In the wild African desert, Reika Nishimura was hard at work, researching some fossils she had discovered. The air felt heavy, and the hot sun shone brightly, but Reika didn't mind it.
Then suddenly, a small pebble fell while a shadow cast over her causing Reika to look up in surprise. There standing on top just above her was Endymion.
"Who are you?!" she demanded nervously.
"I've been looking for you, Miss Nishimura," the prince spoke with an evil chuckle. "Or should I call you, Reikokeida, one of the Seven Great Monsters?"
"Wh-What are you talking about?" wondered Reika.
Endymion didn't answer her as he held out his hand, summoning forth the Dark Crystal activating its powers. "Do not resist!" he commanded. "Join us once again as a servant of the Dark Kingdom!"
The Dark Crystal began to glow in bright yellow light, emitting the same frequency that made Reika turn into her monster form like before. However, instead of turning her into a monster, the light enveloped Reika paralyzing her, and pulled her towards Endymion. Reika tried to resist and cry out for help, but she couldn't do either as she drew closer and closer to Endymion like a piece of metal and a magnet. Then, Reika was sucked inside the Dark Crystal, disappearing from view instantly.
Endymion then closed his hand, stopping the effect while smirking with triumph. Reika would now be the fourth of the former Rainbow Crystal carriers he captured along with Crane Game Joe, the priest, and Rhett Butler trapped inside it.
"Four down, three more to go," he said to himself as he disappeared into the air to hunt for the other carriers.
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It was snowing in the town of Juuban. Ami was at her place studying as she usually did almost every day. Just then, the telephone began to ring. Ami then answered it.
"Hello, this is Ami speaking," she said.
A familiar voice answered. "Hey Ami, is that you? It's me, Ryo Urawa."
Ami was delighted. "Oh, hi Ryo!" she spoke happily. "It's good to hear from you! How have you been?"
"I'm doing fine, at least for the moment," replied Ryo. "Say, Ami, are you anywhere near a TV right now?"
Ami then looked at her TV, just in front of her by the door. "Yes, I've got one right in front of me," she replied.
"Turn it on right now!" said Ryo.
Ami did so, and when she did, the screen immediately was on the news where a picture of another familiar face of a Rainbow Crystal carrier with larges letters said: FAMOUS ILLUSTRATOR GONE MISSING. It was none other than Yumemi Yumeno, formerly known as Binah.
Ami was surprised as Ryo continued over the phone.
"As you already know, that woman is Yumemi Yumeno, a former Rainbow Crystal carrier of the Seven Great Monsters," he said. "But now she, along with four others, has gone missing."
"W-Wait a minute, Ryo," said Ami. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that the next target could be me or your friend Rei's grandfather," Ryo spoke grimly. "I know because I used whatever precognitive powers I have left to figure it out. I know it sounds crazy..."
"Where are you right now?" asked Ami, now concerned. "If you're here in town, I can come and protect you."
"You can't! It would be best if you stayed away from me so that I won't put you in any danger," said Ryo. "If you want to protect someone, you need to focus on Rei's grandfather instead. I understand that you're worried about me, but I can handle things myself. I'm not sure what the Dark Kingdom's got planned, but you must stop them at all cost, or terrible things will happen! I'll see you later! Bye!"
"Ryo, wait! Hold on!" cried Ami.
But the line got cut off, and Ami could only hear the dial tone of her phone.
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Ryo stood outside the phone booth in the middle of town, having just finished talking with Ami. He was cold and a little frightened, but he was determined to protect Ami more than anything.
"It's better this way," he thought to himself. "I wish I had Ami and the other Guardians' help. But I can't become so dependent on them anymore. I need to be able to take care of myself."
He then went on his way, pulling up his collar to hide his face. At that very same time, Makoto happened to be walking past him. When she did, she stopped in a double-take and looked behind her.
"Wait... wasn't that..."
Then suddenly, her communicator began to beep in her jacket. Makoto immediately answered it.
"This is Makoto."
Luna's face then appeared on the screen. "Mako, something's come up!" she said urgently. "Meet us at the Hikawa Shrine immediately!"
