The Four Lovers: Stranded
CHAPTER SIX
AWAKENING THE ROSE
"Are you ready, Jupiter?" Kunzite asked patiently.
She fiddled with her straps a little more, then said, "Yes
SIR!" and swung the pack on her shoulders. Behind her,
Nephrite covered his mouth with a gloved hand; Kunzite never
was addressed in such a military fashion outside of battle.
Apparently, the Leader got the joke as well, for his lips
quivered into a small smile. Venus, beside and slightly behind
him, shot her a killer look and said, exasperated, "Since when
did he start getting more respect than me, Jute?"
"Since he has sterner eyes," she responded, giggling a little.
Kunzite rolled his eyes, then turned to Venus and asked,
"Shall we take Point or let them have it?"
"Them, definitely," she replied. A small, cozy smile appeared
as she added, "He looks like the type to want to sneak off into
dark corners. We'd find the Princess and have to go looking
for them!"
Nephrite laughed out loud; Jupiter joined in, but a blush
still bloomed on her cheeks. With a hasty, "Let's get going,
we're wasting daylight," she started past them, shooting Venus
a deadly look. She just smiled, and her and Kunzite followed.
The sun had barely risen above the plain.
The forest swept up around them, swallowing them quickly; soon
not even Venus could see camp. Nephrite and Jupiter kept a
steady six yards, give or take a foot, between the two groups,
allowing both to carry on a nearly private conversation.
"It's good to see Mars getting some sleep," Kunzite commented.
"Yes, it is," Venus echoed. "I hope Zoicite doesn't mind us
leaving him behind."
"Not at all," Kunzite assured her. "He'd rather be with a
patient than out in the woods--and with Mercury."
She nodded. "Noticing a pattern here, Kunzite?" she asked
dryly.
"You'd have to be blind not to. I just wonder how they're
going to take being separated when we get back to Earth and you
return to the Moon," he replied, his voice filling in the
spaces between the sounds of crackling beneath their feet.
Venus looked ahead to Jupiter and Nephrite, holding hands and
talking sweetly back and forth. She wondered if, while they
searched, they were in their own private world together,
isolated by the same feelings in their hearts. "I'm guessing
they'll take it hard," she said, voice drooping. "I'm sure,
though, if we find Serenity and--as you insist--Endymion, Queen
Selenity will grant them the right to come visit." She smiled.
"The people may be opposed, but no one trifles with the Queen's
permission."
"That would be wonderful of the Queen."
"Yes, it would."
She sighed then, and a drop of ice trickled into Kunzite's
soul. He'd spent so much time with her, trying to shows
combined leadership, that he'd formed an affinity for her, a
friendship. It was a refreshing change; no questions about
harsh orders, no asides about dirty looks and sneers, nothing
but companionship. He knew her as a happy, witty blond with a
knack for an insult; this sigh, however, was droopy and
melancholy--not like Venus at all. So his "Is something the
matter, Venus?" came out of worry his wonder for a friend--not
duty.
"We all keep talking about the Princess and the Prince as if
they're alive and well," she began quietly. "We've never even
speculated if one or both died in the crash, or if one of those
creatures who attacked Jade got to them, or something else
awful. I know what Zoicite said to Mars--unpredictable things
happen on the moons of Saturn." A slight pause before she said
in a voice a shade above a whisper, "If she's dead or even
injured, Kunzite, I will pay the price."
He didn't try immediately to console her; that wasn't his way.
Instead, he took about thirty seconds to digest her words and
process the information before calmly saying, "Venus, I believe
I understand. Technically, because we are the Head of our
respective groups, we are in complete charge of our charges.
That also means we take full responsibility for what happens to
them." His voice unconsciously lowered as he said, "Endymion
has been my best friend ever since we started to work and train
with him. Among the palace or even the Generals, there is no
one closer to me. I would consider it the ultimate failure if
he was so much as scratched on this trip. I, too, Lady Venus,
would pay the price."
she thought. She glanced
at him sideways, taking in the brief exposure of soul that
flickered over his face. "I truly hope that your Prince is all
right, Kunzite. Your loss to the System would be a great one,"
she said, words as careful and formal as the true royalty she
was.
