This is my second fan fic, so I'm already happy that I got past one (Forgotten Lore.) This time however, I've decided to use the Japanese names (the names in the Japanese version for the Silver Millennium are much nicer than the American names.) (Sorry DiC, but yours just don't cut it.) However, since not many of us are fortunate enough to know Japanese, we can only enjoy the dubs... SO STOP THE DUB BASHING! Disclaimer: Most of the materials in this story aren't mine and you may not agree with my story line or plot or the new characters that I added to blend with the original...but that isn't important to put in a disclaimer. Anyway, whatever is copyrighted isn't mine, but some big company's with a lot of (possibly angry) employees. Enjoy the story. Deceived Hearts Part 1 by Beth (Chasewlf@aol.com) http://www.angelfire.com/ny/chasehomepage/index.html http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Palace/7120 Chapter 1 "Mother, you must be joking! Why would I want to marry someone I've never even met?!," cried Princess Serenity as quiet tears welled up in her eyes. "Come child, surely by now you must know that one's people come before one's self," replied Queen Serenity. "It's a harsh reality that we must learn to both deal with and come to appreciate. My marriage to your father was arranged, and we were very happy," she trailed off, "until his death." Princess Serenity began to feel the welled up tears trying to escape. She remembered little off her father, since he was killed when she was only a baby. Queen Serenity turned to see her daughter on the brink of tears. "Oh," the Queen said as she went to comfort her daughter, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Suddenly, she backed away and regained her regal stance. "Don't worry, you will like Prince Endymion. I've met him once before, a few years ago and I promise you will be happy. You must understand that without this marriage, we cannot be sure that Earth will agree to join our Silver Millennium." She broke off, not wanting to tell her everything. With one final sniff, Princess Serenity regained her composure. "Why don't you take a walk in the Gardens of the Moon? It will give you some time to think." Her daughter smiled and nodded, heading off towards the gardens. Suddenly a door opened and Terra, Queen of Earth stepped into the hall where Serenity stood. "How did it go?," asked Terra. Serenity smiled, "I sent her on a walk through the gardens to think, how did things go for you?" "Endymion didn't want to marry a stranger, it's probably what your daughter also said; so, I told him he has two hours before he meets his princess. I told him to bring the red roses with him in case he saw her in advance. He's off in the garden too." Serenity stifled a laugh, "Knowing Serenity, she'll let her odangos down for a while and cover the mark of her birthright. Hopefully, all will go well." The two queens casually began to walk down the main corridor towards the banquet hall, talking happily as Queen Serenity's silver odangos bounced with each step. ~*~ Princess Serenity quietly walked into the gardens. Turning around to make sure she wasn't followed, the girl carefully undid her odango hairstyle and let her golden hair silkily float to the ground. "Hmm, but what do I do about my crescent moon mark?," she thought. Expertly, she made two braids in her hair and twisted them so that they formed a crown, covering the sign of royalty in the process. "Much better," she commented. Now content, Princess Serenity wandered through the gardens, headed for the small, man- made waterfall. As she crept closer, she could see the figure of a man sitting and watching the water with a bouquet of flowers clutched in his hand, which she had never seen before. He appeared to be melancholy as he quietly looked at the water with a glaze over his deep blue eyes. Frowning at his sadness, she approached him. "What seems to be troubling you, my lord?" The black haired man turned around in surprise. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," she continued. "Oh, I'm fine, it's just...life isn't fair. My mother wants me to marry the princess of your planet, so that my father will surely agree to join the Silver Millennium. Unfortunately, I've never met this girl and frankly, I'm not sure if I want to." "Really?," she said, "I can't blame you much for that. She's not too happy about this arranged marriage either." An awkward silence covered the garden, absorbing them in it's thick cloak of uneasiness. "I'm curious," said the disguised princess, "What are those flowers you carry? I have been in this garden many times, yet those are unfamiliar." "They're called roses," he bluntly replied, still thinking. "Roses? We have many of those, in every color...Well, almost every color. Red roses," the words were strange to her tongue, "What a thought." "They're very common on earth," said the Prince. Carefully, he plucked a single rose from the bouquet and handed it to the mysterious maiden. "Here," he said, "perhaps you can plant some of these so your people can enjoy these flowers as much as I do." "Thank you, your highness," said Serenity, "this noble gift is quite exquisite." Endymion shrugged off the thanks. "It's no bother," he said. For a moment more, the prince was deep in thought. "What is the moon princess like?" Serenity was startled by his