It was nighttime in the Tsukino household. Usagi was reading Chibiusa a bedtime story, which just so happened to be Sleeping Beauty, while Chibiusa, Harusuke, and Luna listened.
"Then the handsome prince arrived at the thorn castle where he found the beautiful princess fast asleep from the witch's evil curse," Usagi read. "So, he gave the princess a loving kiss, and she finally awoke."
"How boring," mumbled Chibiusa sleepily.
"What are you talking about? This part is the best part of the story," Usagi said.
"I already know that fairy tale," Chibiusa said, yawning. "I've heard it at least a dozen times."
"Aw, come on. Don't be like that, Chibiusa," Harusuke. "Usagi just thought that if she read it, you'd like to hear it again; after all, she's doing this for you." He then turned to his sister. "Go on, Usagi. Finish up the story."
Usagi then turned back to the book. "The princess was awakened by her true love, much to the prince's surprise, and so, together, they lived happily ever after. The End." Usagi then shut the book in her hands and wistfully sighed as she held the book to her chest. "Ah, wasn't that romantic, you guys?"
"I suppose so, Sis," chuckled Harusuke. "Then again, Mom used to read to us the story of Sleeping Beauty dozens of times, so it does get old at times."
"Harusuke, don't be such a downer," Usagi scolded. "Besides, Sleeping Beauty is one of the most romantic stories ever! Don't you agree, Chibiusa?"
But the ordango pinkette didn't reply. Usagi and Harusuke then looked to see that Chibiusa had fallen fast asleep.
Usagi felt a bit annoyed. "Aw, come on, Chibiusa! It's not that boring!"
"Usagi, just let her sleep for now," shushed Luna. "After all, she needs it after everything she's gone through so far. The poor girl's probably thinking about her mother, who was taken captive in the future."
"Yeah. Anyone would have a hard time coping with something that terrible," agreed Harusuke. "Especially since she's so little."
"I just wish that there was some way that we could help her," Usagi said quietly.
"The only thing that we can do for now is to watch over and protect her," Harusuke said, holding up his fist. "And since I'm back in the fight, you can count on me to help protect her."
Usagi and Luna smiled as each answered with a nod. Then everyone went into their respective beds and went to bed to get some sleep.
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He was once again dreaming.
He could see himself in a white tuxedo suit and Usagi in a beautiful white wedding gown with flowers in her hair. The two of them danced around in a waltz, both of them having the time of their lives.
"Isn't this wonderful, Mamo?" Usagi asked, her face filled with bliss. "We're finally married."
Mamoru answered with a nod, and he and Usagi shared a tender and loving kiss. The moment he did, as he pulled away, he could see Usagi now wearing a sorrowful frown on her face. Her outfit had also changed into her princess gown as she turned into Princess Serenity. At the same time, there was a massive explosion, the ground ripping apart and the world crumbling around the princess.
"Usako! NOOO!" Mamoru cried as he desperately reached out to try and save her.
But it was too late, for Princess Serenity had disappeared amid the crumbling rock as everything went dark. Mamoru sank to his fours, pounding his fist into the ground in despair as he felt his eyes burn with tears. Then a mysterious voice boomed throughout the space around him.
"Mamoru Chiba! You must stay away from Usagi Tsukino!"
Mamoru stood up on his feet, scowling as he looked around. "Who are you?!" he demanded. "Show yourself!"
"The moment the two of you are to wed," went on the voice. "The world will come to an end! And tragedy will befall Usagi Tsukino, Princess Serenity!"
"DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT?!" Mamoru roared in anger. "IS TORTURING ME ALL A PART OF YOUR PLAN?! STOP IT WITH THESE NIGHTMARES AND TRICKING ME!"
"This is an unavoidable truth," the voice spoke quietly. "It is something you cannot change, no matter how hard you try."
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"No!"
Mamoru woke up with a start, his skin laced heavily with sweat, his heart pumping in his ears, and his breath caught in his throat. Then, after taking a few seconds to calm down, he got up from his bed and picked up a picture of himself and Usagi, sitting on his desk, processing what the warning in his dream?"
"So if I even get near Usako, she'll get met with tragedy?" Mamoru wondered aloud. "But, is that true, or is it just a dream?"
Then suddenly, the glass of the picture cracked and fractured, and the Usagi in the photo slumped over, seemingly lifeless. Mamoru felt his heart jump out of his chest, feeling horrified, and immediately rubbed his eyes, ensuring his vision was correct. Thankfully, the picture was as it should be, but the crack remained. Mamoru's mind was racing as he wondered how did this happen? Then he remembered what the voice said in his dream.