His hand squeezed her shoulder, a vast amount of physical
affection to him. "I hope as well that your Princess is in
perfect condition. A skilled warrior and diplomat, not to
mention a beautiful lady like yourself, would be an equally
great loss."
She nodded, and smiled, and within seconds they'd moved on to
lighter things. Venus, though, could still feel his hand on
her shoulder; he secretly stowed the few stands of hair from
her shoulder away, as a momento of him.
"NITY! WAKE UP!"
"No, no, no," she murmured back. "At least today you'd be
KIND and PRINCELY and--just maybe--CHARMING and let me sleep
in!"
"No, not today. Tomorrow."
"WHY?" she asked, whining a little and trying to hide bury
herself at the same time.
"Because we have to get going if we want to find a new place
by sundown," he said. "Also, if you don't get up soon, I'm
going to dunk in you in the mud."
A groggy groan escaped her lips, and she responded, "I'm up,
I'm up." Slowly, she lifted her head from the nearly destroyed
pillow of moss, leaves, and something that resembled heather;
at that moment, a ray of sunshine managed to poke in through a
natural sunroof. It fell down into her hair, seeped down her
forehead, and struck her eyes, nearly blinding her as spindles
of golden light radiated from her.
Endymion thought, standing back as she vainly
scrambled to her knees, still glowing and still nearly blinded.
Serenity took a less ethereal approach to it; she gritted her
teeth and vainly scooted away from the sunny patch. In the
process, she had one of her less graceful moments, tripping
into the wall. "This day," she mumbled as she pushed herself
off the wall, "is going to be bad. I can just feel it."
Endymion smiled. "Actually, on Earth, sunlight shining on you
is supposed to bring you good luck."
"Really? On the moon, it's also a portent of good news.
Overpowering news, but good news," she recited, then smiled.
"Morning Ion."
"The morning's nearly over, Nity," he replied, a rakish grin
spreading over his face. "Breakfast is ready, though."
"Be right there," she replied, grinning inside. she thought happily as she untied her
dress from the rope it hung on. Shucking the smooth,
comfortable robe of skin----she slipped into the cool, nearly
clean clothing. They had washed everything in preparation for
today, including themselves, and she felt suddenly refreshed.
Carefully she pulled her hair into it's normal ball-with-
hanging-strands shape, then pulled out the locket she wore.
"Silver Crystal cousin, tiny locket, help me protect the ends
of my hair," she whispered, repeating the same tiny charm she
said everyday. Abruptly, she felt her hair stiffen, and
suddenly the ends pulled into a tight spiral. She then added,
as she had started to a few days past, "Locket cousin, heed my
plea, protect the man, who protects me." She'd been pleased at
the rhyme--charms always worked better in rhymes--as well as
the thought to protect Ion. He was such a help to her; she
wanted to help him.
Twirling into the sunlight, she scooped up the robe and the
bedding, then headed toward the small opening. Learning their
lesson from those first nights, they'd abandoned the opening
and taken up in a smaller recess of the cave, away from the
winds. Still, they slept under the same blanket, though not
curled around each other as they had. Somehow, the same
comfort was always there, whether he was an inch or a foot from
her.
He looked up from breakfast--blue fruit and dried meat--to
watch her glide in, carrying the bedding. She quickly sat
opposite him, and went through her usual ritual of folding and
eating at the same time. he thought for the
211 time,
"Do you have any idea where we're going, Ion?" she asked when
she'd finished her third slice of fruit.
"East," he replied. "It's the only direction that LEADS
somewhere."
She nodded, setting the folding aside, then asked, "What
packing is left?"
"Just those folded items."
"ION!"
"NITY!
She scowled at him; he shrugged. "I know how much energy it
takes to get you to pack," he said. "It wasn't worth wasting."
"You still didn't have to go and do ALL of it," she replied,
slightly hurt. "You probably packed it all wrong, anyway."
He reached over, opened a kit, and showed her a lovely example
of how one should pack an emergency kit. "Humph," she replied.
