A fan fic by Caleyndar. Rating: PG. Notes: This installment of the fan fic takes place directly after the end of Part One: Innocent Life. The setting is changed. The planet Earth no longer comes into the story. Once again, thanks to those who have e-mailed me. Please, if you have any questions or comments, please send them to me; I vow to reply to all e-mails. Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me; only the few I make up. The story, however, is mine. The Name Endymion... Part Two: A Deeper Truth... Chapter One... Coldness surrounded me. It was as if my body was immersed in icy waters in the darkest depths. And not only that. I felt as if I was drowning, unable to breath, unable to awaken to take a breath. Was I dying? Where was the light? Where were the angels? Was that the music of Heaven I heard so softly being played? It sounds like nothing I had ever heard. Sweet, soft, and very calming and peaceful. Perhaps it was the song of the angels. I must be dead. My eyes opened slowly. A great warm light spilled into them, blinding me momentarily. As the brightness faded, my eyes focused on a magnificently painted ceiling. Crystal chandeliers hung from it, lighting the huge room with warm light. Feeling was beginning to come back to me. The ice was melting, and life seemed to come back to me. The music I had heard came from this room, though I could not see the source. I realised I was lying on my back, staring up at the painted ceiling. The floor underneath my prone body was marble, and there were white columns that stretched up to the ceiling from the floor, supporting them. The columns, did they look like dragons? Time passed as I laid there and stared up at the ceiling. Energy began to return to me, and I found that I could once again move. Slowly, I raised myself off the marble floor. It seemed that the huge room I found myself in, with it's high ceiling and columns, was a throne room. There was no one there now. The golden throne with it's dragon guards was empty, bare. I looked down at myself. I was still wearing the tuxedo I had hired out for the dance party. It must have been quite awhile since I was knocked out, for I was starving. I glanced to my wrist to see the time, but the watch was no longer there. Strange. Running a hand through I hair, I proceeded to take a better look around. The throne room was lavished with wealth. Gems studded the walls and the dragon columns. The throne was made of solid gold as far as I could tell. The eyes of the dragons were rubies, and the scales emeralds. Who ever was the king here must be extremely rich. Where was I? By the decorations within this room, had I been asked to guess, I would have said somewhere in the Dark Dragon Kingdom. And had I been the only one taken from the dance hall? Was Serena and all my other friends alright? At least Nick and I had been able to say goodbye. Strangely, I felt no anger. At least, not yet. I knew this was to happen; there was nothing I could do. Wasting my hatred on destiny was foolish. Better to keep my energy and face the foe. My senses suddenly told me to be alert. I tensed, and tried to face every direction at the same time. Turning my back to the throne, I watched the huge double doors that seemed to be the only entrance to the room. "It is wonderful to see you again, Endymion," a familiar voice rang out through the room. I turned to face the throne, surprised slightly now to see a youthful figure sitting casually in it, legs drawn up off the ground, one hooked over the arm rest. Walking closer, I realised it was Armand, dressed in black, a fur lined cloak thrown over his shoulder carelessly. "I am sorry for interrupting your little dance party like that, but I can't have threats on your life like that. I had planned to wait until after your camp, but the Shadow Kingdom had decided to show it's ugly face," Armand said as a crystal goblet appeared in his hand filled with a dark red liquid. "Are all my friends alright?" I asked, concerned. Armand looked at me with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face. "To whom do you refer, Prince of the Earth Kingdom? The Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, or the Prince of the Black Moon Kingdom and his brother?" Confusion crossed my face, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "What do you mean 'Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom'?" I demanded. "She told me she was the Princess of the Crystal Star Kingdom. And I referred to my friends Nicolas, Dawn, David and Luke." "Oh, Nicolas and Dawn are here somewhere. David and Luke are fine, back on Earth," Armand replied. "And my dear mortal friend, as for Serenity telling you she belonged to the Crystal Star Kingdom, well, that was a little white lie. The Crystal Star Kingdom has been cut off from the rest of this galaxy for centuries." I looked away, hurt, unwilling to believe what he said was true. "But why would she lie to me? She and I loved each other," I whispered. A deep hurt clutched my heart. "Love?" Armand asked, laughing. "You may have loved her, but she only used