"Then, is it true? Must I stay away from Usako, after all?" he thought.
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Earlier that morning, while on his usual morning jog, Mamoru tried his best to clear his head from the recent nightmare, but he couldn't. Eventually, he stopped by a bridge overlooking the water below. As he stared into the water, all he could see was Usagi and the supposed tragic fate that would befall her.
"Why? Why should tragedy have to befall Usagi just because she and I love each other?" Mamoru wondered in his thoughts. "It's not fair."
Then, Mamoru heard a timid little voice speak to him at that moment.
"Um, hey, Mamo."
Mamoru looked up and jumped in surprise, for the very girl he was thinking about was now standing before him.
"I... didn't expect to run into you this early in the morning," Usagi spoke quietly. "I guess... it must be fate."
Mamoru, pretending not to hear, changed the subject. "By the way, has Chibiusa said anything to you about Crystal Tokyo?" he asked.
"No, she hasn't told me anything so far," replied Usagi.
"In that case, I'll be on my way then," Mamoru said. "I got to finish my morning run. Got to stay in shape after all."
Mamoru then turned on his heel and went on his way before Usagi could even say anything more.
"Sorry, Usako," Mamoru apologized. "Forgive me."
Usagi watched as Mamoru's figure slowly disappeared into the distance. She felt a bit sad that Mamoru still wouldn't talk to her, but being the determined girl she was, she called out to him, hoping he would hear her.
"Watch me, Mamo! I haven't up yet! I will win back your love, no matter what it takes! I swear!"
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After his morning run, Mamoru was now over at the Fruits Parlor Crown, drinking a cup of water in a cafe close by to the Game Crown. He was sitting at a table all by himself, trying to think about what he should do while staring at his cup, waiting for his order. Just then, Motoki came up to him.
"Hey, Mamoru. Didn't expect to see you here," Motkoi greeted.
"O-Oh! Motoki," Mamoru spoke, trying to hide his surprise. "What's up?"
"That was going to be my question to you," replied Motoki. "You seem down. Now that I think about it, you've been down a lot lately. Is something bothering you?"
Mamoru looked down at his drink, keeping silent. Motoki could see that something was wrong and felt a bit worried for the boy and wanted to help.
"Come on, tell me what's wrong. After all, we're friends, aren't we?" Motoki insisted. "Besides, if you talk about it, I'll bet you'll feel better."
Mamoru looked up at Motoki and considered for a few seconds. He didn't really want to tell him what was going on, but at the same time, he needed his advice about something that only he could ask, so he decided to talk.
"Say, Motoki? What's the best way to get a girl not to talk to you anymore?" Mamoru asked.
Motoki was surprised. "Why would you want something like that?" he wondered.
"I need help finding a way to become the sort of guy that girls hate," explained Mamoru. "Please, if you can help me-"
But then, Mamoru was interrupted, for, at that moment, a young waitress came over to his table. She was young, about a couple of years older than Usagi, had orange hair tied in a yellow bow, and had bright green eyes.
"Here's your order," the girl brightly spoke as she smiled. "Enjoy, Mamoru."
Mamoru's cheeks immediately went into a slight shade of pink upon seeing the girl, and it was then that he had an idea to solve his problem.
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Meanwhile, at Juuban Park, Usagi and the gang met up to discuss Chibiusa and Crystal Tokyo while eating ice cream.
"So, Harusuke, have either you or Usagi had a chance to ask Chibiusa about Crystal Tokyo?" wondered Minako.
"I'm afraid not," replied Harusuke. "So far, Chibiusa hasn't said a word other than what she said the other day."
"Well, here's what we do know," said Rei. "Chibiusa's from the future, and her home, Crystal Tokyo, was attacked by this Black Moon Clan."
"And not only that but Chibiusa's mother is being held prisoner by the enemy as well," added Ami.
"Yeah, and Crimson Rubeus and the Spectre Sisters are here trying to destroy our world," spoke Makoto. "But, we could use a bit more info right now."
"Yeah. I suppose so," Usagi said absently, who was lost in her thoughts, not paying attention in the slightest, and her ice cream already halfway gone.
"Hey, Usagi! Stop acting like it doesn't matter!" scolded Makoto. "You could listen, you know! Besides, your ice cream's melting."
