"For Serenity's Sake"
By: Isis @}->--
isis@moonkingdom.com
Rated: G
Disclaimers:  Please do not copy.
AN:  Trouble begun, trouble continuing.  Dedicated to the peace 
keepers… and we are all called on to be peacekeepers.


Chapter 6
@}->--


The gardens of Earth were slowly dying back and settling down for 
the winter months.  Serenity found it sad in a way, yet she was 
reminded often that they would come back to more than full glory 
with the spring's touch.  Yet some of the bushes still clung to their 
green life.  The winds had become colder and a small fire in their 
quarter's hearth now accompanied the nights, which were coming 
sooner and sooner each evening.  Even now, the sun was dipping 
away and had left only a patch of sky that could be seen between 
the walls of the castle, cutting deep shadows into the pathways.  
And yet the princess lounged at the third floor balcony's rail, 
seated on the bench that was positioned against it.

Figures of gardeners were seen below, scuttling here and there, 
tending to the remains of their work for the year.  So captured by 
the sights, and her own thoughts of the differences of Earth, she 
did not notice Endymion's approach.  Her first indication was that 
there was someone behind her, the next was that she recognized 
the same "Evening Princess" that she was greeted and salutated 
with each night.

She turned to gaze up at him surprised, yet happy.  There was 
something different she had noticed in him the past few weeks.  He 
was constantly lost in thought and appeared worried or gloomy for 
reason that she did not know, though she wished he would talk to 
her.

He quietly seated himself beside her and leaned an elbow on the 
railing behind them.  "Our guest should be along shortly, but I 
wanted to fill you in beforehand," he said looking at her, frowning 
a bit and then brushing a few intrusive bangs back from her face, 
before continuing.  "Lady Styx is a member of my cousin's house.  
She is the oracle in my Mother's home city of Concordia and has 
been graced with marvelous powers to control the influence of the 
Golden Crystal.  She is highly praised for her success."

Serenity looked at him a bit confused, "So then, she is an oracle, 
one of the people that can tap into the Crystal's power and send 
and receive messages, images, whatever and so forth, right?" she 
mumbled.

"Correct.  The Moon is small enough that oracles are not 
necessary, yet here there is one for every major city, and in most of 
the outlying towns and villages there are less developed members 
of this coalition.  Just as the members of your guardians are able to 
tap into the powers of their home crystals, so to these people are 
able to do the same, only on a smaller scale most of the time."

"So then, this woman is more akin to my keepers."

There was a small pause as he nodded, looking behind them 
instead, into the gardens.  "Indeed, she was to be one of your 
guardians."

Serenity blinked at the comment, "What?"

Tearing his unseeing gaze from the dying plants Endymion looked 
back at her.  "Just as all of the other habitable worlds contributed 
one of their most worthy members to your inner court, Earth too 
was to choose and send a suitable person to be your protection.  
Due to some of the old hostilities and because of the time that it 
took for us to accept Styx as that protectress our mating was 
scheduled before her arrival to you."

"So you then took her place as the member of my court?" she 
commented a bit humored by the idea.

"I became the Earth's gift to you, if you would like to put it 
bluntly," he said with mocked hurt.

"Oh, how rude of them, they did not even allow me to choose," she 
pouted, propping herself against his side.

"Thank you, Princess, I am honored to know that you would have 
rejected me so outright."

She giggled slightly yet she remained silent this time, though she 
began to think of the woman that was so close to being a member 
of her small circle of friends.  "Styx, why would any child be given 
that name?"

He sighed slightly as he picked out a lock of her hair and began 
fiddling with it absent-mindedly.  "That was not a choice made by 
her true parents."  She looked up at him confused before he 
continued.  "You see, she was not born, but found.  My cousin and 
several of his men and family were out on a hunting trip when they 
came across the child.  It was the dead of winter and she was lying 
unconscious, yet somehow unfrozen, on an iced-over river.  At 
first, I would say, the men thought she was a displaced child-
nymph that normally moved through those waters.  On her waking 
they discovered she had no memory of what had happened or even 
who she was.  Because of the way they found her, they named her 
Styx and she remained as Mother's removed cousin during the 
search for her family, though no one ever claimed her.  Some still 
say that she is the daughter of a sea or ice deity."

