It wasn't too long before Sailor Moon and her friends managed to reach the top of the Malefic Black Crystal, where the Dark Gate was just above them. Waiting for them was Dark Nova, who stood right in the middle of the platform like he was waiting for them.
"Harusuke!" cried Sailor Moon. "Where's Chibiusa?"
Dark Nova gazed coldly at her. "I told you, my name is Dark Nova, and my lady is known as Black Lady," he said. "And to answer your question, my lady it up above using her powers to open the Dark Gate. It won't be long until it's finally opened, and when that happens, my lady's wish for destruction will come true."
"There is no way we're going to let that happen!" Sailor Jupiter said defiantly. "We'll stop the Dark Gate from opening before she gets a chance to open it!"
"Is that so?" Dark Nova asked with a raised brow. "Then, if you wish to stop my lady, you'll have to get by me first. My lady has ordered me to guard this place until she opens the gate, and there is no way I will let any of you pass."
Dark Nova then began to walk towards Sailor Moon and the other Guardians, his eyes filled with malice and intent, his hands crackling with Dark Power.
"Harusuke, we're not your enemies! Please get out of our way!" Sailor Moon begged. "We don't want to fight you!"
"For the last time, Harusuke is not my name!" Dark Nova barked. "I am Dark Nova, loyal servant of Black Lady! And anyone who dares get in her way will pay the ultimate price that is death!"
"Come on, Harusuke! Can't you see that you're not in your right mind?!" Sailor Mars cried. "You don't know what you're doing!"
"Enough with your lies!" Dark Nova snarled. "I will destroy every last one of you, Guardians, for threatening my lady's wishes!"
Dark Nova then shot towards the girls, intent on obeying his lady's command to the death.
"Look out! He's coming!" Sailor Jupiter yelled.
As Dark Nova swung, Sailor Jupiter met him with a punch of her own, causing their fists to collide. Dark Nova then swung his leg, forcing Sailor Jupiter to block with her arms, and knocked her away. Sailor Mars then jumped in with a kick of her own, only for Dark Nova to catch it and throw it away and counter with a foot to the gut. Then, Sailors Mercury and Venus grabbed each of his arms, trying to hold him, but Dark Nova threw them off and punched them both on each of their cheeks.
Dark Nova then charged at Sailor Moon with a backhand swing of his hand. Sailor Moon immediately ducked out of the way and stepped back as Dark Nova attacked her again with a kick. She once again managed to dodge, but as she tried to counter Dark Nova, he generated a giant ball of energy and hurled it straight toward her. Sailor Moon let out a startled yelp and jumped out of the way to dodge, but when the blast hit the floor and exploded, the force was enough to blow the girl a good few feet before tumbling the ground. The other guardians quickly rushed over to Sailor Moon.
"Sailor Moon, are you alright?!" asked Sailor Venus.
"I think so," Sailor Moon grunted, shaking the dizziness out of her head.
"This fight is pointless!" said Sailor Mercury. "Harusuke's not going to be able to break free so easily. Not to mention all that Dark Power's made him stronger than before!"
"But there's got to be a way to snap him out of it!" Sailor Venus said. "We just need to find a way!"
"But how?" wondered Sailor Jupiter. "Harusuke's almost if not just as strong as we are, and he's certainly not making it easy for us!"
At that moment, an antenna extended from Dark Nova's forehead, cracking and sparking with lightning. "MALEFIC SUPREME THUNDER!" he yelled as he unleashed a powerful blast of lightning.
The Sailor Guardians jumped out of the way as the lightning ripped the floor apart, barely missing them. Sailor Mars and Mercury then countered with their attacks.
"MARS FIRE SOUL!"
"MERCURY SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"
Both fired a ball of flames and a torrent of water, only to have it deflected by Dark Nova with a swat of his hands. Dark Nova then attacked, copying one of Sailor Mars' moves by holding out his hands in front of him.
"MALEFIC BURNING MANDALA!"
Numerous purple rings of fire came shooting out from his hands, forcing Sailor Mars to dodge the incoming attacks again. Dark Nova then attacked Sailor Mercury.
"MALEFIC AQUA ILLUSION!"
A black torrent of water gushed out from his hand as Sailor Mercury rolled out of the way to dodge.
"This is insane!" Sailor Mars cried. "He keeps using all of our moves against us by copying them! We're not getting anywhere!"
