Against All Odds

Author: tokyo_rabbit

Rated: PG13

Chapter 7

VII

The Mist

Serenity decided she didn't like carriages -- they were somewhat bumpy and boring really. Was she supposed to sit in this thing with Luna until they arrived at wherever it was they were headed? The worst part yet was the fact her guardian had brought along a few books to go over Serenity's studies. Who would do such a thing?

So, instead of listening to such drabble, the Princess thought of earlier in the day when they had traveled through Elysian….

---

Once they left the golden gates of the palace well behind them, the city spanned out gloriously before them. She could see far beyond the rooftops of the vibrant buildings, all mostly the same colorful shade of beautiful sand. If only she could see what the city looked like in the golden light of dawn… she imagined it would look spectacular indeed; a very magnificent contrast to the silver cities on the Moon…. Out to the left, over a distance, she had seen the port where many ships were speckled generously upon the blue waters. It was here where the dreaded carriage waited for them….

The men informed the women about city around them; the history of a particular building, or where to find the best food and ale. Their pride was evident as they talked about their fair, glistening city. This adoration was especially apparent in Endymion's eyes, Serenity had noticed. She didn't doubt for one second that he would die to save Earth… and for the first time in weeks, she remembered what he was putting on the line to keep her safe. Something else Serenity had noticed was Endymion, Nephrite, and Zoicite were constantly checking her riding progress, keeping close to her in case of an emergency; she was extremely grateful for their concern.

Luna, unfortunately, was also kind enough to point out to Serenity all the different hats the local women were wearing. Serenity ignored her. But the people of Earth came as somewhat of a shock to the Moon Princess. They were so diverse and colorful.

The Elysian's clothing mainly consisted of rich, vibrant earthy tones that reflected their surroundings. Zoicite went into great detail about how travelers could be easily spotted by the colors popping out from amidst the sea of locals; it seemed the cultures of Earth's people were every bit assorted as their habitats. She remembered Talaria, Princess of Mercury, explaining much of this diversity to Serenity during her studies, which struck her as rather strange. On the Moon, the same fashions could be seen throughout the entire kingdom. Sure, there were small, intricate differences to denote the region the person hailed from, but nothing as varied as what Serenity observed among the Earthlings.

The people of Elysian were also extremely friendly; they smiled at them as they rode by, or as they moved throughout the harbor on foot. A child had even come up to Serenity, tugging on the fabric of the Princess' dress. When Serenity bent down to see what the angel wanted, the girl handed her a beautiful flower, kissed her cheek, and ran off into the crowd.

Straightening, she gave Endymion a perplexed look. He shook his head and just smiled. Nephrite took the white flower from her hand, placing it behind her ear. "There… much better."

"It is a chrysanthemum," Zoicite explained.

"Why did she give it to me?" Serenity asked.

"A lot of people still recognize us, even in clothes such as these. But it has become an unspoken rule that our identities are not to be spoken aloud whenever we venture out like this. Most can remember times of war…."

It was true, they were all dressed in nondescript attire; the men wore nothing indicating their stations, but when they were as handsome as they were, Serenity could see how their faces would be hard to forget. As for people recognizing her, no one here on Earth would have ever seen her before, but the Moon insignia would have given them no doubt as to who she was. So, before they left the palace gates, Endymion asked Serenity if both she and Luna could somehow hide the symbols on their foreheads. That explained why he was staring at her as they rode through the palace courtyard, making her uncomfortable.

Luna assured him they could and closed her eyes. Suddenly, it was as if someone had wiped it off her forehead -- it was gone. Serenity never knew this was possible. Since the day she was born, her crescent moon symbol had always been there; a mark of royalty.

"Just imagine it gone, Serenity," Luna had explained. She looked weird without the moon upon her brow, the Princess thought.

It took her a few attempts, but she finally got it right; then began the feeling of being naked. Strangely enough, it also made her miss her mother. It felt almost like she was giving up being a princess. This had led to another thought though. She looked like an Earth girl; a normal teenage girl without the pressures of royal duties or threats against her life. With this new outlook, a great weight was lifted from her shoulders and she felt free! Even if she still missed her mother….