"OK! I'm on my way!" said Makoto.
She took one last look at where she thought he saw Ryo; then she took off running to the Hikawa Shrine as fast as her legs could carry her.
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Kunzite once again stood before Queen Beryl in the Dark Kingdom, having just found out what Endymion was doing per her instruction.
"Queen Beryl, I must admit I am quite curious as to what Endymion is doing," he said. "Why is he trying to retransform the humans into the Seven Great Monsters now?"
"Well, as you know, each one of them was purified by the Moon Stick and returned to their human forms," explained Queen Beryl. "However, by using our Dark Energy and the power of the Dark Crystal, we can turn them back into monsters again."
"But why even bother going through all that trouble?" asked Kunzite. "Sailor Moon and the guardians defeated them once before, and who's to say that they won't do it again?
"Ha. That is correct, but there's something that you don't know," Queen Beryl spoke brimming with confidence. "Once the seven are all together, they will combine as one to become the largest and most powerful monster ever to be seen in the entire world. Once that happens, we will finally put an end to the Sailor Guardians, once and for all."
"Something that I've been striving to do!" protested Kunzite. "So why would you assign such an important task to Endymion and not to me?"
"Sounds like you have a problem with that, Kunzite," Queen Beryl said, her eyes gleaming. "Are you questioning my decision?"
Kunzite relented. "Well... no, Ma'am. I don't. But-"
"Then hold off on your judgment, and let's watch and see how Endymion does," cut off Queen Beryl. "Is that understood?"
"Y-Yes, Ma'am," said Kunzite.
Then at that moment, Zoisite appeared.
"I have returned, Queen Beryl," he said.
"Z-Zoisite," gasped Kunzite.
"Ah. Zoisite. Good to have you back," said Queen Beryl. "How goes the search?"
"I still haven't been able to find anything," he said. "But don't worry. I haven't given up on searching."
"Fear not, Zoisite," Queen Beryl spoke, smiling wickedly. "Once Endymion succeeds in gathering up the Seven Great Monsters, there probably won't be any need to search for it anymore. Until then, make sure you keep searching."
"Yes, my queen," agreed Zoisite.
Kunzite, at first, was planning to ask what Zoisite had been up to, but he knew that Queen Beryl would tell him not to worry about it, so he decided to speak to Zoisite about it when they were alone.
As the two left the throne room, Kunzite saw his chance and spoke to Zoisite as the two were now alone.
"Zoisite, you've been gone quite a lot lately," he said. "I hardly ever see you anymore, and that has me a bit worried. So what exactly has Queen Beryl have you searching for?"
Zoisite looked at Kunzite a bit worried before speaking. "I'm sorry, Kunzite. I would tell you, but I'm not sure if I should. Queen Beryl specifically told to not to tell anyone about this."
"But you can tell me, Zoisite," Kunzite spoke, stroking his cheek tenderly. "I'm just worried about your safety. You were lucky back when Queen Beryl almost killed you. I don't want anything like that to happen to you again. Or do you not trust me?"
Zoisite looked deep into Kunzite's eyes and caressed his hand. Then he pulled away from him, much to Kunzite's surprise.
"I'm sorry, Kunzite, but I can't tell you," he said. "Part of me does want to tell you, but... I can't. I trust you, but there's no way I can afford to disobey Queen Beryl's orders again. If I do, I'll surely die the next time. But I promise you that I will tell you everything when the time comes. Please understand."
Kunzite stared at Zoisite, searching deeply into his eyes, making sure he was telling the truth. Then he let out a small sigh as he turned around.
"Very well then," he said. "I'll let it slide this time, but if I found out that what Queen Beryl has you doing is putting you in danger, I won't hesitate to come to help you."
Zoisite then smiled. "Thank you, Kunzite."
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At the Hikawa Shrine, Usagi and the gang met up in Rei's room, discussing Ryo and the other former carriers' disappearances.
"So tell me, Ami. Is Ryo's precognitive power that accurate?" asked Minako.
"Yes, it's extremely accurate," replied Ami.