"We've got to try something else," Sailor Mercury said. "Otherwise, this battle will go on until the Dark Gate opens!"
"But what can we do?!" asked Sailor Jupiter. "Even if we fight back, he'll just counter our moves and then copy them!"
No one knew or said anything. Sailor Moon looked back towards her possessed brother, desperately thinking of some way to save her brother. Then she remembered something from back when they were in Crystal Tokyo talking with King Endymion about Harusuke's Solar Prism. The future king's words echoed in her mind.
"As clichéd as it sounds, he found that to tap into that power, he had to have powerful bonds with the Guardians, including Sailor Moon. Once he mastered this ability, he had the power to not only grow stronger but gain some of the guardian's abilities and elements as well."
"Remember to believe in your bonds with your friends and family. Once those bonds are strong enough, the Unison Fusion will appear to you again, and you'll become stronger than you ever thought possible."
That flashback gave Sailor Moon an idea. "I think I've got it! It's a bit of a long shot, but I think it might work," she said. "We need to use the Sailor Planet Attack on him."
The Guardians looked at Sailor Moon, very shocked, not believing their ears,
"Sailor Moon, you can't be serious!" Sailor Mars cried. "I thought we were trying to save your brother, not kill him!"
"Just hear me out for a second," insisted Sailor Moon. "I'm not saying that we should use it to hurt him. I'm saying we should use it to break Chibiusa's control over him. King Endymion said that Harusuke grows stronger the closer and stronger his bond is with us. So, maybe we could use the energy and power of the Sailor Planet Attack as well as our bonds to save him!"
"That is a pretty good idea, but will it work?" asked Sailor Venus. "We've never used the Sailor Planet Attack that way before, and we don't have Solaris with us."
"I say it's worth a try," said Sailor Mars. "We can't afford to waste any time. If we're going to stop Harusuke to get to Chibiusa, the Sailor Planet Attack might be the only way to save him."
"Then let's do it," said Sailor Mercury.
"I don't know what you have planned, but this is the end of the line for you, Guardians!" Dark Nova said as he clenched his fist, making it spark with Dark Power. "This attack will obliterate every last one of you, so prepare yourselves!"
Dark Nova began to radiate with energy as he began to charge power, but the Sailor Guardians, not backing down, all stood in a line and held out their hands as they started to glow in colorful light, gathering power as well.
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"
"MARS STAR POWER!"
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"
"JUPITER STAR POWER!"
"VENUS STAR POWER!"
"THIS IS THE END! ! !" Dark Nova roared. "EBONY NOVA FLARE!"
He then unleashed a powerful blast of black energy with white crackles of power at the Guardians, but the girls were ready as they aimed for the attack that came at them.
"SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"
The five girls then fired powerful beams from their hands, each of them a different color representing them and merging into a multi-colored attack. The two beams collided in a powerful explosion as both sides used all of their strength to push each other back. The Guardian's Sailor Planet attack would shift slightly forward, and Dark Nova's Ebony blast would move back and vice versa. The resulting struggle created a sphere of unusual energy swelling to a large size as the floor ripped apart, sending rubble flying everywhere from the clash alone.
"You're powerful, Sailor Guardians," grunted Dark Nova. "But I won't lose! I must not fail, my lady!"
Dark Nova then put more power into his Ebony Nova Flare, which made it start to overtake the Sailor Planet Attack. Sailor Moon and the other guardians struggled as they desperately tried to hold their ground, feeling their attack begin to falter.
"He's way too powerful!" shouted Sailor Mercury. "At this rate, he's going to overwhelm us!"
"Keep pushing!" Sailor Jupiter yelled out. "We can't give up now! Give it everything you've got, and don't hold back!"'
"Come on, girls! We can do this!" Sailor Moon cried. "Just keep pushing!"
But it was no use. Dark Nova's attack was slowly beginning to overwhelm the Sailor Planet Attack, the struggle threatening to collapse from the power, causing the girls to falter as they desperately tried to hold their ground. Then, just when it seemed that Dark Nova would win the struggle and destroy the Sailor Guardians, a rose shot out, nicking Dark Nova on the spandex of his forearm and piercing through it, causing the warrior to let out a grunt in surprise while still keeping up his attack.
Then, a masked man in a tuxedo came in flying above while using his cape as a glider and having two familiar-looking felines riding on his shoulders, much to the surprise of the Sailor Guardians.
