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      Against All Odds

   A Sailormoon Fanfiction
   by dejanatalis@aol.com

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        Chapter One

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	Princess Serenity raised her slender arms obediently, and Sailor 
Venus, leader of the four Sailor Soldiers, pulled the simple everyday 
dress off over her head. Normally, the heir to the Moon Kingdom would 
be dressed by her servants and the Princess' bodyguards would have 
other matters to attend to. Tonight, however, would be a special 
occasion, and so the four sailor-suited soldiers had sent the maids 
away. The planetary warriors were said to possess great powers, but 
although Serenity had spent her entire life in the girls' company there 
had never been cause for her to witness their magic, and so she 
considered the four soldiers her best friends rather than her 
bodyguards.
	The pale young woman, her crystal hair now grown to the floor, 
blushed as Sailor Mars adjusted Serenity's undergarments in a 
businesslike manner. The blue-haired Sailor Mercury blushed also and 
took a sudden interest in the jewelry on Serenity's dressing table.
	"Is this really necessary?" Serenity asked plaintively. "It's not 
my wedding day!"
	"It might as well be," Venus chided her friend, folding up the 
day-dress and dropping it on the bed. "You're meeting your betrothed 
for the first time tonight! That's not something to be taken lightly!"
	"Yes, I know," Serenity mumbled, hanging her head. She shuffled 
her dainty feet nervously. "What if he doesn't like me?"
	"Stop fidgeting," Mars scolded, trying to fit a glass slipper on 
Serenity's foot. "How could he not like you?" she asked incredulously. 
"You're beautiful, friendly, graceful... What's not to like?"
	"Thank you, Mars," Serenity said with a smile, standing still 
while the violet-haired girl slid her other shoe on. "Still, my 
stomach's filled with butterflies." The Moon Princess ran her hands 
over her flat abdomen, examining her reflection in the mirror.
	There was a soft knock from the sitting room. Sailor Jupiter 
hurried to answer it, then reentered the bedroom with her arms full of 
cloth. "Serenity, look!" she called out, her voice warm with barely-
restrained excitement.
	Serenity turned on the footstool she was standing on, and the 
tall brunette soldier held up the maiden-gown for all the girls to see. 
The Moon Princess would wear this style of dress from the day of her 
engagement to her wedding day. It was white, of course, and long enough 
that Serenity's shoes would not be visible when she was standing still. 
In that way it was similar to the dresses Serenity had worn throughout 
her childhood. Representing her advance into adulthood, the maiden-gown 
had a high waist and was sleeveless, with a band of silver circles 
lining the gown's top edge. A chain of pearls embraced its waist.
	"Oh, it's beautiful!" Sailor Venus exclaimed. Rushing forward, 
she pulled the dress out of Jupiter's arms and pressed it against her 
own body.
	"Tonight is Serenity's night, Venus," Mercury reminded her 
golden-haired friend and leader with a grin.
	Venus pouted, swishing the dress back and forth over the short 
orange skirt of her uniform, enjoying the feel of the soft cloth 
against her bare legs. "It might be a little dangerous tonight, don't 
you think?" Casually she twisted a lock of blonde hair between her 
fingers. "All those people... Don't you think perhaps the Princess' 
double should-"
	"Oh, come on, Venus! You're not fooling anyone!" Sailor Jupiter 
whisked the silver-trimmed gown out of her friend's hands and playfully 
bumped her own green-skirted hip against Venus'. The blonde laughed, 
giving up her game.
	Jupiter lifted the dress high and slipped it over Serenity's slim 
body, cloaking her alabaster skin in pure white. The Moon Princess 
closed her eyes, absorbing the feeling of the silky soft cloth 
feathering against her skin and the admiring gasps of her friends. She 
opened her eyes to behold four faces awestruck by her beauty, then 
turned to face the mirror. In that moment, the meaning of the day 
finally became real.
	Despite her youth, Serenity had long ago crossed the threshold of 
womanhood. The dress fit her perfectly, the silver circles curving 
around her well-developed breasts and dipping lower on her back to 
cradle her shoulder blades. She looked herself over, from her slender 
elegant neck to the graceful curves of her hips, and almost couldn't 
believe how grown-up she looked. It was truly her engagement day at 
last. This dress was the final sign of the reality that would be 
formalized tonight. Its elegant, yet modest design would serve as a 
symbol of Serenity's reaching the proper age of betrothal.
	The Moon Princess took a deep breath to steady herself and 
shuddered all over to loosen her nerves. That broke the spell; Venus 
approached with a hairbrush, Mercury with some simple jewelry, Mars 
with a tray of cosmetics. Sailor Jupiter knelt and began filing 
Serenity's fingernails.
	"Prince Endymion of Earth," Serenity mused aloud, staring at her 
own reflection, at a face that barely seemed her own as her guardians 
dressed her up like a porcelain doll. "I wonder what he'll be like?" 
Her eyes strayed to the window. From her place on the footstool, 
Serenity could nearly see clear to the edge of the castle grounds, 
where a certain garden grew. Perhaps he would be like...him.
	What foolishness! That was a long time ago, and she didn't even 
know the boy.

	"Turn and parry, now, thrust. Watch your feet! That's much 
better." Sir Marton locked swords with Endymion one more time, then 
withdrew and sheathed his blade. "That's all for today."
	"It is not earthrise yet!" Endymion protested, letting his sword 
arm drop to his side. 
	"It's close enough," Sir Marton replied. "Besides, I need to wash 
and dress for the engagement festivities."
	Endymion sighed and laid his naked sword down, then lifted the 
knight's breastplate from its hook on the wall.
	"An extra coat of polish tonight," Sir Marton instructed. "The 
Moon Knights are performing a demonstration for the Royal Family of 
Earth tomorrow. I'll see you at our usual time." He paused at the door 
that led out of the small armory and looked back at the raven-haired 
young man. "Unless, of course, you'd like to earn a few extra lessons-"
	"No." Polishing the knight's armor and doing his laundry in 
exchange for fencing lessons was enough; Endymion was not about to wash 
and dress Sir Marton as well. He might be an orphaned Earth-child, but 
he was no one's personal manservant.
	"Tomorrow, then." Sir Marton shrugged and disappeared into his 
modest house. Endymion opened a tin of polish and bent over the 
breastplate, working away the grime of the Moon Knights' daily drills. 
The engagement festivities, indeed! Sir Marton was such a minor noble 
that he would be lucky to find standing room in the back of the hall.
