A fan fic by Caleyndar. Rating PG. Notes: This chapter takes place straight after Endymion finds out that his Father sill lives. It also introduces the four generals; Kunzite, Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoisite. Once again, thanks to those who have e-mailed me. If you have any questions concerning the story, or the elements contained within it, please e-mail me. I'll be happy to answer them for you. Please note, my e-mail address has changed to: caleyndar@tac.com.au Also, I apoligise for not answering some e-mails as I had problems sending replies (Princess Serena ). If I didn't answer any others, I'm sorry, as you probably sent them to my old e-mail address, and I no longer use it. One other thing. If you wish to talk to me through ICQ, my number is 26786123, or you can search for me by my handle, which is "Caleyndar", or by my current e-mail address. 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 Five... With those two words, my mind was knocked back to reality. All other thoughts left me, and I felt as if I had been pushed off a cliff and had just landed, smashing into the rocky ground. Wasn't he dead? My mind was screaming at me. He died! I stared at Armand, unbelieving. "My Father," I finally whispered. "You said he was dead." Armand made no reply. "Why did you lie?" I demanded. "Why couldn't you have said from the beginning my Father was still alive? Why let me think all along that my Father was dead?" Silence. "Answer me, damn it!" I shouted at him. "Because he wanted me to. Now be silent, Endymion. Throw all your accusing questions at him," Armand said in a deathly tone. "And what about what Lestat said? About you wanting me to kill Serenity," I asked. "It's the truth. Do you want to know why? Because when Queen Selenity destroyed your kingdom, she killed my maker and my child. Marius, who gave me my immortal form and rescued me from a life of suffering and loved me. And Daniel, the only vampire I ever created. I loved them both, and she killed them. Do you understand now why I want her daughter dead?" Armand asked. "I want her to feel the pain I suffer every waking moment!" I narrowed my eyes and did not answer. We walked at a swift pace to Armand's throne room. A pain clutched me heart. I was going to meet my Father. What would I say to him? God, I wanted to see him; my Father. But I felt angered. Anger for him at leaving me on Earth, for knowing that I was alive but never coming to me. The doors opened to Armand's throne room. As I entered, I let my armour and flowing cape cover me. The symbol appeared on my head; the black earth and the silver moon surrounding it. Five figures stood in the near centre of the huge room. A tall, well built man in his early forties stood dressed in similar clothing as I, and when Armand and I entered, his eyes locked immediately onto mine. They were a deep blue, much like mine had been. He smiled at me. A thin lipped smile that did not reach his eyes. I knew that he was my father. Something just told me it was so. King Ares of the once powerful Earth Kingdom, now no doubt the secret leader of the Dark Earth Kingdom. Armand and I stopped when we were a few paces away from the God of War. I bowed to him in a manner that did not give him any respect. "It is nice to finally meet you, Father. It seems a miracle that you're suddenly alive," I said, returning the cool smile. Hate was boiling inside of me. How I wanted to lash out at this man. "Understand something, Endymion," Ares said coldly. "I ordered Armand not to tell you of my existence because I am believed to be dead, and I can not risk loosing that advantage. And realise that the enemy remains the same; the Moon Kingdom who destroyed our kingdom, and the Black Moon Kingdom which is allianced with them. Never forget those who caused the destruction of your home," he continued, getting straight to the point. "And what about me?" I demanded. "You abandoned me on a back water world for fifteen years. Fifteen years! It may have been nice, but do you know the pain I've gone through?" "Your Mother left you on that planet so you would not be hurt nor trained to fight against us. She was only trying to protect you then. But know this, my son. She would not tell me where she had sent you so that I could retrieve you, and she would not! Hate her for that, not me!" Ares said. "Are you saying my Mother is still alive?" I asked, shocked once more. "Yes. But like myself, she is believed to be dead. She rules what remains of the Earth Kingdom now. And she remains neutral. She does not care what others have done to us. Destroyed all that we had, and she does nothing!" Ares exclaimed in an angered but low voice. I fell silent. What could I have said? Did I hate my Mother now? God, I was confused! "And what do you want of me now?" I asked, tried of