Title: Crescent Mirror

Author: Aaeris17

Author's Notes:

I don't think there's anything I can say to apologize to you all, my most wonderful, loyal fans. It has been three long bare years and there is nothing I can say to fix that gap. I have had a lot going on in life and between med school and getting married I think I finally have the energy to start writing again!

So please read and review as always! And I'm sure I deserve flames and I'm not going to lie and say this chapter has been worth the wait but its my first real attempt at anything in a few years so lets get these fingers cracking and shake off the dust! Sere and Endymion are back and ready to kick some "Negabutt"

Without further ado…

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Wraith Kingdom

Nehelenia struggled against the cold hand that was currently holding her hostage. Her screams were dead inside her and she just kept wishing and wishing that she had been happy with her mirror. Her own little kingdom where she queened over all.

"Do not move a muscle. Stop thinking. If you want to live to see Beryl destroy herself, disappear. Disappear now. Go back to your kingdom. I will come for you," a deep voice threatened her.

Nehelenia felt tears in eyes she had long thought dry. This was the answer to her dilemma—disappear and return to fight another day. Her damned half sister could have her precious kingdom for now. She would come back at Selenity's weakest.

Nehelenia took her time phasing into the otherness. Into the darkness that scared even Beryl at the dead of night. She did not think- she did not fight back- she left. Left to fight again another day.

Rubeus felt Nehelenia dissolve from him. He shook his head and glimmered away himself. Stupid bitch. If he was every to make sure the Luster kingdom was taken over and incorporated into the Wraith kingdom he would need a whole lot more help than a gaggle of stupid broads.

Sapphire dead. His mind still reeled from the fact. Part of him mourned the loss of a comrade and the other part of him crowed in triumph. With Sapphire out of the way, he was one step closer to more power and control than he had ever had. Maybe he could finally quit being in charge of stupid youma and train some proper fighters for once. If only the droids had been more controllable. He would have loved to create a fighting force that was parallel to the Sailor Soldiers. A group of warriors so perfect and equal to the Sailor soldiers that they would be distracted enough to make mistakes. To make deadly mistakes…

An idea crystallized into Rubeus's mind. It shook him to his very core. He could have laughed out loud at the very idea were it not for fear that Beryl would take notice of him.

"But of course," he muttered and went to see out the Wise Man.

Luster Kingdom

Selenity sat in the stillness of her chamber. Festivities were underway for the celebration of the engagement of her daughter. My daughter! Engaged! Selenity's heart continued to sing with joy. An inner happiness seemed to add to the stillness in which Selenity sat in mediation. She knew not where her husband was—possibly deep into the wine with Lawrence.

Gaia had knocked and left Selenity alone. Luna had sent cold champagne. This had not gone untouched. Her only daughter engaged. Ready to be a mother. To live without her in the way she had lived for many, many years. Selenity held out her arm—was she too going to fade into the next realm? Had her time finally come?

"Bad timing?"

The voice chilled her blood. Selenity did not want to look up. She knew that voice. It had haunted her nightmares and taunted her childhood.

"Nehelenia," Selenity gave the mirror in the sideboard the coldest of acknowledgements.

" I do not choose to appear, dear sister. It has been, how does one say, thrust upon me," Nehelenia mocked Selenity.

"Your intentions could not be bad or you would have never gotten by the barriers," Selenity muttered in a dull voice, "Have you come to congratulate me? My only daughter has become affianced,"

"That was never a question," Nehelenia barked bitterly and then gave a tiny sigh," No, I have come to give you this warning,"

The champagne that had so stilled Selenity came alive like fire in her veins, "What warning do you give?" Her stillness took on an ethereal beauty that scared Nehelenia and angered her at the same time.

"The viper has come home to roost in your bosom. I bow out of this battle, Selenity. The first carnage comes your way. Think of me when all is lost," Nehelenia's voice faded into oblivion.

The sideboard became blank again. No, it wasn't blank; Selenity could see herself reflected in its glass. She squinted at the glass and saw the lines of her face blur and become replaced with her own daughter's face. A face that was somehow older, wiser than she was now. Selenity nodded to her reflection—such was the way of the world. She finished her flute of champagne and immediately summoned Artemis. If Nehelenia was to be believed than something terrible had just occurred in the Wraith kingdom.

