It was a dark and moonlit night outside of Tokyo. Everything was still and silent.
Suddenly, it got broken by the quick pitter-patter of running feet as six shadows dashed about in the night. One of the shadows was Sailor Moon, who was running as fast as she could while the other five shadows, the other guardians, pursued her. Eventually, they all reached an open area, and, seizing their chance, the other guardians leaped into the air and landed in front of them, cutting her off and having her surrounded.
"We got you now, Sailor Moon," Solaris called out. "Surrender now, and we'll make this as painless as possible."
"No way!" Sailor Moon spoke defiantly. "I will never surrender!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Sailor Jupiter spoke coolly.
"Then we've got no other choice," spoke Sailor Venus as she took a stance.
"This is it then," Sailor Mercury said, who seemed to be somewhat resentful. "Goodbye, stupid girl."
Sailor Mars then stepped forward and began charging her power into her fingertips. "Sailor Moon, prepare yourself!" she spoke. "In the name of Mars, I'll chastise you! MARS FIRE SOUL!"
She then unleashed a powerful fireball at Sailor Moon's feet. She meant to target only Sailor Moon but ended up putting so much power into her attack that it not only hit Sailor Moon but it also hit the other guardians as well. All of the guardians yelped and hopped around, trying to avoid the flames licking at their feet.
"Whoops. I - guess I overdid it a little," Sailor Mars thought, embarrassed.
As this turn of events continued, someone watched the guardians from the shadows behind a tree unknown to anyone. She eyed the guardians carefully for about a few seconds or so; then, it disappeared into the night.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
In the Dark Kingdom, the orb on top of Queen Beryl's wand began to glow wildly with power as it sparked and shimmered, radiating with energy. Queen Beryl shouldn't help but shield her eyes, as did Kunzite and Zoisite. The orb calmed down a few seconds later, the glow fading away.
"That was another unusual burst of energy," spoke Queen Beryl.
"In these past few days, there have been several energy reactions similar to what we just saw," said Kunzite. "I suspect that it might have something to do with the Silver Crystal."
"How so?" wondered Queen Beryl.
"We should have an answer right now, my queen," said Zoisite as he turned around. "Oniwabandana? Are you there?"
At that moment, a monster came rising from the throne room floor until its entire appearance showed. The beast looked like a ninja female, had long brown-gray hair in a long ponytail with a red headband holding up her bangs, wore a black kunoichi dress that exposed her green skin with dark brown-red armor on her arms and legs with knee-high shoes to go with it. She also had a red scarf tied around her left leg above the knee.
"Yes, sir. Oniwabandana, at your service," the monster spoke, bowing.
"Have you figured out the cause of the energy readings?" asked Kunzite.
"Yes, I have, Ban Ban," replied Oniwabandana as she took photographs from her outfit. "Take a look for yourselves."
She then threw the two photographs. One went to Kunzite, and the other went to Queen Beryl, and with Zoisite looking over with Kunzite, they all looked at the pictures. At first, there was nothing to see, but then Oniwabandana made a camera gesture with her hands and winked. At that moment, both of the pictures became clear, and to Beryl's, Kunzite's, and Zoisite's surprise, each of the photographs revealed a picture of Sailor Moon fighting with the other guardians.
"The source of the unusual energy turned out to be from the guardians," explained Oniwabandana. "It's happening because Sailor Moon apparently had a fall out with the other guardians and have been fighting each other ever since. Ban, Ban."
"Could it be true? Sailor Moon and the other guardians at odds with each other?" pondered Queen Beryl doubtfully. "How very peculiar. There's a possibility that this could be a trap. Kunzite. Zoisite. What do you two make of this?"
Kunzite took a few seconds pondering as he looked at the photo.
"I'd like some additional proof," he said at last. "I would normally say that this could work in our favor, but something about this seems strange."
"I agree. This seems way too suspicious," agreed Zoisite. "I'm all for taking down the guardians while they're at their worst, but this seems way too easy."
"Very well," said Queen Beryl. "Continue watching them, but make sure you stay on guard."
Kunzite then turned to his recruit. "Oniwabandana, go back and continue your investigation. Make sure you keep a sharp eye on them."
"Consider it done," acknowledged Oniwabandana as she disappeared into the shadows.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
The next night, the town of Juuban was quiet as it should be, but then the silence of the night was broken by the sound of shattering glass over at Osa-P Jewellers, which was also the residence of the Osaka's. Oniwabandana had just punched through one of the jewelry displays, grabbing a fistful with her hand. Then the lights came on, and Oniwabandana heard a voice.
"Who's there?!"
The ninja snapped her head to the right and was surprised to see Naru and her mother standing there, both carrying kitchen utensils for weapons. Naru and her mother began to lose their nerve as they squealed with fright upon seeing her. Oniwabandana, now knowing that the two weren't a threat, immediately fired multiple mini kunais at them. Luckily, they all missed pinning Naru and her mother to the wall by their clothing, but Naru's mother was so frightened she immediately fainted, falling unconscious.
"Sorry, but I'll be taking these jewels," Oniwabanda spoke, cackling. "And I can't have any witnesses, so..."