"Yes, the citizens of Elysian are a very benevolent people," Nephrite agreed with his comrade, "They probably think you a noble of Earth."

She remembered becoming aware of Endymion moving close to her then, speaking quietly into her ear, "They probably all think you my current interest."

"Interest…?" she asked innocently, but gathered his meaning by the look in his eye and yelped, "What?"

Luna jumped at the sudden outburst as Endymion walked away laughing. Something had just transpired between her Princess and the King and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. The two of them seemed caught up in an on-going rivalry, each constantly goading the other. It was exhausting to say the least, so she simply turned her attention to some fruit on sale close by.

"As if I would ever—" Serenity protested hotly, her displeasure evident as her persistent grumbling to herself continued for a long while afterwards. But the sights and sounds of the bustling city soon brought her round, firing up her intense curiosity once again. But all in all – at least up to this point -- it was a marvelous day. Luna droning on about Lunarian history and the monotonous rolling countryside that only held Serenity's interest for the first hour was wearing down her enthusiasm as a whole. Sleep was gradually setting in, so she propped her heavy head against her open hand, elbow resting against the side of the rocking carriage-- her long fingers coming into contact with velvet. Sitting up, she pulled the chrysanthemum from her golden hair.

It was a beautiful flower -- one she had never seen before as they did not grow on the Moon. Sterling white petals seemed to endlessly fold into one another and danced elegantly as she slowly twirled it within her fingertips. It was a hypnotic motion… as if it were eternity unfolding before her blue eyes….

Laila…

Luna's teachings steadily became silent, and if Serenity had looked up, she would have noticed her guardian's lips were still moving as Luna read from a book….

Laila…

The crunch of the gravel road beneath the wheels of the heavy carriage fell deafly upon her ears and the world ceased to make any sound.

Laila…

Faster and faster the chrysanthemum spun, pulling her further into a world unknown. Faster and faster its petals unfurled, consuming her entire line of sight, blinding her with an intense white light… even when her eyes closed to it.

Laila…

‘Where am I?'

Laila to waylay…

‘Who sings this lullaby?' Serenity asked, her voice sounding far and distant. Opening her eyes, she saw nothing in the mist. ‘Who sings this, what was whispered into my ear on that night not long ago?'

Slowly, a gray form emerged from the cover of the fog. Serenity tried to discern who this figure was, but the stranger gave nothing away. She could barely make out the outline of a woman who bore a featureless mask of ivory.

An alarming thought crossed Serenity's mind as she realized she had been bewitched and brought to this unnatural place. She spoke in a quiet, wavering voice, ‘Are you the one sent to kill me?'

Seye ni ruoy with…

The stranger laughed a soft, kind laugh, ‘No, dear Princess. Nor am I the one who calls for you.'

‘Then who does? And why have you beckoned me here?'

‘I am a friend of Fate who has come to deliver a warning.'

‘Of what nature...?'

Laila tu waylay…

The figure ignored her inquiry, ‘She will come at you from the darkness. Let your guard waver not, Angel, for she means to destroy everything and everyone you hold dear.'

‘Who...? Who is it that means to kill me?' Serenity pleaded, heart racing in fright. ‘How is it that I am to save those I love? I am no one!'

Seye ni ruoy with…

The mist began to swirl and thicken as the messenger began to retreat, singing softly the words that called out to the Princess.

‘No! Do not leave me here! Tell me what I must do!'

Laila tu waylay…

The mystery woman faded into nothing, but another figure became present. It was nothing more than a silhouette, but this person struck pure terror into Serenity, leaving her speechless. They were proudly standing, it seemed, up high on a plateau where a nonexistent wind whipped around them.

Seye ni ruoy with…

So strong was their stance that Serenity believed that even the strongest of forces could not move them. The person's long hair flew in the wind, giving the impression of shadowy fingers reaching for her. Then it dawned on the petrified princess: this woman was the one who sang inside her head on her birthday and who sang to her now.

Lemura cesa tu lyn…!

The deadly wind surrounding the figure came crashing into the Moon Princess, causing her to scream in pain as it seared her skin.

