled to notice that the hut belonged to them. Thus, it was indeed a delightful surprise to Serenity to have realized that she was staying at their home. Yet, the surprise did not end there. Within the next two hours, their relation with Endymion was revealed. It was a shocking revelation to have discovered that Endymion was their adopted son. She stood in the darkness, alone and silent. Her mind went through all that was revealed to her about Endymion. <> she contemplated, <> She had asked him that initially but he refused to answer and so did Luna and Artemis. <> she wondered, <> An amused smile appeared on her lips, <> she thought, <> The last rays of the setting sun disappeared beneath the horizon and the hood of night covered the land in semi-darkness. A dull luminescence filled the sky and surrounding air. The reflective surface of the moon prohibited the night from completely taking over. "Tonight would be perfect," she whispered in a tone that matched the cold environment around her. "Perfect for what?" a husky voice asked. She did not turn to face him. With a mere glance of her eyes, she responded icily, "Perfect for an ambush." Before he could respond, she turned and went inside. He watched her with mournful eyes. "Why is it that I could never understand you, Serenity?" he asked the empty air. "Has your heart been completely taken over by your hatred?" Giving an inaudible sigh, he thought, <> "Artemis," Serenity suddenly asked during dinner, "do you have an old shepherd's outfit you're not using?" "Yes," Artemis replied bewildered by such a question, "but why do you ask?" "Could you lend it to me?" "What do you need it for, Serenity?" Luna interposed. "It is best you remain ignorant of my purpose, Luna," Serenity replied solemnly. She could sense Endymion's silent inquiring eyes on her, but she refused to meet his gaze. Suddenly, Serenity stood up and left the table. She stepped outside to have the icy wind cool her heart from its flaming sorrow. Luna watched her dear friend with great concern. Their encounter today proved to be most surprising. Luna quickly noticed Serenity's changed personality and her cold expression. <> she had initially thought, <> Luna decided to seek out this gall of sorrow Serenity buried deep in her heart. She excused herself and stepped outside. "Serenity," Luna spoke up from behind her, "if there is something you need, perhaps we can help." "No," she replied coldly, "for your sakes, you should stay out of my way." Luna was taken aback by such an insensitive answer. "You have changed so much, Serenity," she said sadly. "What is all this indifference you show me? Have you no regards for our friendship anymore?" Luna's question was a painful stab against Serenity. She winced at the pain it caused deep inside. Fortunately her face was turned away from Luna that her friend did not notice the grief rising in her dark azure eyes. "It is due to my high regards for our friendship, Luna," Serenity whispered sorrowfully, "that I not tell you the darkness in my heart." She glanced up at the sky in hope that it might hold all the solutions to her dilemma, but all she could see were distant stars twinkling at her. "I will warn you," she continued gravely, "that I have changed far more than you might expect. The old Serenity you once knew could not survived what this Serenity had endured." "But this is not you," Luna argued. Serenity gave a dispirited sigh as she continued, "I wish it were otherwise, Luna, but this is what I have learned to be and it is too late for me to change." Serenity spoke calmly, "Do not deny this being's existence. I am who I am." "But you are not like this," Luna continued to argue. "How do you know what I am truly like?" Serenity asked in sudden irritation. "I told you, Luna, I have changed. Either you accept me like this or you renounce me." Serenity turned and gazed solemnly into Luna's tear stained face. Nothing more was spoken between them for some time as they gazed into each other's eyes. One pair filled with crimson sorrow and sympathy while the other was full of hatred and coldness. "This is not the way to seek justice for your parents death, Serenity," Luna spoke quietly. Serenity's eyes widened in surprise, "So, Radon told the public about their deaths didn't he?" Her eyes narrowed to mere blue slits as she continued, "What excuse did he give for their murders? And what answer did he give about me?" Serenity said in bitter sarcasm, "I can imagine it. 'They both, coincidentally, had a heart attack,' he said, 'and Princess Serenity dropped dead of grief.' " She gave a dry laughter. Luna frowned at the bitterness in Serenity's voice. "Whatever his excuse, I knew it was false." "So, you are probably one in a million who did not believe him," Serenity said bitterly, "but all those arrogant fools aren't so intelligent. As long as their pockets are filled with gold, they could care less." "Serenity," Luna spoke gravely, "not everyone in this kingdom are like that. There are those who care far more about their kingdom and homeland than their own pockets, and their numbers would surprise you. I believe in all social classes, whether it be peasants or merchants, Lords or Ladies, Kings or Queens, there are always a handful—if not more—who care for the soul of their kingdom than all else in their possession." "I want to believe it were true but—" "Believe it to be true, Serenity," Luna interrupted, "because I know it to be true." "Really?" Serenity asked skeptically. "What proof do you have?" "The proof is in the hearts of each individual. You are among one of them." Serenity gazed at her in surprise. "But I…cannot be," she stuttered. "You have indicated that. I have no compassion for anyone or anything besides fulfilling the vengeance in my heart." "But you are mistaken," Luna spoke with a gentle smile. "You have changed, that is true, but deep down you are still my dear Serenity." Luna left Serenity to brood over what she just said and stepped inside to finish her meal. Late that night when everyone was in bed, Serenity got up and changed into the black outfit Artemis gave her after dinner, which consisted of a ragged pair of pants and a musty smelling shirt. She took the soldier's uniform