What could be horrific enough to make Nehelenia announce a temporarily retreat? In her mind's eye Selenity suddenly saw a vision of the little child Beryl as her stepmother had been encased in mirror. She knew she should have acted then. Her heart fell a little. Had that child ever been innocent?

"Milady, scouts are sending their report as we speak. There has been a mild, shall we say, coup de tat, in the Wraith Kingdom," Artemis bowed, his face grave with worry.

Selenity struggled to keep a steady grip on the champagne flute. She could have shattered the glass into a million shards and still felt the fury rage through her blood.

"Call a meeting, get me my husband, for the love of the Goddess find Serenity and keep her safe" Selenity glanced again at the sideboard and saw the faintest glimmer of Nehelenia nodding at her. So, it was true. The war was beginning.

The Wraith Kingdom

Beryl lounged upon Diamond's throne, her throne once again. She threw one leg over the arm of the chair and let herself slouch, very un-lady like. She felt sated. For the first time in a long time, she was satisfied.

Metallica had been more than happy with the sacrifice of Sapphire. Beryl had kept him alive long enough so that he screamed when Metallica revealed her true form. His blood had been warm and his soul the most alive it had ever been. Beryl mused that she had really done the best she could for Sapphire. If she had left him with Diamond, he would have just stayed in the shadows, trying to save Diamond from Wiseman without knowing that he would have just been another sacrifice. Sapphire, Beryl decided, was born to be a sacrifice. Diamond was just another obstacle in her path to becoming Queen.

Beryl suddenly remembered the hologram of Serenity she had seen. She brought her leg down with a resounding thud and stood up suddenly. She felt like screaming and carefully bit her lower lip to control the rage boiling inside her. Whenever Metallica deigned her worthy of power, Beryl always had trouble maintaining emotional control for days afterward. This time was different—this was the first human sacrifice Metallica had ever received and the power that came from Metallica then…oh Beryl shuddered with delight remembering the high that had come afterwards.

Beryl straightened her shoulders and gave a little sigh of content, "Murder has to be almost as good," she murmured as she went to find Rubeus. She was on her way out the door when she realized that she still had the small problem of Diamond. She huffed a little impatient breath and decided to go see if Diamond had recovered from the mind-addling potion she had given him.

Back to the throne and behind it she pressed her long many ringed fingers to the cold obsidian wall. The wall melted away and in the long mirror that framed one side of the wall she thought she saw a flicker of black hair. She laughed. Her stepmother would stay there and bide her time. Little did Nehelenia know that Metallica watched all of her moves. Beryl knew every weakness that Nehelenia had and every supposed strategic move she made before she herself made it. Beryl bared her two little fangs over mulberry lips. Power, there is only power-those who have it and those who do not.

The wall had given way to a dark staircase that led both up, down, left and right. These passages-part of the legacy of the Wraith Kingdom that been left untouched for close to a millennia. Beryl's childhood had been spent haunting these paths when the Wiseman had chosen Diamond over her to train as a replacement for their deposed father. Fools! Thrice the fools to think they are the stronger sex when I-Beryl stopped herself, feeling the anger of Metallica pounding up through the walls-Yes, Mother dearest, we have been greatly wronged and these wrongs shall be set right! Stupid Diamond thinking that the Wiseman could be trusted...Beryl stopped thinking and descended like the succubus she was-losing all human form and screeching her anger into the night.

Elsewhere Rubeus heard that screech and stopped dead. He would never rightly call himself a coward but when one heard a cry like that...well it was not too hard to remember who's ass it was better to be kissing-even if it was a psychotic witch who's power hungry mania might destroy the kingdom...Rubeus decided to return to the Control Room. To hell with the Wiseman, he could save his own ass. As Nehelnia had done, those who ran away, returned to fight another day. He laughed a little as his humor and walked cockily to the Black Crystal Control Room, shouting and bossing around youma as he did so.

Diamond lay where he was bound. He was not quite aware of how he had gotten there but he knew he should not be pleased with where he was. He had a distinct feeling that his pristine suit was damaged beyond repair and he knew there was something else-something he could put his gloved finger on. Sorrow...loss...pain... Those emotions pummeled him like a night of whoring could never do. Diamond saw Beryl's pouty pointed face and then he saw a ravenous beast about to fall onto his Serenity. Diamond moaned. He was a glass case, he suddenly realized, and there was no way he could escape it on his own. His mind became foggy again and he felt his body stiffen and his thoughts leave himself again.