	The young man rubbed the armor until it shone, reflecting his own 
image as clearly as a mirror. Endymion the stable hand had grown into a 
tall adolescent, nearly an adult now, who stood a bit taller than Sir 
Marton. His gray eyes had darkened to a smooth charcoal depth that 
matched his dark hair. The skin of his palms was rough, but the same 
years of hard labor had built healthy muscles on his arms and legs, and 
the sunlight had given his melanin-rich Earth-born skin a luscious tan. 
Endymion knew that many of the girls on the Moon found his dark 
complexion attractive, but he looked at his reflection and saw only his 
biggest shortcoming.
	~Here, you're an Earth boy, aren't you?~ Lord Artemis had said. 
It was so long ago now, but the words still stung as if it were 
yesterday, along with the contempt in the eyes of the white-haired man.
	~Don't hurt him!~ The sweet voice of little Princess Serenity was 
also fresh in his mind, fresh as a newly-blossomed rose.
	Miss Amaris had told Endymion to forget her. That had been the 
last instruction Endymion had not heeded. Since that day, he had 
devoted every waking moment of his life to improving himself, so he 
could someday become the kind of man Serenity deserved. He stopped 
misbehaving and breaking rules. He efficiently completed any chore Miss 
Amaris asked of him, and in return, she taught him everything she knew 
about horses and riding. He weeded the herb garden so the head of the 
kitchens would teach him table manners. He sought out a knight with 
ambitions beyond his station, yet too minor to have his own squire, and 
shined his armor in exchange for lessons in swordsmanship.
	The matron of the stables was the first to admit that Endymion 
had become quite the young gentleman and could have gone far - if it 
weren't for his lineage. Indeed, no matter what advances Endymion made, 
the same barriers always stopped him cold. He was an Earth-child, and 
an orphan. 
	Endymion was head of the work-animals division of the stables, 
and most of the other heads often came to him for advice, but his 
official career could advance no further without noble birth parents. 
He could never be trained as a knight, or even a guard. If he wanted to 
remain in the employ of the Moon Castle, Endymion would always be a 
servant.
	Frustrated by his thoughts, Endymion flung the polishing cloth to 
the ground and strode to the window, as he always did when his 
shortcomings irritated him. Through the marble-edged opening in the 
wall of Sir Marton's house, the young man could look down on the lazy 
sprawl of the city as it spread out below him. The other side of the 
house faced the Moon Castle, which looked down on the busy metropolis 
from a slight rise. From this angle, Endymion could see where the 
common citizens of the Moon went about their daily lives.
	Things could be worse. He could be down there, trying to scrape 
out a living in whatever trade would have him. An Earth-child alone in 
the streets of the Moon's capital city... Yes, things would have gone 
very badly for Endymion, had Miss Amaris not found him as a toddler and 
taken him in. He should be grateful for the security of his job on the 
castle grounds.
	This reminder of his fortune lessened Endymion's bitterness, and 
he returned to polishing Sir Marton's armor with more enthusiasm. His 
pain was alleviated for the moment, but lately he needed to force 
himself to think realistically more and more often, and each time the 
misery of his life's stagnation returned a bit faster.

	Later, Endymion strolled through the grass of the castle grounds, 
returning to the castle proper from the nobility's sector. He carried 
his sword in one tanned hand, unable to afford a sheath for the blade. 
It had taken most of his life to earn the money for his own weapon, and 
Endymion could make do without the accessories for now.
	The sun was fading from the sky, and the grand stables seemed 
nearly deserted as he approached. Of course, almost every handler had 
been called to the main gates to care for the beasts that would be 
bringing in the evening's guests. Those handlers with the pale skin and 
light hair of a Lunarian, at least. There would be Earth dignitaries 
present, but no Earth-child servants.
	Endymion paused for a moment to gaze up into the sky at the 
planet of his birth, which was climbing higher as night approached. It 
seemed small to his dark eyes, but Endymion knew it was several times 
larger than the Moon. Looking up at the glowing blue-green globe, he 
felt as if his mother world had dropped him from his cradle and left 
him with no way to climb back up. All of the portals linking the Moon 
and Earth had been sealed or severely restricted by law for more than 
fifteen Earth-standard years.
	Not that Endymion wanted to live on Earth, anyway. Everything he 
had heard described the Earth as a world of poverty and desperation, 
where pleading citizens reached out in vain toward an indifferent and 
uncaring monarchy. The lost son of Earth much preferred the Moon, where 
things sometimes became difficult but nobody slipped through the 
cracks.
	"Ah, there you are!" Miss Amaris emerged from the stable 
entrance, handing the saddle blanket she was carrying to one of the 
newest stable boys. Endymion's robust caretaker was still firmly 
entrenched in middle age, but her Earth-born charge was now a full head 
taller than she. "Walk with me a moment. I need to speak with you."
	The two of them headed off to Endymion's small house, the 
structure reserved for a stable hand of his level. It was hardly more 
than a hut, with only one room, but it was comfortable and snug, and 
Endymion's own as long as he kept his job.
	"Listen, son-" Miss Amaris had taken to calling the midnight-
haired boy "son" sometime during his adolescence "-I think it would be 
best if you didn't go around calling yourself 'Endymion' any longer."
	"What?" Endymion stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the 
stable matron. "Why not?"
	"Haven't you heard?" Miss Amaris half-whispered. "The Earth 
Prince, Serenity's betrothed, his name is Endymion!"
	"What difference does that make?" He hadn't heard. It must have 
been mentioned to him at some point, but his mind had been preoccupied 
lately. "I was Endymion here long before he arrived!"
	"Not so loud, son," Miss Amaris shushed him. "Look, I know that, 
but people might think you're getting ideas beyond your station. 
Besides, he will be King someday! It would just be easier on you, 
understand? You wouldn't have to change it completely," the older woman 
added hurriedly as Endymion's face began to darken with fury, "just use 
something different, like... 'Endou.' That's a nice name."
	Endymion couldn't even speak. He whirled around, marched into his 
hut, and slammed the rickety door behind him. It was bad enough that 
the Earth had ruined his future; did it have to steal his past, too? 
His name, the only thing he remembered from his childhood before he was 
orphaned?
	The young man threw his sword down on the rug, flung himself into 
a chair, and slammed his fists into the rough surface of the wooden 
table that stood beside it. The slim crystal vase that sat in the 
center of the tabletop jumped, tipped, and started to fall.
	With a gasp of alarm, Endymion lunged forward and caught the 
transparent vessel gently in both hands before it hit the wood. The 
vase had been a gift from Miss Amaris on the day Endymion became head 
of the work-animals stable, but that was a small part of its value.
	A deep sigh of relief escaped the dark-eyed man's lips as he set 
the undamaged vase back in its place. Not a single petal had fallen 
from the blood-red rose the vessel contained. It was the very same 
flower that Princess Serenity had given to a young garden-invader as a 
child, miraculously untouched by time. The blossom was as full, its 
petals as soft, its scent as sweet as the day it left the Princess' 
hand. Miss Amaris believed it was some manifestation of Serenity's 
latent magic, even though she was only a child at the time. Endymion 
had cared for it faithfully ever since that day, and it was his most 
prized possession.
	Absentmindedly, Endymion leaned against the table, gazing at the 
blushing rose with his charcoal eyes. The day was finally here. 
Princess Serenity's engagement would be made official tonight. She was 
being bonded to someone, an Earth-child with the name of Endymion, no 
less. Fate was cruel to give Serenity's betrothed that particular name.
	Endymion the stable hand groaned as his mind dredged up a memory 
of the innocent, sweet, flawless face of the child who had given him 
this rose, a gift that had brightened many a dark day for an orphaned 
Earth-child. He let his head fall forward onto the uneven wood of the 
table. He was a mere servant; surely she did not even remember him, and 
that was as it should be. Serenity deserved a true prince. That Prince 
Endymion, whoever he was, had better treat her right.

	The Great Hall of the Moon Castle was decorated to the fullest 
extreme, decked out from floor to ceiling with ribbons and banners of 
cloth. Abundant flower arrangements added color to the elegance. The 
hall was filled with lords and ladies of every class of the Moon's 
nobility, as well as every Earth-born noble who had been able to afford 
the permits and passports necessary for the trip. Several attendees 
from the other planetary kingdoms were in attendance as well, all eager 
to witness the engagement of the planetary alliance's future leader.
	Prince Endymion of Earth was to be the crowning gift of an 
elaborate diplomacy effort by the blue-green planet. His marriage to 
Princess Serenity would seal a treaty between the Earth and Moon, 
ending the icy relations that had existed for nearly two decades. The 
attendees chatted amiably as Earth met Moon, but there was a trace of 
tension in the air.
	The dais at the front of the Great Hall was empty save for the 
grand throne of Selene, built of pure moonstone and encrusted with 
crystals. The conversation in the room died to a low murmur as a door 
opened to the right of the dais. Out walked Queen Serenity herself, a 
goddess incarnate, her streaming lavender hair blending with her royal 
gown as it brushed along the floor. As she walked, the Queen beamed a 
loving smile to all the gathered peoples.
	Behind her walked Princess Serenity, followed by her four 
guardians, the Sailor Soldiers of the innermost worlds. Serenity 
shivered as she felt hundreds of pairs of eyes focus upon her and 
heard hundreds of voices gasp at her blossoming beauty. All she could 
do was hope she wouldn't trip on her new dress as she followed her 
mother up the steps of the dais.
	Queen Serenity lowered her slender body into the Moon Kingdom's 
throne, and her daughter took her usual place standing by her side. The 
four sailor-suited soldiers strode to the rear wall behind the throne 
and stood at attention, providing a forbidding show of strength without 
appearing threatening to the visitors from Earth.
	There was a moment of silence, which was excruciating for 
Princess Serenity. Standing there in her new white dress with its 
silver trimmings, facing the citizens of ten worlds, Serenity tried 
desperately not to fidget. She almost wished it were already her 
wedding day, when her betrothed would be the one standing here 
expectantly with all these eyes fixed upon him.
	After what seemed an eternity, the double doors at the rear of 
the Great Hall were opened and all the burning stares turned in that 
direction. Princess Serenity heaved a sigh of relief, momentarily out 
of the public eye and free to nervously pursue her own thoughts.
	A middle-aged couple in elegant robes entered the Great Hall, and 
the crowd parted before them, clearing an aisle straight down the 
middle to the dais. The man and woman wore golden crowns, but the royal 
way they walked showed their noble upbringing more clearly than any 
clothing could. The King and Queen of Earth strolled regally toward the 
ruler of the Moon, pleasant smiles on their faces. As a gesture of 
trust, they walked without guards.
	Behind them followed the person Princess Serenity was both eager 
and terrified to meet, Prince Endymion. From the dais she caught a 
glimpse of reddish-brown hair, but with the royal couple blocking her 
view she could not see his face. Serenity was unwillingly given more 
time to wait and wonder as they approached. What would he be like? What 
would he think of her? She felt as if she were standing on the verge of 
her dreams, about to be swept off her feet and carried into a beautiful 
fairy tale. Eager and impatient, Serenity made a tiny whimpering noise 
in her throat.
	"Patience, my child," the Queen muttered beneath her breath. "Be 
strong." Despite her mother's words, Serenity could detect a slight 
eager quickening of the Queen's breath as the trio of Earth-children 
drew nearer. The Princess wanted to scream at them to hurry, but she 
forced herself to remain still, not even craning her neck for a better 
view. This man, whoever he was, was destined to be her only true love 
for all eternity. He would be by her side to support her when she 
became Queen and ruled the Moon, loving her, caring for her, and 
sharing his life with her.
	At last, the Royal Family of Earth reached the foot of the dais. 
The King and Queen smiled up at Princess Serenity, their son still 
hidden behind them. They seemed friendly enough.
	The King cleared his throat. "Queen Serenity of the Moon," he 
announced in a loud, powerful voice, "we offer our son, Prince 
Endymion, to your daughter in marriage. Through their union, the 
blessed lineage of the Moon will be secured. We ask only that the Earth 
and Moon shall be joined as these two are joined, as allies and 
friends, and that the second child born of this union be given to our 
world as heir to the Golden Kingdom as soon as the child is of age. 
What say you?"
	Calm, collected, as regal as a true goddess, Queen Serenity 
replied with a voice that touched all corners of the vast Great Hall. 
"King Arton of the Earth, I accept your offer and your terms, and give 
the hand of my daughter, Princess Serenity, to your son in marriage. My 
blessings be on their union."
	At long last, the King and Queen of Earth parted, stepping to 
either side to allow their son to pass between them. Prince Endymion 
climbed the steps of the dais. He was about the same height as his 
betrothed and dressed in a handsome black tunic and breeches. Plates 
of ebony armor were fastened to his legs, arms, and shoulders, and a 
long cloak flowed out behind him as he approached the Princess. Prince 
Endymion had auburn hair and deep blue eyes, eyes as dark as the sky 
after sunset.
	Serenity glanced at the face of the man she would spend her life 
with and quickly averted her eyes to avoid blushing. She tried to 
ignore the fact that she would soon know this stranger intimately and 
instead concentrated on the rest of the engagement ritual.
