The UFO was now thousands of feet high above, in the outreaches of space. Rubeus watched over Juuban via a mirror in the main room, waiting for the appointed time he set to come, feeling confident that he would succeed. Just then, Emerald's laughter echoed through the room as she appeared just behind him.
"Rubeus, why are you idly standing around, waiting?" asked Esmeraude. "You should have gotten rid of Sailor Moon, Solaris, and the Rabbit when you had a chance."
"Someone such as yourself wouldn't understand," Rubeus huffed. "It wouldn't be enough for me if I had just killed them outright. So, I want to savor every moment of eliminating them by making them suffer!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Esmeraude questioned. "And how will you do that?"
Rubeus then raised his hand, and four crosses made of crystal appeared just behind the circle of mirrors. On the crosses were Sailor Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus, unconscious and unable to move.
"Now that I have these Guardians as hostages, Sailor Moon and Solaris are demoralized," Rubeus explained. "They'll come to get them back, and when they do, I will slowly and painfully kill them right before their eyes."
"Well, I hope for your sake it all goes according to plan," Esmeraude said. "Otherwise, this could be your last chance to please Prince Demande. I pray for your success, Rubeus."
And Esmeraude teleported away, leaving Rubeus alone.
"Oh, yes. Make sure you watch me, Esmeraude," Rubeus spoke to himself. "I'll show you just how powerful and ruthless I can be! And thanks to Wiseman's prediction, I can't lose; victory is well within my grasp!"
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At Mamoru's apartment, Chibiusa stood alone outside the complex's roof, feeling very remorseful. Then Mamoru came up, joining her, his expression neutral.
"Chibiusa? Did you return the brooch to Usako?" Mamoru asked.
Chibiusa nodded as she took out her key from her shirt. "Why didn't it work the way it was supposed to?" she wondered.
"If it did, you would have taken the Silver Crystal with you when you went back to the future," Mamoru said. "That about right?"
Chibiusa looked up, surprised that Mamoru hit the nail on the head, while he stared at Chibiusa firmly.
"Chibiusa, I want us to stop keeping secrets," Mamoru spoke quietly. "What exactly were you planning to do with the Silver Crystal when you got it back home?"
"It's for my Mommy," said Chibiusa. "I need the Silver Crystal to rescue her from those bad people."
Mamoru then got down on his knees and held Chibiusa by her shoulders, trying his best not to yell. "Please, Chibiusa, tell me. Tell me anything that you can remember. What happens in the future?"
"I don't know," Chibiusa spoke as she remembered, tears beginning to build up in her eyes. "These people just showed up from out of nowhere..."
All Mamoru could do was stay silent as Chibiusa began to sob quietly.
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Inside Mamoru's apartment, the Tsukino siblings and Luna and Artemis were in the living room anxiously biding their time. Usagi was sitting on the couch, staring at her brooch, Harusuke was standing by the window staring outside, Luna and Artemis were watching the news about the UFO.
Artemis looked at the clock, which showed that it was two-thirty a.m. "Only thirty minutes left," he said.
Luna looked across to Harusuke. "How are you holding up, Harusuke?" she said. "You're sure you shouldn't be resting?"
Harusuke looked back at the black cat. "Don't worry. I'm okay, Luna," he reassured. "I've been through worse. Though, I will admit that UFO caught me by surprise."
Luna then looked at the ordango blonde, who had remained silent for quite some time. "Usagi, do you know where Mamoru and Chibiusa are?" she wondered.
"I think they're up on the roof," Usagi spoke quietly. "I guess he's talking with her." She then clenched her fists as she burst out in frustration. "I can't do this anymore! She's being so difficult! I don't care that she's a target, and I know I should protect her, but I don't feel like doing that anymore! Not after what Chibiusa did! I almost feel like handing Chibiusa and the Silver Crystal over to Rubeus so that I can get everyone back!"
"Usagi, you can't be serious!" Harusuke spoke, clearly appalled.
"Of course, I am!" Usagi snapped angrily. "If Chibiusa hadn't appeared, we wouldn't have gotten into this whole mess, and the city would have stayed peaceful! Not to mention that our friends wouldn't have gotten captured, and you wouldn't have gotten hurt, Harusuke!"
