Endymion kissed her on the forehead then pushed her into Nathan's arms.

 They held each other gently. The tears she had been so determined not to
shed started. "I love you, Nathan." She got out around the tightness of her
throat.

 He rested his cheek against her soft hair, then straightened and tipped her
head up towards him. He traced the angles of her face with his fingertips,
imprinting this image of her forever in his mind.

 "I love you too, 'Thea." They shared one last soft lingering kiss, then he
strode away from her, moving to his place at Endymion's side.

 Princess Serenity came up from behind her, stood next to her and reached out
to shyly wrap her finger's around Althea's hand as they watched their men
leave for war.

 

 "Your supposed to come with us, Queen Althea." Sailor Mercury smiled at her
as the Senshi gathered around Serenity.

 "I will come when and if the Darkness reaches us. Until then, I will be with
my Uncle." She said it with as much command as she could.

 The Senshi traded uneasy looks, but Serenity nodded at her, gave her a
sympathetic smile. "I understand. Go and stay with him. You won't need to
come. Endymion and Mother will send those Dark monstrosities back into the
depths they sprang from."

 Althea gave her a thank filled smile, and hurried back to her room. She
changed into her uniform, tossed a cloak around herself to hide the fact that
she was wearing it then strode to the Healer's Hall. The shield that Queen
Serenity had raised over the palace shimmered against the failing light.
There was only one exit in or out of that barrier, at the main gate, creating
a last refuge for the people if the walls should be breached.

 There where only ten of them that where in any shape to fight. She checked
on Innish, who was still asleep, thank the Powers. Having him awake and
prowling the hall would set everyone's nerves on edge. Then she asked the
Healer's what they could do to help them prepare. The tasks they assigned
where menial ones, but things that would keep the hand's busy and the edge
off nerves. She took her pile of bandages over to where her Uncle slept and
started rolling them.

 Innish's eyes snapped open. "They are coming." He stated calmly.

 "It's all right Uncle, go back to sleep." She said soothingly, putting the
bandage she was just finished rolling into the basket by her side, thinking
he was still caught in a nightmare. One of the Queen's people had come not
more than five minutes ago with the news that all was still well.

 "They will focus on the Healing Hall first, to kill the Healer's. Summon
those who can fight, Althea. Get them ready." He struggled to sit up.

 "Uncle, you are caught in a dream." She murmured to him, trying to push him
back down. "The shield is up. They can't get through."

 "They can Althea. They are..." The palace shook on it's very foundations as
a huge rent in time and space opened below the arc of the shield and the
malformed things of the Darkness dropped out of it like an evil rain.


 Innish held his power in reserve, using only his sword, closing his ears and
heart to the screams that rang around him. Those of his Guardian's that could
fought well, their powers and weapon's flying as they tried to protect the
Healers and the wounded members of their Order, but still they died. And he
could not help them. He had to keep all the power he could muster for the
task that lay ahead.

 The youma he had foreseen towered out of the smoke and dust, plowed toward
Mara and Althea. He cut a path after it, fearing for a moment he would be too
late as the youma killed Mara with one swipe of it's claws. Althea had her
back to it, struggling to clear her sword from the ribs of the thing she had
just slain. He cut it's head off from behind as it rose to it's full height
to strike the slender woman in front of it. He gave it a shove to make sure
it fell forwards onto her, pinning her under it, unconscious. "I'm sorry
Althea. But it's the only way." He whispered in a strained voice. Then he
summoned a Gate and fled.

 The Gate left him in front of the ruins of a small temple that lay at the
edge of the grounds of Caer Dythal. He moved cautiously through the crumbling
walls, alert for any signs of the Darkness. Butterfly's wicker greeted him
and he relaxed a little as the big horse loomed out of the darkness. He let
the horse come to him as he marshaled his strength and his soul for what he
was about to do. He wrapped his arms around the gray's neck, buried his face
into his warmth.

 "It's time. You will have to bring her to me when she comes, help me
remember." He imprinted the time and place he had seen onto the horses
spirit. "Remember your Mistress." He laid the geas on it as he started his
spell.

 The opalescent blues and gray's that where the signature of his power
flared, flowed to wrap them both in a sphere of light. Then the colors
started to change, the gray's overtaking the blue, blackness appearing to
slowly mingle with the gray as Innish opened a part of his soul to the
Darkness. When only a few flickers of gray shot through the black cocoon, it
peeled away, leaving two youma. One in the vague shape of a man, the other in
the shape of a horse who was now as black as the power that had created it.

   

 Althea came back to consciousness pinned under the heavy body of a Youma.
She made a little sound of disgust, pushed at it and squirmed until she was
out from under it's weight. She rose shakily to her feet, her mind slow to
registering the still silence around her as she reached for her sword, yanked
it out of the ribcage of the youma who had just attacked her.

 She straightened and turned in a slow circle, her chest tightening in
distressed horror as she took in the remains of the hall. Nothing but the
dead of both sides lay around her. And so many. She could hear the sounds of
fighting, but it was muted. The battle had moved beyond this place.