But Usagi still didn't pay attention, for her mind wasn't on Chibiusa or Crystal Tokyo. Instead, all she could think about was Mamoru, wondering why he had come to be so cold to her.
"Hey, guys? Why do you think Mamoru's avoiding me?" Usagi asked.
Everyone stared at Usagi, faces filled with disdain.
"Come on, Usagi! You've got to snap out of it!" scolded Luna. "Right now, our top priority is to find out exactly where the Black Moon Clan is hiding!"
"That's right. So, we need to all get out there and gather as much information as we can," added Artemis.
Everyone agreed, all except Usagi, who just let out a sigh. Then, at that moment, there was the sound of a roaring engine which caught everyone's attention. When the teens looked up, they could see a male motorcyclist with a girl on top of a motorcycle while waiting for a traffic light, the motorcyclist revving his engine to show off.
Usagi couldn't help but ground her teeth, feeling annoyed. "Hey! Knock it off already!" she barked. "Can't you see there's a troubled young girl here?!"
The motorcyclist looked at Usagi and lifted the visor from his helmet, revealing his identity. Usagi then gasped, for the motorcyclist turned out to be Mamoru, and the girl riding with him was the girl he met over at Fruits Parlor Crown. Upon realizing this and seeing Mamoru with another girl, Usagi immediately ran over to the sidewalk and confronted Mamoru.
"Mamo! Who is that girl you're giving a ride to?!" Usagi asked. "Is she a relative? A cousin? Or is she...?"
"It's none of your business who she is," Mamoru snapped rudely. "And stop being so nosy about my personal life!"
Usagi was shocked, her heart feeling like a sword had pierced straight through it.
The girl who was riding with Mamoru was puzzled. "But Mamoru, who is she?" she wondered.
"She's just a friend," Mamoru spoke, aloof. "Anyway, you better hang on tight."
The light then turned green, and two of them drove away. The others rushed over to see if Usagi was alright, but they could see tears streaming down Usagi's face as she angrily began to cry.
As Mamoru drove with the girl, the nightmare came into his mind again, feeling the sting of regret hit his heart for what he did.
"Usako, until I can figure out my nightmares, we must be apart for now," Mamoru said to himself. "I'm sorry."
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Meanwhile, in the UFO, Rubeus was observing Juuban from above. All of the Spectre Sisters searched for Chibiusa while he stayed behind. The battle from the other day was still fresh in his mind. He could see feel half of his body burning due to the attack Solaris delivered to him and also remembered something else, back when he was overseeing an attempt to break through the barrier. One warrior intercepted the attack during that battle and used an attack similar to when Solaris attacked him. The mere thought alone still made him angry.
"Damn you, Solaris!" Rubeus cursed. "Not only are you a curse for me in the future, but you're also becoming one in the past. Mark my words, I will make sure you'll pay for what you did to the Black Moon Clan as well as me. I swear to it!"
Then he heard a cackling and mocking laugh belonging appearing to belong to a noblewoman. "Sounds like you're as short-tempered as always, eh Rubeus?"
Rubeus turned around and looked towards the center of the room where the projection of the Wiseman usually was. It suddenly began to glow into life as a woman's projection appeared instead. She was young, had long flowing green hair and brown eyes, wore a short sleeveless black leather dress with the boots and gloves to match, held a puffy red fan, and bore the same black crescent mark as he did.
Rubeus immediately scowled in annoyance. "Esmeraude."
Esmeraude let out another noblewoman laugh as she smirked from behind her fan. "Not just me~," she said in a sing-songy tone.
At that moment, two more projections appeared. One of them was a young man with short blue hair wearing a blue suit, and the second was a man with white hair that wore a white suit with a blue cape.
Rubeus was now surprised. "Saphir! Prince Demande! To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"We were wondering about your progress in regards to obtaining the Silver Crystal," said Prince Demande. "However, it seems that you're having quite a bit of trouble."
"I apologize, Prince Demande," Rubeus said, bowing respectfully. "I fully intended to take over the Crystal Points for you, and the Spectre Sisters have managed to find the Rabbit during our search, but unfortunately, Sailor Moon and the other Guardians have been interfering with the Spectre Sisters plans and are also protecting the Rabbit. "
"That's understandable, Rubeus," said Prince Demande. "The Guardians are indeed powerful, which is why we're sending you something that should give you the edge you need to defeat them. Saphir? Would you mind?"
"Not at all, Sir," Saphir said.
