by Sailor Lily
posted Febuary 16, 2001
The king had strong, and absolutely valid reasons for not wanting Setsuna to marry him. <And if he knew what Beryl said to us about our relationship bringing destruction, he would have another reason to add to the pile of reasons to oppose. If he knew... he would never, ever let me be with her again! To be without her would be the hardest thing ever; If I could never be with her then they might as well kill me.> he thought as he leaned forward, and covered his face with his cold hands.
“I can see you’re worried.”-declared King Ectorious after closing the door, and seeing the young man with his head between his hands. Endymion looked to Ectorious as if he was in terrible despair, and was awaiting for his executioner to come take his life. Endymion stood up in surprise because her had been in deep thought, and not heard the door. The King sat comfortably across from Endymion, and asked him to take a seat once again.
“Your Majesty,” -began Endymion after examining the thoughtful look in King Ectorious’ magenta eyes. “regardless of anything that Setsuna may have already told you, I want you to know that I insisted in coming with her to speak to you for myself.”
“Yes, I know... she said the same thing to me a moment ago.”-answered the King with a sad smile on his face as her thought of Setsuna’s radiant eyes as she talked about Endymion. “Prince, how old are you?”
“I became twenty-one some months ago, Sir.”-he answered respectfully.
“Is my daughter your first... your first...”-asked the King not quite able to make the sentence he wanted.
“Setsuna is the one, and only, Sir.”-answered Endymion blushing timidly.
“If she’s the only one, how do you know what you feel is true love? Prince, both of you are young, and its very easy to confuse a first with true love.”
“With all do respect, Sir... I may be young but all that I feel for Setsuna can’t be denied. I love her, not because she is the first one...but because she is the true one.”
“Please Endymion, allow me to give you some... advise... about something that I’ve learned in my time: life has a way of reminding us, and making us regret things from the past... specially our words.”-said the King absent-mindedly.
“I...”-began Endymion but was interrupted by the King.
“Please, let me make something clear to you; the truth is that if my daughter hadn’t talked to me before I talked to you, I would have simply... asked you to give her up without even listening to you.”-expressed the King with some guilt.
“Your Majesty, the truth is that even if you had asked me to give her up... I could not,... I would never leave her of my own free will.”-answered Endymion making things clear to the King.
"Well, now that’s out of the way, and I feel you should know my main concern... actually, my heavy reason for opposing. The truth is... I feel as if destiny is using my Setsuna to punish me for something I did when I was young.”-he paused uneasily, and then holding Endymion’s blue gaze he continued. “I’ve never told anyone what I’m about to tell you, but I feel that...maybe you’ll understand my need to protect her. When I was young, I ... fell in love with a wonderful woman. I loved her, and never wanted to bring any hardships upon her. I was granted her hand in marriage, but the same day we were engaged... I met her sister. Right then, when I saw the shining in the other girl’s eyes, her light-green hair framing her face... I felt that... I could never endure the thought of losing her. Do you see? Everything I felt for the first melted upon seeing my true love, Liba. I later talked to Liba to expose my feelings for her, and... she confessed that she felt the same way... but refused to betray her sister. I suppose Liba and I were rather obvious since her sister confronted me about it... and I told her the truth of how I felt. She was absolutely destroyed because her heart loved me m re than I ever expressed with all my empty words. Don’t you see? I destroyed her inside... I destroyed everything that wonderful woman was or ever hoped to be! For me she went as far as to... throw herself from a cliff! She sacrificed herself because of a careless mistake I made! She sacrificed everything she had ever hoped for so that Liba, and I could be happy together!”
Endymion’s blue eyes darkened as he understood the depth of the terror that Setsuna’s father had at the thought that she could be destroyed as that girl had. King Ectorious was terrified of giving her up too easily to a dream of love that would evaporate, and kill her. He was unwilling to give her up to someone who would promise her more illusions with empty words, and take her away from his fatherly love and protection.
“Your Majesty will never let me be with her, will you?” -said Endymion quietly as he looked the King straight in the eyes. “Not only because your afraid I’ll destroy her but because I’m an Earthling. You want her to marry a Plutonian so that she will rule here, and never be far from your watchful protection.”
“She’s the royal princess of Pluto, and her people will need her here, not at Earth.”-declared the King containing anger from showing.
“You will rather have her ruling, and married unhappily, than to know she’s happy where she chooses?”-asked Endymion in disbelief. “I don’t believe your Majesty to be an over-powering father, I know you want her happiness.”