"And she was taken in by the family?"

He nodded absently, "Yes, but after long deliberation.  It was not 
until her powers were discovered that she was welcomed by most 
of the family.  That was also the cause of why she was not allowed 
to be the correctly chosen member for your guard for so long.  Yet 
there was little other choice.  The only other person on Earth 
capable of surpassing her powers was that of Kallisto, the High 
Oracle here in Valhalla, yet she is needed in her current place."

"I have heard much of Kallisto, though I have only managed to 
meet her a few times."

"Yes, she is away much of the time in training and searching for 
the other members of her sisterhood."

There was a contemplative sigh as Serenity took in the information 
before coming to a completely obscure question, "Is it not odd how 
most of all of the powerful figures on all of the worlds are 
female?"

"In truth, I have noticed," he responded with a touch of fated satire 
in his voice.

Serenity giggled again and moved to look at him.  "So then, are 
Lady Kallisto and Lady Styx stronger in their powers than you, 
dear Prince?"

He smiled at her with a shrewd expression in his eyes.

"Under no circumstances."  Both of them looked up to find the 
voice belonged to a woman standing placidly a few meters away.  
"Forgive me for interrupting, yet Prince Endymion is most 
assuredly the most powerful of any the Earth has ever witnessed."

"You should not flatter me so much, Styx," he commented with a 
quiet smile.

"No flattery at all, Sire."

Endymion stood and offered Serenity a hand to help her up.  She 
accepted with a smile and looked again to the person that she was 
to be introduced to this evening.  Serenity found the woman in 
question stood draped in a lavender gown of sunset in the same 
style that she had come to know Endymion's mother to be fond of.

The princess was lead to her on the arm of her husband and was 
introduced to the other simply, "Serenity, I wish you to meet Lady 
Styx.  She is my mother's cousin and has been brought at my 
request."

The woman bowed slightly, black hair as long as her own, slipped 
around her shoulder to cape her frame in a black aura in the filmy 
twilight.  "It is a great honor to meet you, Princess Serenity of the 
Moon Kingdom."

Serenity found herself almost without words for reason she did not 
know, yet caught herself before she had to be elbowed.  "It is a 
pleasure, Lady Styx."

"Styx will be adding to our group for a time, especially for the 
preparations of Mother's celebration," Endymion explained.

"It will be nice to know you better, Princess," she commented, 
smiling politely.

Serenity smiled back and nodded.  She certainly seemed likable 
enough and very polite, though she could not shake the feeling that 
there was more to this woman than simple nobility.  She was not 
haughty, but aloof, at the same time.  There was a supreme 
confidence in her manor and stance as well as intelligence behind 
her deep, red-velvet, eyes…


Once again the Earth's palace was flooded with people, yet the 
Moon's court was not the only otherworldly royalty present.  
Members from every planetary mass were in attendance for Queen 
Freya's birthday celebration.

The past few weeks since the announcement was made of this 
festival, Serenity had been busy in helping with the planning and 
arranging as well as traveling about the area for this or that with 
her husband.  She had to say that she had met with more people in 
this short time period than she had ever before, yet she was 
enthralled by it.  Her normal, hyperactive and curious nature was 
in danger of being overwhelmed yet she had looked forward to this 
night for some time in anticipation of its events.

For the festivities, and in order to shelter the greatest number of 
people, the Rose Hall was forsaken in exchange for the Northern 
most ballroom, the Ice Hall.  Within this area of the castle the 
metaphors of winter were displayed prominently and the huge 
central-wall expanse was covered over with white plaster and ice-
blue drapings.  The windows, constituting most of one wall, faced 
outside of the palace instead of into the gardens as the other halls 
would during times in the year when they would offer a vision of 
growth.

Though the vaulted panes of glass did not look in to green, so too 
did they not look out to anything.  They were frosted over 
perpetually as though the icy nails of Winter herself had scraped 
and slashed at them in her attempt to gain entrance.  Only clear 
patterns swirled through this icy prism in the shapes of peaceful 
snowflakes.

The pure elegance was mesmerizing, and the scene only became so 
much more enchanting as the people, sheltered by such an 
environment, waltzed about, dressed in every color the eye could 
claim.

Serenity felt warmed by the peace settled inside this room.  Being 
now a member of the Earth Queen's family, she and Endymion 
were announced first, and she entered on his arm, in order to stand 
next to the king and queen during the formalities.  King Hermes of 
Mercury was announced next as he entered with her guardian Ami 
on his arm.  King Gradivus and Queen Ballona represented the 
ruling family of Mars and were escorted by Rei.  Hephaestus, king 
of Venus entered next, proudly escorting Mina on his arm and 
trailing his son Eros, the crowned prince.  Queen Juno completed 
the procession, led by Lita, to represent the royalty of Jupiter.  The 
whole of the assembly showed every mix of people and relations 
and resources, and they were gathered in one place not with an 
intention or high meeting to attend, but to rejoice and to be merry 
in the relations that the System could bring together.

Serenity found it most warming to see all of these gathered in 
peace and harmony.  She turned slightly to look up at Endymion at 
her side.  He smiled back after catching her eye.  He seemed 
distracted, even on this night, yet she placed it only as concern that 
all should go well.  Turning to her other side she watched a 
conversation between, her would be guardian, Styx and the High 
Oracle, charged with recording and broadcasting the events of this 
night to the others not only on Earth, but also to the ends of the 
habited realm.

Kallisto seemed much like the queen herself.  The long hair, 
deemed appropriate for the women of Earth she was beginning to 
realize, hung slightly waved and in a beautiful deep chestnut 
brown.  Catching green eyes shimmered now more blue, now more 
hassle as the light whispered different shades to them.  A gown cut 
round off her shoulders shrouded her much in the same fashion of 
that of her queen and of Styx's aside her.  All in all, she found the 
two women very much akin.

"Tell me," Endymion interrupted her thoughts, "are the women of 
your court all related into the royal family of their planets?"

Serenity nodded as she watched them talking quietly with their 
company.  "Yes, though none of them are the chosen heirs of their 
homes, they are all princesses.  Rei and Ami are both second 
children.  Mina is the third of her family and Lita was the fourth 
before her elder brother's death during childhood."

"I see," he commented looking over the room.  She too cast her 
gaze over the people, trying earnestly to find what it was that he 
seemed to be keeping watch for, though nothing of ill interest 
caught her eye.

Indeed most of the evening was smooth and calm.  Serenity only 
managed to spill something once and she was doing very well at 
not tripping over her, or Endymion's, feet.  Of course, Lady Rei 
was rather angered that the spill was on her instead of the offender, 
but the princess of Mars was draped in red, it really did not show 
terribly.  Granted that she was attempting to keep her and her 
husband on the floor and well within the public's eye, in case.

It was a soothing night, one filled with family and hospitality as 
she had not known on the Moon and she wished that her mother 
could have been here with her as well.  Yet, her home was 
demanding and the ruler could not be called away that long.  
Serenity silently began to wonder how often she would be able to 
be here like this once she was crowned to her ultimate thrown.

The thought was sobering, yet it did not have long to etch itself 
into her mind before the shattering sound of chaos broke the room 
to pieces.


The flash of light blinded the room and the shockwave smashed 
every window from their stone holdings, sending those near to 
them into the mob of guests in the center of the floor.  They 
ducked to avoid the onrush of glass shards and the cold blast of 
wind that accompanied the on slot.