She then took out another kunai and was just about to throw it at Naru when a voice came.
"Stop right there!"
Oniwabandana immediately stopped turning around to see that a sailor guardian was standing before her, much to Naru's relief.
"It's Sailor Moon!" she cried joyfully.
"That's right! I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice," she proclaimed. "And now, in the name of the Moon-!"
But Sailor Moon was rudely interrupted as someone gave her a sharp kick to her behind, making her fall flat on her face with a thump. Oniwabandana and Naru were surprised to see that it came from Sailor Mars, who had also arrived, along with the other Guardians. Sailor Moon got up, her nose red from hitting the floor, and glared crossly at Sailor Mars.
"What'd you do that for?!" she demanded.
"Stop acting like you're the only cool one here," Sailor Mars said.
"Well, your kick ruined my pretty face by flattening it!" Sailor Moon snapped.
"Well, it is better than before," Sailor Mars smirked snootily. "I'd say it's a big improvement."
Sailor Moon's face went red with fury. "What did you say?!" she growled.
"What are you even doing here?" asked Sailor Jupiter rudely. "Last time I checked, no one invited you."
"Yeah. I was the one who heard about this crime first," said Sailor Mercury.
"So do us all a favor and butt out," added Sailor Venus.
"I'm willing to bet that you eavesdropped on us just to steal our thunder," went on Sailor Mars. "Well, you can forget it, so leave."
"Don't talk to me like I'm some kind of thief!" Sailor Moon snapped, now angrier than ever.
"Just shut up, will you!"
"You shut up! You're standing in my way!"
"You got in my way first!"
"You're the one that's being lame!"
"Me?! Lame?! What about you?!"
As Sailor Moon and the other guardians continued to bicker and argue, Naru could only watch, profoundly shocked and dumbfounded.
"What the heck is going on here?!" she spoke incredulously.
Solaris then suddenly appeared next to her. "Isn't it obvious? Sailor Moon and the other guardians are fighting. Just as they always did."
Naru looked at Solaris. "Well, shouldn't you go try and break them up or something?!"
Solaris shook his head. "Are you nuts? No way, Jose. I ain't going to get involved in that hot mess," he said. "If it's one thing I learned, a man should never get involved in a catfight. Especially if those cats can scratch and claw you."
While this was going on, Oniwabandana saw this as an opportunity and quickly hid behind a pillar. Then, she switched into her human form. She was a young woman with a long brown colored ponytail who wore a red long-sleeved button-down with a brown vest, blue bellbottom pants with a yellow star on each thigh, and white platform shoes with a large camera that hung around her neck.
She then ran out from her hiding place and began taking several pictures of the Guardians causing everyone to stop arguing immediately.
"Hey! Quit that!" complained Sailor Moon.
"Just what we need, paparazzi!" grumbled Sailor Mars.
"Guardians are fighting each other at the scene of the crime! A huge scoop!" the woman cried gleefully.
"And who the heck are you?" demanded Solaris.
"I'm a freelance writer for the Weekly Dokkiri," the woman said with a wink as she continued taking pictures.
"Hey, I've heard of that!" Sailor Venus spoke with a hint of disgust. "That's the sleazy photo magazine that prints just about anything, even sleazy stories that aren't are completely untrue, isn't that right?"
"Pretty much," smiled the woman brightly as she then took out a tape recorder pressing the record button. "So what's the cause of this fight between you guys? Care to comment?"
"Well... uh... no! We were - horsing around!" Sailor Moon spoke nervously. "We get along just fine! There's no way that Guardians like us would fight with each other. We're a happy team of heroes! Right, guys?"
Sailor Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus turned away from Sailor Moon with a huff in response. Sailor Moon then looked at Solaris, still standing next to Naru.
"Solaris! Help me out here!" she begged.
"Sorry, but I'm staying out of this one," Solaris spoke, waving his hand. "Besides, I don't do journalists."
Sailor Moon was at a loss for words as the woman continued pressing for answers for her interview.
"I knew it! There is something wrong between you guys!" she eagerly spoke as she held her tape holder close to them. "Let me guess; you're tired of dealing with Sailor Moon messing up all the time. Or maybe it's a boy issue. Does it have anything to do with Solaris?"
At that moment, the other guardians had enough, as did Solaris.
"That's it, I'm out of here," said Solaris as he walked out.
"Me too. This is stupid," agreed Sailor Venus.
"I'm going home," said Sailor Jupiter.
"H-hey! Wait a minute! Come back!" called the woman as she gave chase. "You can tell me!"
Sailor Moon now found herself all alone, dumbfounded and confused. "What was that all about?" she wondered. Then she saw Naru, who was still pinned to the wall, suddenly remembered. "Wait a second! The monster!" She then looked around, whipping her head back and forth, trying to see where Oniwabandana went. "Where'd that monster go, anyway?!"
"I think she kinda got away while you were all busy fighting," said Naru.
Sailor Moon's body then slumped, her head hung with disappointment. "I-Is that so...?" she spoke sheepishly.
"Yeah," said Naru. "So... you mind getting us out of this now?"