“Yes, I want her to be happy but now that her... security... is in stake... I don’t know why I swore I would never marry her against her will! I should have never done that!”
“Your Majesty...”-began Endymion but was interrupted by Ectorious.
“Prince Endymion, when you have a daughter, you will understand my need to protect Setsuna... even from love.”
“King Ectorious, I only understand that love is too precious to tamper with, and there’s more than enough love in Setsuna’s heart for the both of us. I’m not here to take her away or to compete with your Majesty.” -ended Endymion sincerely when he felt that he had lost all argument, but at least he still had his hope about him. He stood up, bowed to the King, and before exiting said, “I will wait all the time that is necessary for your Majesty to grant me the honor of being, loving, and caring for Setsuna... for the rest of my life.”
King Ectorious watched him steadily exit the room quietly. The King sat staring at the door, as he tried to decide what he thought of Prince Endymion.
“Well, we know he can be as stubborn as you.”-declared his lovely green-eyed wife from a shadowy corner of the room. “He has a strong personality, and wants her happiness,... I like that.”
“Yes, not to mention he is completely crystalline about his love for our Setsuna.”-agreed King Ectorious as he stood up, and walked to face the door. “I don’t think we’ll find some one better to care for her when we’re gone.”
“Even if he’s an Earthling?”-asked his wife with a surprised tone as she walked towards him.
“Regardless of where he’s from... he will be good to her, and their children.”-he responded with an open smile, and turned to hug his beloved. “Besides, love works in very mysterious ways that we have no control over. Setsuna and Endymion are bound together against all odds.”
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Endymion walked slowly, and absent-mindedly around the silent castle. He finally stopped to lean on a wall to evaluate the whole conversation with the King.
“Well, it couldn’t have been better,”-he declared sarcastically to himself. “but next time I’ll hand him the sword so it will end faster!”
“Endymion?”-asked Setsuna coming towards him rapidly. “What are you doing? What happened?”
“Nothing, nothing... why?”-he answered uneasily.
“You don’t sound too confident.”-she said looking at him closely with her big garnet eyes. “Was he rude to you?”
“No, no... of course not!”-he declared quickly trying to avoid giving her details of their talk. He smiled warmly at her, and pulled her gently into his arms. “I’ll never leave you, have I told you that before?”
“I love you too, but please tell me what happened?”-asked Setsuna searching his eyes for an answer.
“Nothing, everything is... fine. Let me just hold you like this longer, won’t you?”-he requested while smelling her soft hair.
“For as long as you want, my love, for as long as you want.”-she answered closing her eyes and listening to his heart.
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“Serenity, watch out! We will protect you! Look to the Queen she will faint! Endymion help her! Setsuna was hit, please help her! Michiru, Haruka... look out behind you!”-screamed Rei as she woke from a fitful sleep covered in sweat for the fourth time that week. She had this reoccurring nightmare since she had lived at the Moon Kingdom, but in the five days she had been home they were more frequent than ever. <I sense evil approaching, something bad will happen. I can feel it in every bone in my body, and it can be seen on the solar changes. What could it be?>-she thought with uncontrollable panic.
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Setsuna and Liba where sitting together in the family living room after breakfast. Ectorious and Endymion where walking together around the palace without any mention about their conversation in the library. Setsuna was far too impatient to know about their conversation but tried to think it a good sign that the two men she loved most where getting along. It was much too quiet for her taste in the room while they sewed.
“Mother, may I ask you something?”-she finally asked breaking the silence.
“Of course, what is it?”-responded her mother tranquilly as she continued.
“How come you never mentioned Nebula if she... was your best friend?”
“Well,”-began Liba as she stared wide-eyed, and uneasily at her daughter’s innocent face. <Did Nebula tell her about our common past? Does she know... anything?>
“Mother?”-said Setsuna upon getting silence to her question.
“Well,... I never... thought about it. Why do you ask?”
“I... heard that you we’re good friends, but you never talked about her. I don’t know why...but I want to know about her, I feel certain... familiarity towards her. She’s so carrying, beautiful, and lonely. We’re you really close to each other?”
“Yes,... in fact so much... that she sacrificed her entire life for me.”
“Why? How?”-asked Setsuna shaken by this unexpected discovery.
“I don’t know... if I should tell you... its simply too hard for me to talk about the common links that Nebula and I shared.”