	The Prince reached for Serenity's hand, and she timidly placed 
her pale fingers in his palm. She kept her eyes lowered, too nervous to 
look at Prince Endymion's face, as he lifted her hand to his lips and 
kissed it. The kiss was soft and gentle, a light feathery pressure 
against Serenity's skin. Her heart quickened slightly at the heat of 
his breath on her flesh.
	Prince Endymion lowered her hand again and released it before 
turning to his mother. The Queen of Earth ascended the bottom step of 
the dais and held out the engagement pendant to her son, stretching the 
filigree chain between both hands so the gold-edged blue stone caught 
the light. From behind the throne, Sailor Venus approached and gave 
Serenity a similar pendant, with a white stone framed in silver 
dangling from it. The Prince and Princess faced each other again, each 
holding a precious gift that would seal their promise to one another.
	Silver hair pooled on the smooth stones of the dais as Princess 
Serenity bowed her head, leaning toward her betrothed. The Earth Prince 
lifted his blue pendant over the round balls of hair atop her head and 
settled the thin chain around her neck. He then bent forward in turn, 
and Serenity stretched out her arms to lift her own pendant over the 
man's head.
	That was the final step. They were now engaged, promised to one 
another in marriage. Serenity shook herself inwardly. This was no way 
for a woman about to be married to behave. This man was going to be her 
lover and best friend until the end of her days. She had to look him in 
the eye, as an equal. Besides, Prince Endymion had to be as curious and 
eager to learn about Serenity as she was to get to know him.
	Steeling her resolve with the thought that the Prince was surely 
as nervous as she, Serenity raised her head, looked eagerly into her 
fiance's face, and found...nothing. Prince Endymion's expression was an 
emotionless mask. His royal blue eyes, though dark and mysterious, were 
empty and glassy. His face was like stone with no trace of feeling. 
Serenity found nothing within his lifeless countenance: no affection, 
no vague interest, no curiousity, not even bitterness or 
disappointment. She nearly shivered with cold just looking at him. Had 
it not been for the warmth of his breath on the back of her hand, 
Serenity would have found it hard to believe Prince Endymion lived at 
all.

	Another flurry of tiny bubbles broke the surface of the tankard 
of Moon Nectar. Endymion sighed and stared down into the amber liquid, 
letting his jet-black hair hang over his eyes. All around him, the 
tavern buzzed with voices and laughter, but the stable hand tuned it 
all out. He couldn't even explain to himself why he felt so depressed 
on a night of celebration.
	In the distance, a chorus of horns sang their musical message to 
the entire city, marking the official moment of Princess Serenity's 
engagement to the Earth Prince. All the tavern's clientele erupted into 
cheers, celebrating this keystone moment in the history of the Moon 
Kingdom. Tankards were raised, toasts were given, and drinks were 
distributed on the house. The air within the tavern became charged with 
the energy of joyous revelry.
	Through it all, Endymion sat silently at the bar, dark eyes 
watching the tiny bubbles burst on the surface of his untouched Moon 
Nectar.

	As the small ensemble took up their instruments and began to play 
a slow, warm tune, Princess Serenity shook off her startled reaction to 
her fiance's stoic appearance. She gave him a friendly smile, filling 
herself with new hope for their first dance together.
	Prince Endymion's expression did not change. He bowed stiffly, 
formally, and Serenity curtseyed gracefully in response, her white 
skirts rippling smoothly across the floor. Taking her hand, the Prince 
led his bride-to-be down the steps of the dais and to the center of the 
Great Hall. The crowd parted to let them through. Sensing all the eyes 
upon her, Serenity forced a smile to her face. It had to be nerves, 
just the strangeness of the situation. He would surely warm up to her 
once they had a chance to get to know each other.
	As the music kept up its lilting melody, Princess Serenity turned 
to face her Prince and lifted one delicate arm to his shoulder. He laid 
his free hand gently, but firmly, on her hip, and they began their 
first slow dance as a couple.
	The Prince of Earth was a skilled dancer, leading his partner 
through intricate steps that were somehow easy to follow, and Serenity 
concentrated on applying all her training in grace and finesse to match 
his ability. The two of them glided across the floor, Prince Endymion's 
heavy boots landing lightly on its marble surface, making even less 
sound than the soft clicks of Serenity's glass slippers. The royal 
couple made a handsome pair, the Prince in his polished obsidian armor 
plates and the Princess in her fine middle-youth gown with the silver 
trimmings that matched her hair. Their twin engagement pendants 
sparkled in the light, sending beams of blue and white leaping around 
the Great Hall.
	Serenity tried to relax and enjoy the dance despite the audience 
surrounding them, but her partner, though talented, was as stiff as a 
statue. His hand was warm in hers, but he moved as if following an 
unbendable pattern. With innocent hope she looked into Prince 
Endymion's face, smiling warmly, hoping to help him loosen up once he 
saw how kind and gentle she was.
	The auburn-haired man would not meet Serenity's eyes. He stared 
straight ahead, deep blue eyes unblinking, his blank gaze refusing to 
focus on the young woman standing less than an arm's length in front of 
him. Although Serenity's eyes burned into her stoic dance partner in 
earnest, and then confusion, he did not seem to notice. It was all the 
Princess could do to keep up her illusion of happiness.
	After what seemed an eternity of sterile, emotionless dancing, 
the ensemble transitioned into another song and the suffocating crowd 
began to pair off. The pressure of attention subsided as the guests' 
eyes turned to their own partners, and the room began to move with 
hundreds of dancing couples.
	Princess Serenity breathed a sigh of relief, then blinked in 
disbelief as the Earth Prince instantly released her hand and let his 
arms drop to his sides. She waited for him to speak, but without a 
word, Prince Endymion turned away and strolled off into the crowd.
	For a moment, the abandoned young woman stood frozen, hurt and 
confused. She nearly choked as tears welled up in her throat. She 
couldn't understand what was wrong; they hadn't even spoken and he 
already seemed to hate her. Serenity's vision began to swim with tears 
as she stood alone in a sea of dancing, happy couples. On the brink of 
breaking down, the Princess somehow found a shred of courage. She was a 
woman about to be married, and she would not accept this behavior from 
her lifetime companion without an explanation.
	Gathering her light, flowing skirts in her hands, Serenity 
hustled off in pursuit of Prince Endymion, weaving through the whirling 
dancers. She caught up with him as he was slipping off the dance floor 
into the semi-corridor formed by the row of pillars that lined the 
sides of the Great Hall. Reaching the empty space between the pillars 
and the wall, Princess Serenity hesitated only a moment, watching her 
fiance striding away toward the dais with his black cloak flowing out 
behind him.