"And if Ryo says something bad's gonna happen, you can be sure that it's gonna happen," said Harusuke grimly.
"If that's true, then you can be sure that the Dark Kingdom's planning something awful," said Artemis. "Why else would they go through all the trouble to gather the Seven Great Monsters?"
Makoto then stood up. "In that case, let's go then, Ami!" she said.
"What do you mean, Makoto?" wondered Ami.
"Isn't it obvious? We have to go look for Ryo and give him protection!" said Makoto.
"But we don't know where to look for Ryo or even where to start looking for him," Ami said. "He could be anywhere."
"I saw him earlier in town, so I know that he's in this neighborhood," said Makoto. "We just have to look around, and eventually, we'll run into him."
"In that case, you better let me come too," said Harusuke. "Meanwhile, Rei, Minako, and Usagi will stay here at the shrine and keep an eye on Rei's grandpa since he's a former monster too."
And with that, the three left the room to search for Ryo. At that moment, Usagi burst into tears, letting out a sobbing wail, causing everyone to jump from being startled.
"Wh-What's the matter, Usagi?!" asked Luna.
She, along with everyone else, thought something wrong, but as it turned out, Usagi was crying because of a manga that she was reading. She had reached a part of the story when it took a sad turn, and she couldn't help but cry.
"I feel so sorry for the hero of this manga!" she wailed.
"Hey! You should ask permission before you read my manga!" Rei spoke crossly.
"What's the big deal?" Usagi spoke snootily. "You weren't reading it."
"Well, now I can't because you were crying all over it!" Rei snapped as she pounced on Usagi, wanting her manga back.
As the two once more began to fight, Minako, Luna, and Artemis couldn't help but shake her heads and sigh.
"Looks like they're at it again," muttered Luna.
"And this won't be the last time either," groaned Artemis.
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Back in town, Ryo was still trying his best to stay out of sight as he waited to walk through a busy intersection. Finally, the light went from the word stop to a glowing picture of a person walking, signaling that it was safe to cross. Ryo hurriedly walked across the street, his heart pounding in his chest. But then, someone stood in front of him just as he made it to the other side.
He was wearing nothing but a black tracksuit with blue highlights and a pair of sunglasses, but Ryo knew who it was. It was Endymion.
"Ryo Urawa, I presume?" he asked with a dark smile.
Ryo gulped. "I-It's you! Endymion of the Dark Kingdom!"
"That's correct. Very impressive," said Endymion. "I see you used your precognitive skills to prepare for my arrival. So I take it that you know what's next. What the immediate future holds for you?"
"Yes. I do," Ryo spoke nervously. "I've seen it; you plan on drawing me into the Dark Crystal."
"Very good," said Endymion as he put a hand on his shoulder. "Now, don't resist. If you come with me, I promise that we'll get this over with quickly."
"I'm sorry... but I can't accommodate you," said Ryo plucking up courage. "You see, someone once told me that the future is something that I can create by myself."
"And what does that mean?" asked Endymion suspiciously.
"It means that I'm not going to give up!" Ryo spoke defiantly. He then took a deep breath and screamed at the top of his lungs. "HELP! MURDERER! HELP ME!"
Before Endymion could react, several people surrounded him who believed Ryo's cry of help. Endymion tried to explain that it wasn't true, but he then caught sight of Ryo, who ran as fast as his feet could carry him. Not wanting to let him get away, Endymion pushed his way past the crowd and chased after him in hot pursuit.
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Not too far away, Ami, Makoto, and Harusuke were walking around town searching for Ryo. So far, there was no sign of him.
"Geez, I don't see Ryo anywhere," Harusuke said. "If he's hiding from Endymion, he's sure doing a good job. But I'm sure we'll find him if we just keep looking. Right, Ami?"
Ami, at first, didn't respond for a few seconds. Then she spoke up in a slightly timid voice.
"Um... you guys, maybe we should go back. I feel sorry for Ryo, but there's not much we can do at this point. It's probably too late."
Harusuke and Makoto looked at bluenette, surprised by her words.
