Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Guarded Twin ❯ A Stupid Dare ( Chapter 1 )

Lady: Howdy ho folks!

Trin: We like soooo thought we wouldn't make it this far…thank you to all my fans!

Blair: uh-oh…

Lady: Your fans?...excuse us, usual disclaimers apply. Sailor Moon doesn't belong to us…Entrinity come back!

Trin: My fans!!! *whines as Blair drags her away* Blair quit being so mean!!! Yeah usual disclaimers apply.... Even though we wish we owned Sailor Moon *sniffles*...

Lady: with like a million others…

Blair: Yeah but we don't so stop your whining already *duct tapes Trin's mouth then ties her to a chair*

 

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Chapter 1 - A Stupid Dare

 

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~~~~One year on~~~~

 

It was a stupid dare but anybody who knew Prince Endymion Theodore of Earth knew that he'd do just about anything. Still it was a stupid dare made by his Generals. He was to sneak into the barracks and put on the Royal Commander's armour then run back out to the others.

 

The prince snuck round the side of the building his dark form slipping from one shadow to the next, moving gradually to the open Commander's window. He listened intently for any movement, decided there was none and hauled himself through the window.

 

The Commander's quarters was furbished quite well: a large mahogany desk with maps sprawled across it, a chaise longue on the opposite side of where Endymion was standing and a double bed. Well less is more. In the corner stood the Royal Commander's armour on a dummy. Silver shin and arm braces glinted back at Endymion under the dim moonlight and he ran his fingers over the silver emblem of Earth etched in a corner of the chest plate. Endymion hurriedly placed everything where it was meant to go putting the helmet on lastly. It hid much of his face but he was thankful that it allowed him to see.

 

Something crashed outside of the door and Endymion tensed himself with his sword at hand. He wouldn't kill his own men but he'd definitely daze them so they couldn't report back to his father.

 

A young man of about sixteen opened the door and looked about in the room with a single candle to hand. He spotted Endymion and bowed promptly. Endymion froze. His father would definitely skin him alive for this.

 

“Royal Commander Sir, the teleporter's arrived. The King wishes to see you off before you leave for your assignment.” Endymion nodded and relaxed a little, not trusting his voice and followed the young guard. He gave a silent prayer of thanks for not being recognised.

 

They walked silently through the Army campsite taking a short cut through the dark forests, the young guard's candle lighting the way. They soon came to a clearing with a few men milling about moving to and fro to a small ship. One man stood straighter than the rest and looked towards them as Endymion and the guard came closer.

 

“Leave.” The prince stated gruffly to the guard who looked slightly bewildered but did as asked. Gaia damn him if he allowed his father any chance to recognise him and shame him in front of others.

 

King Damien extended a hand and Endymion took it, grateful for the battle gloves on his hand. His father would surely recognise his son's own hand.

 

“Commander, thank you for taking up this job at such short notice. I understand the Royal Army is at ease?” Endymion nodded again and the king turned to watch items being loaded on ship.

 

“This is a chance for Earth to shine Commander. To show this universe that we're not blood thirsty men. That we want peace like every other planet. The Sun King recognised that in us…Gaia bless him.” Endymion stood quiet as the king reflected over painful memories. “You carry this responsibility. I do not doubt your wisdom, but are you prepared to shoulder this heavy burden?”

 

“Yes your highness,” Endymion replied in that same gruff voice. There was no way he could get out now. He had written his own contract and signed it…now he had to fulfil a job that wasn't his.

 

“All supplies are on board and a crew is on hand as well.” The King turned to face him and extended his hand. Endymion clasped his wrist this time. “Gaia keep you Commander and pray you come back to us safely.” The prince bowed deeply and stayed that way until Damien left.

 

What to do now? Act as an impostor? It seemed like the best course of action and the only one offered to him. He'd personally kill his generals if he ever got out of this.

 

---On the Moon---

 

The teleporter landed with a thud in the grassy plains before the palace. The sun was just rising and Endymion couldn't help but think the Moon, for all its filthy inhabitants, was quite beautiful. A handful of Lunarian soldiers clad in white uniform greeted him and his crew. They weren't friendly but they weren't ready to kill them either. The group made their way to the large silver gates that had protected the palace for centuries and entered the inner courtyard.

 

Roses beamed at him everywhere. It was said that the young Queen-In-Waiting planted these in memory of her twin sister although he couldn't quite remember the name.

