Last Time: "I trust you, Serenity," Haruka breathed, too softly for Rei to hear. Her fingers tightened on the bow, and she aimed, readying her arrow. She closed her eyes and whispered,

"I'll always trust you. Always." At the last minute, she held the arrow back, not letting it go.

Serenity's sword fell...And severed the chain that held the unicorn bound, with one quick blow.

"RUN!" Serenity screamed frantically.

"RUN NOW!" The unicorn galloped from its prison swiftly, and Haruka let the arrow fly, distracting the crowd.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Face nearly insane with fury, the Lord of Darkness clenched his hands around Serenity's arms, claws digging into her shoulders. The girl cried out but remained otherwise still, her terrified gaze fixed defiantly on the enraged one before her.

"SERENITY!" Desperately, Haruka leapt into the crowd, forcing her way through them toward the pair, trying to reach her lover's side before it was too late. Serenity's eyes lit on her, and the longing and despair in them made Haruka want to scream. She didn't get to speak even one more word, because the Dark Lord threw her savagely against the wall, and her body crumpled to the ground, unmoving. The enraged creature beat his own guards out of the way and advanced to bring his sword crashing down in a blow intended for her skull. The girl barely had time to counter with her own sword and duck away.

The Dark Lord snorted in disdain. "You're not a swordsman, girl!" He slashed at Haruka, who clumsily countered and fell back.

"Surrender now and perhaps I will consider giving you a merciful death!" Haruka glanced at Serenity's immobile form, and raised her sword in defiance.

"Not as long as she still lives!" The Dark Lord laughed.

"She is mine, girl! A fight won't change that!" She struck, and Haruka's arms ached with the force of the blows.

"Light will die forever; I will see to that!" Haruka glanced off to the side, where Rei picked off the remaining followers with deadly accuracy. 'I have to wait for that light...'

"Don't you see?" she scoffed, smirking. "You've lost! There's nothing left for you! But if you surrender, then perhaps I will consider mercy!" The Lord of Darkness laughed once more.

"Beaten, by a little girl? I think not!" He made a circling motion with his sword, and Haruka's weapon flew from her hand.

"What shall you do now little she mortal? You have no weapon! Shall I dispose of you immediately, or do you wish to prolong the suffering?" Haruka dodged the sword and fell back, eyes never leaving that cruel gaze. 'Where is that sunlight?'

Minako reached the top of the tunnel and resumed her full size, glancing around. The first thing she noticed was the plate, glinting in what was left of the daylight. And the second, lying unconscious on his back, was the dwarf.

"Screwball!" Minako cried, trying to wake him. He didn't respond; the climb must've exhausted him. Not wanting to waste time, the fairy grabbed at the plate herself, trying with all her might to lift it into the proper position. Much of Minako's life had been spent as a creature two millimeters high, and nearly all of the exercise she got came from flying. The large metal plate was more than she'd ever tried to lift in her life... It was way too heavy for her, but that wouldn't stop her.

"No... I have to...!" With a determined look on her face, Minako struggled with the plate some more. She wouldn't fail the others -- she couldn't.

The Dark Lord backhanded Haruka, sending her tumbling across the rocks. "Haven't you learned, yet?" he laughed.

"There is no defeating me. I hold ultimate power!" Haruka lifted her head weakly, struggling with her thoughts. She had to think of something soon, or she would be dead, and Serenity would be... She pushed the thoughts out of her head, determined to succeed. I'll win this -- I'll make a difference... at least for my brave Koneko-chan, for what she did... The thought gave her new strength, and she rolled out of the way, in time to avoid being crushed by that huge sword.

The Dark Lord leveled the sword at Haruka's throat. "Every wolf suffers fleas..." he sneered.

"'Tis easy enough to scratch!" He leered at Haruka, whose mind raced.

A glint caught her eyes, and Haruka realized that the severed unicorn horn had been dropped during the fight -- or perhaps before. Now, though, it sat in a small pool of water, slowly sinking into its depths. The sword descended. Haruka fell backwards and slid sideways, rolled, then dipped her hand into the pool of water. It burned her skin, but she hardly noticed at all. When her hand reemerged, she held the horn triumphantly clenched in her fist.

Minako cried in frustration, tears streaming down her face as she tried desperately to lift the heavy plate. 'It can't end like this!' She thought, straining against its weight. 'I have to finish this! I can't let them down! They're counting on me!' Her wings fluttered in a vain attempt to add more pull against the load.

"Emmph!" someone mumbled as she accidentally brought her foot down on something soft.

"Get your foot outta my face!"

"Screwball!" Minako gasped, and reached for his hand.

"Help me, please! Hurry! The others need us!" The dwarf's eyes widened in alarm as he realized where he was, and his hand clenched around hers. With Screwball's help, Minako could lift the plate at last, to catch the sun's light. It reflected blindingly down into the tunnel, finally on its way to save the others.

"Give it to me!" the Dark Lord growled, reaching for the horn in Haruka's hand. He looked furious that a mortal would dare touch the sacred object without his permission. Haruka dodged the hand and brought the horn up, feeling it pierce through that thick skin and embed itself in the flesh of the Lord of Darkness's stomach.

