Since this fic is more manga-based than anime-based, the senshi are all five years older than Princess Serenity, which is the impression I got when reading the flashback in manga #15 (final volume of SuperS). On that note, Malachite is hetero as well. The ages of the generals will be revealed in a later part, if you're confused. And forgive me if this story gets odd at times, but I'm trying something different with it. The term "Earthian" I chose because I liked it, though the only time I've heard it used is as the title of the anime of the same name (which I haven't seen, have no desire to, and have heard is adult so beware). If that anime coined the phrase, credit is theirs. Thanks! -Lianne (liannesentar@hotmail.com) http://Lianne_Sentar.tripod.com *Blue Planet, White Moon* Part 2 Rated PG, for Endymion's bad habit of cursing; though don't mess with animal tranquilizers, they are VERY dangerous, and don't you dare jump off high places or dive into water where you can drown because those situations are both no good. But if you're older than 2, you probably know those things already. "The Earth royalty is coming back." Princess Serenity looked up from her book and blinked. "Coming back?" she repeated. "After only a month?" Jupiter leaned against a wall and crossed her arms. "The Earth queen's birthday is coming up, and your mother wants to throw her a celebration here. Besides, you know the friction that's been building up between the people of Earth and the people of the moon. Your mother wants more positive ties." She shrugged. "One annual Earthian visit isn't enough anymore, I guess." Serenity frowned. "Don't give me that face." Serenity turned away. "I though you loved Earthians." "I *do* love Earthians." Serenity sighed and closed her book. She rubbed an eye with the back of her hand. "It's just É you know. Celebrations and diplomacy and all that. I'm going to be stuck in uncomfortable shoes all day dancing with old men who used to know my father and tolerating all the whispering of those stupid palace gossips." She gripped her book tightly. "They're so *mean* about Earthians, Jupiter. It hurts to listen to it." "Welcome to royalty, darling." Jupiter gave a dry smile. "You have to tolerate a lot of stupid people." Serenity frowned again. "Look." Jupiter walked up to her princess and lifted the petite girl's face in her hands. She smiled slightly and touched Serenity's nose. "Your mother's trying to change mentality of things. She hates the animosity between Earthians and the moon people as much as you do." "I know." Serenity sadly brushed a golden curl behind her ear. "But É wait." She looked up at her guardian, suddenly hopeful. "Will you and the girls be there?" Jupiter raised an eyebrow. "You want us to bail you out of a boring party?" Serenity nodded enthusiastically. Jupiter laughed. "Um É no. We're princesses ourselves, sweetheart. We have our own diplomatic responsibilities to deal with when universe powers come to meet." She tapped Serenity's nose again. "You'll be on your own, I'm afraid." Serenity wilted. "I never see you anymore," she mumbled. "Your mother's kept us busy since we turned sixteen. Our schedules will start freeing up soon enough." She smiled. "But the king and queen of Earth are bringing their son up for the celebration. Why don't you spend some time with him?" Serenity gave a start. "They're bringing him *back*?" "Sure. Why?" Serenity nervously averted her eyes. "You heard about what happened last month, right?" Jupiter laughed. "The entire moon heard. The young prince has a bit of a weak constitution, does he?" "They drugged him to get him back to Earth." She made a gesture with her thin fingers, as if she were pushing a syringe into her arm. "You know, that shot they give Earthian horses before bringing them onto the ocean?" Jupiter's eyes widened. "They gave him *that*?" Serenity absently played with a curl. "I never thought he'd come up here again." Jupiter whistled. "Well," she said after a moment, "he *is* the crown prince. He's going to have to get used to the trip if he's going to be king one day." She picked up Serenity's book. "You said you were sick of dancing with old men, right? So hang out with Endymion. He's probably going to be the only one there who's close to your age." Serenity looked away. "Now what?" Jupiter's eyebrows furrowed. "Is he supposed to be a jerk or something?" Slowly, Serenity shook her head. "No," she said after a moment. "I just É" She trailed off. Jupiter narrowed her eyes and waited. Serenity sighed. "Never mind," she said, taking her book back. She opened it up and attempted to start reading once more. ***************** Nephlite stared unreadably at the short straw in his hand. "Sucker." Zoycite grinned and slapped Nephlite on the back. "Have fun." Malachite smiled. After handing Jedite his long straw, he bent by the pallet and slid his