Saphir then held up his hand, creating a black orb, releasing it, and making it disappear. Then, a strange black sphere made of dark power came out from the center of the projections and hovered in the light.
"This ball of energy comes from the Wiseman himself," said Saphir. "This energy will help enhance yours as well as the Spectre Sisters powers to a substantial degree."
"And try not to mess this up, Rubeus," Esmeraude added. "Otherwise, if you're not careful, you might just end up being replaced and letting Prince Demande down."
Rubeus shot a glare at Esmeraude before turning back towards Prince Demande. "I thank you, my prince. I promise you; I will find the Silver Crystal and the Rabbit and kill them both."
"See that you do," said Prince Demande. "And don't fail me. Remember, the fate of the Black Moon Clan rests in the hands of you and the Spectre Sisters."
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That night, everyone in the Tsukino house was fast asleep once again, except for one person, who was now in the kitchen raiding the fridge. Harusuke and Luna happened to overhear someone in the kitchen and went over to investigate, immediately being on guard.
"Who could that be this late at night?" whispered Luna. "A burglar?"
"I don't know, but whoever it is, picked the wrong place to rob," Harusuke said, cracking his knuckles.
Luna and Harusuke peered out from behind the corner and saw their supposed burglar. It turned out to be Usagi, who was munching away on some buns she found while sniffling, appearing to be crying. Luna and Harusuke then went over to her. At the same time, Chibiusa happened to be wake up, wondering what all the commotion was.
"Usagi, what's the matter?" wondered Luna. "Eating after midnight gives you indigestion, and you'll end up getting fat."
"So, what if I get fat? I don't care," Usagi sobbed between bites. "Mamo's got himself a new girlfriend! Why should I even care about what I eat? After all, the man that I love hates me."
Chibiusa, who had heard everything, was now upset too. So heartbroken that she immediately took off running out of the house without even thinking.
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Chibiusa was outside, running as fast as she could, not knowing where she was going. But that didn't matter to her. All she could think about was what Usagi said about Mamoru having a girlfriend, which made her eyes fill up with tears.
"It's not true, right, Mamo?" Chibiusa thought to herself. "There's no way you could have a girlfriend, could there?"
Then there was trouble. Chibiusa was so upset as she ran that she didn't realize that she had run right in the middle of the street with a large truck heading straight for her. The truck's horns blared, warning Chibiusa that she was in danger. The pinkette ordango screamed in terror and jumped out of the way just in time. However, she was so frightened that her forehead immediately began to glow, revealing her crescent moon mark and unleashing a giant pillar of light illuminating the area.
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In the UFO, Rubeus spoke with Petz and Calaveras via one of the mirrors, the sisters giving him an urgent message.
"What's that?! You detected a trace of the Rabbit's energy?!" demanded Rubeues incredulously.
"Yes, somewhere near Juuban Park," replied Petz.
"Then go! Find and kill her at once!" ordered Rubeus.
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Meanwhile, Harusuke tried to stop Usagi from eating at the Tsukino house, proving ineffective. But then suddenly, there was a light which came from their window, which caused the two to look up. Then, they could see the pillar of light in the distance too, and the two immediately shot up to their feet.
"That pillar of light!" gasped Usagi.
"There's only one person that could be responsible for doing that!" cried Harusuke.
At the same time, Luna came running in. "Harusuke! Usagi! There's trouble! I can't find Chibiusa anywhere in the house!" Luna cried.
"And that light looked like it was coming from somewhere close to Juuban Park!" Harusuke said urgently. "We've got to hurry and get to her. If any of the Spectre Sisters saw that, then we're going to have to transform! Let's go, Usagi!"
Usagi gave her brother a firm nod. "Yeah! Those creeps picked a bad night to mess with me! Time to vent my frustrations!"
The Tsukino siblings then raced out of the house, running as fast as their legs could carry them. When they were close enough to Juuban Park, the two of them immediately transformed.
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER MAKE UP!"
"SOLAR PRISM POWER BLAZE FORTH!"
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Transformation Sequence: Usagi
Usagi holds up the Crystal Star brooch as it opens, revealing the Silver Crystal inside. Usagi waved her hand on the Silver Crystal, and it flashed it a bright short burst of pink light emitting a chime. It does it a second time, and on the third, it shines brightly, enveloping Usagi in its glow. Usagi then holds the brooch above her head, suspending it in between her hands, drawing it to the center of her torso, flipping it once before placing it in the center of her chest. She then spins around a few times as the crystal begins to glow even brighter than before in pink light. She holds her hands up as a pair of wings spring forth from her back while pink ribbons come out from the crystal wrapping around Usagi's body, forming her leotard. The wings on her back disappeared as more pink ribbons wrapped around her arms and hands, creating white gloves and red boots around her calves and feet. As the blue skirt appears around her waist, one more pink ribbon ties at her back as she does a kind of spread-eagle motion with one leg up, a glowing moon symbol appearing on her forehead. Her tiara, earrings, choker, and ordango covers appear, and Usagi, now Sailor Moon, finishes with her signature pose.
Transformation Sequence: Harusuke.
Harusuke holds up his hand as the stone on his bracelet shines bright in golden light. The stone lets out three pulses, the symbol of the Sun glowing inside of it on the third pulse. Harusuke is enveloped in silver and gold light as he jumps into the air, his clothes disappearing. The symbol of the sun appears just above him and goes down, phasing through his body, making his silver jumpsuit with gold lines on the sides materialize. Two smaller sun symbols go over his feet to his kneecaps, and his gold and metal boots and silver kneecaps appear. Around his waist, a ring of light wraps around it, forming a belt with a gold belt buckle in the shape of an oval. Harusuke then spreads his arms wide as two more light rings envelop his arms and hands, making gold gloves appear. The symbol of the sun appears in front of him now, and crashes into his chest, making his chest piece like before, now thicker and having shoulder guards. Finally, a helmet materializes above Harusuke's head, the design slightly different as he reaches and grabs hit, putting it on his head, not having a mouth protector. Harusuke opens his eyes, punches his hands together, and strikes his signature pose, the symbol of the sun appearing behind him with a star-filled background.
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Chibiusa was running back to the house as fast as her legs could carry her, feeling scared out of her wits. Then Calaveras and Petz appeared, forcing her to skid to a halt, her eyes wide like a frightened deer's.
"At last, we found you, Rabbit," smirked Calaveras.
Chibiusa screamed in terror, and she took off running again, with the two Spectre Sisters in hot pursuit of her. Then Calaveras managed to catch Chibiusa in her arms, holding her by the neck so she wouldn't escape. Chibiusa thrashed around, trying to break free, but Calaveras held her tight.
"Tonight's your last night alive, Rabbit," cackled Petz. "Now, prepare to die!"
"Not if we have anything to say about it!" said a voice.
"Yeah! Let Chibiusa go!" said another.
The two Spectre Sisters looked up to see that two superheroes were now standing before them. Seizing her chance, Luna pounced straight at Calaveras and clawed at her arm fiercely, causing her to shriek in pain and forcing her to let go of Chibiusa.
"You both should be ashamed, two full-grown women ganging up on a little girl!" she scolded. "We will never forgive you for that!"
"And we'll also never forgive you for threatening to kill her either!" he also scolded. "Don't you know that there's no living with a killing?!"
"I am Sailor Moon! And in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
"And I'm Solaris! And in the name of the sun, with my shining rays, I'll scorch you!"
Calaveras cackled slyly. "Sailor Moon and Solaris. We've been waiting for the two of you to show up."
"Waiting for us?" Sailor Moon repeated, clearly puzzled.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Solaris suspiciously.
Calaveras then looked up. "Akumuda! Come down here!" she ordered.
A droid appeared at her command just above Sailor Moon and Solaris in a swirling black-green cloud of smoke. She wore a full-body green jumpsuit, the sleeves colored black, with a gem in the middle of her chest. She also had pale blue skin with dark blue hair, eerie gold eyes, and had a strange horn that matched her eyes in color.
Sailor Moon and Solaris looked up, surprised, but before they had a chance to react, Akumuda clapped her hands together, and her horn began to glow.
"Sleep, Sleep, Sleep, Sleep!" Akumuda spoke, in a strange voice, as she fired a beam of light from her horn, shining it on Solaris and Sailor Moon.
As the two heroes bathed in the Droid's light, both felt their eyes began to feel a bit heavy and also began to feel tired. Solaris fell to one knee while trying to stay awake, while Sailor Moon fell on the ground, very sleepy.
"D-Damn! She's - hypnotizing us!" Solaris groaned as he tried to keep his eyes open. "I... I can't stay awake."
"Solaris! Sailor Moon! Neither of you can't fall asleep!" cried Luna. "You've got to stay awake!"
