"Welcome back, my dear children!"

"Mother!"

I watched, as Serenity and his sisters run towards their mother's embrace.

A few weeks after my sixteenth birthday, we returned to the Moon, where I can spend my time with Serenity and his family for a while. Nehelenia and Maleficent no longer stood in our way, and we could finally have a carefree life, up there at the Moon Palace.

Together on the Moon, I would often join Prince Serenity and Princess Mercury in reading some very good-quality books, especially ones related to Artificial Intelligence.

"So this is how diffusion models work?"

Mercury said, "Yes, Aurora."

I smiled, "How interesting!"

I then continued, "It seems that diffusion models can be a bit difficult to understand for me, but with you and Serenity, we can share our thoughts and experiment what we've learnt from the book!"

Serenity agreed, nodding his head. "You're right, Aurora."

Mercury then turned to the first page of the first chapter, which, as I expected, is an introduction about what the fundamental principles of diffusion models are.

At some other times, I would learn some martial arts from Princess Jupiter, then cook a few dishes, before going to the flower garden of the palace with her.

"So, Aurora, let me present to you the recipe of another famous Lunarian cake."

She then organized the ingredients required for the cake on the preparation table, and swiped to the preparation page of the recipe, displayed on a green holographic interface.

"First, we shall mix half a liter of flour with twenty milliliters of sugar."

We then added the said ingredients on the scales, always carefully making sure that we did not add too much or too less, and then mixed them in a large bowl.

I continued my sword training with Princess Venus. At the fifth floor of the Sailor Guardians' Tower, the most commonly heard sound is the clear clash of bamboo swords.

"Now, let us try duelling at an even faster pace!"

She then held up her bamboo sword, and I put mine at a defensive pose, ready to resist her slashes and strikes. She then began to attack, and I moved my sword in an equally rapid pace to parry her quick slashes, before I came up with advanced counterattack moves. I have been more and more versatile with my ways of using a sword, and the same could also be said for Venus.

On the Moon, I also often discussed with Princess Mars about the future.

I asked Mars, "What do you think the future has in store for the world?"

After meditating for a while, Mars came up with an answer.

Calm and focused, Mars presented her premonition. "I see a kingdom whose people will be living in joy and prosperity, with a queen as their ruler. She will oversee the technological advancement of your kingdom, while its cultural traditions are preserved and proudly presented as what makes the kingdom a unique land."

I responded, "That's... a wonderful vision. I'm going to make sure, that this happens for real for Kultajärvi, when I become queen."

As for Queen Selene, she tutored me in the ways of becoming a better ruler for my kingdom. I would follow her when she is performing her duties, learning to be a benevolent queen for my people from her example.

One day, she brought me to the city center, and listened to the opinions of the citizens.

Selene asked, "What are your long-term outlooks and wishes on the development of the Kingdom?"

A citizen then said, "Your Majesty, I wish for more support towards mental health in the Moon Kingdom in the following years to come. I am fortunate to live in a country where people are not ashamed to seek help for their mental health, and yet, the supply of mental health specialists are not yet very adequate. Our specialists are well-compensated, and yet, the appointment system often have waiting times that could be quite long for acute issues that require urgent solutions."

Selene responded to the citizen, "your concerns are valid. Mental health is essential in maintaining healthy inter-personal relations and interactions, especially in a country where personal technology is highly developed and advanced."

She then suggested, "a possible solution for the short-term is to classify appointments by its urgency, so that those who are genuinely in serious needs are prioritized. However, we also have to raise awareness about the role of mental health specialists in Lunarian society, and encourage more students to pursue this heroic career path."

I patiently took notes of how Selene interacted with her citizens, and about the needs of the citizens, and how Selene would address those needs. I aim to be a queen, as great and as benevolent, as her.

Sometimes, I also have my own personal time in my own room in the Moon Palace. With the ultra-high-definition telescope Queen Selene gifted me, I could observe the many features of my planet in detail, from the Moon at any time. For now, I would stay for a longer period of time on the Moon, but I plan to return to my planet and my kingdom a few months later. Even though I no longer live regularly in the house where I was raised, it would serve as a very nice lakeside retreat for me, for Serenity and for his sisters.

Later, Selene told me in a transmission that she discovered a secret, and she asked me to visit her throne room, so that she could tell me in person.

I then walked up the spiral staircase in the center of the common room, proceeding towards the bridge to the Queen's Tower.

As I exited the elevator at the topmost floor, I walked forward along the golden carpet, and curtsied to the Queen. "Good morning, Your Majesty."

With a kind and regal voice, Selene greeted me. "Good morning, Aurora. I would like to inform you about one very important thing."

I asked, "May I ask what it might be, Your Majesty?"

She then paused for a while, before telling me the truth she wanted me to know in person.

"You are the holder of the Golden Crystal, Aurora. This crystal is seen as the complement to the Silver Crystal, and represents planet Earth."

What? Me, a princess of one of the many hundreds of kingdoms on Earth, being the holder of a crystal that is complement to the legendary Silver Crystal?