"Usagi, I don't like you talking like this!" Luna chided. "Seriously, you can't mean all that!"
Usagi bit her lip, her hands clenched on her lap, as she choked back a sob fighting back her tears. "Of course, I don't. But it's obvious that I'm not mature enough to remain strong in situations like these. I'm sorry for being so negative. I must be tired."
"Well, we are staying up way past our normal bedtimes," Harusuke spoke quietly. "Not to mention, this has been stressful for all of us, so it's not just you. Sis."
"Why don't you rest up for a bit, Usagi?" Artemis spoke kindly. "While you're doing that, Luna and I will come up with a plan."
"Thank you, Artemis," Usagi said as she stood up. "I think I'll go out and balcony for a bit and try to clear my head."
Usagi then walked out of the room, not saying another word while Luna, Artemis, and Harusuke watched her leave, the three of them feeling worried.
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When Usagi was out on the balcony, she leaned on the railing, lost in her thoughts as the cold night wind blew, trying to come up with a plan. Then after standing there for a few seconds, Usagi made a plan.
"Going alone is the only way out of this," Usagi said to herself aloud. "If I bring the Silver Crystal with me, maybe that will distract Rubeus long enough. At least to draw his attention away from Chibiusa so that she won't be in danger."
Her eyes began to fill with tears as she smiled mirthlessly to herself.
"I can hear my old self saying, "I'm scared!", "I'm sleepy!" or "I don't want to do this anymore!" but I guess my crying days are over," Usagi said as she wiped her tears, now feeling determined. "Hold on, everyone! I'm coming to save you!"
Usagi turned on her heel, raring to go through with her plan, only to find Harusuke standing in the doorway of the balcony, which surprised her.
"H-Harusuke! How long have you been standing there?!" Usagi squeaked.
"Long enough," replied Harusuke.
Usagi then stared at her brother, unwavering and firm. "Don't try and stop me, Harusuke," she said. "I'm going no matter what you say."
There was a long silence. Then Harusuke spoke.
"I'm not going to stop you," Harusuke said. "I'm coming with you."
Usagi's eyes widened while Harusuke smiled.
"Come on, you didn't think I was going to let you go through this plan of yours on your own, did you?" Harusuke chuckled. "At least not without some backup."
"But, Harusuke, are you up for this?" Usagi wondered worriedly. "I mean, you took a nasty hit from Rubeus' ship!"
"As I told Luna and Artemis, I'm fine," reassured Harusuke, pumping his fist. "Besides, I've got a score to settle with Rubeus anyway. Especially after what he did to the Spectre Sisters! Not to mention, I must protect you as a brother and as a Guardian, Usagi. So I'm going whether you like it or not."
Usagi then sighed. "Geez, why do you have to be so stubborn, Harusuke?"
"Where do you think I get it from?" Harusuke smirked. "You're the one who's just as stubborn as me."
Usagi let out a light laugh. "Well then, we better get going then. It's almost three, so we don't have a lot of time."
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Luna and Artemis were in Mamoru's room, desperately trying to come up with a plan.
"The way I see it, the only option we have is for one of us to give Rubeus a fake Silver Crystal," said Luna. "That way, we can at least buy some..."
"And the other can sneak aboard the UFO and rescues everyone before he can react," finished Artemis. "It's a good plan, but won't Rubeus be expecting Chibiusa to deliver it?"
The two cats then pondered, unaware the two certain Tsukinos had snuck past them and going out of the house.
Luna then got an idea. "Why don't we disguise ourselves as Chibiusa?!" she suggested.
The two of them then pictured themselves in their disguise, only for them to blush with embarrassment.
"Somehow, I don't think that's going to work, Luna," Artemis groaned.
Then suddenly, Mamoru came bursting into the apartment, and Chibiusa was frantic.
"Where's Usako gone?!" Mamoru cried. "I found the door wide open!"
Luna and Artemis rushed over to the balcony to find that Usagi wasn't there, along with Harusuke.
"She's not here!" cried Luna.
"And Harusuke's not here either!" Luna said. Then she gasped. "You don't think that those two went off on their own, did you?"