Sailor Moon immediately snapped out of her depression and blushed with embarrassment.
"Oh yeah! Sorry about that!" she apologized. "I'll get you out!"
As she did so, she didn't know that the disguised Oniwabandana was watching her right outside of the door. However, she wasn't the only one doing some spying. At that same time, Artemis and Luna kept a close eye on her as they carefully observed her from the rooftops.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
The next day as they walked to school, Naru told Usagi and Harusuke everything that had happened the other night.
"...and then the thief was able to get away," she finished. "It was so crazy."
"Sounds like you had one heck of a night, Naru," said Harusuke. "You were lucky that you didn't get hurt."
"Yeah, but you know what the weirdest part was?" spoke Naru. "It seemed that Sailor Moon was fighting with the other guardians."
"N-No way! You're kidding," Usagi spoke, trying to feign surprise. "I-I don't know about the other guardians, but Sailor Moon is so cute and sweet. She's not the type of person who would fight or argue."
Then suddenly, the same woman from the other night popped out from out of nowhere, thrusting her tape recorder right in front of Usagi's face catching everyone by surprise.
"Say, tell me more about who you were just talking about!" she said eagerly.
"Oh no! It's her again!" Usagi thought.
"Oh, great! That's all we need!" Harusuke thought.
"Allow me to introduce myself," said the woman as she handed the teens her information card. "My name is Nana Asahina, a freelance writer. I am pleased to meet you. Now then, you three seem to know quite a lot about Sailor Moon, which leads me to believe that you're all close. Isn't that right?"
"Well... I guess you could say that," Usagi said nervously.
"Careful, Usagi," warned Harusuke.
"Ah! I see! So, Sailor Moon wouldn't fight or argue. What exactly makes you say that?" Nana continued.
Usagi and Harusuke could only look at Naru begging her for help. Nana then started pressing Naru for answers.
"Ah! That's right! Based on my sources, you've been saved by Sailor Moon many times, isn't that right? You were there last night, so you must have been able to talk with her, right? Was she saying anything bad about the other guardians?"
"OK. That's enough!" snapped Harusuke, now clearly fed up. "We don't know anything about what's going on, so why don't you take a hike?! We're in a rush here! Come on, girls. Let's go."
And with that, Usagi, Harusuke, and Naru raced away, leaving Nana behind.
"Just give me a call when you can, OK?!" Nana called back.
"Geez! Now there's a woman who doesn't know when to quit!" Usagi panted as she ran.
"No kidding!" agreed Harusuke. "She's so persistent, like a rash that won't go away!"
As soon as they left, Nana went on her way. Then she saw something go by on top of a wall from the corner of her eye; however, she didn't see anything when she looked. So, not thinking much of it, the woman continued. At that moment, Artemis and Luna came out from the corner of the wall, still keeping a close eye on Nana, making sure that she didn't see them.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Later that night, at the Hikawa Shrine, Sailor Moon and the guardians were at it again. This time, all of the other guardians were attacking Sailor Moon at once. First, sailor Jupiter came in with a mighty kick, but Sailor Moon blocked it by crossing her arms. Next, Sailor Venus attacked by swinging a tree branch right at Sailor Moon's head which she dodged by ducking. Sailor Mercury came at her next, but unlike the other two, she attacked Sailor Moon in one of the worst ways possible. Math.
"What is the square root of two?!" she cried out.
Sailor Moon stared dumbly at her, not being able to answer. At that moment, Solaris came at her from above, a giant ball of light hovering from his hand.
"SUNSHINE METEOR!"
He then punched the ball of light, making it shoot toward Sailor Moon. However, the Moon Guardian was able to dodge by jumping backward. At that moment and seizing her chance, Sailor Mars appeared right behind Sailor Moon and gave her a swift kick on her bum, causing her to fall onto the hard ground flat on her face like the night before.
"Ouch! That hurt Mars!" Sailor Moon wailed. "You kicked me for real that time!"
"Well, of course, I did. That's kinda the whole point," Sailor Mars spoke. "If I don't get serious, then what's the point of all this training?"
"But, there was hate in that kick! I know what I felt!" Sailor Moon grumpily pouted as she stood back up. Then she glared suspiciously. "Wait a minute... Don't tell me that you're..."
"Wh-why are you looking at me like that?! This whole plan of us having a bit fallout with you was your idea!" objected Sailor Mars. "So don't go playing the blame game and stop acting like a wimp!"
"I'm not being a wimp!" Sailor Moon snapped back. "It's up to us to rescue Tuxedo Mask from the clutches of the Dark Kingdom!"
"That's exactly why we have to make it look convincing that we're fighting to whoever's watching us," said Sailor Mars.
"But now, my butt's hurting now," complained Sailor Moon, holding her bum in agony. "I think you kicked it so hard that there's a crack in it."
"Did... did you just say that to make a joke or an innuendo?" asked Solaris incredulously.
Sailor Mars then stomped over to Sailor Moon ignoring Solaris' question. "Enough! Listen, unless it looks like we mean it, they're sure as heck not going to invite an enemy like you to their hangout! Got it?!"