"Tuxedo Mask!" cried Sailor Moon.
"And Luna and Artemis, too!" gasped Sailor Mars.
As Tuxedo Mask flew over Dark Nova, Luna and Artemis jumped off, and while yowling bravely, they landed right on top of Dark Nova. They clawed, scratched, and even bit Dark Nova all over his body while he yelped and winced in pain. Dark Nova tried to throw them off of him, but with him using one hand to keep firing the Ebony Nova Flare, he could only use one free hand to try and shake them off. Finally, thanks to Luna and Artemis distracting him, Dark Nova's attack began to weaken, and the Sailor Planet Attack began to push it back.
"Get off of me, you filthy beasts!" Dark Nova snapped as he tried to grab them. "Stop interfering!"
"Sailor Moon! Hurry!" shouted Tuxedo Mask. "Use all the power you and the Guardians have to save Harusuke! Do it now!"
"Right!" nodded Sailor Moon. "Come on, girls! Full power!"
The Sailor Planet attack grew in power, slowly but surely pushing back the Ebony Nova Flare. As this happened, Dark Nova finally ripped both Luna and Artemis off of him with his free arm, throwing each of them down to the ground while holding up his attack. Then, feeling furious, he got ready to attack them, but Tuxedo Mask threw another rose at him, nicking him in the arm once again. Then, all five of the Guardians let out a brave yell as they put all the power they could muster into the Sailor Planet Attack.
This time, thanks to the assist from Tuxedo Mask and the others, the Sailor Planet Attack pushed the Ebony Nova Flare back, the overwhelming light swallowing him before he had a chance to counter. Dark Nova screamed out in agony as he was bathed in the rainbow-colored beam, feeling his mind beginning to slip, the symbol of the Black Moon Clan showing on his forehead.
"Please, Harusuke! Wake up!" begged Sailor Moon. "Remember who you are!"
"You - lie!" grunted Dark Nova, holding his head in agony. "You're my enemies!"
"No, we're not! We're your friends!" insisted Sailor Venus. "You've got to try and remember!"
"The Dark Power Chibiusa's using may have a hold of your mind, but your heart belongs to us!" shouted Sailor Mars. "No matter what evil power's possessing you, this isn't you, and you know it!"
"Remember everything we've been through together! All the good and the bad!" Sailor Jupiter chimed in.
"You can do it!" Sailor Mercury cried. "You've just got to think!"
At that moment, as Dark Nova continued to be assaulted by the light, memories began to flow into his mind. Memories of himself as Harusuke Tsukino and Solaris enjoying his life with his sister Usagi and fighting alongside Sailor Moon and the Guardians. Those memories made him claw his head in agony as the Black Moon Clan symbol on his forehead began to wane, fading and reappearing on repeat, and the prism on his wrist began to switch colors from black to golden yellow.
"What... are these memories?!" Dark Nova yelled in agony. "Are these... my memories?!"
More came flooding into Dark Nova's mind as he tried to comprehend these memories. He saw himself eating dumplings with Usagi, standing with Minako at the pier near Juuban, protecting Sailor Jupiter while fighting Petz, standing up to Sailor Mercury when she was possessed, and when he promised Sailor Mars that he would protect Koan.
"No! It's a trick!" Dark Nova shouted. "These memories can't be real! They're fake! Go away and leave me alone!"
"All those memories are real, Harusuke! Every single one of them!" Sailor Venus shouted. "You comforted me when I was forced to give up on Katerina and took care of me when I was sick!"
"You also were willing to take my place in the skating competition when I got hurt!" called out Sailor Jupiter. "And you also protected me from Petz!"
"You helped me fight against Koan and even kept your promise to stop her when she went berserk!" Sailor Mars also cried. "And you even saved my music when the original got destroyed!"
"You, along with Usagi, stood up for me when I was accused of cheating, too!" shouted Sailor Mercury. "And even though I could have hurt you when Giwak was controlling me, you trusted me and set me straight!"
"You see that, Harusuke? You may be Dark Nova because of the Dark Power possessing you, but you'll always be Harusuke Tsukino!" Sailor Moon yelled out. "You're a loyal friend as well as my big brother! Someone who was always for me when I was at my lowest back with Queen Beryl, and one who I and the others can count on whenever we need you! So, please, come back, Harusuke! Break free of the Dark Power and come back to us!"