this conversation. "I want you to become my son again. Love me if you want, and hate me if you wish, but you are still my flesh and blood," Ares said. "And I want you to fight with me. To destroy our enemies as they so thoughtlessly wiped out our people and homes." "You want me to kill Serenity," I stated. "Yes," Ares said. A short answer, and straight to the point. "It'll be my pleasure," I replied with a evil smile. My black eyes gleamed with hate. Her kingdom may not have killed my parents, but it was still responsible for destroying my kingdom and sentencing me to a life which was now filled with anger and pain. He smiled. Cruelly, as if he approved of what I said but did not. God, how I hated this man! What did it matter who he was? He was no one; not my Father, not my creator. Just some war lord who wanted me to kill someone. And did I want that? Of course I did. I wanted her dead. And if that meant helping Ares, then so be it. I returned his cold smiled, and bowed again, mockingly. He could take my actions any way he liked. I may be his son in flesh and blood, but by God, or who ever ruled up there, he was not a father. My Father was back on Earth somewhere. "So what now?" I asked, standing up, a sneer on my face. "I want you to meet your personal guards; your generals," Ares replied, stepping back and gesturing to the four figures that stood behind him. I let my eyes take in their profiles. They were young, perhaps the same age as I, maybe a little older. I couldn't tell, not the way they stood, the way they were dressed. All four of them stood to attention, eyes staring straight ahead, their uniforms immaculate. "Kunzite is the high general, the leader," Ares continued, gesturing to the young man standing closest to him. Long straight silver hair fell to the small of his back, and his eyes were a silver grey. Both of this features contrasted greatly with his dark skin. The general bowed to me, looking me straight in the eye. No emotion clouded his face, just a neutral expression that was almost unsettling. "Second in command is Jadeite," Ares's voice said. The next general in the line bowed to me. A soft smile played on his lips, and his blue eyes were twinkling with mischief as they looked at me. His blonde hair was cut short, but was long enough to make him look smart, almost cunning. "Nephrite is the third general, and Zoisite the fourth," Ares finished. The two generals bowed as their names were said. Nephrite gave me a small grim smile as he stood back up. His green eyes locked onto mine for a moment, looking out from under his mane of long wavy brown hair. Zoisite, the youngest looking of the four, and the smallest in physical build, only stared into my dark eyes, not smiling. His eyes were a pale green, and his long curly hair was strawberry blonde and tied back loosely with a ribbon. "They have been trained for their positions since the day they were born. They are the best in the entire Dark Earth Kingdom, and they will serve you well. The Loyalty Ceremony will be held tomorrow without delay," Ares said and turned and vanished without another word. The four generals followed their king, silent, never making a sound nor speaking a word. Armand and I were alone again, standing in the immense room. He walked swiftly past me and sat down in his throne with a sigh. "Unfortunately for you, Endymion, your Father is a man that will never take no for an answer. And learn quickly that he is not one to be crossed. I am sorry I did not tell you from the beginning that your Father and Mother were still alive. I used that lie to make you feel hatred for Serenity and her mother. And I shouldn't have. Lestat was right. It seems he always is." "It doesn't matter now," I answered, walking up to him. "What's done is done, and I still hate her. Revenge will be delt out to her and her loved ones. And Armand, despite the fact that Ares is my Father, and that his blood runs through me, I dislike him very much. He's no father, just a blood thirsty monster. And to tell the truth, I do not care if I cross him." "He is the God of War, Endymion. He created you, he can kill you. Don't ever anger him or cross him. Behave has he wishes; as an obedient son. Your time will come. Everything he has will one day belong to you. Why risk all that because of a foolish emotion?" Armand asked. "Because all I have left is emotion. Pure hatred. See my eyes? My symbol? Black, Armand. Black for hate. Hate for Serenity, her kingdom, and now my parents for sentencing me to a life filled with nothing but hate," I answered, glaring at him. "Hate is a powerful thing. Don't waste it. Do as I ask. Do what Ares wants of you," Armand replied softly. "Sometimes I wish I was never Born to Darkness, that I had never been given the Dark Gift. At least I would be dead, and I wouldn't have to