"What do you mean you feel sorry for him?!" Makoto spoke incredulously. "I've always thought that Ryo was your boyfriend, Ami!"
Ami's cheeks then flushed pink in embarrassment. "B-Boyfriend?! No way, he's - just a friend of mine," she said nervously.
Harusuke raised a brow. "You sure about that? Your embarrassment's showing, you know," he pointed out.
"I-It's because of the cold," Ami sputtered. "I'm not embarrassed at all."
"I'm not sure about that, Ami," said Makoto. "It looks and sounds to me that you're just in denial."
Ami was still denying it, but then Makoto became firm.
"Ami, I hope you haven't forgotten that Ryo's in love with you," Makoto said. "I mean, the guy becomes a mess whenever he's around you!"
"Yes, I'm aware of that, but we have an important mission that takes priority over everything else," said Ami as she looked into a store window. "So I can't allow myself to return Ryo's feelings for me."
"That'll leave you nothing but regret for the rest of your life!" Makoto burst out. "Even we guardians have a right to fall in love or at least go on a date with someone that we like. And what you're doing right now is nothing short of running away! That's why you want to go back because it's an excuse to keep yourself from getting attached to him. You're afraid to fall in love and can't be honest with yourself."
Harusuke stared at Makoto. He couldn't believe what Makoto had just said. He had never seen or heard anyone sound so passionate when it came to love other than his sister Usagi. Sure, he had seen Makoto be boy crazy, but he couldn't help but feel moved by her words.
At that moment, he immediately remembered back to when Ami got controlled by a monster and kissed his cheek, and then he remembered back to when he and Ami caught the flowers from Ms. Akiyama's wedding, which made him puzzled.
"Why am I thinking about those things now all of a sudden?" he thought. "How strange."
Then he saw something in the reflection of the window, a certain someone that had run right past them. Harusuke's eyes widened for that someone turned out to be Ryo. Ami noticed this too, and the two immediately took off running.
"H-Hey! Where are you two going?!" cried Makoto. "I'm not finished!"
"We just saw Ryo!" said Ami.
"You did?! Where?!" asked Makoto.
"He was heading down this direction!" said Harusuke pointing down the street. "And from the looks of things, it looks like someone's chasing him!"
"Then let's go!" said Makoto.
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Ryo had run into a dark alley, desperate to escape Endymion. He may have given him the slip for the moment, but it was only a matter of time before he caught up. Then as he reached the end of the alley, three figures stood before him, blocking his way. Upon recognizing them, Ryo was relieved to see Sailor Mercury, Jupiter, and Solaris.
"Ami... I mean Sailor Mercury!" he gasped.
"Don't forget about us or anything," Solaris spoke. "We're here too."
"How have you been, Ryo?" asked Sailor Mercury. "Are you alright?"
"You can rest easy; we're here," added Sailor Jupiter. "You're safe now."
Then suddenly, a laugh echoed throughout the alley.
"How reassuring to know that he has you three for bodyguards."
Everyone immediately was on guard as a familiar face stepped out of the darkness.
"Mamoru!" Sailor Mercury and Jupiter gasped.
Endymion scowled in confusion. "Mamoru? Someone else recently called me by that name," he said. "But you got the wrong man. My name is Endymion!"
Sailor Jupiter then turned back towards her allies and Ryo. "Solaris, Sailor Mercury, I'll handle this," she said. "You two take Ryo away from here."
"But Sailor Jupiter, there's no way you can take on Endymion on your own!" protested Solaris.
"Yeah! We're fighting with you!" said Sailor Mercury.
"What are you two talking about? Protecting Ryo is our top priority," Sailor Jupiter spoke firmly. "Take Ryo and get out here! Now!"
Solaris and Sailor Mercury were still a bit reluctant to leave their friend, but they knew that she was right, and so they left, leaving Jupiter and Endymion by themselves. The Sailor Guardian of thunder then took a stance and prepared to fight.
"Mamoru... no, Endymion! I don't want to fight you," she said grimly. "But since I must, I won't hold back! That much I can promise you!"
"That's fine by me," smirked Endymion. "But are you sure that you can handle me all by yourself?"
