She arrived back in her room on the Earth, and looked once more at her painting. The weight of her plans fell upon her shoulders. It may cost her everything should she lose, yet should she win she would gain everything. Helios was watching her, ready to step in. But even he might not be able to help her.

She sat upon her bed, folding her legs in, and closing off the world. She slipped into meditation that made her silver aura glow around her. Power collected inside her, growing larger and larger by the second. She could feel the electricity running up her arms and making her hair stand on end. Her long braids were being lifted in the air. Everyone in the castle could feel the magic collecting.

Including the Prince.

Darien knew that she had indeed come back, and he knew what she was doing. She was collecting all the magic from the Earth, gaining power for what could possibly be the biggest moment of her life. He knew that tonight he may lose her, but he would not stop her.

The generals were furious.

"You know what could happen!"

"Yes."

"And you're not stopping it?!"

"No."

"But-"

"Just trust her."

This made them even angrier.

"Mommy, do you feel that too?" A small girl asked gripping her mother's hand tighter.

"Yes, honey."

"What is it?"

The mother smiled. She was a Lunarian who'd fled to Earth after the Kingdom was overturned. She'd felt this familiar tug on her heart many times before. The silver crystal was reminding her who she was, what planet she belonged to, and who her Princess was.

"It's a good sign honey. It means that someone is watching out for you and me."

"Who, Mommy?"

"The Princess."

People all around them stopped working and stood rigid. Their hearts feeling the magic, the aura, and a strange warmth. People from Earth the Moon alike knew what was happening. Their magic, their love, and their dreams were being called upon to help. And they were all willing to lend a hand.

Serena was collecting it all. Sucking in every ounce of magic she could find. Her aura growing stronger, her magic flowing deeper, her life narrowing down to moments. Her braids had been undone, and magically put up in the royal way. Her outfit was changing too, as was her very essence. The traces of Moon Royalty were showing up more than they ever had. Her forehead was like a beacon.

Night fell and the Moon rose. Serena opened her eyes and the aura disappeared. It couldn't be seen, but it could be felt. She looked in the mirror and was shocked. Her hair had turned silver. Her dress was one she'd never seen before, long and white, with transparent layers of silver cloth flowing down from the shoulders, her waist, and then down in a train. The buns at either side of her head were perfect. She looked in her own eyes and was surprised how much more blue they were.

She left her room and went to the Earthen crest. Darien was waiting there for her. There eyes met across the room, his regretful, hers embarrassed.

"I'm not going to stop you," he said.

She nodded.

"But remember, you have to come back."

"I know."

She stood in the middle of the circular room and gazed upwards. The Moon was high above the skylight.

"Stop her!" Malachite yelled, appearing in the hallway. The four generals started to charge toward her with their swords drawn.

Serena grabbed Darien before he could turn, and kissed his lips quickly. She did so in fear that she would never have that chance again. He blinked in shock when she pulled away.

"For your protection," she said, and traced a silver crescent moon on his forehead. It shimmered then disappeared. The generals were on them now as Darien drew his sword.

"Go Serenity!" he yelled over his shoulder. Nephlite's sword bounced off Darien's as she twisted away into nothing.

"You've made a mistake, Your Highness!"

"Yes," Darien said, his eyes on the Moon. "I fell in love."

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Serena could feel, even after five years, everything in this place. The magic overwhelmed her, coating her skin, blurring her vision. She walked slowly on bare feet around the ruins of her old Palace. The souls that had been lost here cried out, begging her to avenge them. She came to the spot where she had last been the night her world fell down. She knelt, holding her breath as she examined the ground below her. Through the stone, hundreds of small flowers had broken, their silver buds sparkling in the night. She touched a petal with the tip of her finger, and it's bud grew to the size of her fist.

"Magic," she whispered, stepping back. Then she held her arms open to the night sky and began to pull it in. The souls of the lost lent themselves to her, the flowers beneath her feet grew, and the rest of the Moon began to rejoice.

Their Princess had returned.

The Dark Moon Palace erupted into chaos. Servants stopped listening to orders and began singing instead. They let their magic go. Diamond and his Queen sat in their room when the tug came. He sneered as Emerald panicked. Sapphire strode calmly into the room.

"She's here," Emerald chattered nervously. A small squeak on the word 'she'.

"We know, Emerald," Sapphire said. "Are we going to go kill her?"

Diamond blew air out through his nose like a bull ready to charge. "Yes. She's caused me enough trouble now."

They all disappeared from the room in a burst of black.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Serena felt the coldness drawing closer before they even appeared before her. She threw up her defenses promptly, a silver glimmer surrounding her body.