question, unsure what to say. "She is very kind, and has many friends among the other princesses of the Silver Millennium. She's very lonely most of the time, since her friends can stay only so long before they must return to their own planets. Most of her time is spent with her mother, Queen Serenity, or in these gardens. Perhaps someday, she won't be confined to this stronghold, with diplomatic missions as her only travel." Endymion frowned, "That's very sad. She sounds a lot like me though." The girl laughed, "I suspect you two will get along quite well," she said as she twirled the rose in her hand. "I hope so," Endymion mumbled to himself. Luna poked out from the bushes. The black cat smiled. "Queen Serenity and Queen Terra will be happy to hear about this development." With that, she scampered off, back through the bushes. "I'd best be going," said Endymion, "Mother should be expecting me back." Serenity nodded "Good luck," she replied, holding in a laugh. "Boy, will he be surprised," the princess whispered to herself. Serenity skillfully undid the crown of braids and put her hair back in the formal odango fashion that the queens and princesses of the Moon had shared for generations. "Mother was right, I think Endymion and I shall get along quite well," she said to herself. Quietly, Serenity stood up and began walking back towards the Moon Palace, twirling the rose in between her hands. ~*~ As Endymion was within sight of the exit to the Gardens of the Moon, an alarm sounded. "Huh?," he was quickly brought out of his thoughts. "A Negaverse attack!," he exclaimed. Just as he was about to rush out of the gardens, he remembered the woman he'd met by the waterfall. Turning around, he rushed back to where he came from. Serenity looked up as the alarm sounded. "A Negaverse attack? Now?," she asked herself. Quickly, she hurried towards the exit, eager to return to the safety of the Moon Palace. Meanwhile, Endymion was already halfway to the waterfalls when he came to a halt. There was a forked path and he couldn't remember which one lead to the falls. Thinking shortly, he stooped down low, trying to retrace his footprints. Finding them, he sped down the path. Rushing towards the exit was Serenity, hoisting up her flowing gown as she ran. Suddenly, she spotted a figure in the distance running towards her. Recognizing him as Endymion, she urged herself faster, hoping that she would once again feel secure in his presence. Endymion spotted her, coming his way. "Are those? Yes they are...odangos. I was speaking to Serenity the whole time?," he laughed to himself, "Ironic, but with my luck, I'd believe it." "Serenity," he called, "You must get to safety, we should head back to the Moon Palace." Serenity nodded, her ponytails whipping in the wind as she ran with Endymion. "One heck of a first meeting huh?," she asked the prince. He had to laugh at that, "Tell me about it. I meet my princess without knowing it, only to discover it on the brink of war." He shook his head to keep himself from laughing even more. The two quickly ran from the exit of the gardens, holding their ears to drown out the wailing sirens. Suddenly, a ship swooped down and began firing on them. "Get down!," yelled Endymion. But his cries were unheard over the sirens. Serenity continued running and the ship followed her. Seeing he could do nothing else to help her, Endymion lunged at the princess, knocking her to the ground. With a startled cry, Serenity hit the ground and was instantly covered by Endymion, in his attempt to protect her. "Agh!," came a startled cry from the prince. Serenity gasped, "Are you alright?" "Yes, I'm okay," he replied, his voice strained. Knowing he was hurt, she snuck out from underneath his cover. "What are you doing?," he asked. "You're hurt," she replied as she tore part of the hem of her gown off. "Get down!," he cried. Sternly, the princess ignored his pleas, although they were still under siege. Carefully, she wrapped the torn fabric around his arm, apologizing as he winced from the pain of the burn. Endymion looked up at the approaching vehicle. The person seated at the controls was faceless and nameless, but was obviously fully immersed in the evils of the Negaverse. He gritted his teeth and jumped up. "Come on," he said, "We'll have to run for it." Serenity nodded and gathered up her skirts. With much effort, Endymion pulled himself up from the warm, moist ground and crouched on his knees, fatigued by the effort. "Go! Now!," he yelled. "Not without you," replied the princess. "Look," he said mildly annoyed, "this is no time to foolishly stand by me in a self- sacrificial manner. You have to hurry, before it's too late!" Sadly, Serenity remembered what her mother had told her, 'Surely by now you must know that one's people come before one's self. It's a harsh reality that we must learn to both deal with and come to appreciate.' Pondering this, she stood her ground. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be Serenity," he said with a sigh. Tears once again clouded the princesses vision as energy bolts threatened overhead. Endymion was weak, and in no condition to run the distance to safety. "Move dammit!," he yelled angrily. "I'll bring help," said Serenity as she rushed off. Chapter 2 "Run faster!," he urged under his breath as he watched the fleeing Serenity. Soon, her bright blue eyes and bobbing, golden odangos were out of sight; headed towards safety. Endymion took in a struggled breath as his breathing became labored by the nagging pain in his arm and the sadness eating away at his heart. He cursed the Negaverse, and bit down in pain as unconsciousness suddenly swirled in his head, threatening to overtake him. Shaking it off, he stiffly rose, gripping his sword arm with his left hand as he tried to maintain his balance. Dizziness caused him to pause and take a few more breaths before he struggled to stand erect. "I've got to make it," he quietly said to himself, "for her..." Another round of blasts shook the ground in the direction Serenity ran in. Suddenly, something clicked in Endymion's brain. With renewed strength, he started towards the Moon Palace, determined to see his fiancee again. "Hang on Serenity," he thought, "I won't let them hurt you, ever." His oath to protect the princess only caused his determination to increase and he picked up his pace, careful not to brush his wounded arm against anything. As he approached, he saw Serenity banging at the palace entrance, begging to be let in. "Impossible," he thought, "Why won't they let her in? Certainly Queen Serenity must know that her daughter is in grave danger." Something was wrong, he just couldn't figure out what. His vision began to swim again and his attempt at driving back unconsciousness ended up in failure. ~*~ As she banged on the doors with her cries unanswered, Serenity knew something was amiss. "Why won't they let me reach sanctuary?," she asked herself. A groan came from behind her and she turned around just in time to see her beloved fall to the ground. "No!," she cried as she rushed to his side. "Damn you!," she screamed as his motionless body, "Why did you have to be so brave? Why did you risk your life to keep me covered from the blasts? Don't you dare leave me!," she screamed through her tears, "Don't you leave me like my father did! Stay with me!" With her last words, she banged on his arm, causing him to jolt into consciousness. He groaned in pain from the hit to his arm, to be awakened to a blonde woman in a white dress with gold trim. "Are you an angel?," he asked, drowning in the depths of her startling blue eyes. Serenity just smiled and hugged him, not answering his drowsy question. The soft spheres of hair brushed against Endymion's face. "Ah, so it is you my Odango Atama," he grinned." She smiled, cherishing his words. "Don't worry, everything's going to be all right," she soothed, not knowing if she was trying to calm Endymion, or herself. Putting on a false smile to show things were fine, she watched him drift away again, his chest residing into deep and even breaths. Pulling him underneath the shelter of the balcony above them, Serenity returned to the main doors. "Help us! Open the doors!," she yelled. Finally, her prayers were answered and her mother came to the door, accompanied by Queen Terra and a half dozen guards. Princess Serenity went to hug her mother, but the Moon Queen brushed her off in disgust. "Beryl, how dare you even think to take on the form of my daughter!," she said angrily. She turned to her left, to see the still body of Endymion. Terra followed her gaze and gasped, tears welling up in her eyes as she ran to her son. "Guards," Queen Serenity said as she motioned towards the girl, "take her to the dungeon, she will be reckoned with later." Two of the six guards reached out for the princess. "No!," she cried, "Mother, it's me, Serenity! How can you forget your own daughter?!" The queen replied with a gaze of stone, "My daughter is safe with me, although I can't say the same for you, Nega- Witch. Your trial will be soon enough; until then, you will be treated like the peace shatterer you are." After a brief struggle, the girl submitted and allowed the guards to escort her to her imprisonment. Endymion was meanwhile carried by the other four guards to where his wounds could be properly treated. Her eyes welled up with tears, how could her mother say she was safe and sound in the palace? It was then she saw her, a mirror image of herself, minus the ripped section of her gown, the dirt and the loosened odangos. She gasped, "How can this be?," as she was dragged off by the guards. The Serenity in the main hall in the palace smiled, as the real princess was dragged downstairs. Soon, Endymion will be at MY side as I rule the Moon...and then the universe. Queen Serenity is smart, Beryl IS the imposter; but not smart enough... she picked the wrong princess. Grinning viciously, the disguised Beryl turned to meet up with Queen Serenity and Queen Terra, as they rushed to the wounded Endymion's aid. ~*~ The true Princess of the Moon was quickly shoved into a barred cell, resting about one hundred feet below the Moon's surface. Serenity could tell if not by history, than by the layers of dust that the dungeon hadn't been used in many years. In fact, not since her father's killer was sentenced. Holding back the tears that continued to blur her vision, Serenity fought to maintain her posture as she sunk down into the flattened and dirty mattress, surrounded by cold, dead straw and silent walls. "What am I going to do?," she thought, "That girl, she looked just like me...but how can it be?" Her thoughts suddenly made her blood run cold. "Beryl," she silently said. Of course, that's