A nasty bump from the road woke Serenity with a start. A cold sweat covered her porcelain skin as she frantically groped for the carriage walls in an unconscious attempt to stop the feeling that she'd been falling into a deep void. Panting, a mist rolled over her mind as it often does when one wakes from a dream, mottling the details. Before her remembrance was completely stolen from her, a voice whispered to her from the deep recesses of her mind, ‘Angel… find me… save the galaxy....'

"Serenity…what is it?" Luna set the book down, clearly worried.

"I need to get out…" She breathed, clutching the rocking seat. In doing so, she crushed something in her grasp; looking at her hand, she saw the chrysanthemum and threw it to the carpeted floor as if it had scorched her palm.

The guardian quickly took the seat next to her princess, wrapping Serenity in her arms, "Stop the carriage!"

The party came to a slow halt, and shortly thereafter, the door to their small mobile quarters flew open. The sunlight blinded the women and a worried face greeted them, "Is everything all right?"

"Serenity is not feeling well," Luna explained in near panic.

Serenity smiled meekly at Nephrite, the one who had opened the side door, "I—I am fine. I only need to be out in the sun."

Looking over his shoulder, she saw King Endymion and Zoicite riding up to the carriage, clearly concerned. "What happened?" Endymion asked gruffly.

"Nothing, nothing…."

Nephrite offered her his hand, "Come. Let us get you some air."

She gratefully allowed him to help her out of the contraption. "Thank you."

Endymion looked on as his General helped the Princess down. His brow furrowed as he saw the state Serenity was in: her skin was a ghostly white with shadows evident under her anxious, blue eyes. He even went so far as to frown when he witnessed the blatant hesitation she displayed when letting go of Nephrite's hand as he assisted Luna out of the carriage as well.

When the young King spoke, his voice was harsher than he expected, "We will break for lunch."

---

"Is he mad at me?" Serenity asked while nibbling on some cheese.

Luna turned to look at Endymion; He was standing atop a small hill at least twenty feet away with his back turned to them. Serenity and Luna were the only ones sitting upon the small blanket and the Princess didn't like that one bit. In her opinion, everyone should be sitting with them, but Nephrite had informed Endymion that there were tasks to be completed even while they were stopped. The footmen were either tending to the horses, or watching the horizon for any signs of trouble. She wasn't sure what Zoicite was doing, but Serenity felt guilty sitting there doing nothing…. It was as if she was back home being pampered once more.

"No, I do not suspect he is," Luna answered, "Should he be?"

The Princess didn't take her eyes off him. "I do not know. I suppose he does not appreciate stopping like this… but—"

"You cannot help it," Her guardian interrupted then said softly, "Are you feeling at all better?"

"Yes, thank you."

The feline woman looked her ward over carefully, not overly convinced that what Serenity had experienced was nothing more than motion sickness, as the girl had said as much. The Moon Princess was downplaying what had really happened in the carriage, but Luna decided to give Serenity her space -- for now.

"You do not think he sounded terse with me earlier?" Serenity piped up again.

Luna sighed.

---

Endymion heard someone walk up behind him. "Well?"

Nephrite looked out past his King and surveyed the land as the Sun dipped further towards the horizon, "Everything seems to be well. I suspect the main road is being trafficked plenty though."

"Mm…."

Another pair of boots was heard approaching as Zoicite joined the two men. The scholar stood by Endymion, offering him an object, "I found this."

The monarch took it, inspecting it carefully. Nephrite moved closer to see, "The chrysanthemum Serenity was wearing."

"Yes, it has been crushed," Zoicite offered, "It was the only oddity in the carriage I could find."

"Have Samuel ride ahead to tell Matthias of our late arrival," Endymion instructed as he tossed the ruined flower to the ground.

The blonde General nodded in the slightest degree and went to find the footman.

"What do you think ails her?" Nephrite asked in a quiet voice, "She was so pale…."

"I don't know, but I imagine she will tell us more when she is ready. We must be on our way," Endymion stated before walking off towards the picnic blanket. He noticed Luna packing everything up, "Where did she go?"

"Hmm…?" The guardian advisor stood, brushing some hair out of her face, "Serenity? Oh, she said she needed to do something…."

Nephrite joined them, but his attention was drawn to the carriage, "What's she doing?"