"Beautiful." A genuine smile appeared on her face as she
pictured him cramming things into the box, and she added,
"You're worth more than you look, Ion."
he replied internally. The pet names--
shortened forms of their real names--came from the fact that
both words were over three syllables, and a chunk to say all
the time. Quickly they'd become their principal way of
addressing each other, all formality now formally banished.
Externally, though, he just smiled back, and rose. "Are you
finished?"
"Yes," she said definitively. "Except for packing up these,
anyway."
A quirky smile appeared on his lips, one of the expressions
she most liked on his face.
she thought. The reminder of
her intended shook her from looking at him, and she turned and
gathered up the folded stuff.
"Serenity?"
"Yes?"
"I saved you some room in the blue one," he said.
"I appreciate it, Prince of Earth," she said with a sigh
signaling exasperation. In a mock fit, she went in search of
the blue box, and he never got to see the expression of sheer
thanks in her eyes.
* * * *
"How's his temperature?"
Mercury checked the small readout, and her face subtly
frowned. "Still high, but lower than yesterday," she reported.
He nodded at her less than quantitative observation; she
deserved a break from the specific rigors of science. Well,
they both did; they'd taken bare amounts of rest ever since
they'd found out Jade was wounded. His eyes wandered to the
dull sheen of purple in the corner, illuminated in the rising
sunlight; Lady Mars, asleep in one corner. Not able to
convince her to go to sleep or even leave his side, it'd taken
a dose of a tranquilizer to make sure they didn't have a second
patient on their hands. Though she'd probably be madder than a
slapped hornet when she woke up, it was for her own good.
Mercury, unaware of his gentle thoughts, wondered at the stony
expression on his face. Tired as she was, her emotional guards
were slipping; still, she pressed on, determined to help Jade
for Mars's sake. Her counterpart, though, seemed tireless, and
almost heartless. He hadn't once shown the least bit of
concern, or grief, or any sign of what he felt inside.
Normally, it would've had made sense to her and she would've
ignored it; now, though, it irked her. However, her irk was
much less dangerous than Jupiter's or Mars's, and it was next
to nothing for quite some time.
"Do you think we should change the bandages soon?" he wondered
aloud.
"Hmmm...perhaps. I think all the major bleeding has stopped,
though," she replied, using her computer to once again scan
him. His condition had improved since coming in; not enough to
be hopeful about, but it had improved.
"Maybe we should just do it now. It would let give us a good
look at the extent of the damage."
Normal words to Zoicite. The end of her patience for Mercury.
"How can you say that?"
The question caught him completely off guard, being completely
unrelated to anything they were talking about. "What?"
"How can you sit there and dissect him for this long without
feeling anything? You haven't once--once!--shown that this
bothers you. It seems as if it doesn't matter if he lives or
dies to you!" she cried out, her voice ascending in pitch as
she neared the end of her argument.
Silence, and shock upon his face. he thought, turning
cross. So he turned around, preparing to go and sit and work
on trying to get the ship's power up--when all of a sudden she
let out of soft gasp.
Her hand had covered her mouth. A
wave of guilt hammered on her exposed heart, and she wistfully
wished to be Sailor Pluto now, with the Time abilities, instead
of Ice and Fog abilities of Mercury. Actually, anybody but the
cruel wretch who just uttered those un thought out words.
Unlike the other Senshi, though, she remained calm and near
tranquil, mind zipping skillfully to the only solution to this
problem: Apologize. So, uncovering her mouth and drawing a
breath, she quietly said, "Zoicite, I'm sorry. Really, that
outburst was uncalled for, and it was rude of me. I'm think
it's because I'm tired. Please forgive my impropriety."