He roared in pain, and Haruka fell back, watching in horrified fascination as his opponent pulled the offending object from his stomach. Then he turned his hate filled glare back to the mortal who had caused him such trouble. That was when the light found its way there; bursting through the door with the power it gained from being set free where it had been suppressed so long before.

Haruka shielded her eyes, and the Dark Lord let out an anguished howl, being pushed back to the edge of his realm, where blind darkness swallowed everything pushed into its depths. On one side, his claws scraped against the rocks to hold him from his doom -- on the other, the horn rooted him inside.

Haruka lifted the sword from where his enemy had dropped it, and walked forward slowly, readying himself. The Dark Lord laughed in her face.

"You think you have won!" he sneered.

"What is light without dark? I am a part of you all!" Haruka did not stop or hesitate; her face was set with determination.

"You can never defeat me! We are one... eternally!"

"Haruka, do it!" Rei yelled, from behind her.

"You've won; it's your right! Kill him!"

"I didn't need encouragement," She muttered. Raising the sword, she brought it down fiercely, slicing the horn from the Dark Lord's fingers. Without that anchor to hold him, the Lord of Darkness lost his grip on the physical world and fell back into the empty void, his roars fading away into silence.

Haruka stumbled and dropped the sword, drained from the struggle and the shock of her sudden win. She ignored the unicorn's horn that lay on the fresh earth near her, and tried to run back the way she'd come. Exhaustion forced her to her knees, and she crawled the rest of the way to Serenity.

"Serenity..." Haruka her loves limp form, cradling her gently. Her breathing was smooth and even, but she didn't wake at her lover's touch. Tears streamed down Haruka's cheeks, and she looked up at Rei desperately.

"Can you tell... Is she badly hurt?" Rei shook her head.

"It's not a physical wound, Haruka... she's under a spell. Something powerful, I can tell." She looked up and smiled as Minako shifted into full size beside her.

"Do something," Haruka said urgently, one hand brushing the soft skin of Serenity's cheek. She seemed so frail... Rei shook her head again, smiling this time.

"It's your riddle, Haruka. You answered mine. And you will this one as well." She glanced back at the horn meaningfully.

"I believe we have a promise to fulfill." The unicorn whinnied in agreement, and Rei looked back at Haruka.

"Maybe you'd better fulfill yours, too."

"I'll miss you guys," Haruka said sincerely, a half smile on her face.

Rei grinned in return.

"You won't forget us, will you?"

"I don't think I could even if I tried!" Haruka laughed, and felt the world shift around her. She clutched Serenity's body tightly and then...

The pond rippled gently below her. Haruka gazed around at the forest, where summer had once again been restored. Behind her, Serenity's body lay, cushioned by soft moss. The dark clothes were gone... She looked so angelic. Haruka knew what to do.

Turning from Serenity, she dove from the rock and into the blue waters of the pond, plunging immediately into its crystal-clear depths to search the bottom for her prize.

Horn in hand; Rei knelt down beside the fallen unicorn. Her fingers were steady as she held out the precious object, returning it so very carefully to the broken piece where it had been cut. Her hands slid back and she stood, waiting.

Haruka burst back out of the water, gasping for breath. She shivered from the chill and her lungs ached, but she had a grin of triumph on her lips. Opening her right hand, she revealed a simple gold band – half of Serenity's ring, it's silver mate still adore her finger.

The unicorn's eyes opened slowly, and he rose from his resting-place, spreading a smile of relief across Rei's face. Slowly, the unicorn strode to nuzzle against his mate, spreading a wave of happiness across the forest once more.

Falling to her knees, Haruka bent over Serenity's pale form. She took one limp hand in her own and switching the ring on its third finger with the one she rescued from the lack, and slid the other band on her own.

"Come back to me, Koneko-chan," she whispered sadly, and caressed her face softly, pressing a sweet kiss onto those still-warm lips. The body beneath her shifted... Haruka broke the kiss and gazed hopefully at the still face in front of her. Luminous blue came into view as her eyes slid open slowly, and she looked around her in confusion, before focusing on Haruka. Such beauty...

"I love you, Serenity," the older girl said with every bit of conviction she possessed.

Serenity's eyes lit up, and then she raised her hand, gazing at the gold band that adorned it.

"Haruka..." She glanced back, almost disbelieving, to the older girl's warm smile.

"Oh Ruka-chan!" she finally cried, throwing her arms around Haruka's neck and passionately kissing her, with every ounce of that restless energy.

"I love you too!" Haruka's heart was full to the point where it felt like it might burst. Rising to her feet, she lifted Serenity right off the ground and spun her around, kissing her.

"Let's go," she said softly, setting her lover down.

"We have dreams to fulfill."

"Right." Serenity took her hand and followed her, giggling.

"And the first one, Ruka-chan, is having you come visit my room at the palace. This place has too many sharp-eyed animals around for my taste..." Haruka turned red to the roots of her hair, and Serenity continued to chatter away, unabashed.

Rei grinned at Minako. "Isn't that sweet? True love." She sighed.

"I think this is where you add, 'And they lived happily ever after. The end.'"

"Except it's not the end," Minako grinned back, catching her meaning.

"It's just the beginning." Both of their gazes turned at the same time, as Haruka and Serenity walked off toward the sunrise -- and there destiny.

The End or is it

AN: Comment, questions, suggestion, please review.