you. Don't you see? Her little Kingdom is too weak, even with the Black Moon Kingdom. If you were to work with her, and bring the Earth Kingdom on her side, then she could win this little war. I told you all this before, my dear young mortal friend. Her kingdom, if you remember, destroyed yours. It then seeked to control your power. Why else do you think she appeared when she did? To find you, to try to force you into an alliance with them so they would be powerful enough to win this war." "I don't believe what you're saying," I said, glaring at him. "Believe it or not, it's the truth. Besides, what have I told you that is not true?" Armand asked, smiling at me. He jumped off the throne, throwing the crystal glass away. It landed on the marble floor, breaking, spilling the dark red liquid. He saw me looking at it, almost entranced. "Don't worry, it's only human blood. Some one will clean it up." "Tell how it is I am here," I said coldly. "Easy. When everyone was knocked out by the gas, some of my people merely went in and picked out the people wearing the watches," Armand materialised a watch which looked exactly like the one I had been given for doing well in the IQ competition. "We then teleported you here." "So Nick and Dawn are here," I muttered. "I said they were, didn't I?" he asked with a smile. "But why did you take them?" I asked, not understanding his motives. "Because I need more recruits. What better way than to gather the most intelligent humans from a back water world? No one will care. Besides, I had to bring you here, didn't I?" Armand asked, laughing again. He walked passed me and opened the huge double door with a gesture of his hands. "Come. I'll show you to your new quarters. You can rest there, and feed yourself, for surely you must be hungry. After that, we'll have a longer talk. About your future." I followed him. The heavy door closed behind me, and I found myself in a long, wide hall, lined with status and other various sculptures. There were monsters, unicorns, dragons, all manners of creatures. A mural covered the far wall, and it seemed to be an artistic representation of the joining of Heaven and Hell; Goodness and Evil merging and becoming one. Down grand corridors we went, also filled with art and beauty. Guards were stationed at each intersection, but they paid Armand and me no mind. The corridor we walked along now had double doors every now and then, all painted white, with golden handles and a gold number plate on them. Armand stopped at one, and handed me a small key which looked like a dragon. "This is your quarters, number three seven six. I'll return tomorrow, and we can 'chit- chat'. Just a piece of advice, 'Darien'. Don't let on to anyone else who you really are. I know that your friend Nicolas knows. Just make sure he doesn't tell anyone else." I opened the door and stepped inside. Armand shut the door behind me, leaving me to explore the extravagant suite of rooms which was to be my new home for the foreseeable future. The suit of rooms were large and well furnished, like everything else I had witnessed here. There was a kitchen filled with all the necessary appliances to cook up a feast. It was spotless and clean, the surfaces gleaming in the light. The bathroom was tiled, with a marble spar bath which could fit up to five. I glanced at all this luxury wide eyed; I had never been to a place such as this. The bedroom was huge, sporting a king sized bed with a satin canopy. The huge walk in wardrobe housed many sets of clothing; from uniforms in various colours to formal outfits. A study adjoined the bedroom, which had a very complete computer station, and a large oak desk and high backed chair. Books lined one wall completely; stretching towards to heavens endless volumes of text and pictures. The lounge room had a huge entertainment system, with a wide screen television, with surround sound speakers. The lounge was covered with soft white leather, and the floor covered with thick cream carpet. The first stop I made after surveying my quarters was the kitchen. There I whipped up something to eat and drink, marvelling at the high tech appliances and how they seemed to be able to produce a decent meal out of anything that was edible, and make it taste good too. I was quite full and content when I walked into the bathroom to clean myself up. My hair was messed, and my eyes were blood shot. Though I had no doubt been sleeping for hours, I felt as though I had been awake for days. There was nothing I wanted to do more after leaving the bathroom than to get out of this tuxedo and into that soft king sized bed lined with silk sheets. Taking off my shoes and unclasping the cape from my shoulders, I let it drop to the floor. The plush carpet felt so soft under my tired feet; it was like walking on clouds. I changed into what appeared to be cloths fit for sleep, and dumped my rumpled tuxedo in the laundry chute. I then slipped under the covers and abandoned myself to sleep. Dreams plagued me. Armand's words kept on coming back to me. Of Serenity's betrayal. Of everything she had ever been to me was