 

The Receiving Area was small and quaint, a light breeze blowing through the open archways, the ivy on its columns swaying in the breeze. A small staircase led to double silver oak doors. The Terrans came to a halt in the centre and Endymion made sure his helmet was on securely. He didn't need any of the men running back to Earth with suspicions that the Crown Prince was on the Moon. He prayed silently to Gaia for help and in a way he got it.

 

A woman with dark curls and wearing a yellow dress descended the stairs. She acknowledged Endymion's attire and bowed her head.

 

“My Lord Commander, the Moon is grateful for you accepting our request. Please, my ladies will see you now.” He followed the woman up the staircase signalling for his men to stay. He thought he was to stay in the Royal Receiving room but the woman motioned for him to follow her to another door.

 

It was the Royal bedchambers and a place where he'd rather not be. A blonde woman sat on the edge of the bed, mopping a silver haired woman's brow. She was deathly pale, sweating freely and babbling confused words.

 

“Your majesties,” the woman spoke softly. “My Lord Commander of Earth.”

 

“Thank you Luna. Please see to it that his men are well rested and fed.” Endymion heard so much pain and weariness in that voice, one that a young princess shouldn't harbour.

 

“Your Highness.” Luna backed out of the room bowing, closing the door behind her. All was quiet besides the elder woman's mutterings. The princess spoke to Endymion directly.

 

“Surely you see the state the Moon is in my lord. We are not functioning the way we should be.”

 

“You mean you are not functioning the way you should be…your highness, forgive my intrusion,” Endymion quickly covered. She stood and turned to face him with a small smile. Blue eyes tried to smile too but it didn't quite show. Her long golden hair was up in two buns the rest of it trailing down her back and she shrugged.

 

“You are right my lord. I am not myself though it is not as if I have had a chance to be. You should forgive my rudeness anyway,” she curtsied low and smiled again. “Princess Serenity Aurora Celeste, Crown Heir of the Moon and the Silver Alliance at your service. May I have the pleasure of your name my lord?”

 

“Lord Commander Endymion of Earth. Your highness, my service is given to you freely.” He tensed and cursed himself for slipping up on using his real name but Serenity just sighed and looked towards her now silent mother.

 

“Do you understand why you are here?”

 

“Only slightly your majesty I'll admit.” Endymion was near panic, he was just grateful she didn't know the sound of his voice. But now that she actually presented him with the situation, he wasn't so sure he could pull it off anymore.

 

“I'll be blunt my lord. My mother is dying. She is practically dead now and I am practically queen. There those who do not wish to see me ascend to the throne and continue my mother's rule. There have been several attempts on my life already and for a whole year my mother and I have been in seclusion. I have now decided that this is enough. I wish to find those who want me dead and deal with them accordingly and claim my birthright peacefully. To do this I need a protector if you will. I am asking you my Lord Commander to do the Moon a favour and protect its heir in its time of need. Do you accept?”

 

Thoughts in Endymion's head ran by so slow that it seemed it took him forever to answer. He was being offered the chance to protect the race he sorely didn't like let alone having to protect their princess. He would have to carry the name of the Moon and the Earth on his shoulders and it was most likely he wouldn't be going home for a very long while. He would be treated like a soldier, not a Crown Prince and he would have to stay undercover at all times. Despite all of this he still knew his answer would be.

 

“Yes your majesty, I do.” She smiled at him and took his hand in hers, looking in his deep blue eyes.

 

“I am eternally grateful to you my lord and the Moon is in your debt.” She then looked at him strangely and he feared the worst. “I hope you know you can remove your helmet. I wish to see the face of the man who is to protect me.”

 

“Your majesty, no disrespect, but of Terran protocol it is wrong for a lowly soldier to reveal his face to royalty.” He hoped against hope she'd buy it.

 

“Well you are not a lowly soldier; you're my bodyguard-“ he felt his heart sinking. “-But if you're comfortable with your ways I will not be the one who will force you to stop them.” Serenity went back to her mother's side mopping her brow again.

 

“If you'll excuse me my lord…” Endymion straightened and bowed backing towards the door and closing it gently behind him. The eye of the storm had passed over him, or so he thought. All the same it was how the Crown Prince Endymion Theodore of Earth came to be the personal Guard to the Crown Princess Serenity Aurora Celeste of the Moon.

 

Anyone who knew Endymion also knew that none of his dares went right either.

 

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