They turned to see Serenity climbing up the back of the carriage to where a coachmen would normally sit, her destination obviously the topmost chest filled with her clothing. In a panic, they ran forward, afraid that if she made the slightest move in the wrong way, the Princess would take a nasty tumble.

"What are you doing up there, you stupid girl?" Luna shrieked, arms open as if to catch her.

Endymion tried not to laugh at the remark and said dryly, "Serenity, come down before you crack your stupid head open."

He was rewarded with a smack on the arm from the girl's guardian, "You are not helping!"

The blonde popped open the coffer, her entire upper body disappearing inside, digging around for something, "I refuse!"

"What is she doing?" Zoicite asked, joining the others.

"I absolutely refuse!"

Endymion shrugged, "You know as much as we do."

"Serenity, please come down. If you are looking for something in particular, let one of us get it for you," Nephrite offered.

"—refuse! I will not allow it!" The princess muttered to herself, searching frantically.

"She's lost it."

"Endymion...!" Luna huffed, tears welling up in her eyes, "What if she has another dizzy spell? She could hit her head on a rock!"

The King sighed. Fun over. "I will go after her."

"I found it!" The princess exclaimed, startling all of them. She came out of the box and waved a bundle over her head in triumph, causing her to slip a couple of inches.

The group down below gasped and rushed forward as a whole unit, all arms outstretched towards the girl.

"Serenity, come down at once!" Luna demanded shrilly.

Ignoring her guardian, she closed the trunk and began her descent. Once her slippers touched the grass, she turned on all of them -- fire in her eyes. "I refuse to be coddled! And I most definitely will not be riding in this thing again!" She flung her arm back, indicating the carriage. No one said a word as she climbed into the subject of her discontent, but not before hesitating, and slammed the door behind her all the while grumbling incoherently to herself.

Zoicite spoke first, "Does anyone know what's going on?"

The men shook their heads ‘no' and Luna knocked on the side door softly as the coach started to shake, "Serenity?"

"Don't come in here!"

The guardian jumped back, startled, "Oh my…."

A few moments went by and they waited. Suddenly the door opened again and Serenity stepped out. Endymion almost dropped dead. She was wearing the trousers, boots, and shirt he gave her the night before. Didn't he tell her to keep those clothes a secret?

"I'll walk if I have to!" She cried stubbornly.

Luna's shock wore off as she took in the appearance of her Princess, "Where did you get those clothes from?"

The King winced. His life was hanging in the balance now. If Luna found out he was teaching Serenity how to fight, he wouldn't live long enough to see his trial. No, she would flog him here and now. To death. No Warrior's demise for him. Just pain and humiliation.

Serenity shrugged, "I found them and they are comfortable, so what does it matter?"

Luna would have begun to bellow the proprieties that a young woman should perform, but the huge breath she had taken came out as somewhat of a yelp when Serenity turned to start climbing the carriage, her previous outfit in hand.

Endymion caught her arm, pulling her down to earth. "Let someone else do that."

Zoicite gratefully stepped forward, took the bundle from the girl and began the ascent.

Serenity crossed her arms defiantly, "Well?"

Shaking his head, Endymion put an arm around the girl's shoulders and had her walk with him towards the road, "Let me show you something, Princess."

They stood at the cusp of a downhill slope where they were able to survey the landscape for miles. In the distance, past the rolling fields speckled with trees was a vast dark mass that overtook an unbelievable portion of land.

With his arm still draped across her shoulders, the King pointed towards the shadowy landmass with his free hand, "That is our destination. You are telling me that you will walk that distance even when nightfall is almost upon us? Because you see, we do not have any spare horses for you to ride."

She swallowed. It seemed such an impossible distance away, but she was determined not to be enclosed within the carriage's darkness again. The last thing she wanted was to experience another nightmare….

"I can do it," she stated simply, head held high.

Endymion smiled down at her and nearly laughed, but Nephrite interrupted him kindly saying, "She can ride with me, Endymion."

Involuntarily, his grip on her tightened as he answered, "She shall ride with me."

Serenity quietly squeaked in shock and her face went aflame. She started to say that she'd rather ride with Nephrite, but the King began to lead her towards the horses before she could make any such protests, "We have dallied too long. We must depart now."