Upon hearing this incredible, yet true, fact, my eyes widened in surprise.

"Its Force potential is incredibly strong, and it is protected by the Sun. As a result, you are also protected by the Sun, and your magical power resonates with that of my daughters."

I asked, "Really? So, am I protected by the Sun since I was born?"

I thought back when I read about my past in a secret book on my bookshelf. I was said to have been finally conceived after my parents tried for years to produce an heir to the Kingdom of Kultajärvi. It seemed like, the protection of the Sun played a part in my conception and successful birth. Perhaps it made sense to me.

Selene confirmed, "Correct, Aurora. Your name represents the Northern Lights, which are brought to planet Earth by the solar winds. The Northern Lights are like a crown, situated on top of planet Earth. You are the one who is the holder of Earth's Sailor Crystal."

I was further surprised, by the fact that the Golden Crystal is also a Sailor Crystal. "So... I am a Sailor Guardian after all this time? Am I Sailor Earth?"

With a motherly voice, Selene clarified, "You have the powers of a Sailor Guardian. But ultimately, if you feel more like identifying yourself as Princess Aurora than Sailor Earth, then let it be. You would still retain your beautiful gown, your battle outfit, and your elegant sword."

This was exactly what I thought. "You have a point, Your Majesty. I shall have the choice to remain known as Princess Aurora, but I shall have the honor to keep peace in the Solar system, together with your daughters."

Selene responded, "I appreciate your determination, Aurora. You have proven yourself to be a true princess the moment you slew Nehelenia and broke my son's curse."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Selene then said, "Then, I shall declare this meeting concluded. Thank you, Aurora, and may the Light of the Moon be with you."

I curtsied to Selene again, and exited the throne room.

Some days later in his room, Serenity received a transmission from Filip. He picked up the transmission, and greeted the fellow prince.

"Hello Filip!"

A voice emerged from his communication device, as a hologram of Filip appeared. "Hi, Serenity! Are you doing fine?"

"Yes, Filip! What about you?"

I watched from a distance, listening to their dialogue.

With a cool voice, Filip happily told Serenity, "I feel so great, because I'm telling you some good news, fellow prince. Do you want to hear it?"

Serenity curiously asked, "What might it be?"

Filip said, "Believe it or not, I have recently fell in love with a knight from my kingdom!"

Serenity was surprised. "Really? Congratulations!"

From Earth, Filip enthusiastically delivered information about his new love. "After a recent practice session with her, we developed feelings for each other. We both thought, that we have much chemistry with each other. Soon enough, we chatted about many things, about our kingdom, our opinions about strategies, our combat skills... And then one day, after our practice finished on her twentieth birthday, she confessed her love to me!"

Serenity asked, "What is her name, if I may ask?"

Filip then raised his arm, seemingly inviting someone over. Entering the hologram is a lady with long and brightly blue hair, tied up in a ponytail, as well as a grand stature, wearing her shiny and azure plate armor. He then introduced, "Johanna, from Viimsi. She is the daughter of one of my kingdom's best generals. A beautiful and brave lady indeed!"

Johanna then untied her sapphire hair from its bun form, and let it long and loose. She flipped the strands of her hair, greeting Serenity with a militaristically tough, yet loyal, tone. "Greetings, Your Royal Highness. I am Johanna of House Kask, a Lieutenant General from the Kingdom of Reval,"

She then cuddled Filip with her armored arms, switching to a softer tone, "and Prince Filip's true love."

Watching their hologram conversation from the side, I smiled. I felt happy, because we all embarked on a new chapter of our respective lives. We get to choose who we want to be with, and we both ended up finding our own true loves.

Filip is not the only Earth friend of ours that called to the Moon Palace. Shortly after the conversation between Serenity and Filip has concluded, I received a transmission in my room.

"Hey, Aurora."

I looked back, and it was Soljá and Gállagas!

The young couple were studying together in a finely-decorated room in the Guovdageaidnu Castle. With each of them having a book at the left and jotting down notes on a notebook at the right, they seemed to be in the mood for studying together!

Soljá looked at me through the hologram and said, "Gállagas and I are studying diplomacy together. In this chapter, we're learning about the institutions and governmental systems of countries in Northern Europe, such as our own kingdoms, Áltá and Deatnu, and other kingdoms like Kultajärvi as well."

Gállagas followed his girlfriend, saying, "we've learnt about how our kingdoms first came into contact with each other and negotiated our borders, as well as the treaties that bound our two kingdoms together."

Soljá then showed me a page of the book, describing its contents. "This page talks about how treaties between the kingdoms of Áltá and Deatnu lay the foundation for our relations. The treaties between our kingdoms cover a variety of areas, from arranging bilateral exchange programs for students, scientists and engineers, to mutual defense agreements that keep us safe from external threats and raids."

Watching them study together from the Moon, I smiled, thinking about the moments Serenity and I have had while we were reading books together.