 *Mara...* She went to one knee by her friend, didn't need to check to see if
she was still living. Althea leaned over to closed her eyes and whispered a
hurried plea to the Powers to guide her friend safely through the Darkness
around them and take her into the Light. *Uncle Innish!* She used the sword
for support as she heaved herself up, then began to hunt among the bodies,
looking for her Uncle.

 She had just finished that grizzly task, somewhat relieved that she hadn't
found him among the dead, assumed that he had been carried forwards with the
flow of the battle. She was getting ready to head for those sounds when the
first group of wounded staggered into the hall.

 "Where are the Healer's?" One of the Captain's demanded of her as he sagged
under the weight of the comrade he supported.

 "Dead." Her voice was hard and harsh. The captain stared at her in stunned
disbelief. "What has happened?" She demanded back.

 "The walls have fallen." He whispered, his eye's going glassy with shock.

 *No...* She helped him lower his burden onto the floor. "Use what supplies
you can find to help the others." She reached out and shook his shoulder,
demanding his attention.

 "Can you do that?" She questioned.

 He blinked and nodded at her, stood and started bellowing orders as she
hurried out of the entrance and started running down the gently sloping path
toward the Main Gate. *The walls have fallen...where are they?*

 Three familiar figures formed out of the smoke and shadows at the bottom of
the path. *Alive...they are alive!* Then her relief turned to fear. Nathan
and Julian where supporting Endymion between them, their swords dripping with
gore in their free hands.

 She ran flat out to close the distance between them, squinting through the
darkness, trying to see how badly injured Endymion was.

 "Althea? What are you doing here!?" Nathan thundered at her as she skidded
to a stop before them.

 She ignored that question as she looked them over. Nathan was sporting a
variety of gashes, but none seemed too serious. Julian's face was a red mask
of blood and cold fury. He swiped at the blood seeping from the cut across
his forehead, trying to keep it out of his eyes as he glared back over his
shoulder. Endymion sagged between them, the lower left side of his armor
covered with blood from the wound that he'd taken in the unprotected space
where the chest plate met the hip guard.

 "Take him 'Thea." Julian growled, steadying 'Mion as she moved in beside him
and took his weight against her side and shoulders.

 "Get him and yourself to the safety of Serenity's chambers, for the Love of
the Light, Althea!" Nathan bellowed at her, his worried and love-filled eyes
contradicting the fury of his voice.

 "Nathan..." She wanted to explain, but there was no time. She could hear the
gibbering whisper of the things advancing on them.

 He touched her cheek, gave her a reassuring, quiet smile as Julian turned
beside him, bringing his sword up to the ready. *He looks so tired.*

 "This time, do as you are told!" He commanded her firmly, then turned to
stand shoulder to shoulder with his friend, waiting for the Darkness.

 
 She hurried her brother as fast as she could back up the path, her eyes
flicking from his pain-filled face, his eye's narrowed in concentration and
the will to keep on his feet as he pressed his hand to his side, to the path
before them, then back to him. She got him into the ruins of the Healing
Hall, guided him to the pallet where their Uncle had lain and eased him down.
She had to see the extent of the injury, afraid that if she didn't tend to
it, he would faint on her.

 He leaned back against the wall, gasped and gritted his teeth as she moved
his hand, undid the buckle and loosened the strap so she could move the chest
plate enough to see. She closed her eyes for a moment, thankful that she'd
stopped. Without some help, he would have bled to death before they'd made it
to the inner courts. She reached wearily into herself, found some hidden
reserve of power and cast the healing spell. The gaping slash stopped
bleeding, seemed to draw in on itself a little. She grabbed a handful of
bandages from the basket, made a quick pad and reached around him to secure
it against his waist with a longer length. He winced as she tightened the
knot against the wound, but nodded at her, gave her a small tight smile.

 "It feels better, 'Thea. Thank you." The hall rocked as some outside power
was flung. She leaned over him, protecting him with her body as some of the
ceiling rained down.

 He grabbed at her shoulder, levered himself up. "Come on, I've got to get
you to Serenity."

 They supported each other as they stumbled through a shattered wall and
picked their way through the ruins and bodies. Endymion and Althea both
traded troubled glances as they skirted the battle raging between the Senshi
and the High Youma, but didn't stop. His need to get his sister to safety and
protect his Lady love kept him from lending his aid. Her need to get him to
safety kept her at his side.

 The inner courts where strangely quiet and untouched, their steps and harsh
breathing echoing eerily as they stumbled to the closed and locked doors of
the Princess's inner chamber.

 "Serenity, let me in!" Endymion pushed himself away from his sister's
support, pounded on the doors.

 They opened before him. 

 
 They both took in stunned gulps of air as they stared at the scene before
them. Malikai smiled at them from inside the glowing sphere of force that was
to have kept the Princess safe as he finished wiping Serenity's blood from
the blade of his dagger against her dress.

 "No!" They both gasped.

 The sphere flickered and died with the Princess it was created to protect.

 "NO!" Endymion bellowed as he drew his sword and flung himself at Malikai.