arm under the unconscious Endymion's shoulders. "Fair's fair," he said as he gently pulled Endymion into a near-sitting position. "You've got to carry him. But I'll you load him onto you." Nephlite let out a breath. "All right," he murmured. He went on his knees beside the pallet. Putting Endymion on Nephlite's back was more difficult than everyone had guessed. Besides the fact that Endymion's recent growth spurt had left him with lanky limbs that were hard to maneuver, the drugs had not put him in the kindest of dreams, and he often thrashed out and cursed in his sleep. In the end it took all three generals to get him on Nephlite, and Zoycite and (particularly) Jedite ended up with some nasty scratches. Gripping an oozing gash on his arm, Zoycite grinned through gritted teeth. "Well," he spat. "At least we know he'll be good on the battlefield someday." Nephlite walked a good half-kilometer through the moon palace with the snoring, muttering heir to the Earth on his back. The other three generals walked in tight quarters around Nephlite to ensure the prince wouldn't slide out of Nephlite's grip; this put Jedite, unfortunately, right in the way of Endymion's fist when the prince suddenly lashed out, and the blond general got it right in the eye. As soon as they reached the guest quarters, they dumped the prince none too kindly on his bed. "Good God." Jedite touched his slowly swelling eye. "He's never been this violent in his sleep before." "He's never been on horse tranquilizers before, either." Malachite gently pulled Jedite's fingers back and examined his eye. When the older general tenderly prodded the flesh, Jedite hissed with pain. "This needs to be treated." Malachite took Jedite under his arm and glanced at Zoycite. "Would you watch the prince? Nephlite has things to attend to." Zoycite saluted cheerfully. Nephlite stretched his arms in front of him, then winced. Gripping his back, he murmured, "He's getting heavy." Zoycite gave a sympathetic squeeze to Nephlite's side before pushing him out the door with Jedite and Malachite. "Poor babies," he cooed. "Go on now. I'll take care of him, so go patch yourselves up." Nephlite muttered something rather impolite as Zoycite slammed shut the door. Zoycite turned back to Endymion and let out a breath. After a minute or so of deliberation, he gripped a chair and pulled it up to the prince's bedside. He brushed a strand of almond hair behind his ear. Endymion started to murmur again. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his face twisted up in anguish. "No," he moaned. "No, please, I can't É you can't leave me to É please, God, don't leave me É" Zoycite's eyebrows furrowed. Endymion had suddenly turned very pale, and his hands frantically clutched the bed sheets. "No, please É" Endymion hiccupped. He rolled to his side, and tears squeezed out of his closed eyes. "God, don't let them go. Please!" "Endymion?" Zoycite gripped the prince's shoulder and shook him gently. When more tears started to spill, Zoycite sat up and shook harder. "Endymion, hey." Zoycite quickly brushed damp hair from the prince's eyes. "Hey, come on. Wake up. It's only a dream." Endymion suddenly screamed. Zoycite jumped out of his chair. Fumbling around in his pockets, he yanked a small vile from one and popped the cork. He pushed apart Endymion's lips and tipped the dark blue liquid into the prince's mouth. "Drink," he prayed. Endymion choked on the liquid. He coughed it up, navy drops spilling down his lips and chin as tears rolled from his squeezed-shut eyes. "*Drink.*" Zoycite held Endymion's face in his hand. Tenderly, he brushed a thumb down EndymionÕs cheek. The prince coughed again. Then swallowed. Zoycite let out a breath of relief. Endymion slowly calmed, his grip on the bedÕs side loosening even as his tears slowed. His eyelashes fluttered a touch. His eyelids barely parted. He looked at Zoycite. "You're ... here." The prince's voice was a weak, hoarse whisper. Zoycite pushed the sweat-soaked bangs back from Endymion's forehead. "You were dreaming," he murmured. "It wasn't real." His irises turned a lighter shade of emerald, and he smiled. "And I'm always here." Endymion's eyes welled up. "You're here." Zoycite sat on the bed. Leaning his back against the headrest, he pulled Endymion's head into his lap. The 15-year-old general let his fingers tie in his prince's dark hair as he started humming quietly. Endymion, his hand entwined with Zoycite's free one, sniffed and closed his eyes. A few minutes passed. At the end of them, the door quietly opened, and a familiar figure walked in. But she stopped, frozen in shock. "I ... I d-didn't know you had arrived already." Princess Serenity swallowed hard, her eyes wide. "Am I d-disturbing something?" ***************** The ball was the next evening. Serenity, in a white silk dress and white silk slippers and white pearl