The others started arriving early in the morning; much too early, Naru thought. Away from the warmth of the blankets and Nephrite's body the air was unbearably cold. She didn't want to get up.

But if they didn't complete the task that was before them this morning, it would never get warm again.

Nephrite kissed her. "Come on," he said. “It's time to do this."

"It's so cold," she said, pulling the blankets closer around her.

He sat up, keeping a blanket draped around him, and hurriedly pulled his clothes on, then threw Naru's clothes to her. "It won't be so bad once you're dressed."

Keeping herself under the blankets as best as she could, she dressed quickly. She didn't like putting on the dirty clothes she had worn yesterday, but there wasn't anything else. After they re-unified the Crystal and saved the world, there would be plenty of time to worry about her wardrobe, she reminded herself. Dressed and bundled up in their coats, they went downstairs, where Yumemi, Helios, Zoisite and Kunzite were already waiting.

"Where's Jadeite?" Nephrite asked.

Zoisite shrugged with elaborate nonchalance. "He didn't come back to our apartment last night. I think he made other arrangements that were more to his liking."

"Thetis seems to have forgiven him," Kunzite added.

The Senshi arrived, with Sailor Moon in her Serenity transformation and Mamoru as Prince Endymion. Jadeite and Thetis were the last to get there. Jadeite looked at Zoisite and said, "Don't say anything."

Zoisite shrugged. "I can't imagine what you thought I was going to say."

Nephrite brought the Golden Crystal and the staff with the Silver Crystal from his worktable where they had been left the night before. Serenity touched the Silver Crystal, freeing it from its mounting on the staff. Yumemi began directing everyone in what they should do. "Serenity, the Moon Princess, and Helios, the High Priest of Earth, should be at the center, I think."

Helios stepped forward. "Endymion should also stand with us at the center. The Golden Crystal is his; I am only its protector. He can't use the Golden Crystal as it is now, but he and Serenity will both be able to use the Celestial Crystal to rule when the Earth evolves to its next stage." Naru realized that Helios was the one, along with Yumemi, who had the most knowledge about the Crystals, and his memory was uninterrupted by death and rebirth. She felt better about everything now that someone who knew more about it was involved.

The group formed as Helios directed them, with Helios and Serenity holding their respective Crystals. Mamoru stood next to Helios. The others gathered around them, the Shitennou with Helios and Mamoru, the Senshi with Serenity, and the core of the Order of the Celestial Crystal, Yumemi, Thetis, and Naru across from Helios, Endymion, and Serenity. Everyone touched fingertips to the two Crystals. "Now, everyone direct your power towards the Crystals," Helios said.

"I'm going to feel silly if this doesn't work," Zoisite said.

"Don't complain; at least you got brought back to life because of this," Jadeite said.

"I'm still not sure I trust them," Sailor Uranus said.

"We have to," Sailor Mercury said. "Besides, we'll find out once and for all in a few minutes if they're right."

"Please, you guys, just concentrate, okay?" Serenity asked. "I'm still afraid the Silver Crystal is going to go bad on me again. Let's just do this, please?"

Everyone fell silent, focusing their energy and powers on the two crystals. Naru envisioned them combined into one crystal, indescribably beautiful and perfect.

It wasn't a battle like purifying the Crystals had been; the Crystals seemed eager to be rejoined. Within seconds, there was a blinding flash of iridescent light. When the light cleared, Helios, Serenity, and the others at the center were holding a single, brilliant white crystal that glittered with thousands of colors. Helios removed his hand from the crystal and settled it into Serenity and Endymion's hands. Yumemi, Thetis, and Naru also stepped back from the crystal and the pair who were holding it.

"What do I do now?" Serenity asked in a sudden panic. "I don't know what's supposed to happen now!"

"Yes, you do," Helios said. "Look inside yourself; the Crystal will tell you what to do. Just like how you learned everything else that you do as Sailor Moon. No one had to tell you; the knowledge came from inside you."

"Are you sure?"

"You'll do fine, Dumpling-head," Endymion said.

Still looking doubtful, Serenity nodded at her husband. Then she closed her eyes and, with Endymion mirroring her gesture, raised the Celestial Crystal high into the air. "Celestial Crystal Millennium Earth Renewal!" she called out.