Beryl could have laughed as she saw these emotions play across Diamond's impassioned face-not of course that Diamond ever showed any emotion but Metallica's first human sacrifice had done for Beryl what years of mastering the Black Arts could not do. If only I was the possessor of the Silver Imperium Crystal! Beryl stopped the drumming of her black nails on the Black Crystal cage Diamond was in. Something dark stirred in Beryl. She had almost forgotten her deep imbedding hatred of that whore of a Princess. She remembered again the wrong Endymion had done her and the fury that had filled her for days when she realized she had been duped.

"Never," she hissed into the dungeon room where her darkest secrets where hidden. Endymion had escaped from here and he would come back here and ROT if he refused again her offer of Kingship. She would peel the flesh off the Princess of Luster and make her rue the day she thought she was the sole possessor of the Silver Imperium Crystal and Endymion! Her mind raced back to the holograph of Serenity that she had put near Diamond's black cage to torment his mind as long as she needed him imprisoned, "Stupid little whore, what do you know about the world?" she muttered slashing a hand through the image and causing a million shattered images of Serenity to float around the Black Crystal dungeon. "RUBEUS!" Beryl screeched into the darkness and her summons carried all over the kingdom,

In the Black Crystal Control Room Rubeus struggled to maintain calm and ignore the shivers that were threatening to gooseflesh his skin. He closed all his screens with a flick of his wrist and walked as calmly as he could to the Throne room where he knew the details of the first attack on Luster would be carried out.

Luster Kingdom

"The coup de tat in the Wraith Kingdom has left the former Princess as the head of the Wraith throne. If our informants can be trusted then Sapphire has been murdered by the Queen Beryl and Diamond himself encased in Black Crystal," Artemis clicked through images showing what seemed to be a sleeping Diamond entrapped in a filmy glass coffin.

"He can't escape?" Lawrence asked brow furrowed as he flipped through his notes.

Artemis shook his head, long white hair tumbling in the process, "No. There's only one person who has ever escaped the Black Crystal prison and he's sitting right in front of us," Artemis bowed his head towards Endmyion.

Endymion flushed and tried to sit up a little straighter as all heads swiveled towards him. Lawrence allowed himself a small smile as Apollo leaned forward, "Son, do you believe Diamond can escape?"

"Is that what we're hoping for?" Rei snapped, "One psychotic ruler for another?"

Ami put a calming palm on Rei's shoulder, "What we are clarifying is whither or not there is any chance we could be dealing with both siblings versus a singular psycho,"

"Or if this is some messed up trap that Beryl thinks can lure us to the Wraith Kingdom," Mina added.

"I'm not saving Diamond! Do you remember him from the ball? He's completely out of his gourd," Lita's angry gesticulating dissipated the hologram image of Diamond making him insignificant specks of light.

Malachite nodded, "Agreed. There is no reason for us to stick our necks out for someone who was destined to be our enemy,"

"The enemy of your enemy is your friend, " Apollo quoted. Rei looked dumbstruck.

"Within reason," Selenity heard herself add before the council meeting could turn into an all out screaming match, "The question is what are we fighting?"

"Beryl!" Rei and Lita yelled at once.

"Beryl is not the threat," Endymion said quietly. Several heads swiveled to him for the second time in as many minutes, "She has nothing to lose which makes her beyond dangerous. Her mining of the Black Crystal has made the Wraith Kingdom even more unstable than it was during the reign of her father. The castle is some sort of nexus into other worlds. The Black Crystal dungeon—the room below where I was kept, is nothing that can be described. It sucks at your life force—your existence. Diamond is as good as a zombie until someone frees him. I had something to fight for, something to come back to," He glanced at Serenity who was sitting next to him. She had been silent the whole meeting. Selenity could tell Endymion had squeezed her hand beneath the table.

"Cut to the chase, Endy," Jadeite's impatience was almost equal to Rei's, "What are we fighting?"

Endmyion looked down at his hands and then slowly lifted his dark head up, "Metallica and the Negaverse,"

Selenity's blood ran cold…The Negaverse…. She shot a desperate look to Apollo who was looking at her with grave concern. The monarch's neutral face was betrayed by the anguish in his eyes. Selenity watched those eyes, Serenity's own blue eyes, flit from herself, to Serenity, to Endymion and around the circle of children whose duty it was to defeat the greatest threat Luster had ever faced.