Kallisto leveled herself back to straight height near the thrones on 
the far end of the hall and, through the eyes of an oracle connected 
to the hundreds of others within the System, watched in horror as 
this night turned dark…

The silver lamp stands near the outer wall were tossed easily from 
their positions and only a few flickering fires still glowed in the 
confused, screaming room.  Yet it was clear enough, through the 
moonlight outside that the blast was only a calling card of their 
new guests.

Outlined dimly between the stone arches of what had been the wall 
of windows stood a row of figures, dressed in black and 
unrecognizable.  The center of which held within one palm a ball 
of orange energy calmly at the ready.  Guests were running from 
the figments and scratching at the doors in order to be out of harms 
way… they were wrong.

The ball of energy leapt from its place and smashed into the closest 
door, igniting the wood and forcing everyone back in fear and pain 
from the blast.  It was then that the first of the royal guardians 
disentangled themselves from the mad mob and came to the front 
of the shadowed men.  Lady Jupiter was the first to blare out a 
warning or question quickly swallowed by the din of screams.  
Mars and Mercury arrived next to her side and joined her in 
forming a line between the attackers an attackies.

An artificial barrier at best, they shouted from their place and 
prepared for the worst as yet another ball of energy formed in the 
hand of the central figure.  None of them had moved since their 
fiery entrance.  Fighting their way to the front she saw both Lady 
Venus and Lady Styx come forward.  Yet Styx had been with the 
prince and princess only a few minutes earlier.  Where was the 
couple?

Kallisto could not see to distinguish them, yet a group caught her 
attention as the others around her cowered back from the attackers.  
Huddled low she picked out General Kunzite and the Earth's 
warriors gathered in a protective circle around what she assumed 
would be them.  Indeed Styx still hung back from the other girls, 
positioning herself half between them and the circled group.

It was then that the second ball was released from its place.  
Though it was not aimed or destructive it flew only to hover over 
the room and cast a light over the group that she had just spotted.  
The voices of the room died away as they became focused on this 
single point of orange light…

"Forgive our intrusion, Queen Freya.  We only wish you a happy 
birthday, My Lady."  The callused voice belonged to the leader 
and the only one deemed allowed to act.  From aside her, Queen 
Freya stood from her husband's shelter.

"What is the meaning of such an outrage?" she demanded as 
harshly as the woman was capable.

"Please excuse us, but we have only come to gather one thing, 
Your Highness."  Turning again to where the light was shining he 
took a few steps forward, the energy brightening the nearer he 
came to it.  "Do not be alarmed, we shall do no more damage, 
provided we can complete our task and be on our way."

The planetary guardians as well retreated father back in order to be 
just before what appeared to be the main target.  Kallisto 
recognized immediately that in such closed circumstances the 
girls' powers were rendered impossible without harming the crowd 
around them.  Someone had to clear out this room.

Kallisto stood and collected her composure, concentrating on the 
innocents of the room.  Yet before she could gather herself to 
transport them to another holding she was urgently shaken from 
the side.  "You must not do anything that would provoke them 
farther!" came the whispered voice of her queen.  "That energy 
could kill all of them if it was dispersed now."

She was right and in knowing that, Kallisto found herself only able 
to sit and watch, waiting for a moment that would allow her use 
her gifts.

Within the center of the floor the leader had stopped a distance 
from the group and was simply studying them curiously.  "I do not 
understand why you protect her.  We wish only for the Moon's 
leech to be handed over to us."

"Never," came the low, very calm answer, barely heard yet heard 
by everyone.

"What?"  This was not an answer that their imprisoner was 
expecting.  Or not from a person he expected.

The voice was solid and demanding, and as the words struck, the 
form of their prince could be seen to rise from the center of the 
protective huddle.  "Never."

With the pronouncement of his single word the doors of the room 
were thrust open.  With escape possible, people flooded out of the 
room, flinging themselves into the fray and carrying the wounded 
haphazardly.

"No!" was the figure's response as the ball flared to triple its size.

