a Sailormoon fanfiction by Dejana Talis -not to be used without permission- Written for sm_monthly, January 2008 (Silver Millennium) Day Two (Fireworks). Serenity was getting tired. She could barely breathe, and the giggling wasn't helping, but she wasn't ready to give up yet. Her short legs pumped furiously, propelling her around the nursemaid who reached out to catch her and down the steps of the dais. "I'll get you!" Endymion launched himself after her, breaking through the protective crowd of nobles and attendants that were clustered around the monarchs. Now free of their watchers, the two children darted around the expansive ballroom in fresh glee. The hall became a forest of legs and flowing skirts, which the pair navigated like a multicolored labyrinth. Endymion was older and faster, and Serenity knew she was doomed to lose. His bubbly laughter was drawing closer and closer, and her lungs were starting to burn. Ducking around an elderly nobleman, she gathered up her skirts and plunged down a staircase under an archway. The sounds of the party fell away quickly, leaving only her hurried footsteps and the breathless giggles of her pursuer. She ran down flight after flight of stairs, barely keeping ahead as Endymion also began to tire. Finally, Serenity burst out through a doorway into the moonlit courtyard. Endymion nearly barreled into the young girl as she stopped short, staring out over the flagstones. He bent over and leaned on his knees as they both gasped for breath, grateful for an end to the running. "Caught you," he panted, thumping Serenity on the back, but her attention had already shifted as it was prone to do. "What's all that?" she asked, pointing ahead. A large array of crates and barrels had been assembled in the courtyard, piled several layers high. The containers had various labels stamped on their sides, but Serenity could not read the written language of the Golden Kingdom. "The usual things." Endymion straightened up. "We always send something back whenever anyone from the Moon visits." "What could Earth give us?" Serenity demanded. Her hands found her hips and she lifted her dimpled chin indignantly. "You don't even have magic!" "We don't need magic to make something special," Endymion argued crossly. "Show me." Endymion made an irritated noise and stomped off toward the piled crates. Visits from the Moon were fun, but their princess could be a bother. When he spotted a certain barrel with an open top, however, he forgot all annoyance in his own excitement. Climbing up on a box of oranges, Endymion reached into the barrel and pulled out a tall, thin package mounted on a stick. "What's that?" The boy jumped and nearly fell off the crate. Serenity had followed him to the pile and was curiously eyeing the brightly-colored cylinder in his hand. Endymion grinned, enjoying his moment of superior wisdom. "You'll see. Stay here." Turning away from her, he ran off toward the edge of the courtyard, where a line of torches was burning. Endymion's heart was pounding in his chest. He had a feeling he wasn't supposed to be doing this... but it had never been expressly forbidden. And he couldn't stand the mockery in Serenity's eyes as she belittled his kingdom. Endymion had never been allowed near anything that burned, but he had seen how this was done. Stretching up on his toes, he lifted the cylinder in his arms and just barely managed to light the end of the long wick. It immediately began to sizzle and spark, and he hurriedly turned the device right-side up and jammed its support stick into the ground beside the torch. There was a startled gasp at his elbow. Endymion turned around to discover Serenity standing right beside him again. "I told you to stay there!" Seizing her hand, Endymion ran as fast as he could toward the center of the courtyard, dragging Serenity along and ignoring her alarmed protests. They were beside the pile of crates again before he let her turn around, and not a moment too soon. The firework went off. With a burst of blinding light, the slim rocket tore loose from its spike and shot into the air, screaming a high-pitched shriek. Serenity let out a cry of her own, turning away in fear and burying her face in Endymion's shoulder. He nearly stumbled in his surprise, but laid a comforting hand on her back as she trembled against him. A loud pop rent the air, and Serenity clung to him even more tightly, but Endymion seized her by the shoulders and forcibly turned her around. "Serenity, look!" The young princess looked up into a rain of multicolored stars, purple and red and blue sparkling across the night sky. Trails of brilliant gold streamed from the burst firework, scattering glitter in their wake. The fear on her face slowly melted into wonder. The firework finished with a sizzle of twinkling white sparks, and Endymion grinned as Serenity jumped and clapped her hands in delight. His shoulder was warm where she had huddled against him. He hadn't meant to frighten her, but it was worth it to see her smile. "You do have magic!" the Lunarian exclaimed breathlessly, her eyes shining. "More, more!" "Serenity!" The princess' face fell as a familiar voice sounded from the balcony above, sharp and scolding. A firework was many wonderful things, but it was unfortunately hard to miss. "Endymion!" boomed the voice of the Earth king. "I'm coming down there!" The two children stared at each other for a moment in guilt-ridden terror. The next moment they were running again, but together. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon are the property of Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha.