Last time: Serenity's eyes softened in absolute contentment as the unicorn's muzzle fell softly onto her fingertips. It was the loveliest thing Haruka had ever seen. But she couldn't watch this. Turning, she faded back into the woods.

Beryl took a deep breath and sent her message of death on its way. The unicorn jerked abruptly under Serenity's hand, then bolted back toward its mate. As the girl watched in confused alarm, they galloped away, all remnants of their previous happiness gone, to be replaced by a dark foreboding fear. Serenity looked after them sadly. She didn't understand, 'why were they leaving? Had she done something wrong? Harmed them in some way?' More hooves pounded into the ground as the goblins' beasts took up the chase. Unsettled, Serenity ran back to where she'd left Haruka... but, she was no longer there.

"Ruka-chan?" she called, racing blindly through the woods.

"Ruka- chan!" Looking around, she realized that she was back in their original spot by the rock hanging over the pool.

"Do you have any idea of what you've done?" The girl whirled around, but Haruka was nowhere in sight.

"Haruka!" she cried.

"Please come out! What did I do?"

"It's forbidden," Haruka's voice said fiercely, "it is strictly forbidden to touch them!"

"Who says it is?" Serenity asked, puzzled.

"It's known, Serenity." Haruka's tone was some what ominous and unsettling.

"Those creatures are scared, protected. You risk your immortal soul." Serenity turned, and then found Haruka standing behind her.

"But... I only wanted to touch it," she protested, confused by her lover's serious expression.

"There's no harm in that, is there?" Haruka glanced worriedly at the gray clouds swirling in the sky, then back at Serenity's face.

"This is not good..."

The two unicorns tossed their heads at each other, and a silent agreement was formed. The female bolted on ahead, while the steadily weakening male headed in a different direction, leading the goblins onward.

"I didn't mean to." Serenity leaned close and looked earnestly into Haruka's eyes, desperate to find love there still.

"I'm sorry, Please forgive me." She put her hands on Haruka's shoulders and tilted her head up to kiss her. Haruka didn't respond, and Serenity smiled appealingly at her.

"What's the matter? Afraid to kiss me?"

"I'm afraid you're going to break my heart," She answered flatly, her eyes unreadable as she gazed at Serenity, who grinned.

"Don't be silly, Haruka. I love you more than anything -- more than my own life, even." Inspiration struck, and her pulled one of the interlockedsilver and goldbands off her finger.

"See this? It could be like our wedding ring, don't you think?" she looked up at Haruka, who had longing written all over her face as she gazed at the ring. Serenity's smile grew wider.

"Well... I can't just up and give myself away, you know. You'll have to earn me. I'll spend my life with... whoever finds this ring!" She tossed the ring over toward the rock, where it bounced off and into the pond. She glanced back to Haruka. The older girl pulled away from her abruptly, and ran toward the rock.

"Haruka!" Serenity cried, in surprise, but her lover didn't falter, diving off the platform and into the cool deep waters below.

The unicorn's legs gave out beneath him, and he fell to the ground, made helpless by the poison that ran through his body. The goblins advanced on him, sniggering in anticipation of the kill.

Serenity ran over to the edge of the rock. Cold winds swirled around her, but all she was aware of was the hard icy surface that had begun to form with abnormal speed across the water.

"HARUKA!" she shrieked, in horror. Then something tugged at her and she couldn't think any more; just ran sobbing back into the woods, too frightened to even question where she was goingor why, just that she needed to get help. 'Ruka-chan... Ruka-chan...' Haruka gave up searching the floor of the pond, and rose back toward the surface. Before she could get out of the water, her head smashed into something smooth and hard.

Beryl raised her sword, readying the final blow...

Frantically, Haruka beat at the ice, punching and kicking at it with all her strength. She felt something give...

The sword fell, severing the horn from the unicorn's brow. Beryl snatched up her prize and raised it high over her head, releasing an ungodly shriek of triumph.

Haruka burst through the ice at last, gasping for breath. Snow fell all around her, winds swirling it about in a rough blizzard. The ground and the ice were both coated with it. But she had only one thing in mind.

"SERENTIYYYYYY!" she cried, into the dark silence of winter.

Snow and tears combined to keep Serenity almost blinded as she blundered through the forest. 'No... Haruka...' She would be all right. Haruka would pull through. She had complete faith in that fact. 'She has to... If she dies, I die my soul can not survive with out her.' A tree limb broke off its perch, torn by the storm, to land nearly on top of Serenity. Loosing her balance she fell backwards then picked herself up, continuing around it. Her body was moving without instructions from her mind. Good thing it was; Serenity was incapable of thinking. She was too numb with fear, exhaustion, and worry.

'She has to be all right... she'll come after me soon; she will...' Ami's cabin came into view then, and Serenity knew where her feet had been taking her. She stumbled up the snow-coated hill, flung open the door, and then slammed it shut on the storm, sobbing. She leaned back against it for a while; somehow she then found the strength to move forward again.

"Ami?" The woman's form stood near the cradle, but she didn't respond to Serenity's voice. She moved forward and put a hand on her shoulder. She was so cold...so very cold…

"Ami?" She looked around her, and her eyes grew wide with horror. Frozen! Her eyes stared sightlessly ahead; her skin was white. Backing away, eyes filling with tears once more. The sound of wicked laughter pierced the air. Serenity ran to the window, and gasped. Black, evil-ugly-looking creatures rode up toward the cabin; they're obvious intent being to come inside. Panicking, Serenity ran to the ladder that led up to Ami's attic and hid away from their eyes. 'Please don't find me! Please' The door burst open, and she couldn't help peering back down to see what was happening.

AN: Comment, questions, suggestion, please review.