"I would bet money on it," Mamoru spoke grimly. "They must have taken off without a word so that they could rescue the others on their own!"
"It's entirely possible," Artemis said, who was just as grim.
"But that's reckless!" Luna objected. "Rubeus will kill them both for sure!"
Mamoru then turned around and was surprised to see that Chibiusa had also disappeared.
"Chibiusa! Chibiusa!" Mamoru shouted. "Where are you?!"
"She must have gone after Usagi and Harusuke!" Artemis gasped.
"Most likely! I swear those two are on the same wavelength!" Mamoru scowled. "Man, if it weren't for the age difference, I'd say those two are identical twins!"
Mamoru and the two cats then rushed out in hot pursuit.
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Usagi and Harusuke ran as fast as their feet could carry them, determined to see their mission through. But, as they ran, Usagi couldn't help but feel worried.
"You think Mamo, Luna, and Artemis will be mad at us?" wondered Usagi. "We did sneak out without telling them."
"They'll be mad alright, but they'll understand," Harusuke panted. "Besides, we're running out of time, and we can't afford to have any second thoughts, so let's go kick Rubeus' butt and save the others!"
When they were in Downtown Juuban, the two of them 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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Sailor Moon and Solaris soon were in the middle of Downtown Juuban. When they did, all the lights in the city suddenly went dark, and the sky turned cloudy. Then, the UFO emerged from the clouds in all of its haunting glory. As it descended, Rubeus' laughter echoed throughout the town.
"Sailor Moon and Solaris! You two showed up right on time!" Rubeus' voice boomed. "And it seems that you've bought the Rabbit too!"
Sailor Moon and Solaris were confused and looked behind them. Standing just behind them along with Luna P was Chibiusa, much to their surprise.
"Chibiusa! What are you doing here?!" demanded Sailor Moon.
"I'm coming, too!" Chibiusa said. "If it weren't for me, the other Guardians wouldn't have been taken away!"
"Don't be stupid!" Sailor Moon said sternly. "If you come, you'll be doing what Rubeus wants!"
"She's right, so get out of here while you still can!" Solaris said. "Otherwise-"
But it was too late. Right then, the UFO's tractor beam shone upon them, immediately drawing them towards it until they got sucked inside. Much to their horror, Mamoru, Luna, and Artemis arrived in time to see the UFO disappear into the clouds.
"No! We're too late!" cried Mamoru.
"Damn it! And we can't stop them either!" cursed Artemis.
"No! Usagi! Harusuke!" Luna cried, "If that aircraft goes into orbit in space, there's no way they'll be able to escape!"
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Sailor Moon, Solaris, and Chibiusa found themselves inside the UFO in a spacious room with green floors. At first, they were confused about where they were, but then, a horrifying sight met their eyes when the three looked up. Before them, while still rapped on their crystal crosses, were the other Sailor Guardians with Rubeus standing in front of them, smirking smugly.
"Nice of you to come, Sailor Moon. And you as well, Solaris," Rubeus spoke haughtily. "And I do appreciate you bringing the Rabbit along as well."
"You bastard!" growled Solaris. "What did you do to the girls?!"
But Rubeus didn't say anything as he chuckled darkly. Then Sailor Moon stepped confidently forward.
"Go ahead and laugh, Rubeus, but the joke's on you!" Sailor Moon smirked. "This little girl right here isn't the Rabbit. She's my very disobedient cousin!"
Rubeus rose a brow and confusion, and catching on, Solaris joined in.
"That's right. You honestly didn't think that you would hand over the Rabbit, did you?" Solaris spoke snootily. "Surely, you could give us a bit more credit than that!"
"Yeah. What a dummy!" Sailor Moon giggled. "He completely fell for it, hook, line, and sinker!"
Rubeus then smiled again. "I'll have plenty of time to test on whether that's true or not later," he said. "But first, I plan to deal with the two of you!"
"That's fine with me!" Solaris said, cracking his knuckles. "I've wanted a chance to punch your face in any way!"
"Me too!" agreed Sailor Moon. Then she kindly looked at Chibiusa. "Now, Chibiusa, you need to get somewhere safe. We'll handle this, okay?"