	"Prince Endymion, stop, please," she called out, loud enough for 
her voice to reach him but soft enough to be discreet. He did stop, but 
did not turn around. Brow knitted in frustration, Serenity jogged up to 
him, the glass slippers pinching her feet in protest of such an 
undignified movement. 
	"Please look at me," she whispered.
	The Earth Prince turned around and met her eyes for the first 
time. Dark royal blue pools engulfed Serenity's own sapphire eyes, his 
emotionless face draining her remaining hope. Also for the first time, 
he spoke. 
	"Princess Serenity." 
	His voice was deep and mysterious, and could have been seductive 
were it not so flat and empty.
	The crystal-haired Princess of the Moon gazed up into him, 
finding layer after layer of cold nothing, and fought the tears that 
threatened to cloud her own eyes. 
	"Endymion, is something wrong?" she asked quietly.
	"No, Princess," the living statue replied. "The ceremony was 
completed according to plan, was it not?"
	What was the matter with this man? Were all Earth people so 
unfeeling? "Yes, it was...nice," Serenity replied, absentmindedly 
lifting one hand to idly play with the engagement pendant hanging at 
her throat. They were finally having a conversation, strange though it 
was, but Prince Endymion was still looking at her with the same empty 
expression.
	She took a deep breath, preparing herself for her next question, 
but she could not prevent the blush from tainting her pale cheeks. 
"Do...do I not please you?" Serenity whispered, her free hand nervously 
grasping at her dress. "Am I a disappointment?"
	Surprisingly, a first hint of emotion entered the Prince's face, 
but it was confusion. "You are beautiful, Princess," he replied matter-
of-factly. "My parents are surely pleased."
	Slightly relieved, but even more puzzled, Serenity tried another 
tactic. "Where are you going?"
	"To sit with my parents. We've finished the required rituals."
	"I thought we might go for a walk together," the Princess 
suggested timidly. "We could get to know each other better."
	"Is that necessary?" There was no cruelty in the question, no 
emotion at all. From those three words, Serenity finally realized that 
Prince Endymion simply did not believe their marriage had anything to 
do with love, now or ever.
	She could almost feel her dream of future happiness crack and 
shatter. The pleasant music being played in the Great Hall, the 
hundreds of couples dancing in one another's arms, all seemed to be 
mocking her with their illusion of love. She felt cold, chilled to the 
bone, alone and empty in an uncaring universe. The matching pendants 
around their necks became just so much lifeless stone; a lie. 
Serenity's mouth worked soundlessly, but she could find no words to 
respond to her fiance's unexpected question.
	Prince Endymion waited for a moment before deciding she was not 
going to speak. He bowed formally, respectfully. 
	"Princess." 
	Then he was gone.

	"I thought I might find you here."
	The voice was familiar. Endymion had heard it every day since he 
was a child. He looked up from his still-untouched tankard and turned 
toward the friendly voice. 
	"Misa."
	The little girl he used to squabble with in the stables had grown 
up into a slender, well-built young woman with brilliant green eyes. 
She could lift hay bales with her own two arms, and yet her hands were 
gentle with a bandage when needed. Her skin was as fair as the surface 
of the Moon itself, and she shone like the sun when she smiled.
	"What are you up to?" the female stable hand asked her tanned 
Earth-child coworker. She leaned casually against the bar, her well-
shaped arms displayed by her sleeveless dress. A wave of pastel green 
hair cascaded over Misa's shoulders, released from its usual braid.
	"Just relaxing," Endymion replied, trying to tune out the noise 
of the crowded tavern. "Having a drink."
	Misa leaned forward and peered into the tankard, which was no 
longer bubbling. "Your drink's flat." Her rosy lips curved into a 
teasing smile. "There's a street dance going on in the Lower Quarter," 
she added, laying one hand on Endymion's shoulder. "Want to go?"
	She was beautiful. Friendly, too, and talented, with a body that 
could turn heads in any part of the Moon. With his position in the 
stables and a home of his own, Endymion was considered a good match, 
despite his Earth heritage. It was a widely-held opinion among the 
servants of the Moon Castle that the two of them would make a lovely 
couple.
	Despite all this, Endymion was not attracted to Misa. As the 
years went by and Misa began to warm up to the mischievous boy, 
Endymion ceased to tease her, but he never felt anything more than 
friendship for the green-eyed woman. For that matter, he had never had 
true feelings for any of the women who had flirted with him while he 
pursued his mission of becoming a gentleman. As far back as he could 
remember, no girl's hair had been pale enough, no complexion fair 
enough, no eyes blue enough to stir his fancy.
	Endymion sighed inwardly under the burden of disappointing Misa 
yet another time. "I'm sorry, Misa, but I'd like to be alone."
	Her bright emerald eyes took on a look of true concern. "This is 
a night of togetherness and celebration," she reminded him. "What is 
troubling you?"
	The dark-haired child of Earth opened his mouth to speak, then 
hesitated as he realized the true answer. "I don't know," he replied 
honestly. Laying a few coins on the bar, Endymion rose from his seat 
and left the tavern, heading for home.

	Struggling to contain the grief churning within her stomach, 
Princess Serenity leaned against a marble pillar and clenched her fists 
to maintain self-control. The effort was beginning to make her feel 
queasy. Peeking back into the Great Hall, the abandoned bride-to-be 
searched for a friendly face. After a moment she spotted her four 
friends, but they were all gliding across the dance floor in the arms 
of smiling men. Of course, as nobility of their planets, the Sailor 
Soldiers would never miss a chance to meet potential mates. Serenity 
did not want to disrupt anyone's happiness with her own misery.
	On shaky legs, the Princess headed down the passage beside the 
wall, breathing deeply to contain her tears. At last she emerged at the 
side of the dais at the front of the Great Hall, next to the very door 
through which she had entered earlier. Upon the dais, Queen Serenity 
still sat in her throne, watching the guests enjoy the ball. To the 
Princess' slight satisfaction, her mother looked worried. Comfortable 
chairs had been brought for the King and Queen of Earth, and their son, 
soon to be Serenity's husband, stood beside them in a refined posture.
	Steadying her nerves with every remaining shred of confidence, 
the Princess lifted her skirts and climbed the steps of the dais. 
Before anyone else could speak to her, she hurried to her mother's 
side.
	"Serenity, there you are!" the Queen greeted her warmly. "I was 
beginning to worry!"
	"Mother, may I speak with you in private?" the silver-haired heir 
to the throne whispered.