"Serenity, Serenity," Diamond said. She didn't even cringe at his voice. "Have you come to die?"

Serena balled her fists, anger causing the silver to explode in fireworks around her body. "Stop talking," she said. "You can't avoid what's going to happen no matter how scared you are."

Diamond's eyes flared. "Scared?! You think I'm scared?!" He calmed himself. "It's the silver hair that's done it to me of course. I was just thinking of your mother and how easy it was to thrust this sword of mine through her. It's still stained you know."

Serena's aura twisted out in vines, pushing furiously at the darkness in front of her. Her hair began floating behind her, causing Emerald to step back nervously. Serena's dress flew out like wings at her sides. Her bangs flew up showing the crescent moon and it's new shine.

"Stop stalling and attack!"

Sapphire couldn't wait any longer. He collected a ball of energy, throwing it towards her quite sloppily. She stepped calmly to the side, letting it only graze her dress. It hit the ground behind her and caused an explosion. Red fire made Serena's shadow grow larger.

Emerald, who was slowly gaining courage, held her hands out and threw small daggers of power in Serena's direction. Out of the twenty thrown, Serena only got hit by one. It left a sharp cut below her eye. She didn't wipe the blood away and it simply dripped down her cheek.

"You've drawn blood," Serena said. Emerald was so satisfied with herself, until she saw Serena's char smudged face. It was bent up in a smile.

"Emerald you fool!" Diamond yelled over the sounds of the cackling flames. "She cannot use the crystal to kill unless her blood is drawn!"

"But- but she wouldn't!"

Serena had thought of that herself. If she had the opportunity to kill Diamond, would she? Could she? Would banishing the three be enough? She thought of the beatings, the Core, her mother, her guardians. All the pain, the lost hope, the devastation. What her people had gone through.

No, it would never be enough.

Emerald's face was contorted into a mask of fear. She was ready to run. And being the fool she was, she did.

Serena looked at Diamond.

"What a coward your dear Emerald is." She thrust her hand forward, sparks of silver shooting from it. The sparks slithered on the ground and then jumped upward to grab Emerald by the wrists. Serena turned her outstretched hand into a fist, jerking her arm backwards. Emerald was yanked by invisible chains to Serena's feet.

"There's no reason for you to die."

Emerald's eyes were full of tears as she looked up at the calm Princess.

"Yet."

Serena threw her arm behind her, as if disposing of a disgusting mess, and Emerald crashed into a wall. The chains, now visible, wrapped themselves around the stone and bound Emerald there.

Emerald looked up and screamed, terrified to her black soul. Serena turned and saw why. Diamond had cast magic in her direction. It crashed into Emerald's chest, and she exploded, her body burning away. Serena jumped away, crashing down on her elbows.

She looked back at the flames and knew that Emerald had been consumed by the same darkness that she'd once used against Serena. The Lunarian stood slowly.

"Why did you kill her?"

"She was a liability," Diamond said coldly.

Sapphire at this point wasn't sure whom to trust. Serenity, he thought, wasn't going to kill Emerald. Diamond was. He decided right then and there the Princess was not his enemy. He unsheathed his sword and threw it down by her feet.

"I surrender to you," he said falling on his knees.

Serena looked up at Diamond, who's ruby eyes were reflecting the flames in which Emerald was killed. He shook his head slowly and pointed to fingers at his brother's head. She looked down at Sapphire and knew he couldn't be saved. There wasn't enough time to pull him up. She instead ran behind a block of stone. An explosion echoed through the ruins seconds later.

Her aura flared in another surge of anger as she stepped out from behind the rock.

"He was your brother!"

"That is but a term," he said.

"You truly are evil."

"Did it take you this long to see that?"

"No," she whispered. "I knew that night."

He smiled, his pointed teeth gleaming in the firelight. "Yes, that night. Do you know how easy it was to kill everything you loved?"

She tried to remain calm, she knew his plan was to shake her up, kill her concentration. "Talking again, coward? Face your destiny."

"I will."

It was cold. That was one of her memories left behind. The blade had been cold, chilling her insides as it ripped through her skin. She remembered the pain like a giant bruise, crippling her body. She fell to her knees in front of him. He smiled down at her.

"This is my destiny," he hissed at her. "I was born to rid the Universe of you."

Then warmth wrapped her body tight, white light coming from the sky, the ground, the trees. A bubble formed around her, holding her tight. She gripped his collar with her last strength.

"And my destiny," she said, flecks of blood flying from her mouth, "is to protect this Moon. And I will." Her last breath escaped and she fell forward. Diamond drew his sword from her chest, the blood of two Moon Goddesses coating it's blade.

"You failed," he said, laughing.

After she disappeared, he began cursing instead.