nothing more than a lie. And the pain of leaving my innocent life behind. My loving family; my sweet little sister Michelle. I did not even say goodbye. Wild Spirit, my beloved horse, who had made life bearable after I had found out the truth about myself and my legacy. David and Luke, who had been my friends for so long. But it always came back to Serenity. She had said she loved me. And I had believed her with my entire soul. I had loved her too. Would have given her the world was it mine to give. To find out her true motive for being on Earth. To find out she did not love me. It hurt. Deeply. She used me. She lied to me. She played with my heart and crushed it between her delicate fingers. I was crying when I awoke. Silently. The tears streamed down my face; two endless rivers of pain and anger, confusion and hatred. The darkness I had know so long ago was coming back to me. And how I loathed it. I didn't want the darkness, but I could not bare feeling all these emotions either. "Love hurts, doesn't it?" Armand's soft voice said in my ear. My eyes flew wide open, surprised. The tears ceased to flow. He was leaning over me as I laid on the bed. Dressed immaculately in fine silk and satin of dark red and black, his full auburn hair brushed back from his angelic face, he appeared like an upper class young man. A soft smiled played over his full deep red lips, contrasting with his white skin. "I take it you're pleased with the accommodation I have provided for you?" I sat up, running a hand through my messed up black hair. "Yes, very," I replied, my voice sticking in my dry throat. Armand pulled me out of bed with a single arm. He was very strong. While I delt with waking up further, he had walked into my wardrobe and pulled out a black uniform with the insignia of a dragon in gold on the breast pocket. He gave it to me and pushed my sleep ridden body towards the bathroom so that I could change. The uniform fitted perfectly, and when I exited the bathroom, I found Armand already seated at the bar next to the kitchen, with a steam plate of food set on the table for me. I sat down across from him and started to eat. He watched me do so with interest, which I found rather disturbing. "You know, Endymion, I have not tasted food of such sorts in over eight hundred years," Armand murmured absently. "Ah, but the taste of human blood. There is nothing in comparison to it. It's not just the blood though. It's the life that accompanies it. The surrender of it to me." I glanced at him, uneasy. He looked at my expression and laughed. "Oh, don't worry, my dear Prince. I have no mind to kill you. Finish your breakfast." I complied. After setting the plate in the dishwasher, I returned to the table Armand was sitting at. He seemed to be staring off into space, eyes glazed over, thinking. "This must be so confusing for you," he said at last, still not meeting my gaze. "The war, your whole kingdom. My part in it. But then, life itself is confusing. Perhaps I should begin by telling you how everything relates to everything else." "I would like that," I replied, settling in for the long conversation. "As you already know, there are seven known kingdoms in this galaxy, but not all of them are at war. The Earth Kingdom is now merely two fragments in this puzzle; the Earth Kingdom, and the Dark Earth Kingdom. The Earth Kingdom is neutral. The Dark Earth Kingdom has an alliance with my kingdom, the Dark Dragon Kingdom. We fight against the Moon Kingdom who is allianced with the Black Moon Kingdom," Armand began, staring off into space still. "But why is there a war in the first place? Why the conflict?" I inquired. "I will get to that, if you can just be patient," Armand replied, smiling at me as if I was a little boy, one who asked too many questions all the time. "Alright. But please. Explain to me why Serenity lied to me about what kingdom she belonged to," I said, feeling the hurt and pain sharply. "Simple. She understood that you knew that her Moon Kingdom destroyed your kingdom, and if she had told you she belonged to it, you would never have even considered striking an alliance with her to help her win this war," Armand replied patiently. "To continue, there are still another three kingdoms; the Shadow, the Crystal Star, and the Sun Kingdom. The Shadow Kingdom is a very powerful kingdom who seeks to destroy all others in any means possible in order to obtain complete control over this galaxy. The Crystal Star Kingdom is independent; it has lived in isolation for centuries with no outside contact. I doubt they even know there is a war raging outside their Space Divider Field. And the Sun Kingdom, like the Earth Kingdom, is neutral." "So basically, three are three active sides in this war," I muttered, staring down at my plate of food. "This side, with the Dark Earth and Dark Dragon, Serenity's side, with the Moon and Black Moon, and the third side, the Shadow." "Correct," Armand said, smiling softly. "Now, as for why the war even exist. I told you briefly back on Earth when we met. The reason can be described in one word; greed. The war began