why her mother thought she was the evil Queen of the Negaverse! She sighed, knowing there was no way to convince her mother, or anyone for that matter that she was in fact the real Moon Princess. ~*~ "Endymion should be fine," said Queen Serenity as she healed the last of the Earth prince's wounds. "Thank you," said Queen Terra, overjoyed that her son would soon be well. "We should let him get some rest," continued Serenity, "In the mean time, we can deal with Beryl." Terra wondered if she was emotionally ready for this confrontation. Solemnly, she nodded and followed Serenity downstairs to where the kingdom's first prisoner in over a decade was being held. "Beryl," Queen Serenity called sternly as she approached the sleeping figure. With a quick motion of her hand, the guards briefly bowed their heads and turned towards the captive. The older guard, with a graying beard poked the sleeping girl with the dull end of his spear. After rolling over a few times, Serenity finally awakened, still a bit incoherent momentarily. Once she saw the look on her mother's face, all drowsiness left her fragile form. "Mother!," said a startled princess, "Why are you doing this to me? Queen Beryl has infiltrated the palace and has taken on my form; please, you must believe me! I am your daughter!" "Do you have any proof that you are truly my child?," asked the Queen. Thinking quickly, Serenity nodded. "Yes, you nicknamed me Serena when I was younger." "Although few knew of this, Beryl could have found that out easily. Do you have any physical proof?," In embarrassment, the girl looked down to the floor, only to notice her torn gown. "My gown," she said, "I tore off some of it to wrap up the wound on Endymion's arm." "It could have been a simple ploy," said Queen Terra, "Apparently, you have no proof of not being Queen Beryl and there's much evidence against you. Therefore," she looked at the Moon Queen who gave her a quick nod, "We unanimously agree that you are, in fact, Beryl and you will be put on trial in one day's time. I suggest you use what time you have left wisely, for I wish your penalty to be that of death; for treachery, disruption of peace, murder of millions, and the attack on my son, as well as on the Moon Palace. With a final penetrating glare from each of them, the two queens filed out of the lonely dungeon, leaving Princess Serenity to dwell in her misery. Not knowing what else to do, the traumatized princess let loose the tears that she had fought so hard to hold back. The uncontrollable sobs untying what was left of her untidy odangos and throwing her body into waves of shudders. Only the two guards remained, neither of them speaking, nor looking at the tear ridden prisoner. The older guard, a man of fifty years listened to the captive's sounds carefully, since he knew he'd be asked to testify in front of the Royal Court the next day. The sobs seemed genuine, or perhaps they were part of a carefully organized plot from the great mind of the evil queen. He wouldn't put it past her, but he felt compelled to comfort the crying form, a strange feeling he would have to make a note of, perhaps spell induced. Eventually, the girl cried herself to sleep, and the changing of the guard commenced. ~*~ The next morning, Queen Serenity walked into her daughter's chambers to awaken her in time for the hearing scheduled for later that day. Surprisingly, Serenity was already awake and dressed, standing outside on the balcony. "Serena," she called, "Hurry, we can't be late for the trial!" "Coming mother," replied a sweet and innocent sounding voice. The queen laughed, "Up so early? My, my, what has gotten into you today?" Not wanting to blow her cover, the faux princess turned and said, "I couldn't sleep much last night mother, it's strange having someone walking around in your exact image." Serenity nodded, "I understand your apprehension." Outside in the hall, another voice called out to the queen. "I'm in here Terra," said Serenity. Queen Terra entered the princess' chambers dressed in a velvet emerald green gown studded with earth-colored jewels and gold trim. Quite extravagant next to the Moon Queen's simple, flowing creme colored dress with a golden hem. The princess approached the Queen of Earth in her satin blue gown and gracefully curtsied. Terra returned the curtsy with a similar, but far less graceful one of her own. "Come," said Queen Serenity, "Endymion is already settled and we should meet him in court in only a few minutes." The other two royal parties nodded and followed her down the cool white marble steps and into the large banquet hall, serving as a court house for the day. Most of the Moon's royal staff were seated on either side of the two thrones that were set out for each of the queens and a smaller, but exquisite chair for Princess Serenity that sat beside her mother. The witnesses were held in a separate room, only a few doors down from the Banquet Hall. Endymion was among the witnesses and was scheduled to offer his testimony last. Both the Queen of Earth and the Queen of the Moon would serve as judge and jury, a unanimous decision was necessary for the prisoner to be set free, or sentenced to death. Although the punishment seemed a bit crude, the princess herself had suggested it and Terra was quick to second the recommendation. With the banging of the two gavels, the meeting