	Queen Serenity's eyes narrowed in puzzlement. "Certainly, my 
dear," she replied, rising from her throne. "Please excuse me," she 
remarked to Earth's royal family with a warm smile. Together, mother 
and daughter stepped down from the dais and slipped through the side 
door into the preparatory chamber, a luxurious room where royalty could 
make themselves ready for a public appearance.
	"Serenity, I hope this is urgent," the Queen sighed as she 
settled herself on a silk-covered couch. "We might insult our guests."
	"Mother, I..." She could not maintain control any longer. The 
emotions churning inside the Princess bubbled over and spilled forth, 
emerging as great heaving sobs. Her vision clouded, and tears flowed 
freely down her cheeks. The bride-to-be pressed both hands to her face, 
but could not stop the drops of sorrow from slipping off her chin and 
splashing against her pale chest.
	The Queen was out of her seat in an instant and gathering her 
young daughter into her arms. The silver-haired girl pressed herself 
into her mother's warm bosom, letting all the frustration and pain that 
had built up drain into the fabric of her dress. For a long moment they 
simply held each other, a mother's comfort melting away the pressures 
of royal decorum.
	"Now," Queen Serenity said as the sobs finally subsided, "what 
has upset you so, my dear?"
	Her daughter stepped back from the Queen's arms and caught her 
breath, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. "Prince Endymion, 
he..." She hiccupped, then tried again. "Oh, Mother, he's like a 
statue! There's no emotion, no warmth inside him at all!"
	The Queen gave her an indulging smile. "Calm down, Serenity," she 
said soothingly. "You've only just met. There's bound to be some 
awkwardness. Once you get to know each other, things will be better. 
You'll see."
	"That's what I told myself at first," Princess Serenity 
protested, "but he won't even talk to me. He'll barely even look at 
me!"
	"It's all just so new and different," her mother argued. "He'll 
soon learn to love you."
	The Princess bit her lip and averted her eyes, wringing her hands 
nervously. "Mother... If he doesn't..." Her voice began to waver. "If 
it doesn't get any better, I don't really have to marry him, do I?"
	Queen Serenity sighed and closed her eyes, but when she opened 
them again, her gaze held a look of deep pity. She looked at her 
precious daughter, so grown-up and beautiful in the long white dress 
that complimented her perfect skin. The Queen's eyes swept over her 
child's long colorless hair - tied into balls like her own - and the 
blue stone hanging around her neck, and was reminded of her own coming-
of-age. She was proud of the young Moon Princess and hated to see her 
crystal blue eyes bright with tears, but she knew what she had to say.
	"Serenity, you are the heir to the Moon Kingdom," the Queen 
explained, looking at her daughter with apology in her eyes. "You must 
do what is best for your people."
	The Princess' mouth hung open in disbelief. "You would force me 
to marry a man who does not love me? Who does not even care about me?"
	"It is the way things are," her mother replied softly. "As 
royalty, your marriage must be a contract forged for the good of the 
Moon. Please, try to understand," she begged, reaching out for her 
daughter as the younger woman's eyes filled with fresh tears.
	"Mother, how could you?" Princess Serenity cried in a hoarse 
voice. Whirling around in a flurry of white and silver, she dashed from 
the room, leaving her mother standing in a cloud of regret.
	The Princess ran down the passage between the pillars and the 
wall, freely weeping, continually clearing tears from her eyes so she 
could see. Fortunately, all the guests in the Great Hall were still 
dancing, and no one noticed as one half of the newly-engaged couple 
fled down the corridor and slipped out the main double doors, drowning 
in her own misery.
	Dashing down the front steps of the Moon Castle, past the 
startled valets and stable hands, Serenity rushed into the night, white 
dress flying out behind her. Wanting to be left alone, she shunned the 
castle gardens and headed for the common areas that the servants called 
home. 
	By the time she reached the cluster of huts near the stables, 
Serenity's glass slippers were badly chafing against her feet. Limping 
slightly, the Princess kicked off the hated shoes, imagining them 
symbols of the class that held her prisoner. The grass was cool and 
soft beneath her sore feet, and calmed her enough to end her emotional 
flight.
	The servants' community was deserted, all its inhabitants off 
celebrating the very engagement their Princess was running away from. 
The grounds were silent enough that the distant snorting and stomping 
of the stabled beasts could be heard clearly. Pausing for a moment, 
Serenity wiped the tears from her face and neck. Her hands came across 
the thin silver chain encircling her throat. The engagement pendant 
felt heavy, like a lead weight, choking her with unwanted 
responsibility. With a strangled cry, the bride-to-be pulled off the 
pendant and flung it to the ground, where it lay glittering in the 
grass.
	At the bottom of the slope Serenity glimpsed a pond shining with 
earthlight, the perfect medicine for her stinging feet. Chest 
shuddering with erratic, dry sobs, the Princess hobbled down the grassy 
hill.

	The Moon Castle towered over the surrounding grounds, glowing 
with the eternal power of Queen Serenity. All its sweeping towers and 
turrets were ablaze with light on this special evening, casting a shine 
of celebration and happiness across the entire city. Endymion strolled 
over the grounds alone, gazing up at the beautiful structure. His life 
was so close to that of the nobility, and yet so far away.
	Nearing home, the stable hand noticed a peculiar shine in the 
grass, reflecting the light of the looming Moon Castle. He bent down 
and discovered a perfect glass slipper lying forgotten on the ground. 
After some searching, he soon located its mate nearby. Both shoes were 
like new, completely undamaged. Endymion was delighted; shoes like 
these would fetch a fine price in the city.
	When the young man took another step, a blue flash caught his 
eye. A stone's throw away he found a priceless treasure: a gold-rimmed 
blue gem on a silver chain. Endymion lifted it carefully in one hand. 
It caught the light of the full Earth brilliantly, sparkling as if 
glowing from inside. Surely this stone was worth more than a crate of 
glass slippers. However, although Endymion would gladly sell a pair of 
shoes that the nobility could easily replace, he could not in good 
conscience do the same with jewelry. A piece of jewelry was a personal 
gift...like a flower.
	Sighing, Endymion looked around for clues to the whereabouts of 
the lost items' owner. He hoped to find a footprint or another lost 
trinket, but his search proved much easier than he expected. As he 
raised his head, his midnight eyes fell upon a distant figure wading in 
the pond at the base of the slope. The mystery person was dressed all 
in white, and even from this distance Endymion could tell the 
stranger's clothing was not that of a servant. Apparently a guest of 
the engagement celebration had wandered away from the others.
	The stable hand adjusted his worn clothing as he headed down the 
slope toward the pond he had drawn water from as a boy. Perhaps if he 
were polite enough, the owner of the pendant and shoes would grant him 
a reward for returning the expensive property. Out of habit, he glanced 
at the old gardener's entrance to the royal gardens as he passed by. It 
was locked, as always.