in her hand and held it in front of her. Unexpected, raging silver flames emitted from her hand and burned the uniform into dark ashes that drifted out the open window like soft feathers. The flames reflected eerily in her dark eyes as the pale silver light made the shadows on her face danced to its strange tune. Once all evidence of her presence in the household was eliminated, she silently jumped out the window and sneaked toward the forest. A shadow suddenly emerged from behind a large trunk and barred her path. "Out of my way, Endymion," she hissed. "This time I will not be so merciful." "I have come to offer my assistance, Serenity." "I do not need your help," she said coldly, hiding her surprise. "Just go back to your nice little bed and let me be." "You cannot possibly think to defeat Radon alone, Serenity. He is stronger than you think." Her expression changed to that of complete surprise. "How did you know about Radon?" "I know more about him than even you, Serenity," Endymion replied mysteriously, "and I know what he did to your parents. For your sake, permit me to go with you." "No," she shook her head negatively, "this is between him and me alone. I will have no interference." "You do not understand," Endymion said, "he is far stronger than you think. You could not possibly walk away from such a battle." "It matters not to me," she replied impassively. "If we both die in the end then so be it. As long as I take him with me to hell, I am satisfied." "You are a fool, Serenity," Endymion yelled at her. "This isn't some little game of revenge you are entering here. You must remember your duty as a princess. If you die, then who shall rule your kingdom and protect your people?" She remained silent as her gaze fell to the ground. Quietly, she spoke, "There will be someone." She looked up at him, "Perhaps whomever will take my place at the throne will serve it better than I could." "Serenity!" "Enough!" she screamed at him, "I *will* see out to this unto the very end, Endymion! Not you or anyone will stop me. If it is death I am walking into then let death come, but I will fulfill my promise!" "Then let me help you!" "No!" she yelled angrily. "I have chosen this dark path and I do not want you to fall into the same grave with me." He looked at her in silent surprise as she continued in a torn voice, "I don't want anyone else to get hurt, Endymion. Can't you understand that? I don't want anyone else to be involved in my cursed fate." She continued in a low solemn voice, "I know…I know this battle will end in death, and that is why I do not want you to be there when it does conclude. Your involvement will only get you killed as well." He quickly noticed genuine tears flow ceaselessly down her sad face. For the first time in a long time, Serenity allowed her tears to flow unrestrained. She whispered in an low voice, "I…I care too much about you to see you die, dear Endymion." His eyes widened in shock when he heard her confess her heart to him. "So now you know," she continued quietly. "Why have you kept your heart hidden from me all this time?" he asked softly. "Your heart is pure," she responded in a solemn voice, "but mine is not. I did not want my own hatred to pollute the goodness of your soul. I wanted to preserve it for all eternity so that I could watch it from a distance and gain the strength and hope you gave me." "Have you ever thought that maybe my goodness might rub off on you?" he asked with a solemn smile. She shook her head sadly and responded in a serious tone, "No, my heart and soul are beyond salvation, Endymion. You must have realized that by now." "You are wrong," he replied causing her to look up. "If it weren't for you, all Era soldiers would still be prisoners of the M Officers. It was you who saved us all. It was you who saved me. I believe there is much goodness in your heart." "If that is what you believe," she said soberly, "then it is best I allow you to continue believing that." Her left hand suddenly glowed in power. In a swift movement, she released a low-level energy sphere at Endymion knocking him to the ground unconscious. Her action was too fast and unexpected that he had no time to react. Stepping closer to him, she kneeled down and touched his face with a slender hand. "Forgive me Endymion," she whispered as a tear escaped from her eye and drifted down onto his face, "but you will be safer here." She stood up and looked down at his slumbering form. "Sleep Endymion, and when you awaken next morning everything will be over." She strolled pass him toward the silver palace hidden by distance in the far horizon. A soft breeze drifted around the small log cabin behind her carrying a forlorn whisper, "Remember me as I once was." She gazed at the dark horizon ahead of her with emotionless eyes. All compassion she showed earlier was now pushed back into the depths of her cold soul once again. Like a cat, she stalked the night, weaving in and out among the shadowy trunks in order to evade being seen. Gradually, she closed the distance between herself and her awaiting opponent. Within the silver palace, a figure sat on the throne cloaked in total darkness. His narrow sea-green eyes shone like a cat's through the night. A solemn expression rested on his face while his lips were set in a thin grim line. Around him, the atmosphere was saturated with anticipation. He knew this time would come one day. Her voice and the hatred in her eyes on that night long ago had made sure that this encounter was to be inevitable. So here he sat waiting for her arrival…waiting for the final battle. It took her three hours dreading on foot to reach the gates of the Moon Palace. She took a moment to look at the silver palace unfolding before her gaze some distance ahead. The bars of the gate made her feel unwelcome even in her own home. Ah, but this was not her home anymore, at least not until she defeated the evil monster that had conquered it through treachery. "Surprise Radon," she whispered coldly, "I'm back." She took a smooth leap directly over the tall gate and landed lightly on her feet. Without a single sound or hesitation, she raced toward the palace. Her sharp observation caught notice of two guards standing in front