"Gállagas," I asked, with him turning to me. "Do you think Guovdageaidnu is a good place to live?"

He smiled at me and said, "it is. As a Prince of Deatnu, my heart is still tied to my homeland and to the city of Ohcejohka where I was born. Ever since I moved to Guovdageaidnu to study, my parents and my older sister regularly exchanged letters with me. My parents would often be amazed by comments the Queen of Áltá has made about my study progress, and my older sister would sometimes tease me about my relationship with Soljá."

Looking around the room, he continued, "Sometimes, I miss Ohcejohka, but there are also many things I like about Guovdageaidnu. The Ártnaboldni Revue, for example, has become one of my favorite musical theatre troupes ever since Soljá recommended this troupe to me. They adapt classic novels and fairy tales from Northern Europe and beyond, but blended with elements of our culture."

I started to imagine a theatre troupe with the cast dressed up as various figures from different stories, singing and acting in their beautiful language. From what Gállagas has said about them, I think that out of the stories they would adapt from around the world, some of them would be those that I have previously read in the form of books, such as one about a legendary ninja during a period of chaotic fragmentation and civil wars in the Japani archipelago, and another about a daughter of a general in the land of Kiina, who went to war for her father while disguised as a man.

During these days, we have also heard from our other friends from Earth.

We see Princess Lumi cruising at Lake Vanajavesi with her three older brothers, under the bright sun of a late evening in early summer. The scene was reminiscent of the numerous cruises I've had with Serenity - the first time with him around Lake Kultajärvi, the second time with him and his sisters on the seas of the Moon, and the third time with the five of them again, but back on Earth, at Lake Kultajärvi.

As for Prince Väinö, he shared the notes he took when he was studying physics. He has told me and Serenity that as an archer, understanding the laws of physics is crucial to him as he will have a better grasp of how much force to apply, which angle to aim at, and how the wind affects the course of his arrow, so that his arrow can have a higher probability of hitting the target without relying in dumb luck.

Serenity and I have been negotiating on when we shall marry. He said, that while he loves me with all his heart, he also raised concerns that his education as heir to the throne is not yet complete at the moment, and he felt that from a pragmatic point of view, it would be too young for him to officially marry me at this moment. Even though I have long fantasized about the sweet and romantic thought of him being my bridegroom at our once-in-a-lifetime wedding, I ultimately agreed with him, that we should take our time and spend more time together, and when he feels more ready in the future, it shall be the best time for us to have an even more fruitful wedding!

Now that I think back, if I had been raised in Kultajärvi Castle for all of my life without being affected by the curse, these events would not have happened in my life:

I would not have ended up walking around the forest regularly.

And as a result, I would not have discovered Prince Serenity on that day of the full moon.

I would not have met a compassionate boy who tries his best to understand me and make me happy. I might have ended up with Filip as King Hubertus and my father intended, but now that I've been with Serenity for almost two months, time has proven that there is no one other than Serenity who is my true one, when it comes to love.

Without Prince Serenity's spaceship, I would not have become the first girl from Earth to land on the Moon. It will perhaps take humanity centuries to achieve this feat.

And that means, I would not have learnt sword skills from Princess Venus. I would have remained someone who only knows a little about defending herself and cannot use a sword. Honestly, it's lame. Especially when you could no longer be that sword-wielding "cool girl".

And as a result, I would not have been able to end the curse Nehelenia placed on Serenity. He might have to live his whole life shrouded by the curse, not knowing how or when the curse will take effect.

Besides, I would not have met Princesses Mercury, Jupiter and Mars. In other words, I would haved missed out on the opportunity to befriend these amazing girls.

And most importantly, I would not have met Queen Selene. She is widely regarded as a goddess by the peoples of Earth, but a substantial amount of knowledge about her is shrouded in mystery because of that. I finally had the chance to meet her, and it is by that, I know that the Queen of the Moon really exists.

And if I would never have met Queen Selene, I would not have realized my destiny as Sailor Earth either. I might be a bride who is married by her parents to another kingdom to fulfill political alliances and be the future wife of a ruler, but that will never be as epic as being the destined peacekeeper of not just Kultajärvi, not just Northern Europe, but of all kingdoms and realms of the whole planet. Together with Prince Serenity and his sisters, we shall fight for love and justice, in the name of the Moon!

Now I'm here, finishing this very last chapter of this book, sitting on a bench in the refreshing Palace Garden, while the calm and pleasant breezes lightly brush through the edges of my viridescent gown. The Moon is full again, just like when I met Serenity for the first time. Under the warming rays of sunlight, Serenity sat right next to me on the white bench, and in his pretty suit of white and gold, he cutely watched me, Princess Aurora, complete authoring this book with grace and charm, as I lift my pen to write the final sentence of the book:

A new life awaits us. This might be the end of this book, but we have more things to look forward to in our future life.

~ The Full Moon and the Northern Lights ~

~ Co-authored by Princess Aurora of Kultajärvi and Prince Serenity of the Moon Kingdom ~

THE END