Chibiusa was hesitant, but she obliged and ran off to find a place to hide. Sailor Moon and Solaris then faced Rubeus, ready to fight, but he let loose a powerful concussive blast of force, blowing the two Guardians back and knocking them to the floor.
"Come now, that was nothing but a warm-up," Rubeus scoffed mockingly. "I hope you two made your peace because I intend to make the two of you pay for your interference with my plans!"
Sailor Moon and Solaris bravely stood up, and Sailor Moon summoned forth her Cutie Moon Rod, while Solaris clenched his fist, his prism glowing brightly.
"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
"SOLARIS ARROW OF SOL!"
Both Guardians unleashed their signature finishing moves at Rubeus, only to them harmlessly cancel out just a few inches away from him, much to their disbelief.
"What the...! Moon Princess Halation didn't work!" Sailor Moon gasped.
"And neither did my Arrow of Sol!" Harusuke spoke. "This didn't happen the first time I fought Rubeus!"
Then suddenly, the two felt a tremendous amount of force weigh down on them, causing them to fall to their hands and knees. They tried to get back up, but the unknown weight kept pushing them down.
"Wh-What's going on now?" Solaris winced.
"My body feels heavy..." Sailor Moon gasped.
"Shall I tell you what's happening? My ship enables me to amplify my power many times over, enough to play with the forces of nature," Rubeus cackled. "The super-gravity you're both experiencing is one example, while doing the opposite of that is another!"
With a wave of his hand, the weight that bore down on the two Guardians suddenly lifted, and before they could react, they found themselves floating upward until they hit the ceiling, stunning them. Solaris and Sailor Moon noticed something when they looked out the window. Outside, they could see their planet Earth now a giant blue orb.
"No way!" gasped Sailor Moon. "We're-"
"In space!" finished Solaris.
"How very perceptive of you. We're now tens of thousands of meters above the Earth's surface," explained Rubeus. "There's no escape for any of you!"
Sailor Moon and Solaris then took notice of Chibiusa, who was running towards the other Guardians. No doubt that she was planning to try and save them, but before she could, an invisible barrier prevented her, giving her a nasty shock in the process. As Chibiusa screamed in agony, her forehead once again began to glow as her crescent moon mark appeared shining brightly, knocking her to the floor.
"No! Chibiusa!" Sailor Moon and Solaris cried.
"Well, what do you know? Just as I thought, she was the Rabbit after all," Rubeus smugly grinned as he turned to Chibiusa. "I suggest you stop your futile resistance, Rabbit. That barrier has a high voltage barrier surrounding them that will give you a nasty shock if you try that again."
But Chibiusa didn't back down, charging straight into the barrier once again, only to get shocked, causing her to shriek as it repelled her. Rubeus then cackled, finding Chibiusa's struggling to be amusing much to Solaris' anger.
"You bastard!" Solaris yelled as he shot towards him. "You'll pay for that!"
But as Solaris did, Rubeus waved his hand and released a powerful blast at him, blowing him back once again, but Solaris planted his feet and skidded to a stop, creating a ball of light in his hand firing it in the process. However, Rubeus once again used his invisible barrier to block it with a wave of his hand. As he did, Chibiusa noticed something. Not too far away from where she lay after getting shocked, she saw a large black crystal glowing brightly before winding down. Then, she realized that it was the source of Rubeus' strength. Solaris then let out a loud cry as he shot towards Rubeus, his fist clenched for a punch.
"I believe it's about time to finish you off," Rubeus said as he waved his hand. "Now crawl like the toads you both are while my gravity grinds you into muck!"
Sailor Moon and Solaris suddenly slammed to the floor, the gravity crushing them with so much ruthless force, the ground began to crack and crumble under them, creating a crater. Rubeus cackled with sadistic glee as he set the gravity to its maximum power, seeing his victory close at hand. But then, something happened that surprised him.
Despite the overwhelming gravity pushing down on her, Sailor Moon started to get up.
"I won't give up!" Sailor Moon spoke bravely, now making to get on one knee. "Nothing's going to stop me from saving my friends!"
"That goes for me too!" Solaris grunted as he, too, started getting up. "We've been through tougher spots than this, and this isn't anything different!"