	Before long, he drew near to the pond. Endymion hid for a while 
behind some bushes by the shore, watching the stranger as he tried to 
decide how best to approach a member of the nobility. It was a young 
woman, and her back was turned to him and the Moon Castle. She was 
wading barefoot in the pond, her white skirts gathered in both hands.
	Even from the back, Endymion was struck by her beauty. She had 
flawless pale skin, and the sloping line of silver circles that edged 
the top of her dress flattered her slender curves, adding an extra hint 
of grace to her every movement. She moved slowly, in jerking steps as 
if her feet hurt her, and her long pigtails trailed in the water.
	Something stirred within Endymion's memory, and his eyes widened. 
Twin streams of hair tied into balls atop her head. A long white dress. 
Alabaster skin. The raven-haired young man stared at the glass slippers 
and blue stone pendant in his hands - a Princess' ransom. His heart 
began to pound within his chest. It couldn't be.

	Serenity stepped carefully on the smooth stones at the bottom of 
the pond, soothing her aching feet in the cool water. She breathed a 
deep, shuddering sigh, all her tears finally spent. The Princess looked 
ahead, over the grassy fields of the castle grounds toward the city, 
where the common people of the Moon carried out their common lives, 
free of the bonds of a noble birth.
	Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden rustling, a heavy thud, 
and a muttered curse. Serenity whirled around to discover a young man 
lying sprawled on the grass beside the hedge that lined the edge of the 
pond. Startled, she let part of her skirts drop into the clear water.
	Endymion could not prevent a blush of shame from searing his 
cheeks as he struggled to his feet, glass slippers and pendant still in 
his hands. Whatever he may have decided to do, tripping over a root and 
falling flat on his face certainly wasn't the greeting he had in mind. 
Shaking his clothes and hair back into place, the stable hand looked up 
at the young woman in the white dress, who had turned to face him. 
Endymion stared into a large pair of vibrant blue eyes. There was no 
mistaking her now. She did not speak, waiting for him to explain his 
trespass.
	"Pardon my intrusion," Endymion muttered, averting his eyes. "I 
found these near the stables..."
	The Princess sighed, seeing the symbols of her status that she 
had tried to abandon. "Yes, they're mine," she admitted reluctantly. 
	~Don't hurt him!~ Since then, Princess Serenity's voice had 
matured into a beautiful soothing tone, filled with birdsong and 
flowing waterfalls. Endymion pushed the childhood memory out of his 
mind. Of course she wouldn't remember him, and he was puzzled. 
Serenity's reaction was not the one he had been expecting. 
	"Well," he said after a moment of awkward silence, "I'll just 
leave them here, shall I?"
	Serenity's blue eyes studied the ragged stable hand as he 
carefully laid her shoes and the hated pendant on the grass. Even in 
the dim light she could tell he was an Earth-child, and a hard worker 
as evidenced by his trim body and muscular arms. Something about him 
seemed familiar, although she could not determine what. His presence 
was strangely comforting, and as he bowed slightly and turned to leave, 
the night began to feel quite cold and lonely.
	"Wait," the Princess called out. The stable hand turned to face 
her. "If you leave, you'll tell someone where I am," she sighed. 
"Besides, I could use some company. I thought I wanted to be alone, 
but..." She bit her lip and looked at him with eyes full of grief. 
"Please?"
	"As you wish, Princess." Endymion felt like his heart had leapt 
up into his throat, choking him. Keep the Princess company? Him? A 
common stable hand? As Serenity daintily waded toward him, Endymion 
searched for something, anything, to say. 
	"You know, I used to draw water for the horses from this pond 
when I was a boy."
	Serenity froze where she stood, ankle-deep in the crystal-clear 
liquid. Shivers rolled up and down her spine. 
	"I'm standing in horse water?" With a shriek of horror, she leapt 
out of the pond and practically flew to the shore, splashing water 
everywhere. When she reached the grass, the Princess danced around 
crazily, trying to shake off as much liquid as possible.
	The tension was broken. In that moment, Serenity descended from 
the cloud of royalty and became just like any other squeamish young 
woman. More squeamish, in fact, than the average servant. Watching the 
Princess yelp like a child, trying to wring the water out of the tips 
of her hair without touching it with her bare hands, Endymion couldn't 
help laughing.
	"What's so funny?" Serenity demanded, glaring at him.
	"We just draw the water from the pond," the stable hand 
explained, chuckling. "The beasts don't actually drink here. Besides, 
the Queen's magic keeps the water pure anyway."
	"Oh." The faintest shadow of a blush crossed Serenity's pale 
face, but she quickly adopted a haughty posture. "You shouldn't scare 
young ladies like that!"
	"You shouldn't panic at a little horse water," Endymion shot 
back, smirking at her.
	"You're rather bold, speaking to me that way," the Princess 
scolded with folded arms. It was oddly refreshing after the day's 
suffocating formality. She gave the midnight-haired man a slight smile. 
"I like it."
	The stable hand grinned at her. "I am glad to please you, 
Princess."
	"So, young man, might I have your name?" Serenity asked, idly 
squeezing the remaining water out of her silver tresses. "And what 
brings you out here this evening?" The Princess flinched inwardly at 
her use of such formal language, scolding herself for falling into old 
patterns.
	"I'm Endy-" Endymion bit the word off halfway. He couldn't tell 
the Princess a stable boy had the same name as her Prince fiance. She'd 
laugh him right off the grounds. "Endou," he finished lamely. "Name's 
Endou. I'm a stable hand," he continued, lifting his jet-black hair off 
the right side of his neck. 
	Serenity casually glanced at the tattoo that served as the young 
man's permanent passport to the Moon Castle grounds. She would never 
have asked for proof, but was secretly relieved to see the royal crest 
marked in silver against his dark skin, proving he spoke the truth. 
Earth-children were reputably untrustworthy. 
	"Walk with me awhile, will you?"
	As if any castle servant could refuse. Endymion nodded and 
hurriedly scooped the pendant and glass slippers off the lush grass 
again, rushing to catch up with the Princess as she glided away along 
the edge of the pond. They walked for a while in silence. Endymion was 
as nervous as if the entire Royal Guard were chasing him. For all he 
knew, they actually were. Every other step he took, the stable hand 
looked back over his shoulder or peered into the shadows. Finally 
Serenity laughed like a peal of silver bells. 
	"Don't worry, Endou," she said lightly. "Nobody knows I'm out 
here." Endymion's senses were on heightened alert due to his paranoia, 
or he wouldn't have heard her add, "Or cares, anyway," in a near-
whisper.