"I'll give it everything I've got!" shouted Sailor Jupiter as the antenna in her tiara extended, sparking with power."JUPITER SUPREME THUNDER!"
She then unleashed a powerful blast of lightning only to have Endymion simply step out of the way dodging the attack.
"I'm so scared," the evil prince said sarcastically. "Is that all you got?"
"Far from it!" Sailor Jupiter yelled as she attacked with a flurry of punches and chops.
She attacked punch after punch, chop after chop, but Endymion dodged every attack with ease simply by tilting his head to the right and the left. Soon, Sailor Jupiter ran out of steam, running out of breath.
"What's the matter? Have you worn yourself out already?" Endymion asked snootily.
"I'm... not done... quite yet," panted Sailor Jupiter.
"I admire your fighting spirit, but I don't have time to play games with you all day," said Endymion as he took a fighting stance of his own. "Allow me to show you what a real attack looks like."
He then shot towards Sailor Jupiter and attacked with a flurry of punches and chops of his own at a speed that was superior to Sailor Jupiter's. The Guardian of Jupiter went on the defensive, walking backward until she backed into a trash can, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. She immediately got back up only to find herself cornered to the wall with Endymion closing in on her like a lion with its prey.
Endymion then shot forward, clenching his fist letting out a loud cry as he swung aiming for Sailor Jupiter's face. She couldn't help but let out a frightened scream as she shut her eyes, waiting for the punch to hit her, but to her surprise, it never came. Sailor Jupiter then opened one eye to see that Endymion's face was just inches away from touching hers. The dark prince humphed in triumph as he turned on his heel and walked away.
"Just as I thought. You're way out of your league," Endymion chuckled. "Look me up when you've gotten a bit stronger. Perhaps then I'll play with you."
And with that, Endymion disappeared into the darkness leaving Sailor Jupiter seething with anger, her pride bruised.
"Damn you..." she cursed under her breath.
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Meanwhile, Solaris, Sailor Mercury, and Ryo ran as fast as their feet could carry them. Sailor Mercury had just contacted the others through her computer, hoping that they would be able to help them.
"This is Sailor Mercury!" she said. "Solaris and I have Ryo with us, so he's safe!"
"Nice job, Sailor Mercury!" said Luna on the computer. "And you too, Solaris!"
"Don't thank us just yet!" Solaris panted. "Sailor Jupiter's fighting Mamoru all by herself to buy us some time, but it's only a matter of time before he catches up with us."
"But will Sailor Jupiter be OK fighting him by herself?" asked Minako.
"We're not sure, but we need Sailor Moon right away!" said Sailor Mercury. "The Moon Stick might be our only hope to return Mamoru to the way he was before!"
"Don't worry! We'll head to your location right now!" said Luna. "Come on, Usagi! Let's go!"
"OK... let's go then, Luna," Usagi spoke in a dizzy tone. "Just be sure to point me in the right direction cause I don't know where I'm going."
Ami then shut her computer. "Alright! Sailor Moon is on her way," she said. "We just need to hold on until they get here!"
"Hopefully, it'll be soon," said Solaris. "I'm not sure how long Sailor Jupiter can stall Mamoru. He could be pursuing us already! We need to find a place to hide!"
Ryo then stopped. "Wait! Hold on, you two," he said. "I think I know a place."
Solaris and Sailor Mercury stopped.
"Where?" asked Sailor Mercury.
Ryo then pointed down the street. In the distance, they could see the amusement park known as Juuban Land, which was completely dark due to it being closed. The three immediately ran towards the park, not giving it a second thought. They soon made it inside of the park, slipping past the gates. It was very dark and quiet as the three walked around.
"Man... it's kinda creepy around here at night," said Solaris. "Although, this was a good place to hide. Nice thinking, Ryo."
"Ryo, why did you want to come in here, anyway?" asked Sailor Mercury. "I mean, what was the reason anyway?"
Ryo walked a little bit ahead as he gazed up at the Ferris wheel.