Soon enough, both Sailor Moon and Solaris were back on their feet despite the super-gravity, filled with determination and courage.
Rubeus was shocked and bewildered. "Impossible! You two shouldn't be able to stand up in the super-gravity field, let alone move!"
"If Chibiusa has the guts to try and break through your barrier," grunted Sailor Moon. "Then I, Sailor Moon, can do no less!"
"And as Solaris, I too can find the strength if I wanted to!" Solaris said. "Because there's no way I'm going to lose to a monster like you!"
Rubeus then relaxed, having slight admiration on his face. "Well, it would seem that I underestimated you two a bit. Fine. Then, I'll come at you two with all of my power!"
Rubeus threw out his hands before him, gathering up all the power he could muster into them, while Sailor Moon and Solaris got ready themselves. Then with a mighty yell, Rubeus unleased a powerful beam of black energy while Sailor Moon and Solaris attack simultaneously.
"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
"SOLARIS NOVA FLARE!"
It was now an energy battle as Sailor Moon and Solaris, while still under the gravity, desperately tried to push Rubeus back by combining their attacks. While this happened, Chibiusa saw her chance and went up to the black crystal, flashing brightly. Realizing that her hypothesis was correct, the pink ordango grabbed a firm hold of it and tried to pry it out, only to get a big nasty shock from it, which made her yelp in pain, but she refused to let go as she kept trying to pull it out.
"Everybody's here because of me," Chibiusa said to herself. "So it's my responsibility to make up for my mistake and help save them!"
Chibiusa then kept tugging on the crystal despite the shocks to her body as the energy battle between Rubeus, Sailor Moon, and Solaris continued. Then Rubeus turned up the power of his beam, forcing it to overpower Sailor Moon and Solaris' attacks, sending them slamming into the wall. Rubeus then looked back and saw Chibiusa.
"Damn that annoying Rabbit!" Rubeus cursed. "She found my power amplifier! No matter! She sealed her fate!"
Rubeus then shot towards Chibiusa when Solaris suddenly tackled straight into his sending them both to the floor. Rubeus recovered only to find himself cornered by Solaris and Sailor Moon. The two unleashed their attacks at him, Solaris using his Nova Flare on one side and Sailor Moon's Moon Princess Halation on the other. Rubeus, forced to go on the defensive, erected his barrier to protect himself as the attacks barreled into him.
"You stubborn fools!" Rubeus hissed as he desperately defended.
"Now, Chibiusa!" Sailor Moon yelled.
"Do it!" Solaris shouted.
Chibiusa pulled, and she tugged using every ounce of strength she had. So much so that her forehead began to glow once again, showing the crescent mark. Then with a mighty heave, Chibiusa finally pulled out the crystal, causing her to stumble and drop it, shattering it into a million pieces. Because of this, Rubeus' power dropped like a stone causing his barrier to disappear and take the full force of Sailor Moon and Solaris' attacks with a mighty explosion. Rubeus lay on the floor when the smoke cleared, badly charred after taking so much damage. At the same time, the crosses that were holding the other Guardians disappeared as they all woke up, landing on their feet.
"Does anyone know where we are?" wondered Sailor Venus.
"The last thing I remember is Rubeus capturing us," replied Sailor Jupiter.
"Girls! You're all alright!" Solaris cried as he rushed over to them, hugging Jupiter and Venus. "Thank the stars!"
"Is everyone okay?" wondered Chibiusa, who was exhausted but relieved.
"Chibiusa?! What happened to you?!" gasped Sailor Mercury as she checked her. "You're hurt!"
Sailor Moon staggered over to them, feeling exhausted but overwhelmed with joy. "Thank goodness! I'm so happy you're all okay."
"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mars gasped upon seeing her. "What happened?! Will someone mind telling me what the heck is going on?!"
Then the sound of Rubeus' evil laughter spoiled the atmosphere of the union, causing everyone to look back. Rubeus was now back on his feet, a maniacal grin on his face.
"Do you honestly think that you've won?! You fools!" Rubeus spoke, now acting more malicious than before. "You've just sealed your fates!"