of the doors. She did not slow down but charged at them like a sleek panther emerging from the tangled undergrowth of shadows. She flung her left hand out to her side with palms open. A radiant beam of silver light shot out from her hand and solidified into the same sword she used against Endymion. The guards saw her fast approaching and yelled out, "Halt!" while barring her way with long steel spears. She responded with a swipe of her mystical sword, which sliced the spears in twain. The guards immediately pulled out their dark swords and attacked. She blocked the first attack easily and made a swipe at the second soldier. Their blades met in a sparkle of opposing energies. Fury boiled within her soul and erupted through her actions as she fought the two guards like an unstoppable hurricane, without mercy and without control. The first soldier swung his sword at her mid-region, but she lowered her blade in time to block the attack. His comrade tried to cut at her legs but she noticed his movement in the corners of her eyes. She dodged his attack by doing a backward flip over the second soldier, using his back as a support while she rolled over him and landed lightly on her feet behind him. The second soldier immediately whirled around with his sword branded dangerously in front of him, its tip grazing her arm as she jumped back to dodge the attack. Crimson liquid spilled on her side, while her opponents remained unscathed. But that would not last long. She jumped back into the battle with heightened ferocity. She swung her sword at the soldier to her left, then whirled around and slammed her elbow into the other soldier's chest causing him to fall back in pain. His comrade roared angrily behind her, running toward her with his sword held high in the air ready to strike her down. She dodged to her left as his sword was brought down dangerously close to her side. Seeing an opening to attack, she immediately fell to one knee and thrust her sword up into his abdomen. His eyes enlarged as the pains of death shot through his being. In less than a minute, he slumped to the ground in a motionless heap. From behind her, the remaining soldier charged with his sword slashing dangerously close to her face. She rolled backward onto her feet and raised her sword in time to prevent a deadly incoming attack directed at her throat. Using all her strength, Serenity managed to shove the soldier back with her blade. Staggering backward, the soldier had little time to react when a forceful blow slammed into his blade and knocked it out of his hand. Glancing up, he saw the silver tip of her sword directed between his eyes. Looking pass the sword, he noticed the insanity of rage storming in her cold blue eyes as a sinister smile adorned her dark face. The dangerous light flickering in her azure eyes created unimaginable fear in this young Green soldier. He knew death was not far behind him now. In the midst of the commotion, she failed to notice three other shadows emerging from the distance. Seeing only the hatred raging in her heart, Serenity was about to strike down this unarmed soldier without mercy. But before she was able to do so, a familiar voice called out to her, "Don't do it, Serenity." Surprised, she slammed her fist into the soldier causing him to fall and whirled around to have her sword meet three pairs of calm eyes watching her sympathetically. "You?" she gasped, then quickly regaining control of her astonishment continued malignantly "What a pleasant surprise to meet the M Officers here. Are we out for a little night stroll?" "Perhaps I should ask you the same question," Lieutenant Makoto said in a grave tone. "Yes," Serenity replied sarcastically, her sword still pointing at them, "I was having a little exercise. It is getting rather dull though, so I think I'll invite the little weasel in the palace to join me as well." Turning around she whispered coldly, "You three can join the party if you want, but I'll warn you the cocktail has an extra kick tonight." Serenity quickly raced up the steps and reached out to open the door, but before she did so she heard Michiru spoke. "Who are you planning to kill, Serenity?" Michiru asked solemnly. "The head weasel," Serenity replied bitterly, "who else?" "We can't allow you to kill King Darius," Minako said gravely. "Why can't we?" Makoto suddenly asked surprising the others. "Makoto!" Michiru said in astonishment. "We may not agree with his harsh ruling, but what honorable soldier would suddenly turn against their King?" "She is right," Minako said, "we must seek justice not a bloodbath." Lieutenant Minako's last words rang deeply into Serenity's soul. <> she thought. The word sounded so foreign to her now. Is *she* seeking justice for her parents' deaths, or merely satisfaction to her hatred? "Why not?" Serenity suddenly spoke. "Your King has caused so much grievances in your kingdom, why not eliminate the source of all sorrows?" "Killing him would not bring justice to what he has committed, " Michiru responded. "One must never answer blood with more blood." Serenity frowned. "Don't worry," she said, "it is not your King I'm after. Deal with him as you'd like, but I have a bigger fish to fry." "Who?" Eyes narrowed, Serenity replied, "Radon." She took hold of the doorknob and blasted the entryway open. The M Officers shielded themselves from the flying debris as they watched in astonishment at the dark figure atop the steps. "This is not the way to seek justice, Serenity!" Minako yelled at her. "I don't want justice," Serenity screamed, "I want vengeance!" She ran into the dark hallway in search of the one place that she knew he would be occupying at the moment, the throne room. "Who's Radon?" Makoto asked in bewilderment as she watched the silver hair soldier disappear inside. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <> he thought as his grip on the arms of the throne tightened in anticipation. <> A sinister smile appeared on his thin lips, <> A dull green aura suddenly surrounded him. His incredible power reflected brightly in his glowing sea-green eyes as he prepared himself for the battle to come. Without warning, the doors to the dark throne room exploded open to reveal a silhouette brandishing a blazing silver sword. Her cold azure eyes pierced through the darkness to challenge his own glare. "Well, well, well," he sneered, "it took you an entire year to finally return." He gave her a mocking laughter, "I thought you had died or worse yet was cowardly hiding somewhere in the crevasses like a little rodent you are." She made no responses. His flouting smile quickly disappeared from his face as he soon noticed the change in her. She was no longer a rash and insecure soldier like she was on that night. No, a year of suffering and perseverance has molded her into a deadly warrior with skills and powers that rivaled his own. Her heart no longer interfered with the deadly calculations of her fighting mind. Only her hatred guided her now. He slowly stepped down from the throne to face her, but left his sword sheathed. The two mortal enemies glared at each other across the distance of the room like two hawks. The energy of their hatred crackled in the air. Serenity began to glow with incredible energy as she prepared to attack. Radon pulled out his dark sword, the very same one he used to murder her father. The sight of the sword increased her hatred to unimaginable intensities. "You are no match for me," Radon said arrogantly. "I am now," Serenity replied coldly. Suddenly, she pointed her sword at him and a beam of energy blasted his way. He narrowed his eyes as he blocked the attack with his own power. An explosion of silver and dark green energy erupted in the room, blasting out all the surrounding windows. Then they quickly heard the rushing of soldiers toward the room. "King Darius!" Lieutenant Minako called out. "King Darius?" Serenity gasped in shock. Darius laughed cruelly at her astonishment. "So now you know," he said. "All this time," Serenity yelled, "you pretended to be Radon?" "Radon?" Michiru mouthed the name incredulously. "So that conniving royal a-s," Makoto swore angrily. "King Darius disguised himself under the alias Radon in order to sneak his way into the Moon Kingdom to conquer it!" "But what does this have to do with Serenity?" Minako asked in astonishment. "Why does she seek to destroy him?" "I'll tell you why," Serenity responded icily. "The scoundrel you so called King Darius is a murderer!" The others gasped in shock. Darius frowned with irritation. "He killed my father!" Serenity screamed angrily. "He killed my mother! He took away my kingdom as well as my very life!" "Your kingdom?" Michiru said in shock, "Then that would mean…" "You will die for all the pains I have suffered, rat!" Serenity yelled demonically. "Whatever name you go under, it is all the same to me. You are a murderer and you shall be punished as one!" Her silver hair whipped wildly around her as she increased her power in anger. Holding her hand out before her, she released daggers of energy spears directly at him. "DIE MURDERER!!!!!" He watched the attack zoom toward him at an incredible rate. Seeing that there was no room to dodge the numerous daggers, he raised his hand and blasted a hole through the ceiling. Giving her a mocking smile, he escaped through the roof. "You will not escape me that easily," Serenity hissed. She took a magnificent leap up and followed him. The other soldiers scrambled outside to watch the continuance of an unforgettable battle as it unfolded upon the extreme peaks of the great silver palace. "Trying to escape, rodent?" Serenity sneered. "Hardly," he replied equally cold, "just giving myself some leg room." "Perhaps you should give yourself even greater room," Serenity said frostily, "enough to fit your coffin in." Darius smiled mockingly, "So sure of yourself, aren't you? You are such a fool Serenity. You should have escaped when you had the chance because you have only sealed your fate when you challenged me." He suddenly stabbed the tip of his sword into the roof and cried out, "Vines Entangle!" Abruptly, a thin beam of green energy snaked its way across the roof and sprung up from beneath her. However, she was too quick for it to wrap itself around her. She immediately jumped up in time to avoid its wavering arms. Doing a back flip, she slashed the energy vines waving beneath her and landed silently on her feet behind it. Without giving her a moment's rest, Darius continued his assault. He rushed toward her with his dark sword gleaming dangerously in front. She blocked his attack as their swords met with a loud clang that echoed into the distant forest. He was stronger than she expected. He managed to shove her back to the very edge of the roof. Planting her foot precariously at the edge, she took a defensive position. Her eyes glowed with fury beneath her silver bangs. She gritted her teeth in anger as she suddenly rushed in to attack him. Sparks of energy flew in all directions as their swords met in combat. She reached out to slash at his mid-region, but he jumped back to avoid the fatal blow. Taking this chance, she ducked down to kick at his legs. He quickly found himself knocked down onto his back. Standing above him, she stabbed her sword directed at his face, but he managed to swerve away from her attacks. He saw an opening and kicked her in the abdomen sending her staggering back in pain. Pulling his legs toward himself, he kicked into a standing position with his sword blazing darkly before him. She glared up at him with dark eyes that revealed none of the pain shooting through her body. She ran toward him with her sword held at her side. A short distance away she suddenly did a somersault over his head to land lightly on her feet. Darius immediately swirled around with his sword raised horizontally over his face in time to block a silver blade being brought down heavily upon his head. He shoved her back and reached out to stab her in the stomach, but she jumped back and he missed. Before he recovered from his last attempt, he looked up in time to see her emit a powerful beam of energy at him, "Moonbeam Electrify!" With narrowed eyes, he quickly calculated his move. Taking a magnificent leap, he smoothly jumped over the attack, which raced by beneath him to smash into a tower a distance away. He landed near Serenity and reached out with his sword to cut her down. He stabbed his sword at her and when he saw her swerve away, instantly swirled around and landed his mark. His actions were too quick for her to avoid that she caught his blade across her side. Without even a moment to cry out in her agony, she ducked in time to avoid Darius' powerful kick aimed at her head. With steel blue eyes narrowed in anger and fierce determination, Serenity slammed her right fist into her opponent's jaw sending him reeling back in pain. Taking this opportunity, she cupped both her hands out in front of her and screamed, "Eternal Winds…Destroy!" A swirl of radiant energy whirled around her and through her arms to be emitted from her hands directly at Darius. She watched as he looked up in surprise as the sudden attack caught him off guard. The sharp blades of the energy wind slashed at his face and arms relentlessly. He cried out in pain while quickly raising his hand to protect his face. He glared hatefully at Serenity through bloodstained eyes as the energy continued biting into his flesh. Droplets of crimson liquid speckled across the roof of the silver palace. On both sides, the red stains of battle clearly showed through the darkness. Suddenly, an incredible power was emitted from him dissipating her attack. Without hesitation, he slashed his sword in Serenity's direction releasing a teal energy blade slicing through the air toward her. At once, she reacted by jumping back and simultaneously ducking down to avoid his powerful attack. Then she saw him suddenly smile sinisterly as he raised his hand and released a magnificent sphere of power directly at her. She was about to dodge out of the way when her feet suddenly slipped 0slightly beneath her. She glanced down with shocked eyes to see that she was standing at the very edge once again. There was no where to escape the attack. She looked back at the incoming energy vastly approaching her. Holding her sword in a vertical position with the fingertip of the other hand placed at the tip of the blade, she released an energy attack of her own in an attempt to render his assault immobile. This was the only choice she had left. "Light Blade!" she cried out. Her sword instantly glowed radiantly and a wide beam of energy was released from its blade. The two great powers encountered each other in mid-air creating a massive explosion that slammed into each of the opponents. Darius staggered back under the forceful impact and fell to his knees. Serenity attempted to withhold her footing as she struggled against the explosive energy slamming into her. However, the force proved to be too powerful and it knocked her flying off the roof. Instinctively, her hand reached out in an attempt to grab hold of the ledge as she dropped pass, but to her horror, she missed it completely. Glancing down, she saw the distant ground rush up to meet her at an incredible speed. It appeared that she had lost this battle. She had failed. Darius watched Serenity fall with satisfaction. He knew this battle would end in his favor. She was a fool to ever think she could defeat him. Unexpectedly, he saw a tall shadow shot up from the throne room below, flying through the opening in the roof. The shadow rushed toward the ledge where Serenity fell and bent over to grab for her. <> Darius thought. Suddenly, she felt a strong hand took hold of hers. The elastic motion consequential when a fall was stopped pulled at her body and stretched her wounds, creating extreme pain to shoot through her. She bit down on her lips in an attempt to imprison her cry of pain within her dry throat. She looked up in surprise when someone grabbed hold of her and stopped her fall. Deep blue eyes beheld her from above. His dark bangs fell gracefully over his eyes as he strained to pull her up. "En…Endymion?" she whispered in amazement. "Hang…on…Serenity," he managed to speak between each breath. Muscles taut, Endymion struggled to pull Serenity up. Darius watched in shock as the stranger helped his enemy to safety. "Who are you?" he yelled angrily. "How dare you interfere!" Endymion stood up with his back to Darius, while Serenity remained seated to gather her strength and regain control of her mind. Serenity glanced up to see a pained look on Endymion's face as he struggled to control his emotion in order to face the one person he has been avoiding for over twelve years. His eyes were closed but a frown settled on his face. "Endymion?" she whispered with concern. Blue spheres peaked out from beneath dark lashes as he opened his eyes to glance down at her warmly. A sad smile appeared on his lips but he did not speak. Gradually, he turned around to confront his past. Although it has been over twelve years, Darius could at once recognize the face. The boyish features of a ten-years-old had matured into a young man, but certain characters remained to indicate to him who this stranger was. "Endymion?" he whispered, flabbergasted by finding himself encountering a ghost from his past. But he was not the only one who was caught in the surprise. Eyes wide in amazement, Serenity thought, <> Endymion smiled in a manner that was hard to discern. There was a mix of sorrow, pity, and as well as anger in his smile. A jumble of painful emotions merged chaotically in his fleeting grin as he gazed solemnly at Darius. For a moment he remained silent, past memories created such grief in him that prevented him to speak. But soon he overcame it all as he responded in a low sad voice, "It has been a long time hasn't it…brother?" "Brother?" Serenity exhaled in shock. "How could this be?" Minako gasped. "We thought…we were told…that the youngest son of King and Queen Tellurian…disappeared," Michiru whispered in amazement. "We were told he died," Makoto breathed. "It appears you have managed to fool the whole Kingdom," Endymion said. "But," Darius stuttered, yet to overcome the wonder of his younger brother's sudden appearance, "but you were dead. In the forest…you could not have survived." "I see," Endymion said solemnly, "you have believed in my death as well." He shook his head sadly, "Well, fortunately, or should I say unfortunately for you, I did not die." "But how? How did you manage to survive?" "I would not have lived," Endymion said as his eyes narrowed in