came to order. ~*~ The supposed Queen Beryl was brought out of her lonely solitude in the dungeon below, so that she could defend herself in a court which was intent on sentencing her to death. Keeping her regal posture and walking in stride with the four guards surrounding her, the girl carefully hid her true feelings of abandonment and betrayal under a hard shell of silent superiority. She sat secluded from the others, facing both queens, onlookers and any one offering testimony. As the first witness was about to be called, she stiffened, now fully realizing how alone she truly was. Princess Serenity had gone from having almost everything, to having worse than nothing. A death wish arose as one of the entrance guards described her clawing at the doors begging to be allowed in. Person after person followed, each story identical to the last and soon, only one witness remained. The only one who could save her life, Endymion. He walked in casually, as if he was out in the garden instead of coming into a crowded room, full of hatred. But the young princess could easily see through his facade, he was almost as nervous as she was, if that was at all possible. He quietly bowed to his mother and Queen Serenity before sitting down in the witness chair. Sadly, he looked at the hollow shell of the girl he loved, her face, dirty from the escape in the gardens, or her cell; perhaps both. Her dress was still torn at the hem and he winced, remembering the pain he felt as they outran the shooting energy bolts. Self-consciously, he rubbed the spot where the burn had been only a few hours before, healed fully by the powers of Queen Serenity and the Ginzuishou. He took in a long breath of air and began telling how the two of them met in the garden; how he raced back to reach her only to find them under fire. He explained how she tried to help him by tearing off the fringe of her gown and how she refused to leave him when he was wounded. In the end, besides what bits and pieces he could remember from the groggy encounter, he had no evidence proving that the young woman before him was, or wasn't Princess Serenity. After Endymion left to join the rest of the crowd, hopeful that his tale would tip the scales and save the melancholy form that sat before him, the two queens went outside to converse about their decision. They returned quickly, and once again sat down, facing the haggard defendant. Then, Terra called the meeting to order again by banging her gavel and turned to Serenity, signaling for her to make the announcement of their decision. Chapter 3 "It has been unanimously decided," said Serenity, "by both the Queen of the Earth and the Queen of the Moon, that the woman who we believe is Queen Beryl, shall be sentenced to death." "No!," screamed Endymion and the true Princess Serenity in unison. The court shunned this outburst. "Silence," said Terra coldly, "The sentence shall be carried out tomorrow, three hours after dawn." "Mother!," the convicted girl cried, as the guards dragged her back to the dungeon she had grown to despise. "Silence," scolded Queen Serenity as she rose. Quietly, she and Terra guided Endymion and the false Princess Serenity outside. Terra's frown melted into a smile as she saw the young couple together. "We will start planning your wedding the day after tomorrow," she said happily, "Please, don't let this mishap ruin your future together." With that, she pressed their hands together and walked off with Queen Serenity, leaving the two alone. The disguised Beryl smiled, "My love, don't let the evil queen deceive you, you know we were meant to be." Endymion was confused, which one was the true Princess Serenity? He had to find out, before he went insane...and before the death of the alleged Queen Beryl. He kissed his betroth's impostor's hand, "I know Serenity, we will be together, don't worry." Endymion then excused himself from the woman's presence and snuck downstairs to see if he could speak to the prisoner. "Halt!," cried one of the guards as Endymion approached the dungeon. "I need to speak with," but he was cut off by the angry guard. "I'm sorry, but no visitors are allowed." "By what orders?," demanded the prince. "By those of your mother and Queen Serenity," replied the guard. Knowing this was a battle he could not win, Endymion left, praying the next dawn would never come. ~*~ Dawn came and went, ten minutes to the third hour past, the prisoner was fetched. She was taken upstairs and outside, where the warm sunshine beat down on her. Her eyes, now accustomed to the darkness of the dungeon, did not welcome this sudden brightness. The true Princess of the Moon was marched up to a pedestal, with her hands chained behind her back. Eight guards hovered close by, watching to be sure she did not escape and ten more guards wandering the grounds. "Any last words?," Queen Serenity asked as she lifted the Ginzuishou into her steady palms. The princess tried to choke out something to her mother, but in vain. "I suppose not," the queen continued. Ceremoniously, Queen Serenity raised the Ginzuishou and prepared to carry out the death sentence. Princess Serenity turned, to see Endymion clasping the hand of her duplicate. Keeping her voice as steady as possible, the Moon Princess looked into the eyes of her love and sadly managed, "Remember, I will always be your Odango Atama." ~*~ ~*~ ~*~