His back still remained turned; realizing that her voice had
been soft, she hoped he'd heard her. Her mind sighed in dismay
when a near minute ticked off the clock, and he still hadn't
said anything. She raised her computer and touched a few
buttons, shutting it down; it was probably best to leave him
alone to ponder her words, search for the truth in him. And
she wanted to sulk by herself. She'd really started to like
Zoicite and his calm, quiet and pleasant manner. Also, he was
handsome, knowledgeable, shared interests with her, and most of
all, had MANNERS. This was a quality a lot of nobles in the
Moon Court put on with a superficial air, but really were
despicable once you got to know the REAL them. This man, this
General, this EARTHLING, though, had been more genteel than
anyone she knew on the moon--excepting the Senshi and the Royal
Guard. She felt a tug on her heart unlike anything she'd felt
before, and sorrow rushed through her brain, preventing her
from analyzing it. She pocketed the computer, and took a few
humble steps away from Jaedite.
"Lady Mercury."
It stopped her in her tracks, and fear and joy came over her
in the same instant. "Yes?" she replied hesitantly.
"I accept."
She sighed, relief rushing out of her in a burst of air.
"Thank you, General Zoicite. What I said...was uncalled for."
"You were right, though."
It stopped her. "What?"
"I have been cold about Jade." His back remained turned, but
the stoop of his shoulders suggested a release...of something.
"Even in the few minutes of private I've had, I never tried
to...make my amends. Say anything to him. Try and comfort
him. I've just bottled everything up and went on, the same old
Zoicite, cold as his crystals." He let loose a sigh, as
melancholy as the words he spoke, and he seemed to slump.
Mercury, for a second, was satisfied with his words. Then
something rose within her, transforming the thoughts after
she'd spoken those evil words into words of comfort. Quietly,
as if respecting the sleeping Mars and awakening Jade, she
began.
"No, Zoicite, I was wrong. I should've understood what you
were going through. After all, it's easier to lock away our
emotions under heavy guard than weep and cry and make fools of
ourselves in the open." She gave a heavy sigh, and looked at
Jade, nearly angelic in his rest. "It is what I've been
accused of for years at court, of being cold and uncaring, a
female iceberg, like my powers. I shouldn't have said what I
did, but I just feel so FRUSTRATED. If only we had all the
equipment working, we could help Jaedite. And poor Mars....I
just can't help but feel responsible for her condition, not
being able to help Jade as I want to."
It was silent for a moment, then came the rustle of Zoicite
turning around. His eyes were dulled and unfocused as he
looked at....no, beyond her, to Mars, still curled and
sleeping. "I wish I could know love like that," he said
quietly. "But I'm afraid I'm not capable of the Jade's
passion, or Mars's fire."
"Whoever you love will be a lucky girl, Zoicite. You're
almost the perfect guy," Mercury said sincerely, and his eyes
touched hers in surprise. For a long moment, he studied her
with his gaze, until she broke it off to remove her computer.
Maybe she wouldn't go sulk; his mood seemed to have changed.
She moved around to his side, and studied the reading there;
about to say something, she was suddenly interrupted by a
feathery whisper of "Same for you, Lady Mercury. You're smart,
pretty, and a great friend. The man who is yours will be VERY
lucky."
A little shocked, and slightly off balance, she couldn't think
of anyway to respond...except with, "Uh, Zoicite, could
you...check this reading?" She turned to hand the computer to
him, and was startled to find him nearly pressing against her.
His whisper had put him unintentionally closer to her than he
guessed, and his hand froze over hers and the computer. Their
eyes met, and their voices echoed in each other's heads.
<...a lucky girl, Zoicite...>
<....yours will be VERY lucky...>
"Lucky," she said softly.
"Incredibly so," he replied, hand gently pressing her chin
upward. Leaning down, he prepared himself to kiss the women
who, somehow, in her curious way, had captured his heart.
Mercury's eyes fluttered shut, lashes brushing his cheeks, in
preparations for the kiss she was to receive. Her heart was
doing turns in her chest, and yet she felt comfortable here, as
if this was supposed to happen...
"Uoahgh."
Zoi stopped instantly, and their eyes sprung open. Quickly,
Mercury was on the other side of the cot, computer in hand and
typing furiously. "Zoi, I don't believe this...he's coming
around!!" she gasped out.
"What?" he asked, and she handed the computer to him, hand
lingering for a moment. Looking at it, though, he saw she was
right. "He is coming around!"