"But Luna, I'm so stuffed from eating all those late-night snacks," Sailor Moon mumbled sleepily. "Nighty night."
And Sailor Moon fell asleep, much to Chibiusa's horror. Petz and Calaveras, now no longer seeing the two heroes as a threat, refocused their attention on the defenseless girl.
"That was too easy," chuckled Petz. "Now to deal with you! Say goodbye, Rabbit!"
"Ch-Chibiusa, run away!" Solaris cried weakly. "Get out of there!"
But Chibiusa's foot remained stuck in place as Petz's fingers sparked with electricity preparing to strike, but then a familiar lightning bolt shot past, intercepting her and Calaveras. Also, a powerful blast of water blasted Akumuda away, saving Solaris from her hypnotic spell. Then, out from the shadows, Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, along with Artemis, jumped into the fray surrounding the two sisters from all sides.
"It's a good thing that we came here to check out the energy spike," said Sailor Jupiter. "So, this is what was going on!"
"Damn it all!" cursed Petz. "Not you guys again!"
"There are only two of us and give of them," warned Calaveras. "We're at a complete disadvantage now, so let's retreat!"
The two Spectre then jumped into the air making their escape.
"Hey! Get back here!" cried Sailor Mars. "Are you two scared to fight us?! Only cowards run away!"
"Akumuda is more than enough to handle you little brats," Petz countered.
"Akumuda! I want you to do what you did to Sailor Moon to those girls!" ordered Calaveras. "Make sure to leave them all in nightmare land and finish them off!"
Calaveras and Petz faded away, retreating, and Akumuda focused her attention on the Guardians as her horn began to glow, shining her light once again.
"Be careful! The enemy is using hypnosis!" warned Luna. "Whatever you do, don't let her put you to sleep!"
The Guardians tried their best to stay awake under the Droid's light, but their strength was starting to weaken as each one fell to their knees. Solaris then grit his teeth as he coiled his legs, and in a great effort, jumped into the air out of Akumuda's light. Once he was, he conjured a ball of light and launched it a punch, making the blast go straight into her exploding. Akumuda screeched in agony as he was blown backward, and seizing her chance, Sailor Mars whipped out an ofuda, concentrating her powers as a shrine maiden.
"EVIL SPIRIT! BE EXERCISED!" Sailor Mars yelled as she threw her ofuda, making it stick to the middle of the Droid's forehead.
The Droid screamed in even more agony as she exploded in a cloud of green smoke.
"Nice work, Sailor Mars," said Sailor Mercury. "That was a close one."
Sailor Mars gave her comrade a thumbs up, and wink as Sailor Venus, Sailor Jupiter, and Solaris went over to Sailor Moon, who was still fast asleep.
"Sailor Moon! Are you okay? Wake up!" urged Sailor Venus as she shook the Moon Guardian. "Come on!"
Then Solaris gasped as he looked up. "Guys! Look!"
Everyone and when they did, they gasped. For the cloud that was once, Akumuda was still there, a pair of green eyes appearing in it, as they all heard Akumuda's voice.
"Sailor Moon will continue to dream, and as she does, her energy will drain out of her until she finally dies."
The cloud then suddenly shrunk into a smaller size, becoming a stream, and before anyone could react, the fog disappeared into Sailor Moon's mouth until it was gone entirely. At the same time, Sailor Moon's skin turned very pale as her body began to glow in an eerie pink light, much to everyone's shock and horror. Everyone tried to wake her up by shaking her and calling her name, but Sailor Moon remained asleep as she began to dream.
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Sailor Moon was running as fast could on a strange and winding path, inside a world that was completely black, with only Akumuda's eyes being the only thing in color. The long and winding road led to the one person that Usagi wanted more than anything in the world.
Mamoru.
Sailor Moon desperately tried to get to her one true love, but Mamoru seemed to get further away with every step she took.
"Mamo! Wait! Come back!" Sailor Moon cried. "Don't leave me!"
Then she tried and fell, and the path fell apart, and Sailor Moon fell until she hit the water. Luckily (and for some reason), she landed in a life preserver, which kept her afloat. Sailor Moon could still see an image of Mamoru in the distance and tried to get to him, but the waters were raging and kept pulling her away.
This vicious cycle seemed to continue on and on with no end in sight, making Sailor Moon fall further and further into despair.
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The other guardians desperately tried to wake up Sailor Moon, yelling, making noise and even tried slapping her cheeks, albeit a bit gently, but nothing worked, which made them all panic as Sailor Moon's complexion got worse.