They soon stood by Loki, his steed, and Serenity's back slammed into Endymion's iron-hard chest as she jumped backwards. Not only was the horse's back taller than her, it was just shy an inch of the king's head. This thing was colossal!

"There is only one saddle," she stated, shoving herself further into Endymion, "And it is not a woman's."

He inhaled sharply, placed his hands on her shoulders, and dislodged her backside from his person. If only she had any inkling of what she looked like dressed in men's clothing.... Bending down, he whispered in her ear while slowly sliding his hands down to her supple hips, taking note of how they fit perfectly into his hands, "What did you expect?"

And without warning, he hoisted her up into the leather saddle. He laughed at her scared-witless expression as he swung himself up behind her, "You'll just have to ride like the rest of us."

Looking over his shoulder, he merrily bellowed out orders, "We are expected elsewhere gentlemen. Let us be on our way!"

Everyone had mounted and was ready to go except for Luna and Zoicite. He was practically shoving her into the carriage while she was looking at Endymion with bloodlust. Their caravan lurched forward slowly and began to move at a steady pace. Only the sound of the horses' hooves on the dirt road and creaking wheels of the carriage could be heard. It was somewhat of an uncomfortable silence as Serenity sat stiff as a board in front of Endymion. She tried to scoot as far forward as possible in the saddle as he made sure their legs pressed up against one another, purely to aggravate her. This didn't go unnoticed by his two Generals. Their King had a somewhat peculiar look on his face-- malicious merriment with a hint of bewilderment. Regardless what he was thinking, he was playing with fire.

A few terse moments ticked on by before Serenity snapped, "Do you have to sit so closely?"

He smiled gleefully while leaning forward and said in a low voice, "You were the one who wanted out of the carriage. Should we stop, Princess?"

Her ears were ringing. She'd never been this close to a man before and it was terrifying her. It didn't help that he was probably the most handsome man in the galaxy either. All the present factors — the way he smelled, brushing up against her constantly, and whispering in her hyper-sensitive ear — were sending her into a tizzy. However, what really affected her most was what he had just said. It sounded almost as if it had a double meaning, as if he was asking her something more. God help her, it sounded as if he wanted her permission to continue seducing her! This was the second time that day he had insinuated he was doing just that, the first being at breakfast.

She shivered noticeably and started to say yes she wanted to stop, but her throat seized up. So she coughed instead. He laughed quietly and settled back into the saddle so that he wasn't pressing against her quite so much. Once again all talking had ceased, however, this time the two of them only heard the hammering of their hearts and the blood rushing in their ears.

Endymion reigned in his thoughts. What he was doing was wrong. Serenity was High Princess and was his guest. It was his job to shelter her while the Soldiers sought the betrayer on the Moon, not to take advantage of her. He frowned. No, that's not what he was trying to do. Regardless of how many women he had wooed in the past, he was never boorish about it. As his thoughts deepened, he realized that he, in fact, didn't know what he was doing.

Over the past month, his opinion of Serenity had changed so drastically that it was hard to keep his head straight. When he first met her, he was taken by her beauty and kindheartedness. Then after he had brought her to Elysian, he was irritated with her haughtiness, regardless of the fact she had no say in anything that was happening to her and probably doing her best to deal with it. And as time went by, his Generals' constant talk of her wonderfulness began to pique his curiosity in her once again. This had annoyed him. His best friends knew more about this angel than he, and wasn't it he who was so captivated by her in the first place? Wasn't it he who had felt that fierce protectiveness when he watched her slumber the night of her birthday? What was he doing with Serenity?

"Why are you not riding in the carriage?" Endymion asked quietly.

Serenity thought about it and then, just as softly, said, "All my life I was treated as if I were made of glass. Here on Earth I am treated as a person, not a doll. The way you all were fussing over me today… I refuse to let it go back to the way it was…." And with that said, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. As she released all the tension that had built up after her vision, the day caught up with her and sleep was inevitable. Endymion looked down in surprise as the Princess slumped back into his chest and the security of his arms, clearly sound asleep. A wondering smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He shifted her position slightly, afraid to cause her discomfort, and then slipped an arm loosely around her waist. Indeed, what was he doing with Serenity?