They packed away lunch and continued marching towards the capitol. Now the front lines consisted of four Queens, four Generals, a Prince, and five girls with extraordinary powers. The Queens kept their powers concealed until the time when they would have to use them.

Dusk was approaching when a line of figures appeared on the horizon.

"The Moon's army!" Serena gasped. It spread through the men, and slowly they prepared for battle. They dropped their packs in piles and pulled their swords and arrows. Lines of charging swordsmen appeared, and the archers dotted those lines while forming their own.

The Moon's army came into clear view, and formed their own lines. The auras of the girls flared up, while the Queen's kept theirs dim. Each pulled their own weapons, though. Michiru held her mirror, Haruka her sword, Setsuna her staff, Hotaru her glaive.

"Remember," Setsuna said quietly to her fellow senshi, "this is what Selenity died for. This is why she gave up her child. This is why we are here."

They all looked at Serena, who was glowing silver, her eyes determined and sharp.

"We are here for the former Queen," Michiru said.

"And here for the new," Hotaru finished. She finally understood. Never would Serenity be Princess because when this fight was over she would be Queen. They looked at the Duke Braeden Lynalia who had once been one of them. They knew of his deed. And they knew they should not be the ones to kill him, though they yearned to do so.

The Duke could not believe his eyes. The Queens and former advisors were standing on the front lines, their magic ready. Then there were the five girls glowing with power. One of them, he knew, had to be the Princess. His heart beat faster. He would have to kill all of them, to be sure.

Tension gathered around the battle field as each side sized up the other. The army of the Earth tried to push away their fear, but the Earth's army had mages. Nine of them. They could handle the Earthlings, but to get past the magic would be difficult. Very difficult.

====================================

From each of their respective planets, the Royalty of the Inner Planets watched the battle begin to fold out. The Queens, each alive and well and without an heir, began to cry as they saw their daughters. They were so proud, seeing the power each possessed, the strength of spirit they had mounted up. This was they had lost their daughters for, and they were assured the Earthen army would win. The war would end.

Today.

====================================

"Charge!" the Duke yelled. His army sprang forth, while the Earthen army sat still. A line of fire was drawn in front of the front lines. Raye powered it, beads of sweat popping from her forehead. She threw it at the Moon's army, frightening horses and humans alike. Archers from the Earth stepped forward and lit their arrows, then fired with precise aim. Swordsmen waited for the Moon's lines to break through.

Mina, who stood in the fire, threw her golden beams at the army. The first line was gone. The second came and fell as well.

The fire reflected in the Duke's eyes. He watched his army fall at the hands of the mages and could not believe it. How? How could this have happened?

Haruka ran through the flames and sliced through the army. Her magic was concentrated and practiced. She slowed for seconds to yell at the Duke.

"She is here, Braeden, and she will kill you!"

Then she was gone, slicing away again.

Black colored magic in ribbons wove through the army, flowing from Hotaru's glaive. She stood in the fire as well, pushing her magic through. Setsuna stood beside her, purple globes flying from the tip of her staff. Michiru reflected the army's evil back at them, her blue magic hitting them and making them fall.

Lita's lightening struck with aim like no other. She took soldiers left and right. Her anger and strength pulsed through her, fueling her. They would win! They would!

Amy's rain blinded the Moon's soldiers as it beat hard upon the battle field. She was never one to get angry, she had the patience of a god, but now she could take no more. This was for Greg, may she find him somewhere soon.

Serena watched, but kept out. She walked through the flames, intent on seeing the face of the man on a horse. She looked closer and closer, something drawing her to do it. The voices whispered, though would not let her hear the words they said. Finally, the firelight illuminated his face, his long white hair and blood colored eyes. She fell to the ground and screamed. Long and loud. Her mind traveled backwards to the pain she had felt the morning of the Queen's death.

Words burst from one voice of the Moon. Pictures flashed behind her eyes. A gleaming silver knife, a white silk dress covered in scarlet blood, an evil sneering face. Braeden's face.

She fell into the pictures and into the sound of her scream. She tumbled through darkness until she came to a bright silver light, burning at her eyes. She had never felt so lost in her power. In front of her it seemed like a mirror. The Queen of the Moon, the front of her dress coated in blood, looked at Serena.

"Serenity, Serena for short," she said. Her voice echoed and faded with every word. "My daughter. The pain you felt was real. It was my pain." She touched her heart, where the knife had pierced her. "He caused it."

Serena's eyes snapped open and the Queen disappeared. The flames were no longer around her. The rain no longer fell. The soldiers had stopped midfight to stare at her. She silenced her scream. No longer could she feel the ground because she was floating above it. She looked around realizing what this field was full of.

Wildflowers.

Thunder rumbled around them.

Dusk began to fall. Stars sat behind her, the sun in front of her. It was not night, it was not day. It was both.

She turned her gaze to the duke, and her silver aura flared even brighter.

"You killed her," she whispered and the entire battle field heard her. "You killed the Queen of the Moon!"

The Duke's eyes widened as his army turned to glare at him. Could they believe this girl?

"Do you deny it?" Serena yelled.

The Duke scowled at her. This was her. The long-lost Princess. Just another royal to kill. He did not deny anything, but kept silent. His army fell back as he drew his sword.

"Do not speak of what you do not know, child!" he yelled.

She narrowed her eyes. "But I do know! I felt the pain, I saw the blood! You murdered her cold for the power! It wasn't yours to take, Lynalia! It is my power."

"Blasphemy!" He pointed his sword at her. "You accuse the ruler of this planet of murder! For that you will die!"

He spurred his horse forward at the floating girl, the lost Princess. Time moved slower as everyone watched.

She put her palm out to him, and there a saber grew of power. Her hair grew longer and as it did silver was painted from root to end. On her forward a crescent moon sprang forth in a burst of magic. She pointed the sharp end of her saber at him, and waited. Horse hooves hit the ground, thumping harder and harder. Her rhyme, her destiny, was being yelled in her ears.

"This is the place among the wildflowers,

Where your hopes and dreams have blooms,

Where night and day have become only one,

And Lita's thunder booms,

Where you have found your inner self,

And your own magic too,

Your identity has been revealed,

Your hair has become silver true!"

The Duke raised his sword upwards, then brought it swinging down at her head. She was quicker and her saber struck him first. It pushed through his chest, his pupils became smaller in shock.

She pushed it in harder until his face was next to hers. She looked into his crimson eyes, the evil and hate bubbling behind them. Greed lined his soul.

"You will torture my people no longer."

The saber dissipated, and Lynalia slumped back on his horse. Serena's feet touched the ground and she turned away from him. She turned to face the night where the Earth was rising. Her friends and Darien stood in front of it. Their faces golden as the remaining sun disappeared. She walked quickly over to Darien and he dismounted his horse. She looked into his eyes, miniatures of his Earth, and fell in. She threw her arms around his neck and pushed her lips hard against his.

Her new life began now.

Author's Note: It took long again, didn't it? Well, really I wrote this all in one night, it just took a bunch of nights before I could do it. Please review. Should I do another chapter or an epilogue, or just leave it now? Hmm? Hmm?

Until the next time,

Ai No Senshi