anger, "had it not been for a certain angel who came to my rescue." "Who?" Darius asked, deep in curiosity as to the identity of his brother's savior. "Queen Terra," Endymion whispered in a torn voice, "our mother." <> Serenity thought in astonishment, <> "Can't be," Darius said. "Mother was in the western province at the time." "I don't know how or why," Endymion said calmly, "but she was there. She brought me to the safety of the moon and into the care of two kind shepherds." "Then what happened to her? Why didn't she return?" "Don't you know?" Endymion asked incredulously, "Did the news of her death never reached you?" "Her death?" "In the southern cliffs, by the ocean," Endymion explained in a grave tone, "there you will find her grave." "Who killed her?" Darius demanded angrily. "You did," Endymion replied with equal rage. "Your treachery broke her heart, Darius. You sent her to her grave!" "No," Darius whispered, "No! I did not! I never wanted her to die. I only wanted what was best for our kingdom." "You only wanted the throne!" Endymion yelled. "Father was right. You cared nothing for the people of Earth. I have seen it with my own eyes, their oppression and their poverty. But Era soldiers are defeating your army as we speak. Soon, Darius, the Kingdom of Earth will be free of your treachery. The people of Earth will finally be able to live a life truly deserve. Our kingdom will prosper as our parents once dreamt of." "How do you know about Era?" "Who doesn't?" Endymion replied. "And I am no different, especially when I created the rebellion." "You?" Darius asked in surprise, "So you are their leader all along." "Surprise brother?" "Fool!" Darius screamed. "I knew you would be a fool! I told father you would not make a good strong king, but he wouldn't listen. I am the eldest! It is my rightful place to be heir to the throne." "I had thought that was true once," Endymion spoke solemnly, "but now I see the reason into father's decision. I had allowed you to reign, Darius." Darius' eyes widened in shock as Endymion continued, "As my older brother I had only wanted you to be happy. I never desired to be king. I never hoped to have the throne, but now I know it is my fate to rule as father once decided for me to rule. For the better of our kingdom." "No!" Darius screamed, "it is *my* kingdom. It is *my* kingdom!" He suddenly released a beam of energy directly at Endymion in his rage. The attack was too sudden and unexpected that Endymion had no time to react. Deep down, Endymion had hoped his brother would understand. He never thought Darius would attack his own blood, but Serenity knew the darkness within Darius' heart. "Endymion!" Serenity screamed as she shoved him aside and took the blast onto herself. The energy beam pierced through her left shoulder creating a massive wound as it bore its way through her body to exit on the other side. She let out a scream of pain as she fell to her knees with her arm soaked in her blood. "Serenity!" Endymion shouted as he went over to her. Holding her wounded arm tight to stop the flow of blood, Serenity glared at Darius angrily and shouted, "Darius! How could you? How could you attack your own brother? You are a heartless monster!" But Darius was too overtaken by his hatred and his greed to make any logical decisions. Serenity's cry went unnoticed and unfelt by him. His eyes looked like a madman's with no soul and no heart. Laughing insanely, he screamed, "I told you! I told you, Serenity, that you could never defeat me! No one can defeat me!" "Darius!" Endymion cried out to him, "Brother! Don't do this. Don't let your greed control you. Are you going to give up your family for the lust of power? Would you continue on breaking our parents' hearts by staining the name of Tellurian in blood?" Darius ceased in his demonic laughter as his face suddenly became grave and deathly pale. His eyes softened from a fiendish glare to that of confusion. "Father, Mother," he whispered mournfully, "Tellurian?" Endymion's words rose into his mind, <<'Your treachery broke her heart, Darius. You sent her to her grave!'>> Tears suddenly appeared in his eyes as slowly he recalled a past his greed had prevented him from remembering. [flashback] "Huh!" the young boy gasped as a shadow loomed over his bed. "Darius?" His brother did not respond as he reached out and blasted him with energy knocking him into the depths of unconsciousness. [end flashback] The painful images distorted into another… [flashback] "Darius," the old King whispered from his bed. Old and exhausted, he reached out for the only son that now remained with him unto his death. Both his wife and his youngest son vanished several years ago without a trace. For over three years he searched his kingdom in the hopes that he might find them one day, but time passed by erasing his hopes and broke his heart. "I'm here father," young Darius whispered in a torn voice as he kneeled by his father's bed. Coughing, the old King struggled to speak, "You are now the sole heir of Earth," a fit of coughs ensued after which he continued, "Govern our Kingdom wisely, my son. Remember that the soul of Kingdom Earth is in the hearts of our people. If its soul shines brilliantly then so does our Kingdom." Darius noticed with alarm the gradual slowing of his father's shallow breaths. Struggling with his remaining strength, the old King whispered his last words of wisdom and hope, "Always show mercy and kindness, young King…and one day the compassion…you showed," he struggled to continue, "will be repaid to you...in something more valuable than gold." Darius waited, but his father had spoken his last words. Burying his face into his father's motionless hands, he cried as tears rained down his face, "Father." [end flashback] "Darius?" Endymion asked with concern. His brother looked up at him, but Darius saw nothing. Only the pains of his past and guilt of his cruel actions occupied his grief stricken mind. "I'm sorry," he cried in a low whisper. "Aaahhh," he suddenly screamed in grief and disappeared in a flash of light. "Darius!" Endymion screamed with an outreached hand. "Where did he go?" Makoto asked. "I know where," Endymion replied gravely. A deep blue aura suddenly surrounded