"Thanks the Heavens!" Mercury said, red coming to her face in
excitement. Zoicite smiled from happiness and relief, and
handed her back her computer.
"We did it," he said quietly.
"Yes, we did," she replied, slightly louder.
Suddenly, without any warning, Jaedite's eyes flew open. He
tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in his chest convinced him it
was better not to. The movements alerted his doctors, and
Zoicite quickly asked, "Jade, can you hear me? Do you know who
I am? How do you feel?"
"Zoi, Zoi!" Jade murmured back, face constricted not in pain,
but desperate worry. "I hurt, but that's not the point! The
Princess, the Prince!"
"What, Jaedite? What about the Princess and Prince?"
"They're in deadly danger! And if no one gets to them soon,
one of them will die!"
* * * *
"Certainly feels better to walk along without that rope, eh
Ion?" Serenity remarked. "Free to move, to dance, to twirl"
she demonstrated with remarkable grace, "and, best of all, to
walk in front of you." Another demonstration, with her
quickening her pace to walk a step or two in front of him.
"Not TOO far ahead, Princess," he warned her. "You never know
what's out there."
"True, Ion," she said, "but how many creepy crawlies and
beasties have we encountered since we've been here? Almost
none, besides those furred beasts you killed. I think it's
safe to say we shouldn't worry too much."
"I don't know, Nity. I have a funny feeling in the pit of my
stomach. I think you should stay close."
"Don't trust me not to run off?"
"No, I'd just prefer to keep you in my sight. I did make an
oath to protect you, after all, and it's better to do that if
my eyes are on you," he replied.
"Of course, Endymion," she replied, giving him a golden smile
before returning to his side. "After all, if you hadn't
trusted me, I'd still be wearing the rope, right?"
"Right," he answered, smiling. After a moment, "You really
did hate that red rope, didn't you?"
"Being connected to you by it? Nah. The fact that it itched
and chafed? Definitely," she explained, voice swinging from
matter-of-fact to slangish.
He chuckled. "I'll bring a softer rope next time we get
stranded, all right?"
"All right," she said playfully, then looked ahead--and
stopped.
He caught her movement and stopped as well, hand automatically
going to his sword. "What is it?" he asked, tersely.
"A...a...garden?"
"What?" he asked, and she pointed. The portion of the forest
they traveled in was darker and thicker to their right, and
flowed into savanna on their left. However, here, were the
landscape crept slowly downward, three straight rows of bushy,
green trees were planted.
"I think so," he said, moving forward and motioning to stay
while he examined the fruit. Breaking off a piece, he looked
around it's outside; then, quickly, he tore off the brown peel
to reveal blue fruit inside.
"It's the fruit from this morning!" he exclaimed, turning back
to look for Serenity--and finding empty space. If it hadn't
been for a flash of sun on her odangos, the first traces of
panic would've overtaken him, and perhaps things would have
been different. However, his keen eyes could make out her
movements further toward the trees, and his sharp ears easily
distinguished the rustle of her among the plants from anything
else. He resumed looking through the fruit trees.
What had caught Serenity's was a bush she thought familiar--a
rose bush. However, the flowers on it were all shades of dark
colors in rose shapes, and might have remained that way in her
mind had not a breeze brushed the petals. Her eyes widened,
and as she searched among the flowers, a germ of an idea
sprouted in her head.
"Ion, come here," she called, smiling.
He appeared from under the tree near her, a soft, wondering
look on his face. She smiled at him and turned from the bush
as he said, "Yes, Nity?"
"Come here! I have something to show you," she said.
"Fine," he said in mock protest, coming to her. "What is it?"
"This," she replied, producing the flower she'd plucked
seconds before. "This is for you."
He stared at the bloom in her thin hand before reaching out to
clasp it (and her hand). It looked just like a rose on Earth,
only the outer petals were deepest black; staring further, he
saw that the petals slowly lightened to a deep blue over the
center. A breeze shifted the petals away, and the center was
revealed, a sharp, dark blue he immediately recognized as the
color that stared back at him everytime he looked in the
mirror.