"Give it up, Rubeus!" Solaris said. "You've lost and are outnumbered! Just accept your defeat already!"
"Not on your life!" Rubeus snapped. "Besides, you're all done for anyway! When the Rabbit took out the crystal, the ship's power has started to go critical. This ship will lose power and reenter Earth's atmosphere in ten minutes. After that, every last one of you will get turned into space dust!"
Everyone gasped.
"But that also means that you'll go down the same way!" pointed out Sailor Jupiter.
"Exactly!" Rubeus manically giggled. "I won't ever be able to return to the future, but at least I'll have the satisfaction knowing that I'll have the last laugh!"
At that moment, a siren began to blare as the circle of mirrors started to fall, crashing into the ground as the ship rumbled.
"What are we going to do?!" cried Sailor Mars. "We have to figure out a way out of her quick, or we're all going to die with Rubeus!"
"But what can we do?!" said Sailor Jupiter. "We're inside of a spaceship!"
Then Sailor Mercury had an idea. "Why don't we use the Guardian Teleport?!"
"That's nuts!" Sailor Venus cried. "Sailor Moon has used up most of her energy, and Chibiusa's with us as well!"
"It'll work!" Sailor Mercury insisted. "If we put our minds and hearts together, it's not impossible! We have to take that chance!"
"And I'll be okay! Let's do it!" Sailor Moon said. She then looked across to Chibiusa. "Chibiusa, concentrate with all your heart and mind! Can you do that?"
Chibiusa nodded. "I'll do my best!"
Sailor Moon then smiled. "Good girl! I'll give you a treat when this is over!"
"I want hotcakes with lots of syrup," Chibiusa said, smiling as well.
"It's a deal," Sailor Moon laughed.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Rubeus spoke. "If you think I'm going to let you get away, then you're sadly mistaken!"
With a crazed yell, he pounced straight towards the Guardians only to be intercepted by Solaris, who barred his way by throwing a punch. Rubeus, reacting quickly, countered with one of his own, causing his and Solaris' fists to collide with a loud thud resulting in a stalemate between the two. Solaris using his strength, then threw Rubeus away, forcing him back. Knowing that Rubeus wouldn't give them a chance to get away, Solaris knew what he had to do as he looked back towards his friends.
"Listen! You girls need to teleport out of here now!" Solaris yelled. "I'll keep Rubeus busy!"
The Guardians and Chibiusa were horrified and shocked as Solaris shot forward towards Rubeus unleashed a Sunshine Meteor only for Rubeus to jump and dodge the incoming attack and shot towards the Guardians again. Solaris intercepted him by shooting after Rubeus grabbed his leg and threw him again.
"I said, go! Get out of here while I'm still stalling!" Solaris shouted again. "I won't be able to hold him back much longer!"
"No, Solaris! You can't do this!" Sailor Mars shouted back.
"We're not leaving without you, Solaris!" Sailor Jupiter cried.
"Look, protecting Chibiusa and the Silver Crystal is our top priority right now!" Solaris said firmly. "And since Rubeus isn't going to stop until he makes sure we're dead, one of us has to stay behind and stall him! It might as well be me! Don't worry! Just get out of here!"
"But Solaris...!" protested Sailor Venus. "If you stay here, you'll die!"
"I don't care!" Solaris said. "This isn't about me! It's about keeping the Silver Crystal and Chibiusa safe, and all of you safe too! This is bigger than what you guys want, so put your emotions aside and think of the greater good! Besides, I've got a score to settle with this guy, and it has to be me to take him down! Now get out of here! Hurry! There's not a lot of time!"
"But Harusuke...!" protested Chibiusa.
"I SAID, GO!" Solaris yelled at the top of his lungs.
There was a long silence; then, Sailor Moon spoke up.
"He's right! There's not a lot of time, and we have to hurry before it's too late!" Sailor Moon spoke grimly. She then looked at Solaris. "But you better come back alive, Bro! I won't forgive you if you won't!"
Solaris gave a thumbs-up in response. The Sailor Guardians then all got into a circle with Chibiusa in the middle and began to concentrate, their bodies radiating color.
Rubeus saw this and once again shot towards them. "I told you that none of you are leaving this place alive!"