"I know, I know," groaned Sailor Moon. "That was the plan."
"Mars is right on this one, Sailor Moon," said Luna. "This plan of yours is perilous, Sailor Moon, so you gotta do some serious acting if you're gonna get the Dark Kingdom to buy it."
"All right! I get it already!" sighed Sailor Moon.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
The following day, everyone met up at the Hikawa Shrine to discuss the recent events.
"Say Artemis, did you happen to find out anything about that reporter who showed up the other day at the jewelry store?" asked Minako.
"Yeah. There's something pretty suspicious about that woman," said Artemis.
He then showed the teens a tabloid bookmarked on a particular page. Sure enough, as Minako opened it, there was an article about them with a picture of them in big letters; SAILOR MOON DISBANDING? TEAM QUARRELING!
"Aha! I knew it!" Usagi gasped.
"Check this out!" said Minako as she, along with everyone else, read through the article. "She already wrote the story!"
"Well, she certainly didn't waste any time," said Harusuke. "You gotta hand it to her; she works pretty fast."
"Oh, man! I look so stupid in that photo!" complained Usagi. "I'm making such a funny face!"
"That's how you always look, Usagi," Rei said snootily. "So they're nothing for you to worry about."
Usagi immediately glared at Rei, her face burning with fury. "What did you say?!" she growled threateningly.
"Cut it out, you two," sighed Minako.
"Anyway, this freelance reporter just appeared out of nowhere, and she's already successful and popular," went on Artemis. "She's had big scoops on every political and entertainment story out there. It's like she already knows where to go before it even happens."
"You think that she got into a monster?" wondered Minako.
"Yes. It's very much likely," nodded Artemis.
"Yeah! That fact that a monster is contacting us is good!" said Usagi excitedly. "That means my awesome plan of mine is working!"
"It could also be a coincidence," pointed out Ami.
Usagi's enthusiasm immediately deflated. "Ami... come on... at least try to sound happy."
"But she is right, Usagi. There is a possibility that it could be a coincidence," said Harusuke. "It's possible that the Dark Kingdom could already know about this little plan of ours. That's why we need to make sure that this plan works; otherwise, we'll miss our chance to save Mamoru."
"Then I say we get this show on the road," said Makoto.
"But Usagi, your plan's pretty risky," Luna spoke worriedly. "Are you sure that you wanna go through with this?"
"Oh, come on, Luna. It'll be fine," Makoto reassured. "I mean, why worry? She knows we got her back. Right, Usagi?"
"Uh... yeah. Sure," Usagi said doubtfully.
"Are you sure?" Rei asked, sensing her doubt. "Because I don't mind going in your place."
Usagi's eyes immediately narrowed as she gave Rei an accusing glare. "Why would you ask me that?" she asked suspiciously. "I go and get myself beat up training for this, and now you want to take over as the leader?"
Rei stared at Usagi dumbfounded and speechless while everyone else groaned exasperatedly.
"Usagi, you're overthinking this," Harusuke spoke, shaking his head. "You and Rei may have your differences, but she would never be as mean like that."
"Well, if Rei weren't so hard on me, this would be a lot easier," Usagi grumped.
"Then just stop messing up all the time," Rei spoke hotly.
"What was that?!"
"You heard me!"
The two gazed grimly at each other and immediately made Akanbe faces taunting each other while everyone else could only watch sweatdropping in exasperation.
"Now, it's turned into a real fight for real," groaned Ami.
"Well, at least they got into their respective acting roles," Harusuke muttered.
Everyone sighed in agreement.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
A little bit later, Usagi and Luna walked over to Nana's place with Usagi carrying a pink letter. Soon enough, they arrived at the location thanks to Nana's card, and Usagi and Luna couldn't believe their eyes. In front of them was an enormous house that had the appearance of a mansion that was colored white, gold, and red.
"Wow! This apartment is amazing!" gasped Usagi with wonder. "I envy her! I sure wish I could get a place as nice as this!"
"This isn't the time to be admiring her, Usagi!" Luna spoke sternly. "Don't forget that she could be a monster!"
Usagi then snapped out of her amazement as she looked back at the main gate. Behind the gate, all the other guardians hid outside it, giving Usagi peace for good luck. Usagi could only wryly laugh as she walked up to the door ringing the doorbell. The door opened, and Nana immediately greeted her.
"Oh! Welcome!" Nana smiled. "How may I help you?"
Usagi then gave her a pink envelope. "Um... Sailor Moon dropped by, and she asked me to give this to you," she spoke, trying not to sound nervous.
Nana took the pink envelope and opened it reading the letter inside it.
"I have decided that I don't want to be the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice anymore," she read aloud. "I don't want to fight alongside teammates who don't respect me or treat me fairly. So I'd also like to give you a shocking confession as well. Meet me at the Juuban Cemetery tonight at eleven pm."
She was surprised when she finished reading, but she also felt elated for this big scoop. "Thank you so much for the letter," she said. "But why did she have you deliver this?"
Usagi gulped. "I-I don't know!" she squeaked nervously. "I guess... people have always told me that I have a trustworthy face for delivering letters!"