Dark Nova howled even louder as his sense of reason was on the brink of collapse as something within him struggled to try and break free. Then with one more final scream, the black crescent moon mark on Dark Nova's forehead exploded, as the symbol of the sun appeared in its place. Then, as he stood there frozen in place, the dark armor faded away as Dark Nova reverted to Harusuke as he fell to the ground unconscious. Sailor Moon's plan had worked.
"You all did it!" cried Artemis.
"Harusuke's finally free!" Luna yelled joyfully.
As the others tried to catch their breath, Sailor Moon made straight for her brother, wanting to see if he was alright. But before she could, the sky above them began to crackle and boom, and Black Lady descended from the clouds above straight towards them. Black Lady looked at Sailor Moon and the Guardians before she saw Harusuke lying on the ground, unconscious and unresponsive.
"Well, well. The Sailor Guardians," Black Lady said, frowning. "And it seems that you were able to defeat Dark Nova. No matter. Sorry to say, you're too late. The Dark Gate will open soon, and you can all watch as your world fills with darkness and hate!"
"Chibiusa! You have to stop this!" Sailor Moon yelled. "Please snap out of it!"
"I told you time, and again, I am not Chibiusa!" the woman spoke adamantly. "I am Black Lady, the messenger of the Ruler of Darkness, Death Phantom! And I will take great pleasure into watching as you all disappear into the nothingness!" She then looked up into the sky. "Now, Wiseman, proceed!" she called out. "Send in the power of the Malefic Black Crystal towards me. Once you've so, I will channel that power into my body and turn this world into dust!"
Sailor Moon and the others were horrified.
"She can't be serious!" Sailor Mars cried.
"Even she can't handle that much power!" Sailor Mercury gasped.
"Chibiusa, you can't do this!" Sailor Moon shouted. "If you go through with this, you could die too!"
"And so what? I'm not afraid to die," Black Lady scoffed. "Darkness is all that exists in this world. I would rather destroy everything than live in a world where no one loves me."
"But that's not true!" Sailor Moon shouted again. "You've been tricked into thinking that way!"
"What are you talking about?" Black Lady scowled. "I know that none of you ever cared what happens to me!"
"Chibiusa, please understand! That's not true at all!" begged Sailor Moon. "All of us care about you!"
"Shut up!" snapped Black Lady, as she released a powerful wave of Dark Power in anger.
Due to being weakened from using the Sailor Planet Attack, the attack blew the Guardians back as they hit the unforgiving floor. Black Lady then appeared before Sailor Moon.
"I can't stand listening to you anymore!" Black Lady snarled as she raised her hand. "So, you'll be the first to go, Sailor Moon!"
"No, Chibiusa!" cried Sailor Mars. "Don't do it!"
"Please, stop!" shouted Sailor Venus.
From the clouds above, a powerful bolt of dark lightning came shooting down from above straight towards Sailor Moon, but right then, Tuxedo Mask came rushing over, jumped in the line of fire, and took the hit. Tuxedo Mask screamed in pain as the attack shook and shocked his body, his mask falling off.
Sailor Moon quickly caught Tuxedo Mask as he fell into her arms. "Mamo! Mamo, are you okay?!" she cried. "Talk to me!"
Black Lady was so surprised and shocked that she couldn't help but take a couple of steps back. "I don't believe it," she murmured. "He was willing to sacrifice himself to save her?!"
"Of course, he was!" Sailor Mars said to her. "Sailor Moon's precious to Mamoru and Mamoru's precious to Sailor Moon! Their friendship and love are that strong!"
"Yes, they would do anything for each other!" added Sailor Mercury. "And the same goes for us, too!"
"What sentimental nonsense are you spouting?!" snapped Black Lady, appalled with what she was hearing.
"It's not rubbish! It's all true!" Sailor Venus insisted. "We're all friends, and you're our friend too!"
"And we would risk our lives to protect one of our friends!" Sailor Jupiter added. "And we would do the same for you, Chibiusa!"
Now Black Lady was confused. "I'm one of your friends?" she repeated.
"That's right," Sailor Moon kindly spoke as she smiled. "You've always been a good friend that we couldn't live without."
Mamoru looked back, smiling too, despite the pain he was feeling. "We love you more than you know," he said weakly. "And that's the truth."
Those words made something stir within Black Lady's mind, causing her to hold her head in agony. Then she heard Wiseman via telepathy.