"This is bad! You can see the energy draining from her body!" Sailor Mercury gasped. "If we don't do something, Sailor Moon will die!"
"But what can we do?!" cried Sailor Venus. "We've tried everything!"
Then Sailor Mars gave Sailor Moon a hard slap across her cheek, but even that didn't work.
Solaris was alarmed. "Sailor Mars! What the heck was that?!" he yelled.
"Well, what else was I supposed to do?!" Sailor Mars yelled back, now even more panicked than before. "Nothing's working, and Sailor Moon's getting worse!"
"We're running out of time!" cried Sailor Jupiter. "If we don't do something, Sailor Moon will die!
Then Sailor Moon began to murmur in her sleep due to Mars' slap. "Ma...mo... don't... leave me..."
That made Solaris' eyes widen as he thought back a few moments ago when Usagi was crying and stuffing herself due to what Mamoru said to her. Solaris then looked at Luna and could tell from the look in her eyes that she was thinking the same thing he was, and it was then that Solaris knew what to do.
"You guys stay here!" ordered Solaris as he took off running. "I'll be right back!"
"Solaris, where are you going?!" demanded Sailor Mars.
"I think I know of a way to save Sailor Moon!" Solaris called back. "Just look after her until I get back!"
"I'll come with you!" Luna called as she followed.
Solaris and Luna then took off jumping into the air, dashing as fast as they could, heading straight to one particular building: the apartment complex where Mamoru lived.
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Mamoru was lying in his bed fast asleep when suddenly something shot past him while another something bounced off his lap, causing him to shoot straight up in surprise. Now awake, he soon found himself staring at Luna and Solaris.
"Mamoru! Sailor Moon's in big trouble!" Luna cried. "You have to come with me to try and save her, and there isn't a lot of time! Another droid has appeared and has put Sailor Moon in a deep sleep! You're the only one who can wake her up!"
Mamoru was at a loss for words. "But, I don't know if I can help," he said. "And right now, I'm..."
"I don't understand! Why are you so cold to her?!" Luna burst out, her eyes filling with tears. "Weren't you and Sailor Moon in love with each other in a world in the past?!"
"Because," Mamoru spoke grimly, his hands gripping the sheets in frustration. "I have to."
Then, Solaris gave a powerful, angry stomp that almost shook the whole room as he glared dangerously at Mamoru.
"Are you freaking kidding me right now?! We're asking you for help, and you're still going to be a child and ignore this?!" Solaris yelled. "Don't you understand?! This situation is something only you can help fix because my sister loves you so much!"
His hands clenched to the point of breaking the gloves, and his eyes were shining, almost filling with tears.
"Please, Mamoru, I'm begging you! If you don't help Sailor Moon, she's going to die in a matter of seconds!" Solaris wailed, his voice filled with desperation and despair. "PLEASE! HELP ME SAVE MY SISTER!"
That outburst made Mamoru look up at Solaris, shocked and hearing about Sailor Moon about to die. He turned towards the window, jumped out of it, transformed into Tuxedo Mask, and landed on his motorcycle. With a mighty roar of his bike's engine and a screech of its wheels, Tuxedo Mask drove off into the night, heading towards Juuban Park with Solaris flying alongside, carrying Luna in his arms.
"Sailor Moon... Usako. Just hang on until I get there!" Tuxedo Mask cried out. "I won't let you die, Usako!"
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Back with the others, Sailor Moon was growing worse than before. Her skin had become even paler, and her body temperature was lowering more and more. Then, there was the sound of a motorcycle and a bright flash of light. Everyone saw Tuxedo Mask pulling up on his bike and Solaris landing on the ground while carrying Luna.
"It's Tuxedo Mask!" gasped Sailor Mercury.
Tuxedo Mask saw Sailor Moon in her current state and immediately rushed over to her side, desperately trying to shake her awake, but to no avail. Then Mamoru heard Sailor Moon murmuring in her sleep.
"Mamo... please... don't leave me... I love you - so much..."
It was then that Tuxedo Mask realized that this was inadvertently his fault, which alone made him feel terrible. So he held the sleeping guardians tenderly in his arms and leaned in close to her.
"Usako... please forgive me," Tuxedo Mask whispered.
Then, Tuxedo Mask gave Sailor Moon a tender and passionate kiss. No sooner than he did, Sailor Moon's complexion suddenly brightened to its original color as the glow faded. At the same time, Akumuda got forced out of Sailor Moon's body, the green cloud, once again in the air.