I never wanted this for them. Selenity thought to herself and shared those thoughts with Apollo. Even when I knew it would be their destiny part of me was foolish enough to believe that when we sealed Metallica away all those years ago that it would end everything.

Apollo nodded imperceptibly. No one had yet said anything at the table.

"Well does anyone actually have a plan or are we all going to sit here dumbstruck?" Serenity finally offered.

Several heads swiveled to look at the Princess whose expressive face belied no emotion, "We can't just sit here like sitting ducks. Obviously we need to reexamine our boundaries and decide whither we want an offensive or defensive position. And personally," Serenity's face broke out into a wicked grin, "I have a wand I am just dying to kick some Negabutt with,"

Lita whopped a cheer, "I'm all for this. Why should we be on the defense?"

"Um, because we no longer have our Outer Scouts?" Rei shot back gesturing to the noticeably empty seats, "I get some of us, "she sneered, "have been slightly preoccupied lately, but we just lost two of our most important players to the Dark Side, literally!"

Serenity took in a sharp breath and even Jadeite looked slightly shocked that Rei had said such a rude thing. Yes there indeed had been an air of celebrations going on but had not Rei herself benefitted? Selenity itched to slap her pretty little face—just once. Sometimes Rei crossed the line but Selenity caught Apollo's raised eye, this was not her fight.

Selenity forced herself to relax into her chair and waited for the conference to reconvene.

"Lady Rei perhaps you do us all a great injustice in suggesting that in our recent joy we have forgotten the constant pain of losing our first line of defense," Kunzite managed to break the silence without sounding pompous or rude. He leaned his strong form forward and his silver cape fell over his shoulder and onto the conference table. His voice continued, slow and steady, "Rest assured none of us are pleased that perhaps Mistress 9 has infected the Sailor Scout of Saturn nor are we ignoring that a miasma has taken deep hold of the Sailors Neptune and Uranus. We are diligently working to break the spell that Beryl appears to be at fault for but none of us are unaware Lady Rei. None of us," he emphasized slowly and leaned back looking at Endymion and then Artemis both who nodded.

"We have recognized the need to continue with life, Lady Rei, and that is what always helps good succeed over evil because we as a country chose to move forward despite everything around us. We will continue with the ball tomorrow for to do so will prove to the Wraith Kingdom that they have not even begun to cause us one iota of worry," Artemis waved the hologram projection away so he could see everyone more clearly.

"A ball? Our engagement ball? How can you be so clueless?" Rei shrilled and stood up.

"SIT DOWN," Serenity sternly ruled from the opposite side of the table, "How dare you stand in the presence of their Majesties?"

Rei was shell shocked that Serenity had turned that tone on her, "Sere, you can't be serious," she started fumbling over words as Jadeite hastily tugged at her red dress so she would sit down.

"If I may say so Rei, I am completely serious. In fact I do not think I have ever been more serious in my entire life," Serenity stood up and leaned forward on her hands over the table, "Do you think for one second that you are the only one who has suffered in recent events? Do you believe that your fury is greater than anyone else's sitting at this table? Do you feel that you honestly know better than your elders? Than your own mentor?" Serenity's voice was cool and calm. Selenity could not have been more proud of her daughter as Serenity backed away from the table and stood to her full height. Granted she was smaller than almost everyone present but her regal stance outshone even the mythical Quisez, "To whom does your duty lie?"

Serenity asked.

Rei was dumbfounded. Anger flooded her violet eyes but her body was frozen.

"I will ask one last time Rei, Princess of Mars, to whom does your duty lie?" Serenity lowered her voice half an octave and no one could take his or her eyes off her.

Rei took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She fell to her knees in Luster salute, her right arm thumping hard against her chest, "I am the Lady Rei of Mars, Sailor Mars of said kingdom. My duty lies first to her Majesty Princess Serenity, Sailor Moon. Her revered parents are on par with the Princess. My duty lies next to my fellow soldiers and scouts. My duty rests in the well being of my Princess and that of her Kingdom," she whispered and Selenity felt pity for the tears that were beginning at the corners of her eyes. The child was all fire was she truly to blame for her ridiculous outburst?

From the look in Serenity's eyes Selenity could tell her daughter wanted desperately to forgive her friend. But, as a sovereign she could not allow such lapses in behavior. . Rei was Serenity's most ardent supporter. Rei might have been the first person to criticize Serenity for being a ditz but never had Rei questioned Serenity's ability as a ruler.