 Malikai turned, guiding the blade past him with his dagger, threw his
shoulder against Endymion's own as he drew his sword into his other hand,
sending him reeling away. Althea leapt forwards, grabbed Malikai's sword arm
in both hands, pulling him towards her. "Malikai, what are you doing?" She
yelled at him in disbelief.

 "Don't touch me!" Malikai hissed as he whirled and struck at her. The tip of
the dagger in his left hand cut a shallow grove across her breasts, the
sphere of dark energy that followed it lifting her up and sending her flying
over Serenity's bed to crash into the desk beyond it.

 Darkness closed in around the edges of her sight as she struggled to pull
air back into her body. She could hear blade ringing against blade but from
where she'd landed, couldn't see anything of the battle that raged between
them.

 *He'll kill 'Mion.* She untangled her limbs, managed to get onto her hands
and knees. 

 "It was too easy, 'Mion. She trusted me because of you, let me right in."
Malikai's laughed taunt rang over her brother's ragged breathing.

 *Wait for me, 'Mion...you're hurt, just keep him at bay and I'll help you
kill him...*

 She heard her brother bellow, his anger mixing with his anguish as she
reached up and grabbed hold of the bedpost, used it to pull herself up.

 She saw 'Mion's sword arc through the air as Malikai took it out of his hand
with a flick and toss of his own blade. 'Mion sank down to one knee, one hand
pressed to his side, the other going to the floor for support as Malikai
towered over him, his blade hovering close to her brother's throat.

 He offered his hand. "I don't want to hurt you, 'Mion." He told him gently.
"Let me take you home. Your new Lady waits to tend you, to ease your pain."

 Endymion shook his head as he glared at Malikai, struggled to push himself
back to his feet, sank back down.

 "You don't have a choice, 'Mion." Malikai told him softly.

 Althea saw the darker area of air form next to him that signified the coming
of a Gate. A small ball of iridescent light formed in her palm and she threw
it at the dark shimmer, destroying it before it could open.

 Malikai whirled on her with a shocked growl. "You're still alive? Good. I
wanted to have some sport and that pathetic Princess was hardly worth the
time." He closed the distance between them in a rush, Althea barely managing
to turn away from the blade as she ducked and rolled. Pain sang through her
shoulder as she came back up to her feet. Malikai's dagger was lodged just
under her collar bone.

 Her mind was calm and cleared and focused as she faced him. *When you need
the power, Althea, it will be there.* She heard Uncle Innish's voice from a
time long past when she had been a little girl studying at the temple. She
had never been able to tap that power. Until now.

 A part of her mind registered the fact that Endymion had struggled to his
feet in the periphery of her vision, but all of her focus was on Malikai.

 "Your light show doesn't impress me, Althea." He smiled at her as he
advanced slowly, bringing his sword up over his right shoulder in preparation
to strike.

 *Almost...almost enough...come on...*

 The blade flashed downward as she pulled the power into being, ready to
cast...

 Endymion threw himself between them, Malikai's blade cutting a path through
his body from left shoulder to right hip. He stood straight for a moment as
their gazes met, each full of stunned disbelief, the sword still moving
downward in Malikai's hands.

 Confusion, horror and pain flashed across Malikai's face as he watched
Endymion fall back against his sister.

 Althea screamed in anguished fury as Endymion fell against her. She struck
back with everything she had.

 Malikai didn't have time to cry out as the blast of light lifted him and
slammed him back into the wall. By sheer force of will she kept a hold of her
consciousness as 'Mion's limp weight took her knees.

 She pressed her hands against his wound, trying to staunch the blood,
unwilling to accept what her mind knew. He shuddered against her once, then
was still.

 *He's dead. 'Mion's dead!* She wailed to herself, staring at the slowing
seep of her brother's blood between her fingers. She sat for a moment, numb,
then reached up, wrapped her fingers around the hilt of Malikai's dagger and
drew it out with a hiss.

 She put it next to her, gently moved Endymion's head and shoulders off her
knees and let him rest on the floor then took it back into her hand and got
to her hands and knees and crawled toward Malikai's crumpled form with cold
determination. If he wasn't dead yet, he soon would be.  

 The Dark power hit her from the side, sending her sliding across the floor.
She curled up around herself in pain as the foot board of the bed stopped her
flight. The world spun and blurred around her. She knew she was dying. Bones
had gone where they shouldn't. *I'm so sorry, baby.* She thought to the
little life that wouldn't be.

 "Althea?" She turned her head, forced herself to focus. *Zuriel?*

 He squatted down beside her, shook his head sadly. "You hurt him, Althea,
but didn't kill him. I thought you'd like to know that before you died. Oh,
and I have something for you." He took the ring off of his finger, pressed it
into her hand.

 She stared at it. It was the ring she had given Nathan when she had pledged
her heart.

 "You tried to take my love from me. I return the favor ten fold." He gave
her a small cold smile.

 Then the light came.


 The youma who had been Innish sat astride his familiar and forced himself to
watch the horrid clean light turn the moon into a huge star against the night
sky. "I'm sorry. It was the only way to keep you both out of the Darkness."
He shed one single tear, the last one left to him, then turned them both to
mingle with the fleeing forces of the Darkness.

*************************************************