Sailor Moon then opened her eyes and smiled when she saw Tuxedo Mask. "Mamo, you're so warm," she whispered happily. "Thank you."
"Sailor Moon, thank goodness," Tuxedo Mask smiled in relief.
The others were thrilled, while Chibiusa was bewildered by what she had just witnessed.
"I don't believe it," Chibiusa murmured. "Sailor Moon woke up just like the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty!"
"The power of love woke Sailor Moon and restored her energy!" Sailor Mercury wept happily.
But their time for celebration could only last for so long, for Akumuda reverted to her original state and was not happy.
"How dare you interfere, Tuxedo Mask?!" Akumuda shrieked as she pulled out her horn from her head, turning it into a long blade. "I'll kill you for your insolence!"
Akumuda dove down and swung her blade, but Sailor Moon saw the Droid coming and pushed Tuxedo Mask out of the way just in time as she summoned forth her Cutie Moon Rod.
"A girl is always dreaming or pursuing to win the heart of a boy she loves, no matter what it takes!" Sailor Moon proclaimed. "Therefore, I can't forgive you for taking advantage of that! MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
With a wave of her rod, Sailor Moon unleashed her signature attack at Akumuda. In an explosion of light and sparkles as well as an agonizing shriek of pain, Akumuda was no more, reduced to a pile of ash and a blackened gem.
"Sailor Moon, as usual, you're techniques never cease to amaze me," Tuxedo Mask congratulated.
Sailor Moon blushed, feeling a bit giddy as well as happy. "Tuxedo Mask, does this mean that you have feelings for me, after all?" she asked.
Tuxedo Mask remembered his visions, forcing him to put on another cold facade. "No, I do not. I don't love you."
"But you just saved my life," Sailor Moon protested, feeling hurt.
"That was a completely different matter," Tuxedo Mask went on, turning away while taking out a red rose. "The red string of fate that bound us is severed."
Tuxedo Mask then crushed the rose in his hand and let the wind carry away the scattered petals. Then without saying another word, Tuxedo Mask drove away on his motorcycle into the endless night, leaving a devastated Sailor Moon behind.
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Mamoru drove on and on until he reached the waterfront, taking a few seconds to stare up at the moon in the sky. As he stared at it, he couldn't help but feel terrible for what he had told Sailor Moon. Then, as he continued to brood and stare, a single tear trickled down on his cheek, dropping onto his helmet.
"Usako, please forgive me," Mamoru whispered.
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The next day, Usagi and Harusuke were over at Fruits Parlor Crown per Motoki's request. The reason being was because the waitress that Mamoru met there wanted to talk, and when they met, Usagi and Harusuke found out an unexpected truth.
"WHAT?! You mean that you're Unazuki Furuhata?!" Usagi exclaimed in disbelief. "Then that must mean..."
"You're Motoki's little sister!" Harusuke finished.
"That's right," Unazuki smiled. "Mamoru did me a big favor the other day by giving me a ride on his bike. The reason was that I was so busy with work that I was going to be late for a date with my boyfriend."
"So that's why we saw you with Mamoru the other day," Usagi said. "And that means that Mamoru isn't in any way your boyfriend."
"So you were jumping to conclusions, Usagi," Harusuke groaned, plopping his head on the table. "Why aren't I surprised? You were making a big deal over nothing!"
"I'll say you were. I've got a great boyfriend that I love very much," giggled Unazuki. "Anyway, I've got to get back to work. I'll see you two later."
Unazuki then went on her way, leaving the Tsukino siblings alone, but Usagi was still puzzled.
"It's great that Unazuki's not Mamoru's girlfriend, but why does he keep avoiding and lying to me?" the ordango blonde wondered. "I just don't get it."
"I'm not sure myself," Harusuke said. "But one thing's for sure, no matter what he says, deep down, he still loves you, Sis. And knowing you, you're probably going to continue pursuing the guy until he comes back to you, right?"
Usagi smiled. "You bet I will!" she said enthusiastically. "I'll figure it all out, win back his love, and we'll live happily ever after!"
As Usagi cheered loudly, all the other customers all stared at her and Harusuke as if she had just screamed what her favorite color was. All Harusuke could do was blush bright red while covering his face with his hand feeling embarrassed.
"Well, at least she's back to her go-lucky self," Harusuke sighed.