him as Endymion powered up in preparation to follow his brother back to Earth. Suddenly he felt a trembling hand grip his arms weakly. Looking down, he caught sight of sky blue spheres. "Let me come with you," Serenity whispered weakly. "No," he said, "you are too weak to travel. Stay here, you'll be safer." Although notably weakened, her spirit remained strong and Endymion quickly noticed the flames of anger and defiance rising in the depths of her eyes. Sighing, he finally gave in. There was no time to argue. He must pursue his brother in order to prevent any reckless actions Darius might do in his psychotic state. Gathering her gently in his arms, Endymion used his great power to transport them both to Earth. Once the pale light faded away, they caught sight of a weary man standing dangerously close to the edge of a tall cliff overlooking the southern ocean. With shoulders sagged under the heavy weight of sorrow and guilt, he appeared more like an old man in his late seventies than a strong thirty-one year-old. Darius sensed their presence and spoke, "Mother always did love the ocean, you know?" "Yes she did," Endymion replied as he placed Serenity down. "Hmmm," Darius said thoughtfully, "and I can see why. Such a powerful sight the ocean portrays. Its waves pounding endlessly into the solid cliff face while simply its great depth and size defies the imagination." "But on a calm day, the gentle hum of the waves soothes the soul," Endymion spoke gently. "Yes," Darius responded, "my soul needs to be comforted. So much grievances I feel that it suffocates me like the water of this massive entity. Would you think that God Poseidon could help heal my soul?" "Darius don't," Endymion said as he realized what was in his brother's mind. "Why not, Endymion? He may help me find the peace I have so desired." Watching the waves with eagerness, Darius took a step over the cliffs. "Darius!" Endymion cried as he rushed toward the edge and reached down to grab his brother's hand. Looking up in surprise, Darius gazed mournfully into his younger brother's eyes. "Would you still save me after all I have done to you? After what I have done to Father and Mother?" Straining hard to keep his grip on his brother's hand, Endymion spoke, "I could never hate you no matter what you have done, Darius. You are my still my brother. I will sacrifice my life for you without a moment's hesitation." Tears rose into Darius' eyes as he watched his younger brother struggle to pull him up. "Now I see the wisdom in Father's decision," he whispered. "You are truly the rightful heir to the throne." "No, brother," Endymion said, "*we* are the heirs to Kingdom Earth. Both you and I." Darius smiled, but incredible sadness touched his eyes. "No," he whispered, "there can only be one King in one Kingdom." Slowly, Darius released his grip as he whispered up, "Rule wisely Endymion." "Darius no," Endymion struggled to keep his grip on his brother's hand, but found that it was slowly slipping away. "Do not feel guilty for any of this, Endymion," Darius said mournfully. "This is my decision. Since Kingdom Earth is yours and the Moon belongs to Serenity, I realized that I have nothing in my possession to repay for my cruelty…except one. This little possession of mine will quiet the restless souls of those I have injured. I hope this would be enough, for my life is all I truly own to give." With his last words and a sad smile, Darius released his grip entirely from Endymion and began to fall toward the dark depths of the ocean. Soon, no visible trace of his existence remained for his grieving brother to see. "Darius!" Endymion screamed in a soul-wrenching cry as he continued to watch the lapping waves of the mighty sea. "Endymion," a weak voice reached his ears. Turning around, he saw Serenity reach for him with a pale hand. Crimson liquid gathered around her as it seeped from her deep wound. Rushing over to her, Endymion said, "Hang on Serenity. I'll take you to Ami; she'll be able to stop your bleeding then I'll use my powers to fully heal you." Shaking her head slowly, Serenity struggled to speak, "No Endymion. It is too late." "But—" "Sshh," she hushed him with a finger on his lips. "Just hold me a little longer. It is getting colder around here." He obeyed and gathered her into his arms to keep her trembling body warm. Her blood dripped onto his dark pants and soaked his shirt. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "For what?" she barely spoke. "My interference has stolen from you your revenge." "No," Serenity barely whispered. "I knew for some time that it was not my parents I seek vengeance for, but for my own hatred. My parents would never have wanted me to spill another's blood for their sake. To show mercy, that was a lesson they always taught me," she paused to gather her strength in order to continue on, "No…this is how it should be." Closing her eyes, she barely whispered, "This is how it should end." "Serenity?" he called her name, but he knew by the stillness of her body that she was no longer there. It was only her mortal remains that he now held in his trembling arms. "Must I lose you too?" he whispered into her silver hair. Heavy silence settled upon his soul. Agonizing sorrow tore at his heart and a painful memory rose to his mind: [flashback] A young boy with silky black hair looked up at his older brother as he laughed merrily with a face smeared in ice cream. "Tank you for tee ice cram Darhius," the child slurred with his young tongue. His brother smiled down at him warmly, "Hey, always glad to be of service to my little brother." His light-hearted laughter filled the young boy's ears to reach deeply into his heart. [end flashback] Now alone with only the howling sea wind as his companion, the incredible grief within his torn soul escaped ceaselessly from his eyes as burning salty tears. Looking up into the dark sky he screamed in anguish, "Must I lose you all?!" As if to answer him, a dull light pulsated from within Serenity's shirt pocket. Surprised, Endymion reached in to pull out a beautiful crystal key. The key suddenly escaped from his hand and floated a short distance above his face when the faint figure of an older woman appeared. Her elegant