It was then that he felt the warm pressure in his hand, and
remembered exactly whose hand he now held. Quickly he pulled
the bloom free from her thin fingers and studied it more
thoroughly, twirling it slowly in his fingers to observe the
spiral of colors from black to that deep, dark blue. He
inhaled its scent, but found not the usual sweet, surgary
flavor of a normal rose; this flower had a musky, slightly damp
smell, more animal-like that any plant had a right to be.
Serenity felt herself blushing despite best attempts not to as
he carefully sniffed the flower. She could still feel the
warmth of his hand on hers, and the tingles inside her refused
to cease. she chided herself,
but then he looked up, and she had to curb a gasp. His face
was slightly flushed, and his eyes radiated in their sockets,
threatening to suck her in.
"Thank you, Princess," he whispered lowly, softly.
The formal title took her aback, but she realized it wasn't
him thanking her station. "You deserved it, my Prince," she
replied quietly.
He slipped the rose away, and mutually they walked on, the
Prince's mind and thoughts carefully censored, but his heart
whispering, "If only it were so, dear Princess. If only so."
For Serenity had not caught her slip of the tongue, but it
impressed itself deeply on Endymion. Absently, he tried to
squelch this, but his heart rebelled harshly, spitting at him,
"You CANNOT deny your feelings and you NEVER will--even when
she's your cousin's wife!!"
Endymion paused then, the beat of his footsteps faltering an
eighth note, shocked at the demanding voice in his head; he
felt a pang in his chest, and a sigh of despair in his mind as
he agreed with it. It was hardly believable to him, and if
anyone who knew him well could have seen inside his mind, they
doubtless would have questioned it as well. He was in love
with her, or at least beginning to fall in love with her, and
there was nothing he could do about it. She was nothing like
the women of Earth--those hard-hearted, soft skinned teases of
his father's court, always trying to bed someone new. Nor was
she like the women of any other planet; she was purely Moon,
pure of heart, pure of mind, pure of action, pure of soul. She
didn't play games, or tease him, or try to be anything but his
friend and travel companion. he thought
quietly.
So lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice how she strayed
ahead of him. No did he see the shadow appear in the trees
above them. A tiny prickle touched his neck, and at last he
looked up...and felt a flash of apprehension to see her ahead
of him.
"Serenity," he called, pulling his sword from his sheath,
"please get back here." A feeling tickled through him, a
queasiness that made him acutely uncomfortable.
She stopped five feet in front of him----and began a
half turn. Then, like a black lightning strike, a black beast
rippling to the green of the ground and tan of the sky,
appeared with claws extended and tearing, tearing, tearing...
He yelled something; whatever it was, it was intelligible to
human and animal alike. Time became normal again, and both
Serenity and the monster fell to the ground. Distantly he
realized that she hadn't screamed, and that the bright red
blood on the ground had to be hers. The sword in his hand
flashed forward as he did, biting the shoulder of this yowling
creature. He jerked it out as the beast screamed in agony; as
he swung around, it jumped to the trees above. Spinning, he
jumped at it and hacked into its retreating tail. Dropping to
the ground, he sheathed his sword, turned...and gave a cry of
despair.
Blood was everywhere it seemed; on the ground, on her back,
running into her hair. He rushed over, and turned her,
cradling her like a child.
"Ion," she whispered hoarsely. "Ion, what happened?"
"Shush, shush, Nity," he whispered back. "You were..." a
small gulp "attacked, but everything is going to be okay.
Just..just be quiet now."
"My back...my head," she whispered as he stood, knowing they
had to get out of there before the beastie decided it wanted
her more than it was scared of his sword. he thought. And if they escaped, what of the
Princess? His arms were already sticky with oozing blood, and
there was a bump on her head from hitting the hard turf. He
gritted his teeth as he made his way through the brush, his
hunter's mind reminding him that the animal could track the
scent of her blood right to them.
"Ion," she groaned again.
"Everything's going to be all right, Nity," he repeated again,
voice slightly lower. "I just need to find someplace safe for
us, to see your wounds."