"Sorry about this. It's just that I've always dreamed of coming here with you, Sailor Mercury," he said. "Going to an amusement park, I mean. Now my dream has been fulfilled, and I have no regrets." He paused impressively. "From here on, I think it would be best if we went our separate ways."
"Ryo, we can't!" Sailor Mercury protested. "There's no telling when the Dark Kingdom will be coming after you again!"
Ryo then faced Sailor Mercury. His eyes were brimming with tears as he seemed to be struggling to put on a brave face.
"I'm prepared to give up my life to fight them!" he spoke defiantly. "I want you to be free of me, Sailor Mercury, to fulfill your mission! Besides, I was never human anyway. But if giving my life can save the world, then I've accomplished something."
Sailor Mercury stared at Ryo. Then after a few seconds of silence, she kindly smiled as she walked up to Ryo.
"You know, you and I are two of a kind, always running away from our problems," she spoke quietly. "That's what a friend of mine told me. She said I was in denial and should be more honest with myself. And while sacrificing yourself is certainly noble. But be honest, wouldn't you rather keep on living as a human instead? Haven't you forgotten that people would be sad if you die?"
Ryo stared at Sailor Mercury speechless, and Solaris stood by, not saying a word as Sailor Mercury continued.
"I think it's time that we both stop running away," she said. "No matter what comes our way, let's tackle it head-on!"
Ryo was silent. Then a slight smile worked its way to his lips as he nodded in agreement. "Yeah. You're right!"
As the two continued to share this moment, Solaris couldn't help but clear his throat feeling a bit embarrassed as he awkwardly began to walk away.
"I... uh... see that you two are having a moment," he said. "I'll... just stand over here... Don't wanna be a third wheel and all."
"S-Solaris?! How long were you standing there?!" gasped Ryo.
"I've been standing here the whole time," grumbled Harusuke. "I know that the two of you are lovebirds, but come on." He then walked up to the two. "Anyway, if you two are planning to go in fighting for your futures, you can count on me being there for you. I mean, you gotta have a best man for a wedding, right?"
Sailor Mercury and Ryo looked at Solaris, both blushing in embarrassment. Then the two couldn't help but laugh. Solaris then laughed too. But then the moment was quickly cut short. The Ferris wheel lights suddenly turned on as it also began to turn. Then the three heard a familiar yet sinister voice.
"What a cute little moment," it said. "Truly admirable thoughts, Guardians, but they won't save you."
The three looked up towards the Ferris wheel, and to their horror, there standing on the balcony was Endymion. He took a giant leap and landed just before them as Sailor Mercury, and Solaris stood bravely in between him and Ryo.
"Damn, looks like Endymion found us," said Solaris.
But Sailor Mercury wasn't about to back down. "Mamoru! I'm not going to hesitate to fight you anymore!" The Guardian of Mercury proclaimed. "So prepare yourself!"
"I look forward to it, Sailor Mercury," Endymion said. "Truth be told, I was planning to wait until the other guardians got drawn to the light of this Ferris wheel, but it seems that you and Solaris don't need them to fight me."
"You got that right!" Solaris spoke bravely. "So get ready for a merciless whooping! SUNSHINE METEOR!"
"MERCURY BUBBLES SPRAY!
Solaris and Sailor Mercury then went on the attack unleashing their special attacks. However, this would not work on Endymion. He suddenly reappeared in front of them, catching them both by surprise. Then he jumped up and shot straight towards Ryo.
"Sorry, but before I take care of you two, there's some unfinished to take care of," he said.
He then activated the Dark Crystal's power shining its light on Ryo, trapping the boy with its power and taking him inside it. Sailor Mercury and Solaris gasped in horror as Endymion smirked with triumph.
"No! Ryo!" cried Solaris.
Sailor Mercury was horrified, but her face quickly became an angry snarl. "How could you... You monster!" she growled. "Endymion, I don't care if the Dark Kingdom's forced you to do this! I'll make you pay for what you did! Douse yourself in water, and repent!"
Endymion wasn't intimidated, nor did he care. "If you want to save your boyfriend, you'll have to destroy the Dark Crystal," he said as he held out the item in question. "Of course, that will mean that you'll have to defeat me first to get your hands on it. So let's fight. But just so you know, because I respect you, I won't hold back."