when you were born. The Moon wanted the power of the Earth Kingdom, thus it attacked and killed your parents, and tried to take you. That's the reason you were taken to Earth; for protection. Your Earth Kingdom was greatly wounded. Half of what remains is not allianced with my kingdom. The Black Moon, seeing the power of the Moon, joined it. My side fights against it as even now it tries to gain more power, more planets, more slaves. And the Shadow. Well, it joined the war simply because it saw it was a good time to attack already weakened kingdoms and take over them. They joined because of greed also." Armand paused. "I do not understand. Why do humans want so much power?" I smiled at him. He looked intently at me, waiting for an answer. "Not all humans are like that. I hate the power I possess. But some crave it because they love to have control over everyone and everything. Just as you crave the surrender of life to you from your victims." He stared at me with his large brown eyes. He didn't look a day over seventeen. "I don't remember how it is to crave anything else. Only love, companionship, life, blood." I looked back at him. "Is that what being a vampire is? All else becomes trivial, so that nothing else aside from those few things are important?" "In a way, yes. I still have my values, my beliefs; everything that makes me who I am. And I know I can not live without those. It's true, though, what you say. All else looses it's meaning. After eight hundred years, not much else matters. One could say, after such a long time, one gets tired of living. I am. But I am also afraid to die, to move into a relm where nothing exists but eternal darkness. It is what I fear to most; that nothing exists after death," Armand replied. "I'm not afraid to die. I look forward to it," I said softly. "Sometimes, I think it would be better, that eternal darkness, rather than suffer what life forces apon me." Armand studied me for a moment. I could feel his mental fingers touching my mind, trying to find out if I truely believed what I had said to him. I let him see, opening my mind completely to him. He soon withdrew, and gazed at me with his eyes, filled with something not unlike amusement, but also tinged with sadness, pity. "I can understand why you say that. I believe that everyone feels that way some time in their life. But Darien, dying is not the answer. You have a destiny. You owe your people to complete it, to rebuild your kingdom, to make it powerful once more." "Is that why you brought me here? Why you took me away from Earth, and all those I have known and loved?" I asked him. My tone had no hardness in it, no accusations. "Partly. And because you did not belong there," Armand answered. I finished my breakfast and placed the plate in the dish washer. "And how will I go about rebuilding my kingdom? It's true, is it not, that everyone thinks I'm dead? And my father and mother are dead. I doubt my people will just accept I am their Prince." "Very true. And your people will most likely not. When the time comes, the symbol apon your forehead will convince them; only the Prince ever had that symbol. But that time is a while yet. You're still too young, and you know almost nothing of this galaxy. You must learn that first. That is why I have decided that you will go into training with all the other recruits from Earth. It will teach you what you need to know," Armand answered. "Training will begin tomorrow; there'll be a meeting. Use today to go and see your friends, and to explore the space station. But remember; tell no one of who you really are, Darien." He rose from his seat and walked towards the door. I followed him, glancing over his striking figure. It was hard to imagine this boy as a killer. He looked too innocent, too young and boyish. "I shall see you tomorrow," Armand said as he pulled open the door. "And here. This is an access card which will allow you to go into various places in the station, and into my room should you ever want to see me privately." With that, he was gone. I looked down at the small card I held in my hand, and then slipped it into a pocket in my outfit. Turning, I walked to an information computer situated in the wall next to the door. From it, I found the room where Nick was lodged, and I hurried out of mine. It was not far, only a few doors down from my own quarters. The doors were exactly the same, with the exception of the number, which read three eight six. It was on the same side of the corridor as my own. I paused in front of the white double doors, wondering what I would say to him when I laid eyes on him. How would he take the news that we were no longer on Earth? And what of Dawn? I shook my head and knocked on the wooden door. Moments passed, and then the muffled reply coming from with in that told me to wait. Nick finally pulled open the door, with the only thing adorning his lean body being a towel. His blond hair was dripping with water, and it glistened over his entire body as well. At first, he seemed a little shocked to see me standing there, and I him, dressed like so. He pulled