	Why would a Princess sneak away from her own engagement 
celebration? Endymion risked a sideways glance at her. The Moon 
Princess was still a full head shorter than he, but now it was the 
result of heredity rather than age. Just looking at the crystal-haired 
young woman made Endymion's blood rush in his ears. She was growing up 
beautifully, slender and graceful, looking like an angel in her new 
white dress. She was older, yet somehow the same gentle child who had 
given a simple stable boy a rose.
	Shaking himself out of a near-trance, Endymion noticed the 
sadness in her pure blue eyes and again wondered what could be 
troubling her. He wished he had the social status or the courage to 
ask.
	Serenity breathed deeply of the cool night air, enjoying her 
respite from the reality that waited for her inside the Moon Castle. 
Looking around, she realized that a moonlit pond, grass, and bushes 
could be as beautiful as a fountain-filled garden. Of course, much of 
that depended on the company. Serenity smiled absentmindedly, observing 
her companion out of the corner of her eye. For an Earth-born stable 
hand, he certainly was handsome. His dark eyes and hair were such 
contrasts to the light complexion of the male castle servants, and her 
mother had never allowed her to make friends with any boys of her own 
station. Here was the forbidden fruit, and what an attractive fruit it 
was!
	"So," Serenity finally broke the silence, "you're a stable 
hand?" A blush flooded her cheeks, but she blurted out the rest of her 
question. "This might sound strange, but what is it like to work?"
	Now it was Endymion's turn to laugh. "Necessary," he replied 
jokingly. The Princess turned her face toward him as they walked, 
blinking her large innocent eyes with a puzzled expression, and he 
sobered. "It can be hard, but rewarding," the tanned young man replied 
honestly. Besides, what if this was some kind of test? "It feels good 
to support my own life. I enjoy working for the glory of Queen 
Serenity."
	The Princess nodded solemnly, her eyes downcast. "I suppose you 
feel...free," she said softly. "Free to make your own decisions, to 
choose your own destiny."
	This time Endymion swallowed his laughter. If she only knew what 
it really meant to be a servant! Still, he could not complain to 
Princess Serenity about such things, or he'd be out of a job by 
morning. The stable hand did not reply, but his royal companion had 
more questions on her mind.
	"Tell me, Endou," she began as they strolled through the earthlit 
evening, "if your parents told you you had to marry a certain person, 
even if you didn't want to, what would you do?"
	The mention of parents momentarily distracted Endymion from the 
true magnitude of Serenity's question. "I... I don't know my parents," 
he muttered, a shadow crossing over his face.
	"What? Why not?" The Princess stopped short and stared at him, 
her pale face a mixture of horror and pity.
	"I was lost, somehow, when I was barely old enough to walk," 
Endymion explained. All the servants he saw on a daily basis long ago 
learned this story, and he was surprised at how much his heart still 
ached to tell it. "Miss Amaris, the stable matron, found me wandering 
the castle grounds and took me in. She asked all the Earth-born 
families she could find, but nobody knew me. I grew up as an orphaned 
stable boy."
	"Oh, that's awful!" Serenity exclaimed.
	"It's all right," Endymion assured her, unable to decide whether 
or not he wanted the pity of the nobility. "Miss Amaris takes good care 
of all the children in her charge."
	"Still, if I didn't have my mother, I don't know what I'd do." 
The Princess turned to gaze up the sloping grounds toward the Moon 
Castle for the first time since their meeting. "I suppose I was too 
hard on Mother. I know she loves me dearly." She sighed a heavy sigh, 
the sigh of a burden heavier than her delicate body betrayed. "I should 
go back."
	Without thinking, she lifted the hem of her dress and extended 
one dainty foot toward Endymion. The dark-eyed Earth-child stared at 
her blankly for a moment before they both simultaneously understood.
	"Oh! I'm so sorry," Serenity babbled, blushing as red as a rose. 
"Force of habit, you know." She held out her hand to take the glass 
slippers, but Endymion knelt in front of her.
	"No, allow me."
	Face hot with embarrassment, the Princess allowed the stable hand 
to slide the cool crystal shoes onto her feet. He stood up, brushed the 
dust from his breeches and then moved to lift the engagement pendant 
over her head, but Serenity stopped him.
	"It wouldn't be right," she explained with a slight, halfhearted 
chuckle. "Once it's on, nobody else is even supposed to touch the 
thing. It's bad enough that I took it off." She reached out and took 
the blue stone on its silver chain from him. For a brief moment, their 
hands touched, Serenity's silken pampered flesh brushing against 
Endymion's rough calloused fingers. They looked up into one another's 
eyes, blue engulfing black, black engulfing blue.
	After a pause that seemed to last forever, Serenity blinked, 
feeling like she was waking from a peaceful sleep. What was she doing? 
Numbly, she hung the gold-edged blue stone around her neck and smiled 
at her companion.
	"I enjoy talking with you, Endou," she said warmly. "You treat me 
like a person, not some object defined by blood. I should like to see 
you again sometime, if you're willing."
	"Of course, Princess," Endymion replied with a slight bow. 
"Whatever you wish." A nervous wave abounded within the stable hand's 
stomach. See her again? A servant like himself?
	"Tomorrow morning, there's a demonstration of the Moon Knights," 
Serenity said earnestly, wondering in a corner of her mind why she 
wanted to see this stable hand again so badly. Tomorrow? How had 
"sometime" turned into "tomorrow?"
	"Yes, I know of it."
	"The Royal Family of Earth will be occupied there, so I should be 
able to excuse myself," Serenity continued quickly before she could 
lose her courage. "Can you get away during that time?"
	"I believe so." Endymion spoke as if he were dreaming, unable to 
grasp the fact that he was really standing there having this 
conversation.
	"See that wall there?" The Princess pointed to the very stones 
that surrounded the garden where they had met as children. "There's a 
garden inside, my favorite one. I'll make sure the gardener's entrance 
is open. Will you meet me there?"
	"As you wish, Princess."
	"All right, then. Good night." Serenity turned and hustled away 
up the hill toward the shining Moon Castle, faster than she had meant 
to. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she felt as if it would 
explode if she didn't get out of there.
	Once again, Endymion turned and headed for home through the cool 
of the evening. His mind whirled in disbelief. It was impossible. It 
all had to have been a dream.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

      End of Chapter One

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Against All Odds" fanfiction copyright 2004 by dejanatalis@aol.com
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon
belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative
work was created by dejanatalis@aol.com and is her exclusive property. 
Not to be used without permission.  Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! ^.^