"Seriously? What kind of answer is that?!" Luna groaned in her head. "That is a total lie if I ever heard one!"
"Well, thanks to you, I have got myself another great scoop," smiled Nana. "I owe you one."
"I'm... glad that I could help you out," Usagi smiled nervously.
Unknown to Usagi, Nana's eyes gleamed in delight. "Master Kunzite's going to want to know about this," she thought.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Kunzite and Zoisite were waiting for Oniwabandana to report back with news in the Dark Kingdom. At that moment, Oniwabandana appeared before them.
"Oniwabandana, you've come back," said Kunzite. "How are things proceeding?
Oniwabandana then pulled out the note Usagi had given her and threw it to Kunzite. Kunzite then skimmed over the message, and a slight smirk worked its way to his features.
"What does it say, Kunzite?" wondered Zoisite.
"Sailor Moon has had a change of heart, it seems," said Kunzite. "Supposedly, she's broken away from her little group."
"Are you serious?!" gasped Zoisite.
"Yes. Which is why I think it's about time for us to make our appearance," Kunzite spoke as he burned the letter in his hand.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Nightfall came, and the clock had begun to strike eleven in the Juuban cemetery. Sailor Moon stood alone, feeling nervous and scared but determined to see this plan through. As the clock continued to ring, Sailor Moon waited, and she waited for Nana to arrive. Then on the sixth toll of the bell, Oniwabandana appeared while Sailor Moon wasn't looking. No sooner than she appeared, she quickly transformed into her human appearance as Sailor Moon turned around, sensing her.
"N-Nana! You startled me!" she spoke, feeling startled.
"Thank you for your letter, Sailor Moon," Nana said, winking. "So, is it true that you want to leave the Guardians forever?"
"That's right! I don't even want to look at them anymore!" Sailor Moon said.
"Really?" spoke Nana. "You're sure about that?"
"Yes. Really," Sailor Moon nodded. "I'm sure!"
"Very good. In that case..."
Nana made a few quick signs with her hands. Then as she floated up into the air, she spun around and around until she finally stopped, now transformed into her Oniwabandana form. At that time, Kunzite and Zoisite appeared standing on top of the clock, much to Sailor Moon's surprise.
"Kunzite?! Zoisite?! Meeting you wasn't part of the agreement!" Sailor Moon spoke indignantly. "I thought I was here for an interview!"
Oniwabandana nearly fell over in surprise. "That's not happening, you fool!" she snapped. "The interview is off!"
"So, we've recently heard about you breaking up with the other guardians," said Kunzite. "You know, if you join us, you'd be able to see Endymion any time you want."
Sailor Moon blinked upon hearing that, but she didn't give in to that temptation. "Don't be ridiculous!" she spoke defiantly. "I'm the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice, and I don't plan on stopping!"
"Well, that's truly a shame. For you, that is," said Zoisite feigning pity. "Right now, Endymion can't even move and isn't going to any time soon."
Sailor Moon was now worried. "Wh-What?! Is he sick?! Tell me!"
"Who knows? One thing's for sure, seeing you would help him get well," smirked Zoisite. "He would be delighted to see you again."
"And we know that while asking you to join us is an impossible request," went on Kunzite. "But wouldn't you like to see Endymion again?"
"Y-You'll... you'll take me to him?" asked Sailor Moon tentatively.
Kunzite and Zoisite then jumped off the clock and landed just in front of Sailor Moon.
"Of course, but only on one condition," Zoisite spoke, raising a finger. "You can't just get something out of nothing, you know."
"And what condition is that?" asked Sailor Moon.
Kunzite then held out his hand. "Hand over the Silver Crystal," he said. "Need I remind you that if you pass up this chance, you'll never see Endymion alive again."
Sailor Moon now was feeling desperate. She wanted more than anything to see Endymion once more, but she wasn't thrilled about handing over the Silver Crystal, an unforeseen part of her plan that she didn't expect.
"What should I do?! Tuxedo Mask must be ill from what Kunzite said," she thought. "But how do we know that they're telling the truth?! What if Tuxedo Mask's in danger?!"
"Well, what's your answer? Ban, ban?" demanded Oniwabandana.
"Are you going to hand it over or not?" asked Kunzite.
After taking a few seconds of thinking, Sailor Moon decided. "All right. I'll give it to you," she said in resignation. "But first, I want to make sure that Tuxedo Mask is OK!"
Kunzite and Zoisite smirked with triumph, and the two were just about to open a portal to the Dark Kingdom when a whisper reached Oniwabandana's ear.
"All right. It looks like those guys fell or it."
The ninja then looked behind her. The other guardians were a few feet away, hiding in the bushes and trees.
"Master Kunzite. Master Zoisite," she whispered. "Look behind us."
Kunzite and Zoisite did and saw the guardians as well, much to their surprise.
"Damn it! So it was a trap!" cursed Zoisite. "I should've known those guardians had a trick up their sleeve."
Sailor Moon, unaware, bravely took a step. "All right, then. I'm ready," she said bravely. "Let's get going. If I ever see Sailor Mars or the others again, it'll be too soon!"