crown, nervously stood beside (and almost behind) her mother. "I'm speechless," the queen of the Earth declared, her hands clasped happily. She swept her gaze around the moon palace's mammoth ballroom, at the magical pearl lighting and the marble tables set with feasts and the hundreds of guests who spun and glittered on the dance floor. The mixed company - shimmering, light-colored moon people and solid, darker-colored Earthians - was clearly what pleased her the most. "This is a celebration in your honor." Queen Serenity smiled. "And a celebration of the eternal friendship between our two glorious kingdoms." The queen of the Earth laughed, taking Queen Serenity's hands. "You never fail to charm with grace, Serenity. I hope you don't mind my saying that my friendship with *you* is as sacred to me as my friendship with your kingdom." Queen Serenity beamed. "I would be honored if you would accept that sentiment from me as well." The princess watched the ballroom's huge open doorway from behind her mother's arm. The Earth king hadn't made his appearance yet, and she knew that as soon as he did, she would be sent off to wander the ballroom. And keep her posture. And take small steps. And formally accept compliments from diplomats. And dance. And watch over the subjects in attendance. And Endymion was going to be there. She was frightened. Excited, yes, anxious, certainly - but more frightened than anything. She didn't know how to react to the things she'd seen. The dull prince, with his dark hair and opaque, ocean eyes. The way he seemed to absorb light rather than shine in it. The way he walked: heavy, uncaring steps with a fixed posture obviously forced and quite often unsuccessful. She'd heard he cursed at his generals frequently, he argued with them in public and embarrassed his father by squabbling with them in front of diplomats and highly ranked subjects. She'd even heard he physically fought with them. Sometimes. She'd seen him asleep in Zoycite's lap. She was frightened. Who were these Earthians, whom she had thought she'd known so well? The Earthians she had come to love, the subjects and servants who had visited the moon on the annual visits, were strong-hearted and bright-eyed. Yet they *hadn't* seemed so different from the serene, almost put-offish moon people in the long run. Livelier, perhaps. But still fairly distinguished in the end. They didn't seem wild, almost primal. Clumsy. Violent. Intimate. She had no idea what truth was anymore. And she saw him walk in the ballroom then, behind his father, his tall, still-developing teenage body wrapped in a uniform of navy and black silk. His dark hair. His dull eyes. His black boots clomping on the shining marble floor. He brushed a thick lock of midnight hair from his forehead and let his gaze travel the room. The generals walked in behind him, Zoycite with a tugging smile, Nephlite expressionless, Malachite with a quiet Jedite by his side. The generals she had seen so many times before, at formal meetings, with formal manners. Zoycite fluttered behind his prince and whispered something in his ear. Endymion whipped around and angrily swung his fist. Zoycite danced out of the way, laughing, and bumped into Jedite. Jedite recoiled, touching a black eye, and Malachite calmly put his arm around the blond's shoulders and pulled him close. The king glared at his son. Endymion turned irritably back to the party and, suddenly, met the princess' eyes. Terror sparked Serenity to jump behind her mother and throw her arms about the queen's waist. Queen Serenity looked down at her daughter, surprised. "Serenity?" she asked. "What's wrong?" The princess couldn't stop shaking. Her heart had jumped to her throat, and she could barely breathe. The queen was instantly alarmed. She knelt and took her daughter in her arms while the queen of the Earth watched with wide eyes. "Baby," Queen Serenity said quickly, "what's the matter? What's bothering you?" She took her daughter's face in her hand and tilted up the tiny chin. Princess Serenity's eyes were wide and nearly transparent. Trying to swallow the lump in her throat, the princess buried her face in her mother's shoulder. "Mama," she whispered. "I'm scared!" ***************** Endymion blinked. If he hadn't known better, he would've sworn it was his glance that sent the tiny princess flying behind her mother. "Wow." Jedite's eyes widened. "What just happened to her?" "I dunno," Endymion murmured. He watched, his heart oddly tight, as the queen of the moon held her daughter and tried to calm her. He could see the girl was shaking. Nephlite's eyebrows furrowed. "She jumped when you looked at her." He glanced at his prince. "Right?" Trembling, white arms around the queen's neck. Crystalline blue eyes glassy. The lighting of the ballroom gleamed off the snow-white skin of the soft, white silk princess. "Endymion?" Guilt pulled