Serenity's shoulders visibly fell forward. What a weight to bear for one so young! But, I was younger still when I was Queen…

"Lady Rei," Serenity took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, "You have always been undeniably loyal and we all love you, but," Serenity paused, "While we welcome brutal honestly, especially here in the conference room, there is a time and place for everything," she glanced quickly at Endymion, the Selenity, and lastly Apollo. Selenity felt that old familiar tug of motherhood. Would her mother have felt the same pangs when she became of age? Selenity felt a similar thread of thought coming from Apollo. Serenity had turned to Endymion first and then her mother and father. I am not the first place she will come running to anymore.

"With your Majesties most gracious permission I beg to retire to the Sacred Fire until summoned again," Rei spoke to the floor.

Selenity gave small nods—if ever Rei needed to meditate now was the time.

"Permission received," Serenity bowed her head as Rei stood up, gave two more bows and backed out of the Conference room.

Serenity sighed and sat back down, "I hate to be the one to say this, but how can we continue safely with the Engagement balls?"

Luna, having been incredibly quiet this entire time almost choked on her next breath, "Princess! All the planning that has gone into the security detail alone! Forgetting the dignitaries that are coming from all over the kingdom. We cannot just undo this because we feel afraid!" Luna looked pleadingly at Serenity, and then Artemis and Sir Lawrence to make sure she had not spoken out of turn.

"Luna speaks truly," Apollo let out a small laugh relieving the tension that had been building up since Rei had erupted, "We must remain on the defensive because by forcing them to come into our territory we gain the advantage,"

Several heads nodded in agreement. The ten of them had trained for this since childhood. Home field advantage Selenity thought ruefully to herself.

"Well," Serenity looked up at the rest of the group, "Shall we start with the entrances and dresses or containment and battle tactics?"

Everyone laughed, "I vote battle tactics!" Lita called out just as Mina screamed, "Dresses! I need a break!"

Serenity groaned and fell onto the table putting her golden head into her arms, "I wanna get some food,"

"Oh my Goddess, things never do change do they?" Luna threw her arms in the air as she went to summon sustenance for the children as she affectionately called them.

Selenity stood up and everyone jumped to attention, "If everyone will excuse me?" She smiled gently and her heart pounded with pain as she took in each of the ten children's' faces and the faces of her most loyal family, Luna, Artemis, Sir Lawrence and of course Apollo, "I have a meeting with Lady Gaia for dresses," she waggled an eyebrow at Mina who jumped up, gave Kunzite a smacking kiss and literally ran out of the room. Serenity stared after Mina with her mouth wide open and Endymion gently pushed her jaw shut. Scowling Serenity grabbed a stack of papers and began to read them.

"Good leave milady," Apollo called out heartily with Artemis and Sir Lawrence adding their own endearments as she left.

As Selenity went to Gaia's apartments she wondered if she would ever get use to leaving the running of the country in her daughter's hands with only her husband to supervise her. Selenity passed a surreptitious glance at her hands—no still solid. No danger of leaving for the Land of the Shining Ones yet. She took a deep breath and let a smile cross her features. At least for a few precious hours she could escape with Gaia, Mina, and the poor hardworking dressmaker.

Serenity, Princess of Luster

My eyes were glazing over reports as I wondered if I should go check in on Rei. I looked up at Lita who met my gaze and silently shook her head. I rolled my eyes and looked over at Ami who was deep in conversation with Jadeite and Zoiscite. Endymion was talking in low voices to Nephrite and my father seemed to be in his own world as Sir Lawrence and Artemis talked around him.

"Serenity!" I flushed and looked around. I guess my distracted gaze was more noticeable than I thought. Or you're really super obvious when you're bored

"Sorry?" I squeaked and looked to see Artemis staring down his aquiline nose at me.

" I asked," he emphasized, "have you had any real practice with your Cutie Moon Rod?" My cheeks were red as everyone stopped talking and looked at me. I heard Endy stifling a laugh.

"Well, besides that one time?" I shrugged, "A lot has happened," I said defensively as everyone exchanged glances.

Artemis clapped his hands, "Well that's no excuse for being lax. Even with everyone 'affianced'," Artemis said the word almost as if it was a swear word or something equally bad, "there is no reasons everyone shouldn't hit the fields and get some good practice in. We have especially modified the practice stadium," Artemis shared a smug look with Ami who blushed dark pink.