Solaris then shot forward, too, intercepting Rubeus knocking him away. "Sorry, but the Guardians are a bit busy right now. How about you have some fun with me instead?"
At that moment, the Sailor Guardians' powers had reached maximum capacity.
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"
"MARS STAR POWER!"
"JUPITER STAR POWER!"
"VENUS STAR POWER!"
"SAILOR TELEPORT!"
All six of the girls then teleported out of the ship, leaving Solaris and Rubeus by themselves. Feeling relieved that they were safe from harm, Solaris then turned his attention towards his enemy, his faceplate covering his mouth, while Rubeus scowled.
"You're nothing but a fool, Solaris!" Rubeus snapped crossly. "You've just sealed your fate the moment you stayed behind while your friends abandoned you! Then again, you'll die either from this ship blowing apart when it reenters or by yourself truly."
"Then you'd better bring your A-game if you want to bring me down!" Solaris said, coiling his legs. "Besides, I ain't going down so easily after what you did! Not only did you threaten to kill Chibiusa, but you also tried to kill the Spectre Sisters, that were once your allies! For those crimes, I won't forgive you, and I'll make sure that I bring you down for good!"
"Fine then! If you wish to die so badly, then who am I to stop you!" Rubeus countered. "If I die, at least I'll have the satisfaction of killing you myself!"
The two then shot towards each other, colliding with their fists, and attacked each other in a flurry of blows. The UFO sank lower until it started reentering the atmosphere as they fought. It began to heat up and break apart from the outside, causing the ship to rumble and shake even more. Several explosions boomed inside, engulfing the place with fire as Rubeus and Solaris continued to fight. Neither one gave an inch, nor did they care about the ship now on a crash course to destruction. The only thing on both of their minds was defeating one another. Rubeus then unleashed a series of black energy from his hand, and Solaris flew himself out of danger, maneuvering back and forth.
Solaris then shot towards Rubeus, his leg raised to kick when a massive explosion suddenly erupted between them, obscuring Rubeus' and Solaris' vision. Thinking that Solaris would try to come at him from the side, he looked to his right, only for Solaris to emerge from the fires of the explosion and land a powerful punch square in his jaw, blowing Rubeus across the room and into a pillar making it crumble from the force. As Rubeus lay in agony, Solaris stood there, panting from exhaustion. Rubeus then stood up, battered, weary, and unbeaten as he seethed with fury.
"I will not lose to you, you rotten bastard!" Rubeus yelled as he held out his hands, charging energy. "Do you hear me?! I am the mighty Rubeus! One of the most powerful generals serving the Black Moon Clan! An insolent little brat like you is nothing compared to me!"
"Stop talking nonsense, Rubeus!" Solaris yelled as he clenched his fist. "There's always going to be someone better than you! Especially someone whose friends and family you threatened!"
"SHUT YOUR DAMNED MOUTH AND GO TO HELL!" Rubeus roared as he unleashed a powerful blast of black flames that was more powerful than before.
"THE ONLY ONE THAT'S GOING TO HELL IS GOING TO BE YOU!" Solaris roared back as he charged his power to the limit. "SOLARIS ARROW OF SOL!"
The golden guardian of the sun then unleashed a powerful blast of golden flames as it changed into a giant arrow. The two attacks then collided, causing another battle of energy to break out, but this time, Solaris' light immediately pushed Rubeus' power back, canceling it. Rubeus could only let out a scream of terror as the Arrow of Sol blasted into him, resulting in a powerful explosion that shook the whole area. At that moment, the entire ship began to shake and rumble violently as more explosions erupted, swallowing Solaris up in the hot flames.
As more explosions continued to erupt throughout the ship, Rubeus, who miraculously was still alive, jumped out of the flames rolling to the floor, now even more battered and charred than before. Just then, someone appeared before Rubeus, causing him to look up. Standing before him was Wiseman.
"My, my, Rubeus," Wiseman said. "This is quite the predicament you've gotten yourself into."
"Wiseman! You came to check up on me!" Rubeus spoke gratefully. "I'm so glad you're here! Please help me get back to the future, and hurry! The ship's going to blow in any second! Contact Esmeraude or anyone!"