at his chest. The girl honestly looked upset. "Man, Endymion. What'd you do?" He threw a glare at Zoycite. "I didn't do *anything,*" he snapped, his voice oddly high. He swallowed. "Shut up." Malachite was watching him; he could always feel those ice blue eyes when they locked. The general rested a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Endymion?" he asked. "What's wrong?" Endymion pulled away. He realized he was trembling, and he tightened his muscles to try and hold still. It worked. Sort of. Nephlite gripped Endymion's arm. "Relax," he said quietly. Endymion knocked Nephlite's hand off. "How can I relax?" he snapped, suddenly angry. He jerked around to face the generals. "The princess apparently hates me. She *looked* at me and ran to her mother. I didn't do anything! I don't even know her!" He spun away from them and crossed his arms. "And I feel guilty. I didn't do anything, I don't even know her, and I feel *guilty.*" The generals exchanged looks. Endymion started to tremble again. He cursed. Jedite reached out to his prince. "Endymion-" "And stop touching me." Endymion took a few steps away, mouth a tight line. "All of you. I don't want any of you to hold me right now." There was a moment where nobody said anything. The Earth king had left some time before, to join his wife and see what was wrong with the princess. Endymion was glad his father wasn't there right then. Nephlite, finally, let out a breath. "Go see the princess," he said. "Jupiter requested you spend the evening with her." Endymion stiffened. Slowly, he turned to the tall general. "You're *kidding* me," he growled. Nephlite shook his head. "Jupiter came to me this morning. She said you two would be good company this evening." Endymion was about to retort, but Nephlite cut him off. "She *did* say Serenity was a little nervous about meeting you. It's natural, Endymion. She's young, and your first meeting was a touch ... unsuccessful." Endymion scowled. He glanced at the princess, and saw her sniff and nod at her mother. Tentatively returning his glance, the princess pulled from the queen's embrace and stood on her own. "See?" Zoycite gave Endymion a little push forward. "She's gonna be fine. Go on." Endymion paused. Across the marble dance floor, through the spinning dancers and under the pearl lights, Serenity kept her eyes locked with his. She swallowed and gave a shaky, forced smile. "I dunno," he murmured. "Do you really think that's it? She's just nervous?" "That's definitely it," Zoycite said. "Definitely it," the other three generals agreed. Endymion sighed. Brushing down the silk of his shirt, he started forward. "Fine." He glanced back at his generals. "Wish me luck." "Just go show her a good time, Endymion." With a final little push from Zoycite, Endymion began the walk across the dance floor. Nephlite watched him, watched the dark prince cut through the light-colored dancers like a navy silk knife. Serenity turned a touch paler, but she still kept her smile as he made his way toward her. "Nerves." Nephlite's face was unreadable. "That's definitely not just it." "Definitely not just it," the other three generals agreed. ***************** It wasn't just moon people on the dance floor - nearly half the dancers were Earthians, actually - but they were all light. Moon people never dressed in deep-shaded clothing, and most of the Earthians, whether for style or to respect the moon's customs, dressed in white or light colors. The pearl lights glittered on the moon people and shone on the winter-light skin of the Earthians. Serenity found herself wondering, yet again, who in God's name dressed the Earth prince. Walking through those light dancers, in striking silks of navy and black, his midnight hair falling over ocean eyes, his bronzed skin shades darker than that of anyone else in the room, he looked like a raven flying through a snowstorm. His clunky, adolescent way of walking in his still-developing body was remarkably unrefined, though she could see he was still making some kind of effort (the sad result of some refinement attendant's great pains to teach the prince how to walk properly, no doubt). His feet looked a little too big for his body. Serenity swallowed and tried not to let her smile wilt. Endymion stopped a few steps from her, lowered himself to one knee, and met her eyes. "Good evening, Princess," he said with simple formality. Queen Serenity smiled from behind her daughter. "Good evening, Prince Endymion. You look well." "The drugs eased his trip, to an extent," the king said in response. "They'll do until his body adjusts to transporting." Serenity suddenly realized it would be a good time to say something. "I hope you're f-feeling better," she blurted. "Nobody likes being sick, and you looked awful." Realizing how stupid that sounded, she blushed and looked away. Prince Endymion smiled