“Please mother, tell me everything... I think that I deserve the truth about your past.”
“I saved Nebula from throwing herself from a cliff due to... a betrayal. I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but I reached her just in time to stop her... but what she did for me was something that I will never be able to pay her in all of my life.”
There was a long pause where Liba shivered as she looked into herself, and removed the ashes of her buried youth. Steps were heard coming closer towards the door of the living room. Setsuna watched her Mother’s tortured expression, and knew there were many more things to be unburied from her life.
“What did she do for you, Mother?”-Setsuna spoke unable to control her impatience. The steps kept coming closer toward the room.
“I just remembered that when you were born, she came to visit us, and she was so happy to hold you in her arms. She told me that you were... the greatest gift ever to compensate for... the past, and she was right. You have been the greatest love of so many people without even knowing it. You are my greatest love of all because you’re my daughter. The day you and Endymion have your daughter in your arms, you will know that... there is greater love than the one you feel for each other because she will be made from all the love you have for each other. Setsuna, don’t ever despair, no matter how awful something may seem...”-said Liba until she was interrupted by the appearance of Endymion, and Ectorious in the room.
Just as the men entered the room, a loud thunder-like noise deafened, and the planet began shaking. All around the planet the shaking was felt as people screamed, and cried in terror. Endymion ran as fast as he could to Setsuna because she had been thrown off the chair, and on to the floor next to a window.
“Endymion, what’s happening? What’s going on?”-asked Setsuna as he hugged her shaking body.
“I’m not sure... but it feels like a quake... but no, it can’t be... it’s too long, and uneven to be a quake.”-he answered trying to make sense of the unexpected event. Suddenly, it stopped as fast as it had began.
Moments later a buzzing was heard coming from a distance, and seconds later it hit the roof of Charon Castle. The castle shook, parts from the ceiling in the room they were in tumbled down all around them. Ectorious watched as his worst nightmare became true, and he knew exactly what would happen before the day was over. Pieces of the ceiling were crumbling down, and King Ectorious saw how Endymion covered Setsuna with his body to keep anything from harming her. Ectorious then knew that he was right, but fell unconscious moments later.
“Setsuna, it stopped, come we must get out of here or the room will fall on us.”-urged Endymion as he helped her off the floor. She looked up at the broken ceiling, and then around the destroyed room.
“Endymion, what happened? Where are my parents?”-she asked trying to control her fear as she surveyed the dusty room. he didn’t answer, and began to remove the pieces that had fallen. She asked no more, and helped him so as to control her panic. Underneath a thin piece of ceiling they found Liba bleeding slightly from the head, and with some minor scrapes but conscious. Not far from her was Ectorious with some bleeding on the head, and one leg stuck underneath a block of ceiling.
They managed to get up, and exit the room with the help of Setsuna and Endymion. All of them felt sore but managed to quickly exit the shattered room. They made their way to the Main Throne Hall where the noble families, and some common people had gathered in great distress. Ectorious and Liba entered the room taking their assigned place as the rulers, and forgetting about their own pain. Setsuna watched them with total admiration for their unselfishness in times of turmoil. Briga entered the room with a small jewelry box, and hugged Setsuna with tears in her eyes.
“My girl, I was so worried that something had happened to you.”-she cried as she heldSetsuna close. “Everything happened so quickly... that I didn’t know what to think..”
“Don’t cry Briga. I’m fine... really, I’m okay,... Endymion protected me from the pieces of ceiling that fell. Please, don’t worry.”-she pleaded as she wiped away the tears that Briga shed.
“Here, I found this box after you left to be trained at the Moon Kingdom, and when I thought it was the end I held it close...hoping that we would make it so that I could give it to you.”-said Briga as she put it in her hands. “Now there’s something else I must do before...never mind... I must do something. I’ll be back.”
Setsuna watched as the woman made her way to where Endymion was standing close to King Ectorious. Then her attention shifted to the agitated Markus that walked through the door.
“Markus, were you able to identify the source of this attack?”-asked Queen Liba calmly.
“Your Majesty, the attack came from a non-identified ship.”
“Where is the ship? Have they made their motives for attacking known?”-followed King Ectorious seriously worried.
“Sir, the ship is on the north side partially hidden in the planet’s dark side, and we ...”-said Markus before being cut short by a voice that could be heard from outside.