"I must say, I like your hate-filled resolve," Kunzite spoke.
And with a wave of his hand exerting his power, Kunzite made a dark black portal appear just behind Sailor Moon, causing the girl to jump in surprise.
"That is the entryway to the Dark Kingdom," said Kunzite. "If you step through this, it'll take you directly to Endymion."
Sailor Moon was glad her plan was going well, but now she felt terrified as she stared into the dark void that seemed endless.
"Man... That sure is one creepy entrance," she squeaked.
"What's wrong? Having second thoughts?" mocked Zoisite. "There's no shame in turning back."
"I'm going, OK?!" Sailor Moon snapped. "Geez, you're so mean; you're just like Sailor Mars!" She then took a deep breath and plucked up her courage. "Hold on, Tuxedo Mask. I'm coming for you."
She was just about to step into the portal when suddenly, Oniwabandana grabbed her bandana and made it extend, wrapping it around Sailor Moon's neck, much to the other Guardian's horror.
"Now, hand over the crystal! Ban, Ban!" Oniwabandana demanded.
"No! I won't do it!" Sailor Moon spoke with gritted teeth. "Not until I see Tuxedo Mask!"
"Sorry, but it's a little too late for that!" Oniwabandana said as she tightened the bandana around Sailor Moon's neck. "I guess you'll die right here! And once you die, we'll take the Silver Crystal from you! Ban, ban!"
"No, you don't because the Silver Crystal... isn't even here!" Sailor Moon choked out.
"Like that even matters to us," said Kunzite snootily. "Once you're dead, there will be anyone else left who can use the Silver Crystal."
"It's useless. It looks like you just dug your own grave," Zoisite cackled.
Sailor Moon desperately tried to break free from the bandana around her neck, but it held her firmly as it started to choke and suffocate her. All the guardians could do was sit in their hiding place and watch, unsure of what to do.
"She's in trouble!" Sailor Mercury spoke urgently.
"We have to help her!" Sailor Jupiter said as she started to get up and rush in.
"Wait! We can't!" Sailor Mars spoke, raising her hand. "If we rescue her now, this whole plan will have been for nothing!"
"Just hold on, everyone!" Sailor Venus said. "Hold back!"
As Sailor Moon struggled to breathe, she saw Kunzite and Zoisite glance towards where the other guardians were hiding. She then understood what they were doing.
"They're trying to use me as a test to see if Sailor Mars and the others will come to my rescue!" she thought. "Please, everyone, don't give in! Don't try to save me!"
Sailor Moon's complexion was now starting to look pale as she grew weak and wouldn't last much longer. Finally, Sailor Jupiter shot up to her feet.
"I'm going!" she said.
"Me too!" said Sailor Mercury.
"So will I!" said Sailor Venus.
They were just about to step out from their hiding place when Sailor Mars cut them off.
"No! Not yet!" she insisted. "We have to stay put!"
"But she needs our help right now!" Sailor Jupiter snapped. "Move out of the way!"
She then tried shoving Sailor Mars out of the way, but she refused to move. Sailor Jupiter then glared resentfully at Sailor Mars.
"So, is that it, Sailor Mars?! Do you hate Sailor Moon?!" she snapped bitterly. "Do you hate her so much that you would allow her to die just to be the leader?!"
"Jupiter! Don't say that!" Sailor Mercury gasped.
Then Sailor Mars took out a very familiar item. The Moon Stick. Everyone gasped with shock from the sight of it.
"The Moon Stick?! But why do you have it?!" asked Sailor Venus.
"Because Sailor Moon gave it to me!" Sailor Mars snapped, her voice cracking. "I wouldn't hold on to something this important for someone I didn't care about!"
"Now you see? Sailor Mars feels the same way you do, Jupiter," Sailor Venus said.
Sailor Jupiter now felt terrible. "Yeah... I'm sorry, but we can't just sit here!" she said. "I don't want to stand here while my best friend is dying! And I'm sure that Solaris would feel the same-"
Then as Sailor Jupiter turned toward Solaris, she stopped, and her eyes went wide with shock. Everyone else turned towards Solaris and was shocked as well. The Guardian of the Sun, who was silent the whole time, was now radiating with amber light while trembling with rage, hands clenched so tightly that he almost drew blood from underneath his gloves. He also had a slight vein bulging on the top of his forehead that pulsed and throbbed, and his eyes were wide and glaring at the scene unfolding before him.
"Oh, man! He looks like he's about to blow!" Sailor Venus gulped nervously.
"S-Solaris! You have to calm down!" spoke Sailor Mars. "Please! Control yourself!"
But there was worse to come. Zoisite started to walk toward Sailor Moon, making a sword made out of crystal materialize in his hand.
"I grow impatient of this," he spoke with a sadistic smile. "Perhaps you'll die quicker with a sword stabbed into your back; if you don't mind, Kunzite."
"Not at all," said Kunzite. "Do what you like."
Solaris suddenly remembered when Zoisite stabbed Mamoru as soon as he saw the sword and when he attacked Nephrite. He could remember the blood, the anguished look on his face, and the sadistic smirk on Zoisite's face, which was enough to send him over the edge. Before anyone had a chance to react, Solaris shot out from the bushes and headed straight for Zoisite.