slightly. "Um, thanks." "Rise," the king ordered. Endymion stood. The queen of the Earth took Princess Serenity's hand and pulled the girl closer to her son. "We would be honored if you would spend some time with Endymion tonight," she said cheerfully. "So you can get to know one another. It would please all of us if you two became friends." Endymion seemed willing, and the look he gave her was encouraging. The princess tried to slow her thudding heart. The top of her head just reached his shoulders, and she was barely over half his width. "Serenity?" The princess took Endymion's offered arm and smiled thinly at her mother. "I would be honored," she responded, nodding her head at the king and queen of the Earth. She looked up - way up - at Endymion and gave him a smile that she hoped didn't reveal her flipping stomach. "Shall we dance?" she asked. He shrugged. "Sure." ***************** It wasn't so much that Endymion was a *clumsy* person, so to speak. He didn't bump into things terribly often, he rode a horse well, and he was proving to be quite deft at swordsmanship. He wasn't very clumsy. For a growing boy. A quickly growing, rather awkward pubescent boy, at any rate. It was just that he wasn't *graceful*. His "refinement advisor" back on Earth, an old lady who grew flabbergasted quickly and was overall a rather unpleasant person, tried everything from making him walk with books on his head to poking him when he slouched at dinner to shrieking when he dropped platters with wine glasses to trying to kill him with her bare hands when he stepped on her toes one too many times. Once those (rather feeble and quite unthreatening) attempts on Endymion's life began, the refinement advisor was sent to a place where she could be properly cared for, and the task of refining the prince was left to his generals. His parents made the decision to not risk the mental stability of another staff member on their son's lack of grace after that. He quickly realized, after trying to dance with the tiny princess for a few minutes, that the act was doomed to failure. Although he fiercely focused on not stepping on her feet (and succeeded), he danced like an awkward fool, which was all the more embarrassing when compared to the soft, graceful steps of the princess in his arms. To make things worse, it was the first time he'd danced with a person of the moon, and he was unused to the style. He'd bumped into several other people and a pillar before he released the girl and sighed. "Sorry." Princess Serenity blushed. She'd been keeping her eyes away from the people who undoubtedly watched Endymion make a fool of himself, but Endymion knew she was horribly embarrassed regardless. At least, that frightened look in her eyes he *assumed* was embarrassment. Endymion glanced over at his parents. Queen Serenity, by their side, looked perplexed and perhaps the slightest bit amused, but his mother looked disappointed and his father looked downright angry. He swallowed and looked down at Serenity. And blinked. She was staring at his hand. Something happened to him then. He wasn't sure what it was, really - the only time he remembered ever feeling such a way before was that brief instant when he had first kissed her hand a month earlier, and he had assumed it had just been another reaction of his failing body. But here it was again. That tight, odd feeling that gripped his heart and sent the blood racing through his veins. His heart hammered. His mouth went dry. And as she stared at the hand of his that rested on her shoulder, as she slowly raised her own tiny, white hand to compare it to his, he became acutely aware of the scent that clung to her skin and dress. Baby powder. Like mother. There was something terribly different about the way that scent made him feel. He was suddenly overwhelmed by visions of his past blurred into a stream of images and senses: breaking a glass vase, the way his father had screamed at him, running into his mother's arms, lost within the folds of her dress, her smell, her warmth. Fighting with Zoycite, running to his mother for comfort. Training sessions leaving him bruised, running to his mother for comfort. Loneliness when his mother left for the moon, running into her closet and burying himself in her scented hanging dresses.... Serenity suddenly looked up and met his eyes. There was a moment where they both only stared at each other, too lost in tangled thoughts and spiderweb feelings to claw back into reality. Serenity turned red and dropped her hand to her side. Endymion blinked his eyes to clear them. Feeling the blood rush to his cheeks, he glanced once again at his aggravated father, then at a nearby balcony exit. He found his immediate thoughts focusing on getting out of his father's sight. "P-Princess." Endymion cleared his throat, then tried again. "Princess Serenity, would you mind, uh ..." He pointed at the