“Greetings Pluto!”-said the soothing masculine voice outside. Everyone ran to the entrance to see where it was coming from. Once outside, everyone was able to see the great, dark ship that had come to threaten their peace. The voice continued mockingly, “Greetings to the Plutonian Royal family, I see that I have very bad aim since all of you survived.”
“What do you want from us?”-yelled Setsuna pulling away from the crowd gathered at the entrance, and taking some steps toward the ship.
“A brave soul you are, dear Princess. I have heard plenty about your...defiant spirit, but I must say that I was not warned about how... beautiful you are. I have to say I’m impressed with the good choice made by Prince Endymion, and I can’t say that I blame him from turning his heart from... others, my lovely Princess Setsuna.”
“What do you want from us?”-she reinstated without flinching, trying to control the panic that she felt of not knowing who the enemy was, and the enemy been aware of who they were.
“This is simply a test of our strength for Queen Serenity to know what could happen if she does not surrender the legendary Imperium Silver Crystal. I want nothing from this planet, unless you would be interested in coming with me.”
As that was happening, Endymion was kissed on the forehead by Briga, and she gave him a silver necklace that had the inscription ‘love is stronger than time and space.’ He gratefully took it as a symbol that she accepted him, and it lifted a great weight off his shoulders to know that he had won her. Endymion kissed her brow, and went to where Setsuna was standing with her parents.
“Setsuna, we should sent someone to warn Queen Serenity, and the planets closest to here.”-suggested Endymion quietly.
<Michiru, Haruka, Hotaru! They must be aware of what is happening. All of this makes no sense... everything seems so strange. What is the Imperium Silver Crystal anyway?>-thought Setsuna quickly.
“Prince Endymion is absolutely right, the other planets should be warned. Setsuna, go with him to Neptune,... the pilot who brought is awaiting to take you there.”- announced Briga from behind them.
“I can’t; I just can’t leave all of you here..., and like this! No, I won’t go! I can’t leave our people; I can’t run away!”-declared Setsuna agitated.
“Setsuna, you must warn the Queen of this threat.” -declared Liba smiling sadly, and pushing them in the direction they must take to find the pilot. “Don’t worry about us, we will be fine and always with you. If he had wanted to destroy us, he wouldn’t have stopped.”
“But... Mother...”
“Listen to your Mother, darling; leave quickly, please.”-pleaded Briga containing tears, knowing that Setsuna must survive to fight as her grandmother had fought in her youth.
“Say no more, you are to leave immediately, my love.”-enforced Ectorious while looking sideways at Liba’s pair of sad green eyes.
“I love you, Mother and please take care. Briga, I love you,... thank you for always caring for me as if I were your own. I love you both very much, and promise to return as soon as possible.”-she said as she kissed the two greatest women that had influenced her life.
When Endymion hugged Briga she whispered to him, “From know until the long distant future, she is yours to protect... you may not understand now but you soon will. Take care of yourself, Prince and I thank you for taking care of her in the past. I wish you all the happiness, specially when you see your blue-eyed daughter for the very first time... and don’t worry, I know you will be a good father..”
Liba kissed her daughter’s forehead lightly. There the light green sign of Pluto appeared, and glowed strongly for a few seconds between her brows before disappearing. Setsuna hugged her father and said, “I will come back soon. I will.. think of you often, and ... I love you, Father.” She turned away from them but her father reached for her arm, and she turned to face him.
“Wait, Setsuna. Endymion, come.”-said the King quickly. They saw when a sunny smile brightened his face amongst the cloudiness of the day. His eyes held the young couple in his vision, and he knew that he was right. He took his daughters soft hand , and reached for Endymion’s firm, protective hand. “I told you that the most important thing for me was your happiness. Now that I understand where your love, happiness and security are...”
He paused and gave her hand to Endymion who was in absolute shock. They looked at each other in great surprise, and then at the older man who covered their joined hands. “...I accept Endymion because he proved that he loves you, and wants your happiness above all. Please go now, and take care of each other.” Setsuna’s eyes filled with tears because her wish had come true. She released Endymion’s hand and threw her arms around her father’s neck.
“Thank you,...thank you... you don’t know how much this means to me. I know how hard it is for you to... let me go. I’m sorry that I couldn’t stay your little girl but look at the bright side, you will have granddaughter’s to be your little girls. I love you father, I swear that I do.”
“I know, love. Now please go... before it’s too late.”