Kallisto was ready as she steadied her nerves and focused on the 
royalty grouped beneath it, yet a demanding voice inside of her 
head snapped her out of her preparations.  "The others!  Get the 
others out!  I will keep these."

Styx's voice permeated her thoughts and she obeyed without 
question as she refocused on those fighting for the doors.  With a 
flare of blue light they disappeared along with the other High 
Royalty that had been surrounding her.

Again an almost agonized scream echoed from the blackened 
figure and the others of the party rushed forward brandishing 
swords intent for the frontline defense of the princess.  Yet with no 
fear of the crowd's harm the guardians lashed out at that group.  
Mercury fell back aside Styx and created a cloaking fog around the 
group to block them from the on slot as the other girls used their 
powers to keep the group from forming too close to their target.

Yet it was the main leader that had not moved from his position as 
the energy continued to pulse wildly and continually faster.  The 
guardians were now joined by the heated generals as they sprung 
out and around the original line of defense, trying desperately to 
get to the creator of their threat.  Zoicite made it over one opponent 
and around the fray first, lashing out with only a sword as he did 
not have time to compose an attack.  He was the first to bear down 
on the still unmoved figure and with sword high he plunged in to 
make one final blow.

Yet mid-swing he was sent sprawling back onto the floor as a 
shockwave hit not only him but the whole of the room again, 
displacing several and dissipating Mercury's fog.  Again the ball 
grew and with one strangled scream he cursed the princess to death 
should she not be removed from Endymion's arms.

The two knelt on the floor; Endymion with sword drawn and 
Serenity clung to his left side.  He held her with one arm, forcing 
her behind him as much as he could should he have to rise and 
meet this threat.  Although the largest was hovering just above 
him.

"I will not let you take her."  The words rang throughout the room 
even though they were hardly spoken as the prince gathered his 
powers fully to him and set his mark through the line of his 
fighting friends.

The leader swore again and clenched his fists in front of himself, 
dropping the ball a meter from its altitude, and with harsh cries he 
jerked his arms straight into the air, opening his hands wide.

The ball plunged downward and Endymion curled the princess 
around and into his arms in a motion that would condense their 
area, yet not remove them from harm's way.

The fighters twirled too late to do anything but watch.  Kallisto 
stood panicked knowing that she could not remove them in time 
but reached out desperately in a vain attempt.

Yet a blue light flashed into being as the words "Earth Life, 
Shield" echoed destructively throughout the gasping room.

The brilliant fireball of energy descended and smashed straight 
into the pair as a blinding stream of shockwaves hit, knocking 
everyone to the floor and sending some of the attackers out of the 
shattered windows.

The darkness that resulted was complete except for a glow 
reflecting from the once pristine marble around Kallisto's sprawled 
frame.  Looking back through tear-clouded eyes she saw that it 
came from a small bubble of light covering over the place that 
Endymion and Serenity had been.

Slowly the blue of the outer covering faded away and a golden 
light was revealed to be holding the two in a tight embrace; their 
figures outlined in the glow as it also slowly died away.  Yet it was 
only when the prince raised his head that Kallisto dare breath 
again.

He slowly opened his eyes, eyes that now shimmered golden in the 
darkness due to the use of his hold on the Golden Crystal of Earth, 
his body becoming a conductor for it.  Yet there, only a meter in 
front of the two sat Styx, propped up by her arms.  She had been 
the one to cast her power into the shield that had surrounded them 
and in doing so she had also been the closest to the blast when it 
rocked past her.

The others were beginning to regain their feet and some of the 
attackers were attempting to flee through the windows, though 
many were in poor shape due to the guardian's attacks.  The rest 
found themselves wrapped inside of Venus's golden chain.

…Yet, there was no sign of the leader between the fallen bodies 
and shards of once peaceful snowflakes.

@}->--_____________
"Trouble is a part of your life, and if you don't share it, you don't 
give the person who loves you a chance to love you enough." – 
Dinah Shore

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world 
walks out." - Walter Winchell