And with a wave of his cape, Endymion transformed into his alter ego, Tuxedo Mask. Solaris and Sailor Mercury stood ready to fight.
"I know that neither of us stands a chance against him," she thought. "But we have to try! Ryo's counting on us!" She then turned to her ally, the Sun Guardian. "Solaris, I want you to stay out of this!"
"But Sailor Mercury, there's no way you can take him on your own!" protested Solaris. "Why would you-"
"Just trust me!" said Sailor Mercury. "Let me handle it!"
Solaris had no idea what Sailor Mercury had planned, but he decided to put his faith in her and stay out of it as she told him. Sailor Mercury then ran forward, shooting right past Tuxedo Mask before turning around unleashing another spray of bubbles.
"MERCURY BUBBLES SPRAY!"
Tuxedo Mask then took out his cane and twirled it around and around, popping all the bubbles from Mercury's attack.
"That again? Is that all you got?" he sighed with boredom.
But then, to his surprise, the Dark Crystal was suddenly snatched away from his hand. He snapped his head around to find Sailor Mercury was now holding the Dark Crystal in her possession.
"Alright! Way to go, Sailor Mercury!" cheered Solaris.
"Why, you deceptive little brat!" Tuxedo Mask snarled.
"Consider that payback for earlier!" Sailor Mercury shot back. "Now I have a mission that I need to get done as well!"
She then brought the Dark Crystal over her head and threw it towards the ground with all her strength. The Dark Crystal shattered into a million pieces as six different colored lights shot out from it. Each of the lights reformed, revealing Ryo and the other former Great Monsters, unconscious but alive. At that moment, Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, and Luna arrived.
"Girls! You're here!" Sailor Mercury said with relief.
Sailor Moon then looked at all the unconscious bodies on the ground. "Whoa! What just happened here?!" asked Sailor Moon.
"You just missed Sailor Mercury single-handedly stop the Dark Kingdom's plans all by herself!" said Solaris proudly.
"Wow! That probably explained why you're looking a lot more confident now, Sailor Mercury," smiled Sailor Jupiter. "Way to go!"
"I owe it all to you, Sailor Jupiter. Your words helped me out," Sailor Mercury smiled. Then she turned to her leader. "Sailor Moon, you've got to return Tuxedo Mask to normal!"
"Not if I get rid of you four first!" Tuxedo Mask barked.
He then shot towards the three, not only livid for having his plan fail, but he wasn't going to allow the guardians to heal him. But the guardians were ready for him.
"JUPITER SUPREME THUNDER!"
"MERCURY BUBBLES SPRAY!:
Sailor Jupiter and Mercury both unleashed their signature attacks, the two of which combined into one powerful stream of bubbles laced with lightning. Tuxedo Mask howled in agony as the combined attack hit him.
"SOLAR BINDING!"
Seizing his chance, Solaris fired a beam of light that wrapped around him, preventing him from moving as he continued to recoil from the previous attack.
"Sailor Moon! Now's your chance!" cried Luna. "Hurry and use the Moon Stick Quickly!"
"I know!" Sailor Moon spoke. Then she turned to Tuxedo Mask. "From now on, if you're going to recycle, only recycle cans instead of people who are living peaceful lives! In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"
She then took out her Moon Stick and then activated its signature power.
"MOON HEALING ESCALATION!"
The Moon Stick unleashed a powerful blast of dust and sparkles, making Tuxedo Mask bathe in them. The masked caped man tried to resist, but then he began to see memories float into his mind of who he once was. His memories with Usagi, his forced dates with Rei, him hanging out with Harusuke, and most of all, his memories of fighting with the guardians. Tuxedo Mask was beginning to slip as he began to lose himself to the Moon Healing Escalation.
"It looks like it's working to a degree, but he still needs a little more!" said Luna. "Increase the power, Sailor Moon!"
Sailor Moon did so, and after a few seconds more of Moon Healing Escalation, Tuxedo Mask couldn't resist anymore.