"I'm so tired," she said softly.
"You cannot go to sleep," he replied, voice dark. "Do you
hear me, Princess? You CANNOT go to sleep!"
"Sure, Prince. No sleep," she murmured. "Can I just rest my
eyes? I'm so tired."
He forced a chuckle as he ducked them down into a small copse
of trees. It soon ended, and he kneeled down with her, feeling
safer with three sides covered. He set her down and replied,
"No, Nity. You must stay awake."
Slowly her eyes, crystalline blue, turned to him; again, some
detached part of him admired their color, the calm blue of the
sky at sunrise. "So," she choked out, "like the rose?"
"Yes," he replied.
"It...it was deserved. For all of that..(cough)..packing."
Her voice was innocent as she added, "It reminded me...of your
hair, your eyes. Even your smell, almost." She smiled a
little, fondly remembering, then shuddered. "I'm cold."
His cape was off his shoulders, and around her; after that, he
picked her up, cradling close to him. She sighed, breathing in
deeply, the scent of him filling her nostrils, compounded by an
unfamiliar salty tang that weighed heavy on the air. His hair,
deep black in the shadow, stuck to his head except for that
stubborn lock that shook over his forehead. His arms were
strong yet so gentle as he brought her near, trying to warm
her. His eyes were as gentle as the arms that held her, yet
trembling in their concern and...pain? And somewhere in them,
she saw the rose again, felt the emotions fill her--and a part
of her understood. Weakness struck her like a wave, then, and
he saw her eyes flutter. "No, Serenity," he said, voice
trembling. "No, you can't. You can't."
"Endymion..."
Her voice was like a fluttering leaf now, quivering slightly
on a fluted note. Her hand stirred; reaching up, touching his
face with contact lighter than a falling snowflake. "Endymion,
I'm..." she shivered.
"Everything will be okay," he tried again. "Just hold on,
Princess. Hold on..please!"
"Endymion, I'm sorry," she rasped out. "So...sorry. So
tired." And her eyes fluttered shut.
"Serenity?" he tried. She didn't stir. "Serenity, no.
No...no! You can't leave! You CAN'T leave!" he said, voice
ascending as she did not respond. "Serenity, please, you can't
go. They--your SENSHI--they NEED YOU!" He felt his emotions
shake from his stoic hold, and tears squeezed themselves from
his eyes. "Serenity....oh, Serenity, I failed. I failed
you..." he moaned. "You can't die...come on! You're stronger
than this! You can't die! I...I...I.." he stopped, caught
between his grief and a sudden balking fear, one that cautioned
him to keep quiet. After all, how many final words had he
heard of being used against their utterers?
Fortunately for Endymion, his conundrum of thoughts were
broken by a familiar, yowling sound. Rage scrambled his brain
as he set Serenity down, blood stained arms illuminated by a
scrap of sunlight. Standing, turning, his sword drawn, he met
the eyes of the beast who'd ki..ki..injured the Princess.
"Your turn to die," he snarled.
"ENDYMION, get DOWN!"
he thought grimly as he dived away. The beast,
confused by his prey's movements, stopped and gazed at him.
And then it was awash with electricity, fire, blue and silver
light. When it fell, it's body still trembled and its skin
flaked ash. Undeterred by the fact that the beast was dying,
he leaped to his feet and stabbed his sword through its head.
The shaking stopped, and he tore his sword from it and began to
clean if off on the hard turf.
"Are you all right?" Nephrite asked as he and a brown haired
women appeared, along with Kunzite and the blond Venus, the
only one of the Senshi he could place.
"All too fine," he whispered as he smoothed his blade over the
grass.
"PRINCESS!"
He didn't know who the gasp came from, nor the accusatory
"What HAPPENED?" He just kept cleaning his sword and choking on
his tears, barely there as people talked around him--"Oh my..."
"She's alive!" "Unconscious" "Look at all this BLOOD.."
"How..?"
"Oh Serenity, I'm so sorry," he whispered once again.
(
geocities.com/tokyo/shrine) (
geocities.com/tokyo)