suffer this. I've lived to long." Both of us fell silent then. The throne room seemed too desolate suddenly, so frighteningly large and empty. The dragon columns seemed to push down apon us, and stare at us with their jewel eyes. The painting on the ceiling did the same. They almost moved. "What is this Loyalty Ceremony Ares spoke of?" I asked finally, breaking the still silence. Armand gave off a small laugh. "Something you will not like, my dear friend." "And what is that suppose to mean?" I asked, suddenly fearing the answer. "Perhaps you should ask Louis. He is the scholar more than Lestat or I ever was. He would be able to explain it better," Armand said, and quickly took his exit. "Great," I muttered, and teleported to Nick's rooms. Nick was in his study, writing about something or other. I watched him for a little while, observing his tidy little study, listening to the music he had playing. Nothing I knew, but it wasn't too bad. It wasn't unlike the music David and Luke had liked so much, the heavy metal and techo. I entered the small room and looked over his shoulder, reading what he wrote. It seemed to be a diary he kept. Nick noticed me and gave a start, obviously having only just seen me. "Don't do that!" he exclaimed, slamming his book shut at the same time. "Sorry," I said, a little sheepishly. "This has been a long day," I sighed, half sitting and half leaning on his desk. "You know how I thought my parents are dead?" I asked. "Well, it seems they are alive. I just met my Father, and he is apparently divorced. He's the leader of the Dark Earth Kingdom, and my Mother is the leader of the Earth Kingdom. I'm just glad they aren't at war." "That would have been a shock," Nick replied, calm now. "It's not all. I just met my four body guards, and tomorrow, I have something called a Loyalty Ceremony, and Armand said I wasn't going to like it," I continued. "It can't be that bad. You've probably been through a lot worse. By the way, Darien, your symbol is still showing," Nick said, standing up and walking into the kitchen. "You want a drink or something to eat?" he asked as he started making himself something. I made the symbol disappear and replied that I would have to be leaving to speak with Louis. After all, I did not want to go into this ceremony tomorrow blind. The library was silent as usual when I entered. The walls filled with volumes of leather bound books seemed to close in on me. From were I stood, they seemed to stretch forever towards the heavens. I was standing in a canyon of books. "A pile of dust," a voice said from the shadows. I turned, seeking out the source. "That was what Lestat called them. When I first met him, and when we came here. A pile of dust," Louis continued, stepping out into the light. He gave a gentle laugh before speaking again. "Armand said you wanted to talk to me." I did not reply at first. This was the first time he and I had been alone together. He was tall, and from him emitted a strong presence. His bright green eyes seemed to see right through my skin and flesh, and into my dark soul. Like Lestat, he was dressed in elegant cloths. The white silk shirt he wore was the same colour as his skin. "Yes," I heard the word pass my lips. "Armand told me you could enlighten me about this Loyalty Ceremony tomorrow." "Ah," Louis said. He moved slowly with the grace of a dancer to the tables in the middle of the room. "If you were a vampire, you may even enjoy it. I know Lestat would. But a mortal? They would think it sickening." Louis paused, looking up at me, eyes probing. He pulled a chair out and sat down, careful not to crease his dress coat. I followed suit, sitting down across from him. "So what is it?" "A curse," Louis replied simply. I frowned, not understanding. "Perhaps to you, but also to those it binds to you," Louis explained. "I take it you've met your generals, your body guards? The ceremony tomorrow will devote their loyalty to you. It is more of a magical spell than anything else. The exchange of blood connects your spirit to theirs so that they will be able to sense your feelings; danger, fear. It also makes them loyal to you and only you; they will never be able to betray or hurt you." "And what is this exchange of blood?" I asked, not liking the sound of that. "They will cut themselves, and you will drink a small amount of their blood," Louis replied slowly, watching my reaction carefully. "I have to drink blood?" I asked, more than a little horrified. "As I said before, you will not enjoy it. But it must be done. Better than to have them betray you in the future, even if they do not wish it," Louis answered. "And the amount of blood is not much. Just a few droplets at the most. Just a taste." I stood up, my mouth dry. "Well, I guess I have no choice. And it'll be over be this time tomorrow." I tried