There was a blinding multi-colored flash from the crystal -

And everything froze.

An immeasurable instant of time passed - immeasurable because everything held still, nothing moved except that the Earth made its journey around the sun a thousand times.

* * * * * * * *

When the flash of light cleared, the group standing around the Celestial Crystal moved again. Bright sunlight, like they hadn't seen in many days, poured through the leaded glass windows of Nephrite's home. Serenity and Endymion lowered their hands and Serenity collapsed into Endymion's arms. Her white gown faded back into street clothes.

"Let's see what happened," Yumemi said. She walked to the front door with Helios and opened it. The others followed her outside. The air was clear and warm; the gnarled, dark pine trees in the woods around the mansion looked greener and straighter. Their fragrance filled the air along with the song of birds. "There were never birds here before," Nephrite said, looking around.

"There is still much to be done," Helios said. "The people of Earth will be looking to Endymion and Serentiy for leadership, as the possessors of the Celestial Crystal. Endymion and Serenity will rule together, as equals forming a single unit. This new society will be more stable and stronger. The Earth will not be ruled by the Moon, nor will the Moon be ruled by the Earth. Everything will be in balance. The rest of us will also have our own work to do, as guardians of the King and Queen and members of the Order of the Celestial Crystal."

"Can we wait just a little longer?" Usagi asked. "The whole Earth... I'm not ready for this. I'll never be ready."

A small voice spoke from near the ground. "Usagi may not be ready, but Serenity is." Naru looked down and saw a small black cat with an unusual crescent-shaped marking on its forehead. A talking cat. Of course, Naru thought. Why not?

"Luna!" Usagi cried. She knelt down and stroked the cat, then lifted it in her arms. A white cat with a similar marking on its forehead appeared, and rubbed against Minako's legs. "Artemis!" the blonde woman exclaimed, picking him up. "Where have you two been?"

"We left when we began to see the changes in the Silver Crystal," the white cat explained in a male-sounding voice. "We were afraid it would affect us. We went away, hoping to get beyond its reach and figure out a solution to the problem. But we see someone else solved the mystery."

Yumemi briefly told them about the divided Celestial Crystal and the long-forgotten Order of the Celestial Crystal to the cats. "Ah, that explains it," Artemis said.

"We were born during the reign of Usagi's mother," Luna said. "By then, I suppose the Celestial Crystal had been long forgotten, or at least no one ever talked about it. I knew it was Usagi's destiny to become Neo-Queen Serenity and to use the Silver Crystal to re-awaken the world, but I never dreamed there could be more to it. And now, Usagi," Luna continued, "it is time to stop being Usagi, except during your most private moments with your friends, and become Serenity. Serenity knows what to do, and she is quite capable of doing it, with Endymion and her friends at her side."

"Just give me a few more minutes," Usagi said. She embraced each of the Senshi, one by one. "We'll always be friends, won't we?" Each of the Senshi, even the more distant ones that Naru didn't know, nodded and embraced her in return. Finally she came around to Naru. "Thank you for not giving up on me," she said, pulling Naru into a tight hug. "After the way I treated you..."

"It's okay, Usagi," Naru said, returning the hug. "I got Nephrite back because of this. And everything turned out okay."

"Except I have to go be queen of the world now. It's going to be hard."

"Helios said you'll be stronger with the Celestial Crystal, and you and Mamoru will be ruling together. You don't have to do it by yourself. And I'll be there too, to help you. I'm one of the priestesses of the Celestial Crystal, so I'm sure I'll have things to do. I don't know what, but I'll be there doing it."

Usagi finally released her grip and stepped back a bit. "Hey, Naru-chan, remember when I asked you if you were one of us?"

"Yeah." It seemed so long ago.

"You aren't a Senshi, but you're still one of us, in a different way, you know what I mean? I'm really happy about that."

Naru smiled at her friend. "So am I, Usagi."

Mamoru came over to Usagi and gently took her by the arm. "I think it's time to go now.We need to get to work."

Usagi sighed, then smiled. "You're right, dear. Let's go."

They transformed, street clothes changing into the royal garb of King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity. Hand in hand, the new King and Queen of the Earth left the house and walked down Nephrite's driveway to see what awaited them in the newly-reborn world.