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Wiseman said. "I'm afraid that this is the fate that has befallen you as I predicted."
Rubeus was shocked. "What do you mean?!"
"You not only allowed Sailor Moon and the Rabbit to get away with the other Guardians, but you also allowed Solaris to defeat you," said Wiseman. "I'm afraid you've had your last chance, Rubeus, and our Prince Demande has no use for someone as incompetent as you are. But fear not, I'm sure Esmeraude will be a more suitable replacement for you. Until then, this is farewell, Rubeus."
And so, with one final cackle, Wiseman disappeared.
"Wiseman, you traitor! Come back here!" Rubeus yelled in anguish. "Don't leave me here!"
Unfortunately for Rubeus, no one answered nor could hear him.
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Back in Juuban, Sailor Moon and the others had teleported safely in the middle of Juuban. As they did, they looked back up to the sky in time to see the UFO shoot right past them, heading straight towards the sea. The girls quickly rushed over to the docks in time to see it splash down into the water with a mighty splash. A loud kaboom erupted in the water not long after it did, creating a large spout raining water everywhere. Soon enough, it dissipated, and everything was silent.
"NO! HARUSUKE!" wailed Sailor Moon.
"This... this can't be real!" Sailor Jupiter gasped. "It can't be!"
"No one could survive an explosion that huge," Sailor Mercury murmured.
Chibiusa covered her mouth as tears began to build up in her eyes while Sailor Mars hugged her for comfort. Everyone else didn't say a word. Then just when everyone was thinking the worst, something shot out of the water, going high into the air, and landed on the concrete floor. That something was Solaris, whose armor was cracked a bit, spandex torn, and a bit bloody, but was alive and well. Everyone immediately lit up with joy.
"HARUSUKE!" Sailor Moon joyfully shrieked as she ran straight towards him along with everyone else.
"Hey there, girls," Solaris spoke, waving weakly. "Did you miss me?"
Sailor Moon and the others then rushed over to Solaris, and Sailor Moon tackled her brother in a hug while Solaris hugged her back. The others soon followed suit, making it a group hug.
"You scared us half to death, you dummy!" Sailor Mars complained, wiping her eyes.
"Sorry to make you guys worry," Solaris said. "But it was a close one."
"We won!" cheered Sailor Moon. "Rubeus is history, and everyone made it out okay!"
"And don't forget Sailor Moon, you promised me hotcakes with syrup!" pointed out Chibiusa. "And they have to be made from scratch!"
Sailor Moon then gulped. "What? They do?!" she squeaked nervously.
"Are you sure about this, Chibiusa? You know Usagi's terrible cook," Sailor Mars smirked. "You're better off getting take out instead."
Chibiusa then remembered. "Then I take it back then!" she gulped.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Sailor Moon said. "We made a promise, and you can't back out on it! I can't promise they'll be edible, but I make sure you eat them!"
Everyone then burst into laughter as they celebrated and enjoyed their victory.
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In the future, at the stronghold of the Black Moon Clan, Wiseman was speaking to Prince Demande about the fate of Rubeus.
"I'm afraid that it was too much for Rubeus to handle, my prince," Wiseman said. "He was defeated at the hands of Solaris."
"I see," Prince Demande spoke as he sat on his throne, playing with a cup of wine. "How distressing. I thought that he was more capable than that. Well then, I suppose I'll have to leave things in Esmeraude's hands. Esmeraude, come here, please."
Esmeraude then appeared. "You summoned me, my prince?" she asked while politely bowing.
"Yes. I'm now leaving you in charge of the mission to kill the Rabbit and getting the Silver Crystal," said Prince Demande. "I also want you to kill that bastard Solaris as well for murdering our faithful comrade. Make sure that you don't repeat Rubeus' failures."
"But of course, my lord," Esmeraude said. "You can count on me."
And Esmeraude disappeared. Then, from a pillar in the middle of the room, a projection of the same woman whom Wiseman was gazing upon appeared, bearing a striking resemblance to a certain ordango blonde. As Prince Demande looked at the apparition, a sly and dark smile graced his lips.
"Everything I've ever wanted shall be mine," Prince Demande said to himself. "Everything."