exit. Serenity shook her head, averting her eyes. "I think that's a good idea." He took her hand and led her to and out the marble door. The cool night air of the moon rushed in on them as they stepped out, and Endymion shivered. The soft pearl lights along the balcony barely lit up the marble handrail. Serenity was staring at their clasped hands. Confused by it, he gathered up all his courage and mumbled, "What are you doing?" Serenity turned beet red again and pulled her hand away. She glanced at him for a brief instant before averting her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "No, it's ok, I just ... what's wrong?" He paused a moment, then asked quietly, "Do you hate me?" Serenity turned pale. She shook her head. "No," she breathed. "Why would you ask something like that?" "You hid behind your mother when I looked at you." Paler. Serenity swallowed. "No," she answered. "I don't hate you." Endymion frowned and gave up. For right then, at least, hearing that she didn't hate him was enough. He felt something in him loosen in relief. But the fascination with the hands? Endymion found his own eyes wandering from his hand to hers. There was a definite difference in size, that was plain; her hand was tiny and fine-boned, like a child's. She *was* a child. He was in the midst of puberty and teenage growth, and his hands were large and awkward and blistered where sword and bridle handles had worn at him. Her hand was like a doll's, china and perfect. White. He suddenly realized how white she was. In the soft pearl lighting, her china skin gleamed with the magic of the moon people's heritage. White like marble, white like snow. He was so *dark* when compared to her, with his dull bronze skin. She looked almost too perfect to be real. Flawless and white, while he was awkward and dark. She looked all the more flawless beside him. And beautiful, of course. Beautiful. He had registered that the first instant he had seen her. Some feeling welled up inside him, and he suddenly wanted to impress her. That perfect, white little princess, pale and nervous - he wanted to see her light up. For him, if she *could* light up for a dark, flawed youth. He went to the handrail and looked down. It was a good five meters' drop to the ground level, which was paved with the same moon marble. With that odd feeling - which he could have sworn was masculinity hormone - rushing to his head, he turned to her. "Hey." His eyes brightened. "Wanna do something exciting?" Serenity blinked. "What?" she asked, before Endymion took her hands and quickly pulled her to the handrail. He pointed down. "We can get down there if we jump. And if we can make it there, we can escape this party." He smiled eagerly, the hormone making him oddly giddy. "Wouldn't you like that? To get out of this boring reception?" Serenity looked down the five meters for a long moment. "It would be nice to get out," she said at last, "but I don't think-" "Don't worry, princess. I'll jump first, then I'll catch you when you come down after." He put two big fingers under her tiny chin and tilted her face up. Their eyes met. He smiled. "Ok?" he breathed. ***************** She was drowning. The images that raced through her head were ones she hadn't revisited in years. That time, when she had been hardly more than a baby, clambering over the edge of a huge marble fountain so she could watch her reflection in the blue-tinted water. Falling in. Water filling her nose and open mouth, screaming and thrashing and fighting against the water that filled her lungs. Father jumping in, taking her in his strong arms, pulling her above water, helping her cough up the water that tried to choke her. Crying in father's arms, burying herself in father's wet, cold, musky tunic. Father's strong fingers running through her wet hair. Father's warmth. Dark ocean flooded her senses as she stared into Endymion's eyes. Could she drown in that water, deep and dark and blue and dull? Like in the blue-tinted waters of the moon? The strong fingers under her chin, like the strong fingers of her father? No. Those dark waters were nothing like the crystal waters of the moon. And those fingers were nothing like her father's. She thought she might like to drown. "Yes," she breathed. She wanted him to impress her. She wanted him to go out of his way to be strong and brave. A feeling - which she might have guessed was femininity hormone had she known more about such things - welled up inside her, and it made her want to dive head first into deep, dark blue. ***************** He was trapped in a dream. Overwhelmed by juices flooding his senses, he climbed over the railing so he could stand on the outside of it and look down. Five meters? With the way his pulse was racing, he would've jumped it had it been five hundred. He leaned forward, his grip on the handrail and his feet between the rails the only things