beige gown waved silently in the invisible wind as she gazed down at him with sympathy. Too awestruck to speak, Endymion listened as the figure spoke to him in a voice that one would imagine belonged to singing angels. "Young heart," she whispered, "you have done well. You should not mourn for her loss, but rejoice in her rebirth. The infinite depth of your compassion has finally freed her from the dark grips of her hatred." "But she is gone," he replied gloomily as he gazed down at her pale face. "No matter how hard I tried, I could not hold onto her. I have lost my parents. I have lost my dear brother, and now I have lost the only woman I ever loved. I have everything to mourn for and nothing to hold my tears with." The ghostly figure smiled down at him. "Perhaps this may hold your tears." He looked up to see a strange dirt-covered box floating toward him. Beneath the dirt, Endymion caught the gleam of silver. Reaching out with a hand to take hold of the strange object he asked in bewilderment, "What is it?" "It holds the power to all life," the figure replied. "From the depths of Crystal's Child Mountain where it slept for over a thousand years, the time has finally come for it to be restored to life once again. The Crystal Child has awakened and, now with this key, so will her powers." With an encouraging smile, the figure whispered, "Take it, young heart. Take the key and awaken her." Bewildered, Endymion obeyed as he placed the crystal key into a small lock and turned it. Blinding light shot out from beneath the lid causing him to let go of the box and shield his eyes. Watching with surprise, he saw a beautiful clear crystal emerge radiating immense power. Suddenly, Endymion noticed Serenity's body began to float toward the crystal to be covered entirely in its healing light. The figure smiled warmly as she began to fade away. "May your reign be for eternity," she whispered, "dearest daughter." Endymion continued to watch in awe as the whole cliff side was filled with intense light. Slowly, within the heart of the power, the silhouette of a young woman emerged wearing a silver necklace upon which hung the very same crystal. Her light azure eyes brightened as she saw his shocked face. A warm smile reached her lush rosy lips as she stepped forward with open arms. "Endymion," she whispered joyfully. "Ser…Serenity?" he gasped with joyful relief. Swiftly, he ran and scooped her up into his strong arms. Burying his head in her silver hair, he cried out all his sorrow and happiness. "You've come back," he whispered. "You've come back to me." Noticing the sorrow slowly creeping into his eyes as his azure gaze fell onto the ocean behind her, Serenity whispered, "Look no longer into the sorrows of the past, Endymion." Holding him tightly, she whispered with a gentle smile, "Let us remember only the happiness that lay buried in our history and let us go rejoice with our friends, my love." Nodding, he bent closer to her as his eyes gradually closed. Their lips met in a rush of passion and pure love as they have finally fulfilled their destinies. They both began to glow brightly with power and soon disappeared in a brilliant flash of light toward the hearts that waited to greet them. When all the light faded away, one remained. Taking form into the soft petals of a magnificent white rose, the light floated down onto the cliff edge. For a moment, the flower lay silently by the edge of a place that has seen too much sorrow. The soft passing of a sea breeze caressed the silk petals then gently pushed the white rose over the cliff to slowly fall toward the warm sea below. During its way down, the white petals reflected the first rays of dawn that peered over the distant horizon. The whisper of a lovely voice could be heard echoing into the heavens, "This is how it should end." ===============>>>> >>>> The End <<<< <<<===================== There's a time when the moon Reveals its face to the clouds, I let out a sigh And want to cry out loud. But deep in my heart, I feel love so alive. In the depths of my soul I know we will survive... <> ===============>>>> <<<===================== ============================================================================ [Well, there you have it, the long awaited ending to this tale. (and a long ending it is! ^_~) Were you surprised by Radon's true identity? ^_~ Mysterious till the end. I like to have my stories that way. ^_^ First, I apologize for making this last chapter so incredibly long, but I just had to get it done for it to posted before school. ^_^ It took me all last week to complete this one chapter. Whooh! That was tough. I was so afraid I couldn't finish it. Bet you're glad I did though, huh? ^_~ Well, (I bet you know what I'm going to say next ^_^) what do you think of this last chapter, the ending, and basically the entire story. Did it held your interest all the way? I hope so. ^_^ Anyway, email me and give me your opinions on it. (Pretty please?) My email address is: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com I would love to hear from you. ^_~ Now I just have to say one more thing. My schedule for the next year will be extremely busy so I won't be able to concoct up another tale until the summer of 2002. In other words, I have to take a year off. But hopefully the summer after that will be less hectic. ^_~ Anyway, I'd like to thank all of you for being so patient with me this summer for each chapter of this story. I hope that you have found this story enjoyable to read. ^_^ And thanks to all of you who took the time to email me your wonderful opinions. It was great to hear from my readers, new and old. ^_^ Although I won't be able to write another story for a while, I will still be answering my emails...^_~ hint...hint. That's all folks...and remember... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Never let your hatred lead your heart" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have a great year everyone!!!!! I'll see you around...the Cosmos. ^_^ And thanks for reading the author's note. ^_~ Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made possible by DiC and now Cloverway/Bandai (?).] =========================================== Copyright (c) 2000, Cosmos.