to smile, but the thought of having to drink blood left me too shocked. I thanked Louis for his time and teleported back to my rooms, wondering why in Hell I even had to do this. If Ares wanted me to have body guards, then alright, I'll have body guards, but was this ceremony really necessary? I was not looking forward to tomorrow. It was already late. After eating dinner and showering, I wanted nothing but to sleep. Everything else could wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. "Endymion, get up," a voice snapped in my ear. My eyes slipped open, staring up into dark blue ones. One name came to me. Ares. Sleep washed off me as if I never closed my eyes. He moved back, watching my ever move with calm, cold eyes. How could this emotionless man have ever loved my Mother enough to conceive me? I glared back at him, my own eyes narrow, a bitter expression on my face. I got up, succumbing to his command. With a flash of blue and silver light, I was clothed in the silver armour and black uniform, the red and black cape flowing like black cascading water down my back. My hair was neat, the symbol bright apon my forehead. The black earth and silver moon. Why the moon and earth together? If we were at war, then why were the two symbols interlocked together, forever staring back at me from my forehead? Words came back to me; 'we share the same soul' and 'the Earth and Moon, locked together forever'. I shook the strange thought out of my head, and returned my focus to Ares, who stood there, watching me stare mindlessly at myself in the full length mirror in my room. "Alright, let's go," I said coldly to him. Together we teleported to a place I had never been before. Whether we were still on Armand's space station or not, I could not tell, but I doubted it. Cold stone walls surrounded me, and enormous doors with a carving of the earth was centred on them. Two blazing torches marked the entrance in the other wise lightless hallway. Darkness flooded the corridor behind me, and all that was in front of me was these two doors. Ares stood beside me, dressed in his own armour. "When the doors open, go in," he said, eyes locked onto the doors. With that, he vanished. I felt uneasy. This place was foreign to me, and I was venerable. I had never been within the Dark Earth Kingdom, and I already did not like it. From where I stood, all I saw of it was darkness. I closed my eyes, awaiting for the doors to open. The hall was warm, well lit. People walked down it, smiling, laughing. Candles apon the walls lit the corridor at every turn. There was the sound of people singing somewhere. And the distinct feeling of happiness, contentment, emitted from this place. I opened my eyes. So this place had once been great. And now it was reduced to this. Another reason to hate you, Serenity, and your kingdom which ordered the destruction of mine. The doors opened. It was pitch black inside. My eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, and I could see faint outlines everywhere. Cautiously I passed through the doorway. Twin rows of candles suddenly came to life, lighting the path I must take. Their light showed only the path; I could still see nothing beyond them. They flickered wildly as if a cold breeze inhabited this mysterious room. Suddenly, the twin rows of candles died, leaving me in a smothering darkness. I swallowed uncomfortably, not knowing what was to happen next, or what I should do. It was so silent, so still. And I merely stood in the middle of it all, waiting for my fate. A faint melody could be heard, so soft, but was slowly growing in magnitude. It was a haunting tune, almost ghostly. Two rings of light appeared. They were the flames on candles, becoming brighter all the time, but never enough to light the room enough for me to see. With the flames, the melody changed. As the tiny fires grew stronger, so did the tune. Then the flames began to move. So shocked was I at this that I almost gasped aloud, and something told me I must be silent, I must not make a sound. Brighter the flames burned, until it lit the outlines of those who held it. Two circles of dancers held them in their hands, and swaying ever so perfectly to the music they were. It all suddenly seemed so magical, so beautiful. The two rings of light dancing in time with the music. Almost as if you could see the music right before your eyes. And then, as suddenly as they had appeared, they had gone, dancing away from me in their magical way until their light was no more. The haunting tune had also died away, but was violently replaced by another melody which brought the entire room to light. The torches mounted on the stone wall surrounding the room burst to life, illuminating the colossal stone room, blinding me with it's intensity. Then all was silent. End of Part Two, Chapter Five.