Serenity sat by the pool for a while, stunned. A bird called out and landed on a branch above her, sending a shower of fragrant blossoms down over her. She raised a shaking hand to catch one petal and looked at it carefully. She knew what she had to do. She got to her feet and walked back into the palace.
"Endymion? Endymion!" she called as she walked into their suite.
"Yes?" He was in their bedroom. Serenity walked in.
"Endymion, are you tired?"
He raised his head, his hair as beautifully black as ever, his eyes still a bright blue. No lines creased his face, but Serenity raised her hands to her mouth in a gasp. He looked so old!
He smiled at her bitterly. "Looking my age, am I?" He pulled himself up off the bed. "Kami-sama, yes, I am tired, Serenity. When I'm with you-" he smiled with breathtaking sweetness, "-not so tired, but weary all the same." He looked at her. "Are you finally ready to go?"
Serenity smiled ruefully. "I've been hanging on tooth and nail, haven't I? I keep feeling like Usagi's not ready, like she can't do the job without me." She sighed. "It's time I let this all-" she waved limply around the room, "-go, and let Usagi grow up." She collapsed on the bed next to Endymion and hugged him close. "I could hold on for a while longer, and I think you could too, but that's selfish of me, I suppose..." She closed her eyes and held out her hands, and the three talismans fell into them. She arranged them carefully on their bed, then turned back to her husband.
Endymion wrapped his arms around her. "Let's go inform our new queen, Serenity."
They got to their feet and walked out of the suite. They found Usagi in the throne room hearing judgements in her mother's absence. She looked up at them in surprise as they entered the room. She made a preemptory gesture at the herald and he hurried the petitioners out. When the room was empty Serenity and Endymion walked up to Usagi, hand in hand. Serenity smiled at her. "Follow us, dear." Usagi swallowed and nodded. As she followed them up the staircase that led to the top of the highest spire of the Crystal Palace, Helios stepped into place behind her and took her hand. She looked back at him with a blinding smile, and they climbed. The closer they got to the top, the faster Serenity and Endymion walked, the more urgency entered their steps.
Finally they reached the top. Serenity and Endymion turned. They held each other so tight it appeared as though they were one entity. Usagi thought about that. In many ways, she supposed they were. Her mother looked at her, seeming to search through her soul, and then nodded and stepped back. Endymion held out the hand that wasn't around Serenity's waist to Helios.
"Take care of her, my friend." He smiled at his wife. "These women of the Moon need us to help with all the duties that fall to their shoulders." He squeezed Serenity even closer, "And they make it worth everything they put you through, so watch over her for me."
Serenity leaned forward a little and placed her hand over Helios' and Endymion's firmly clutched hands. "Watch over her for us."
Helios nodded solemnly. He seemed to know what was happening already. Usagi stepped forward in alarm, feeling something of what was coming.
"Mother? Father? You're not-you won't..."
Serenity reached out with a decent shadow of her usually blinding smile. "I'm sorry, dear. I held on more stubbornly than most, but you're ready. More than ready." She closed her eyes and Gizuishou appeared in the air over her hand. It seemed to be brighter than it had been before. "We're not really leaving you, Usagi. Something of us will remain." As Ginzuishou grew brighter, Serenity and Endymion faded away. "You will be a wonderful Queen, Usagi-chan. I know you will."
"We're already proud of you, Usagi-chan." Endymion smiled at her one last time, and then Usagi's parents turned to each other, barely visible before the bright sunset that painted the crystal city with shimmering gold. They leaned down for a kiss, their eyes closed, with faint smiles just touching their nearly invisible lips. As the sun sent one last, defiant ray of light over the horizon, Usagi blinked, and they were gone. Ginzuishou lay on the ground, pulsing faintly. With a shaking hand she picked it up and clutched it to her heart. She stood on the tower, feeling the wind tear at her hair and long, loose white gown. If she closed her eyes and concentrated, she could almost feel all of them, whispering words of comfort to her. But she felt so alone. Everyone was going to turn to her now, expect her to be as good and wise a queen as her mother was. She began to shiver in the cold evening wind.
A warm arm encircled her waist, moist lips kissed the base of her neck. "Don't worry, Usagi. I'm here." Helios. With a little sob of pain she turned and hugged him close. After a minute of clutching tight to him she loosened her hold and turned her head back to look down on her new kingdom.
She wiped her tears out of her eyes. "I'll do my best, Mother."