himself together and gestured for me to come in, shutting the door once I had walked through. His suite of rooms were almost identical to mine, except for a few variations on the decorations here and there. Nick walked quickly passed me and into his bed room, saying for me to sit down while he dried off. A few minutes passed, and Nick came out, hair briefly dried, and himself clothed in a similar outfit to my own. "I seems to me you're enjoying your stay here," I commented when Nick finally sat down across from me in the white leather lounge set. "You must admit, it would be an awful waste to pass up an opportunity to enjoy a life of luxury," Nick replied, a lopsided grin on his handsome face. "But tell me, do you know what is going on? I mean, I woke up some time yesterday and found myself lying on this very couch, still dressed in the outfit I wore to the dance party. The door, I found," he waved his hand to the entrance, "was unlocked. But I dared not venture outside of it; I was so confused. And then, I find you here." "So I take it no one has yet talked to you. The person running this entire operation has come to me. Apparently, he needed more recruits for a little war he has going on, and he thought Earth was the perfect source for such people," I replied. "Training starts tomorrow." Nick stared at me wide eyed, almost as if he did not believe me. I continued. "Dawn is here also, as well as the two others who scored highest from our school in that IQ competition. So I guess it wasn't pointless." "Dawn is here?" Nick whispered. "I have to see her, Darien! Can you take me to her?" "Yes. Let me just find out where she is," I said, and got up and walked over to the computer. Nick was right behind me, looking over my shoulder as I asked the computer where Dawn's rooms were. It told me with only the slightest delay. We walked slowly down the well lit and slightly over decorated corridors, passing a few guards here and there. They paid us no mind; they merely stood there as if they were nothing more than stone status. No one else haunted these hall ways; we passed no one on our way. "Nick, why do you seem so calm, so accepting of all this?" I asked suddenly. He paused and looked at me. "You mean, rather than being in hysterics and panicking that we are no longer on Earth; that we are on a space station hanging in the emptiness of space?" "Yes. And also that you seem to feel indifferent about leaving everything you have ever known behind," I replied carefully. "You mean my parents, our friends," Nick stated. "Darien, of course I miss them, and I wish this never happened. But look at it another way. On Earth, we had nothing going for us. We would probably have lived a pointless life and then died. At least here, we can see what the galaxy has to offer, and we have the chance to make a difference." I reflected on this. It seemed to me that Nick had grown up alot over the past few days. "I understand why you see and believe that. In a way, I believe the same thing. But I can't help but think about our families. I mean, won't they be worried sick over us? Won't they be in hysterics over our disappearance? And what about our horses?" "I'm surprised you haven't said anything about Serena," Nick replied, ignoring my questions. It was as if he knew how they felt, and didn't want to dwell over the issue. "What is there to say?" I asked him darkly. "I don't know what to believe, but it seems she used me. And for that alone, I don't even want to think about her, nor see her." "Surely you don't mean that! You were meant for her!" Nick exclaimed. "Life has strange ways of working, Nick," I answered, not looking at him. "In any case, I think I have other things to dwell on right now than to let her tear me apart inside. And besides, we can never be. Her kingdom destroyed mine, and I have vowed to seek revenge on them. It's my reason for living." Nick stared at me and did not reply. His silence was enough to express what he felt though. We arrived in front of Dawn's quarters then, and I was glad for it. Nick knocked on the door almost eagerly, and Dawn soon answered the door. The two love birds hugged, Dawn glad to see a familiar face, and Nick just glad to see her. Seeing them together made me feel so alone. It almost made me feel jealous of them. I could not stand it. I left, walking swiftly away from them, not really caring where I went. My head was down, staring at my black boots. Tears welled in my dark blue eyes, and I just wanted to be in a quiet place where I could be alone and reflect apon everything that had happened, all that I had learned. Without realising, I had arrived at the entrance of a grand library. The huge dark wooden doors were heavy and very solid, but opened with ease when I pushed against them. The room they led to was almost as big as Armand's throne room, and there was a great fireplace opposite the entrance in which a bright blaze burned. Books lined all four gigantic walls, extending to the ceiling. The volumes of leather bound books seemed to pulse with information, and I could not help but feel insignificant in the large room. Large oak tables filled the space in the middle, with very comfortable chairs made of the same wood. It looked like something out of the past, this room. Not a place that existed in the midst of a space station in the middle of a war. I walked slowly past the large heavy tables, coloured darkly, richly. They were all bare; no vase filled with flowers, or even a half read book. And the entire room was empty too. Did no one like to read? To explore the world within the pages? My hand brushed the smooth surfaces of the tables, the back of the chairs. All were immaculately clean. No dust covered the seemingly seldom used tables or chair. Not even the endless book shelves. Randomly, I pulled a book off the shelf. They were all hard covers, with only golden writing on the spine. Gold or silver lined the edges of all the books, and the pages were the purest of whites, as if no one had ever laid their hands on them before. Carefully, I carried this heavy book to one of the tables and seated myself in one of the high backed chairs. The pages were crisp when I turned them, all filled with text and occasional pictures. The book I had picked up was of modern history. It was a much more detailed version of the past fifteen years than Armand had cared to explain to me. I was surprised to find an entire chapter concerning my disappearance. It seemed that no one in the galaxy knew what happened to me; I had just disappeared one night, and had never been heard of again. In the short time before my kingdom had been split, and my parents killed, it was said that strangely, the queen did not seem overly upset over my supposed kidnapping. And then, not long after the kingdom was spilt, and my parents dead, I was also assumed dead. And so that assumption had remained until recently, when various spies had said otherwise. I closed the book, my mind deep in thought. So it was my mother who sent me to Earth. She had planned the whole thing. That was why she did not seem upset. But my father? The book said nothing of his reaction. Only that he had been titled Ares, God of War, as he had been famous for leading many battles before I was even born. No wonder he had wanted me to have that weapon. He had used one similar, and they were hand made, and called crystal sabres. Briefly, I concentrated and materialised the silver weapon in my hand with a flash of silver blue light. It was still as beautiful in it's streamline design, and all it's golden and silver patterns. Once again, it felt as if it was an extension of my hand. How I wanted to turn it on and to weld it's power. I did not. I held it tightly, and then closed my eyes. When I opened them, the weapon was gone. I sat there, staring off into space, wondering what exactly had happened to my parents; how they had died, and where they were now. My mind wandered, touching on this subject and that. How was Wild Spirit now? Perhaps Michelle would take up horse riding and keep him. And my adopted parents? Did they miss me? Did they wonder were I was, what had happened to me, to Nick, to Dawn? And Serenity. Was it all true? Did you say that you loved me just so you could use my power? Why did you come to Earth? And Diamond and Sapphire. You knew it all along, didn't you? This world was filled with betrayal and heartbreak, nothing more. Time passed. My stomach complained, and a quick look at the clock hanging above the large oak doors told me it was past lunch time. I stood and teleported back to my rooms, not wanting to run into anyone in my present mood. Once I had made myself lunch, I sat down on the lounge and switched on the entertainment unit. It was much like television back on Earth, only this showed numerous shows from across the galaxy. There were documentaries, news, movies. I switched onto the news, wanting to learn more about the current situation I would soon find myself drowning in. The news reported stood outside somewhere, and in the background was a great silver castle, or palace, with a silver crescent moon flag flying from it's highest tower. "The Moon Princess Serenity returned today from her travels with her escorts Prince Diamond and his brother, Sapphire, of the Black Moon Kingdom. Queen Selenity has announced that there is to be a ball tonight in order to welcome the Princess home. The invitation is opened to royalty only," the news reporter droned on in a nasal voice. I watched with interest, and the mention of the ball gave me an idea. For once and for all, I would confront her and ask her the truth. Only then would I believe what I have been told, both by Armand and the books. And this was the perfect opportunity to see her without revealing who I was. Not to mention I would be able to see another world. Turning the entertainment unit off, I hurried into the bathroom to shower and get ready for this ball. After all, I had to look like royalty, didn't I? And what would I wear? The outfit I had worn to Luke's party so long ago, or the tuxedo I had worn to the dance party at the camp? Decisions, decisions. And time was so little and so short. End of Part Two, Chapter One.