keeping him from falling. "Please be careful, my prince!" Endymion glanced back at her. Her hands were clasped, her eyes were bright, a childish, excited grin pulled at the corners of her mouth. Her cheeks were flushed with giddiness, and he could feel his own blood grow hot. "Fear not, my princess." He gave her a quirky, zealous grin and jumped off the balcony. And hit the ground. And broke his ankle. ***************** ***************** "Stoppit, stoppit, OW! Malachite!" Endymion glared daggers at the general who prodded his foot. "You're doing that on purpose!" Malachite smiled. "Of course I am. I need to assess the damage." "And teach you a lesson, fool." Zoycite slapped Endymion on the back of the head. "Your father's gonna have a fit if he finds out what you did." Princess Serenity, standing beside Jedite, swallowed. She was shaking slightly. Malachite glanced over at her. "Don't worry, princess," he said. "You won't get in any sort of trouble for this." Princess Serenity barely nodded, but that wasn't what upset her. She was still shaken by everything - Endymion's sudden injury, her needing to run off and find his generals without her or Endymion's parents seeing her, and the rather frightening curses that had come out of Endymion's mouth and caused the color to drain from her face. And the feelings that raced through her. Those more than anything. Not only was she seriously concerned about Endymion, she was scared out of her mind of the way she had felt about him up on that balcony. What had happened to her? To lose all judgment, to feel heat racing through her body and yearning to be in those strong, lanky arms? It wasn't like her at all. It scared her. It terrified her. But she liked it. She *liked* feeling that way. And that scared her more than anything. With the prince safely loaded onto his back, Nephlite stood from the marble flooring. Endymion, his arms tightly wrapped around the general's neck, cursed as his bandaged foot shifted. Nephlite turned to Malachite. "Let's get him inside." "And remember the story." Zoycite raised his finger. "Endymion fell - BY ACCIDENT - when he leaned over the railing to observe it. By no means is the king to know his idiotic son jumped." Endymion glared. Zoycite glared back. "Don't you give me that face." Nephlite started off. Endymion turned his head back to the princess as he was carried away. "Serenity," he called. "I'm sorry. For scaring you like that." Serenity quickly shook her head. "Are you going to be all right?" she called back. "He'll be fine." Jedite took her hand and formally kissed it. "Thank you for aiding our prince." Serenity swallowed, nodded at Jedite (nervously keeping her sight from his swollen eye), then watched as Nephlite and Endymion disappeared into a palace side entrance. Zoycite and Jedite followed, while Malachite came up to her. "General Malachite." She clasped her hands and looked up at him. Her eyes grew glassy. "I'm sorry. It's my fault he jumped - I'm really, really sorry!" Malachite smiled. Resting a hand on her head, he replied, "It wasn't your fault at all. And you saved him further injury and serious punishment by coming to get us before the king could find him." He bowed to her. "Thank you." Serenity hiccupped and looked down. Malachite took her hands. "Dear Princess." His ice blue eyes shone with amusement. "The Earth will be holding a summer festival in six months. We will return to the moon to hold some of the festivities up here." Serenity nodded. She'd heard. "We hope to see you again then. Endymion, I'm sure, would like to spend more time with you at that point." Her cheeks colored slightly. "Tell him I return the sentiment," she mumbled. "Of course." He brought her hands to his lips. "And tell your court we look forward to seeing them then, too. It's been too long since our last meeting." "Yes. Venus says she looks forward to seeing you again." His smile glittered. "Tell her I return the sentiment, if you will." Serenity nodded. Malachite released her, bowed, and left. She watched him go, but her eyes didn't really see him. Six months. She folded her hands over her stomach and looked to the sky. The Earth, bright in the night, shone deep, dark blue and powdery white. Six months. She licked her dry lips. She hoped she could wait that long. To be continued... -Since it took me WAY too long to writee this part, hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know either way. Part 3 will probably be out in October, because I have to deal with going back to school in the fall and going out of the country soon after. Stay tuned to my webpage for details. Thanks! -Lianne (liannesentar@hotmail.com) http://Lianne_Sentar.tripod.com *Sailor Moon and all its characters copyright © Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha Ltd./Toei Animation, Co., Ltd. This story part copyright © Lianne Sentar, August 2001.