"Solaris! Wait!" cried Sailor Mars.
But Solaris didn't hear, nor did he care.
"ZOISITE!" he bellowed.
And before Zoisite had a chance to react, Solaris clenched his fist and gave Zoisite a wicked and powerful punch right into his jaw, sending Zoisite flying and slamming straight into the clock tower's wall.
"No! Zoisite!" cried Kunzite.
Everyone else stared at Solaris, dumbfounded and completely shocked; even Oniwabandana froze with shock. Then, seeing their chance, the other guardians arrived on the scene just behind him.
"Sailor Mars!"
"Sailor Mercury!"
"Sailor Jupiter!"
"Sailor Venus!"
"The sailor guardians are here, and the jig is up!"
Now taking notice of the other guardians, Kunzite regained his composure and looked back at the guardians with a confident smirk.
"You fools, did you honestly think we didn't see through this stupid scheme of yours?" he asked haughtily. "We noticed a long time ago."
The guardians all stared dumbly at Kunzite, feeling a bit sheepish, but Sailor Mars quickly snapped out of it.
"It doesn't matter! Just let Sailor Moon go, you monster!" Sailor Mars snapped as she put her fingers together. "MARS FIRE SOUL!"
She fired a massive fireball at Oniwabandana, burning her and the bandana that she was using to strangle Sailor Moon, setting her free. Kunzite, then seeing his chance, rushed over to Zoisite, checking to see if he wasn't hurt. Other than being unconscious, he now sported a spectacular bruise on his cheek with a bit of blood trickling down his m
"Zoisite! Are you alright?! Say something!" begged Kunzite as he gently shook him, trying to wake him up.
But he had no time to worry about Zoisite as Solaris then shot towards him with a bigger and brighter ball of light clenched with his fist, still overwhelmed with rage.
"KUNZITE! YOU'RE GONNA PAY!" he roared.
He then launched the ball of light with a hard punch, but Kunzite, while managing to lift Zoisite in his arms, jumped into the air dodging the blow, making a massive explosion shook the area, forcing Kunzite to erect a barrier to shield himself and Zoisite.
"What the hell going on here?!" Kunzite thought to himself. "Somehow, Solaris' power just skyrocketed! How did he get so strong?! Did he get like this just from sheer rage alone?!"
He then looked at Solaris, who still had a livid expression on his face. Then he saw his eyes. They were now glowing in the same color as before. Bright silver.
"Those eyes again!" he gasped. "Just like when he thought Queen Beryl!"
Solaris then saw Kunzite from above, and he brought his hands together, concentrating all of his power in them.
"I SUMMON FORTH THE POWER OF THE STARS! LEND ME YOUR POWER!" he commanded as a white orb formed in his hands. When he charged enough power, he aimed and fired a powerful beam of white light. "STARLIGHT ATTACK!"
Kunzite braced himself as the attack shot right into his barrier, using every ounce of strength he had to keep it up. The guardians, as well as Oniwabandana, could only stare, watching the battle bewildered and stunned.
Then Oniwabandana, realizing that the guardians were distracted, took out her sword and dashed at Sailor Moon, aiming it for her neck.
"Time for you to die, Sailor Moon!" she yelled.
Sailor Moon, now seeing Oniwabandana coming at her, let out a shriek of fright as she ducked just as the blade narrowly missed her, cutting a few strands of her hair off. Oniwabandana swiped and swung, attacking again and again and again as Sailor Moon ducked and dodged it.
Sailor Mars saw that Sailor Moon was in trouble, so she threw the Moon Stick toward her.
"Sailor Moon, catch!" she yelled.
Sailor Moon looked back and saw the Moon Stick flying at her as Oniwabandana swung her blade. Luckily, Sailor Moon caught the Moon Stick and blocked it just in the nick of time, causing the blade's end to snap off.
"It's over now, Monster!" said Sailor Mars as the other guardians stood with her. "Give it up!"
But Oniwabandana wasn't one to give up so easily. She made a hand sign with her fingers, and just like a ninja, she created four identical copies of herself, much to the surprise of the guardians. Then, the five Oniwabandanas each took out metal stars and prepared to throw them at the Guardians.
"We will turn you into mincemeat, Ban ban!" the five of them said.
"Not gonna happen!" cried Sailor Mercury. "MERCURY BUBBLES SPRAY!"
She unleashed her signature attack unleashing a blast of bubbles which made fog cover the entire area confusing the five. Then seizing her chance, Sailor Mars went on the attack unleashing a powerful fireball.
"MARS FIRE SOUL!"
The fireball blasted the ground at the five Oniwabandanas feet, causing them to frantically jump and hop around, trying not to get burned. Four of the copies of Oniwabandana disappeared, leaving the real one yelping in pain. Sailor Moon then saw her chance and, using her Moon Stick, unleashed a powerful blast of light, dust, and sparkles at her.
"MOON HEALING ESCALATION!"
In a brilliant flash of light, Oniwabandana was gone, and the real Nana Asahina now remained dazed and confused.