In a blinding flash of light, he reverted to Mamoru Chiba.
"Way to go, Sailor Moon!" cheered Luna.
"You did it! You brought the real Mamoru back!" said Sailor Jupiter happily.
"Thank goodness..." Sailor Mercury sighed with relief.
Sailor Moon could only answer with an exhausted sigh as she sank to her knees.
"You did great, Sailor Moon!" Solaris spoke proudly. "Now we can take Mamoru home and not worry about fighting him anymore!"
He then ran over to Mamoru about to help him to his feet, when but then suddenly, he heard a voice.
"I don't think so."
At that moment, there was a powerful gust of wind that blew straight at the guardians and Luna. Then a shadowed humanoid figure appeared before them, standing between Solaris and Mamoru. Before Solaris could react, the figure raised his hand and unleashed a powerful force of energy, sending Solaris flying until he slammed right into the bars where the Ferris Wheel stood.
"Oh no! Solaris!" cried Sailor Mercury.
Solaris was stunned and dazed as he groaned in agony. Then the figure picked up Mamoru's unconscious body and disappeared from view, taking Mamoru's body with him.
"What... the heck was that?!" Solaris groaned, standing shakily on his feet.
"He... he's gone!" gasped Sailor Jupiter.
"It has to be the Dark Kingdom," said Sailor Mercury. "They must have known Mamoru would get free, so they must have sent someone to save him."
"Oh no... " Sailor Moon wailed.
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Mamoru was lying asleep again in the Dark Kingdom as he bathed in dark energy with Queen Beryl watching over him.
"As I feared, Endymion hasn't lost his memories after all we've done to ensure it," she said to herself. "In any case, you have my thanks for retrieving him. I trust that you're able to move your body without any problems, correct?"
At that moment, the shadowed figure from before appeared and kneeled before Queen Beryl.
"Yes, my queen," it replied.
"Very good," Queen Beryl spoke. "I suppose that we have more work to do. We need to infuse him with the energy of the Great Ruler, and this time, we will turn him into a loyal servant to the Dark Kingdom forever! Until then, I'm counting on you to help while Endymion is healing. There should be one of you more coming, but I'm sure that shouldn't take too much longer. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Queen Beryl," the shadow spoke obediently.
The shadow then looked up as his eyes which were a color of blue, gleamed evilly in the darkness.
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The next day, Juuban Park was now open, filled with lots of people having fun either playing games or riding the rides. Ami and Ryo were riding the Ferris Wheel, enjoying the ride in honor of their first date while Usagi and the others watched from below.
"We can't let this happen!" complained Usagi. "If Ami's side-tracked from her important mission because of her interest in Ryo, who's gonna keep us together?"
"Isn't that supposed to be your job, Usagi?" asked Minako.
"You're only saying that because you're jealous of them," snickered Rei slyly.
"Shut up, Rei!" growled Usagi. "You're jealous too!"
Rei and Usagi glared at each other about to fight when Makoto stepped in, stopping them.
"Now, now, you two, let's be happy for them and leave them be," she said. "Isn't that right, Harusuke?"
Harusuke didn't answer. He continued to stare up the Ferris Wheel, watching Ami and Ryo enjoying themselves. He then remembered back to what Makoto said before about love.
"Even we guardians have a chance for love, eh?" he thought to himself.
"Harusuke? Harusuke. Hello? Earth calling Harusuke? Come on, Harusuke."
Harusuke snapped back to reality, shaking his head, and turned to the others who were all staring at him.
"What's up, Harusuke? You looked spaced out for a moment there," said Luna.
"It's nothing, Luna. I was just thinking," Harusuke said. "Don't mind me."
"Thinking while staring up at Ami and Ryo? Seems pretty fishy if you ask me," said Usagi. "Are you sure you're not being jealous of Ami and Ryo too?"
Harusuke then looked away. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not jealous," he said. "I just don't wanna be the 3rd or, in this case, the 7th wheel on their date, which is why I'm going to go home and do some homework. You guys have fun."
And with that, he walked away, leaving everyone a bit puzzled as Ami and Ryo continued their date.