Lita groaned, "Really Ami? Turned against your own team!" She stood up and cracked her back as she began stretching, "I think I would much rather pretend to pound some Negascum than obsess over battle plans,"

"Negascum?" Nephrite whispered to Endy.

"Don't ask," Endy muttered back.

"We've only just assigned a name to the enemy and she's already got nicknames for them?" Jadeite joined their conservation but stopped when I shot them a dirty look.

I get a wicked idea and look over to see if our fathers and Artemis have made their way out of the room yet but they're still gathering papers up. I chew my lower lip and figure that I'm already heading for the Training Stadium and they can't do that much to me anymore.

"In the name of the Moon!" I cry and jump onto the top of the marble table as everyone stares aghast at me, "I shall punish you for that joke about the Negaverse!" While everyone's jaws are still on the floor I jump up and flip in midair, calling out my transformation as I do it, "Moon Cosmic Make Up!" I laugh triumphantly. I take out the Cutie Moon Rod, "Sorry!" I apologize in advance as I twirl the rod and power it up.

"Duck!" Endy calls but the other three boys are too slow and get a minor attack of golden hearts.

Kunzite moans as Jadeite lets out a very rude curse.

"Serenity!" Three voices bark at once.

"And on that note!" I raise my right hand to my forehead and give them a two-fingered salute, "Sailor Scouts!" I call as I force myself to transport to the Stadium. I feel Lita and Ami transform and follow my transport.

Mere seconds later I land very ungracefully on my butt. I groan and rub my tailbone. That did not go nearly as well as I thought it would. Before I can even lift myself up off the ground I sense a large shadow over me. I don't even have to look up to see that smirk.

"You better have that smirk wiped off your face before I get up," I growled.

"Can you get up?" Endy laughed. I swung the Cutie Moon Rod at him and heard it shrill as it swirled underneath Endy's legs. He jumped deftly missing the rod that sang of its disappointment.

"Not fair, you're standing," I pouted as Endy held out his arm and hefted me up.

"You attacked without warning," Endy kissed my forehead and I could feel the grin underneath his lips.

I tilted my face up to capture that grin and I felt his mouth move eagerly against mine.

"Are you kidding me? I got blasted by the power of love so you two could make out in the arena?" Jadeite complained rudely as the rest of the group arrived.

"Shove off Jade," Endy's mouth didn't leave mine but I began giggling too hard to keep the moment alive. Endy sighed, "I owe you man," Endy lifted his head and turned around ready to spar but Jadeite was on him faster.

I heard the buzz and reacted instantly, somersaulting away. An arrow whirled past me causing my fuku skirt to fly up.

I tittered and Lita laughed out loud pointing at me, "No matter what we do the skirt goes up!"

"They go up?" Jadeite looked over to us and Endy managed to land a solid thud against his chest with the flat length of his sword, "Oomph," Jadeite went down to his knees.

"Look at your own fiancée's butt!" Endy tried to tease but failed to make it sound like anything less than a death threat.

"Oo, he protects her honor!" Lita hooted before her own specially designed attacks distracted her.

Endy had moved away from the target area and I followed him. He struck his sword against the dummy in the corner and I threw my arms around his well armored back.

"Ow," I muttered, "Your armor is much harder than I remember,"

"And your skirt's much shorter than I thought it was too," he growled and didn't turn around.

I laughed, "Endy!" I moved myself in front of him and he still didn't look up, "What's wrong?"

Endy muttered something that I didn't quite catch, "Nothing," was all he said.

"Oh no, we don't act like petulant children now," I mocked and tilted his chin up. Blue met blue and I felt the sky and ocean colliding. Warmth built in my chest as we stood there locked in gaze. Wordlessly I fell into his arms.

"I love you," he whispered breathlessly into the crown of my head. I nodded.

"Are you really upset that the fuku flies up?" I lifted my head to meet his gaze again. One look in his eyes told me that was not the real reason.

"Well," I saw a mask fall over his fears and a certain twinkle take over, "that fuku is awfully distracting," he drawled before leaning in to kiss me again.

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODDESS STOP MAKING OUT!" We heard several voices shout at once and we broke apart long enough to see several attacks heading our way.

I grinned at Endy and he wolfishly matched it.

"In the name of the moon!" I shouted running straight into the attack with Endy by my side shouting his own battle cry.