Back with the battle of Solaris and Kunzite, Solaris was still blasting Kunzite with his Starlight Attack, not wanting to give Kunzite the chance of escaping, and Kunzite was beginning to grow weaker. The Guardians then turned their attention towards the battle.
"Solaris! You can do it!" yelled Sailor Jupiter.
"Yeah! Blast those jerks out of the sky!" cheered Sailor Venus. "You got them on the ropes!"
"Damn it! I won't last at this rate!" Kunzite thought, gritting his teeth. "If Solaris keeps this up, we won't be able to get out of this unscathed!"
"Give it up, Kunzite!" yelled Solaris. "I ain't going to stop until I turn you both to dust! I'm going to make you pay for betraying the Moon with your life!"
Sailor Moon then looked at Solaris, seeing his angry expression for the first time. Then she looked at his silver-colored eyes, and upon seeing them, began to feel a sense of deja vu. She had seen this someone before, but she couldn't remember where or when.
Solaris then put more power into his attack, making Kunzite's barrier begin to waver. Then just as he was about to break through, a mysterious shadow shot out from the darkness past the guardians and unleashed a force of power at Solaris.
Sensing the attack, Solaris immediately stopped his assault and jumped out of the way, dodging the blow.
"What was that?!" gasped Sailor Mercury.
"Another enemy?!" wondered Sailor Mars.
Solaris then looked at the shadowed figure and growled in anger. "You dare get in my way, you foul cur?!" he snapped. "Fine then! I shall smite you as well, foul creature!"
"What the heck? Why is he talking like that?" wondered Sailor Jupiter.
Sailor Mars then made a sign with her hands using her shrine maiden senses. Then she gasped. "Something's wrong!" she said. "Solaris isn't himself!"
"What do you mean by that, Mars?" asked Sailor Venus.
"It's like something's possessing him," said Sailor Mars. "I can't feel any evil, but it's nothing good either. It's like something had awakened inside of him in response to in anger just like before when Queen Beryl attacked us."
Solaris then charged at the mysterious figure, attacking it with a flurry of fists and kicks, but the shadow dodged and blocked every blow.
"Sorry, but I have no time to waster on you," the figure said as it released a blast of force.
Solaris skidded backward, trying to stand his ground from the force. When he was able to stop himself, he looked up to see that the shadow was helping Kunzite lift the unconscious Zoisite to his feet.
"Sorry, Solaris, but don't worry, we'll settle the score another day. You can be sure you will pay for what you did to my Zoisite!" said Kunzite. "As for the rest of you guardians, next time you want to trick me, you might want to try practicing your acting a bit more."
"You're running away?! Get back here, you bastards!" Solaris roared.
But it was too late. Kunzite, Zoisite, and the mysterious shadow disappeared without a trace. At that moment, Solaris felt a little weak as he fell to his knees, the silver color vanishing from his eyes. In addition, Sailor Mars could no longer sense her presence from him.
"What the... It's gone," murmured Sailor Mars. "Where did it go?"
Sailor Moon immediately rushed over to him. "Solaris! Are you OK?!" she cried worriedly.
Solaris shook his head, getting the confusion out of his head. "What... what happened? Where am I?"
"You went completely bonkers when that monster was strangling Sailor Moon," explained Sailor Jupiter.
"Not to mention you hit Zoisite so hard, you sent him straight to the clock tower," said Sailor Venus. "You even almost took out Kunzite and Zoisite at the same time!"
"I-I did?" Solaris spoke, a bit confused. "I... I don't remember any of that. I remember Zoisite taking out that crystal sword of his, and then I blacked out."
"Well, in any case, we did it," smiled Sailor Mercury. "Sure, the plan was a failure, but we managed to save Nana at least."
Sailor Moon then suddenly remembered. "Hey! Speaking of which, why did you guys have to come out anyway?!" she demanded. "I could've handled this whole thing on my own!"
"Well, we had to because you were crying like a baby," Sailor Mars huffed snootily.
"Just when was I crying like a baby?!" Sailor Moon snapped crossly.
"Today at eleven-sixteen pm and twenty-eight seconds," Sailor Mars said simply.
"This is what's called being mean!" Sailor Moon yelled, her face red with fury. "You can't even be nice when you're trying to save my life!"
Sailor Mars responded by making an akanbe face, and Sailor Moon made an akanbe face right back. The two continued taunting each other while the other guardians could only groan, sweatdropping.
"And there they go again," sighed Sailor Jupiter. "They never quit."
"Yeah, but I wish they would," agreed Sailor Venus.
"You know, I've heard the saying the more two people fight, the closer they are, but this is ridiculous," groaned Solaris pinching his nose.
Then Nana Asahina suddenly appeared between the arguing Sailors her pen and notepad at the ready.
"Hey, you two! So there's a rumor that the Guardians are splitting up!" she spoke as she furiously wrote in her notepad. "Is there any truth to that?!"
"Oh, give it a rest already!" groaned Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars.
It looks like a reporter never rests when it comes to getting a big scoop, even if they were just a monster a few moments ago.