"Black Lady, do not listen to their nonsense!" Wiseman said. "The truth lies in total darkness. Receive its power, Black Lady. I will send you the energy of the Malefic Black Crystal once again."
At that moment, a pillar of Dark Power came shooting down from above and straight at Black Lady, enveloping her in its darkness. As Black Lady reemerged from evil energy, her eyes were glowing red with malice and impassive.
"Wiseman's right. I won't allow you to trick me," Black Lady said. "This world will turn to darkness, and I won't let any of you interfere!"
"Chibiusa, please! You mustn't allow this evil energy to control you!" Mamoru cried.
Black Lady didn't listen as she took to the air and summoned forth a mighty gale of Dark Power. The powerful gusts whipped and whistled at Sailor Moon and the others threatening to blow them off the top as they desperately shielded their eyes. Sailor Moon knew that Black Lady wouldn't be able to return to normal with words, but they didn't know any other way to get through to her. Then the two of them remembered King Endymion's words.
"..to win this battle, to stand strong against enemies like the Black Moon Clan, I had to test that bond, so I could be sure that the one you two shared would be unbreakable and strong. One that is unwavering, faithful, and remains strong and constant no matter what happens. Unless you two have this kind of bond, you will never be able to overcome the Black Moon Clan."
Sailor Moon then looked at Mamoru, and he looked at her. Mamoru held up his hand, and Sailor Moon grasped it tightly as the two bravely stood up together.
"We will stop you and find a way to save you, Chibiusa!" Sailor Moon spoke with a determined look. "No matter what it takes!"
"I'll help you, Sailor Moon!" Mamoru spoke to her. "We'll overcome this challenge together with our love and save our daughter!"
Sailor Moon smiled at Mamoru and then held her hands over her brooch, opening it to expose the Silver Crystal inside. She then raised the crystal over her head in her hands as it glowed in pure white light. "Chibiusa, we'll save you, no matter what!" she called out to Black Lady. "The evil energy that's possessing you will be removed! MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"
"I won't lose to the energy of the Silver Crystal!" challenged Black Lady. "You'll never beat me!"
Black Lady then unleashed another mighty gale of Dark Power while the Silver Crystal erupted with light encasing Sailor Moon in its glow, protecting her and Mamoru from evil winds. The glow was so intense and bright that everyone had to shield their eyes. Soon after, the light died down, and everyone could see again. But then the other guardians, as well as Mamoru, witnessed an astonishing and unexpected sight. Instead of Sailor Moon, standing before everyone in all of her splendor and glory was the guardian's future version of herself, the future queen of Crystal Tokyo.
"I don't believe it!" gasped Sailor Venus. "Sailor Moon has become Neo-Queen Serenity!"
Even Black Lady couldn't believe her eyes as she stared at the queen. Then at that moment, her forehead, where her black crescent moon mark was, began to glow, causing her to hold her head in pain.
"Please, listen to me, Small Lady," Neo-Queen Serenity spoke gently. "Try to remember back when you were a small child. There was a reason why we didn't help you back then. It was because you needed to know that you had the strength to stand on your own. We wanted to raise you to be the kind of queen who will be able to meet any obstacle, no matter how hard it got."
Black Lady stared at the queen as she remembered back when she was sitting there in the rain after she had fallen. However, unlike before, King Endymion and Queen Serenity smiled kindly at their daughter.
"It - was out of love?" Black Lady asked the queen.
Neo Queen Serenity smiled and answered with a nod. Black Lady seemed to be waning to the light side once again. But an even mightier pillar of Dark Power came shooting down from above, trapping Black Lady, Neo Queen Serenity, and Mamoru inside as they all heard Wiseman's voice.
"What a poor, love-starved bunny you are," Wiseman sneered. "Don't be fooled by their sweet words! You mustn't trust anyone! Humans are born in the world alone, and in the end, they die alone! The only thing that you can trust is the darkness!"
Black Lady began to fall under Wiseman's spell again, her eyes growing distant and vacant. "I was born alone, and I'll die alone," she said in a monotone of voice. "I can only trust the darkness."
"Now, you're starting to see the truth!" Wiseman's voice continued. "You were always alone!"
"No! That's only an illusion!" Neo-Queen Serenity cried.
"Don't let him trick you!" Mamoru also yelled.
"The memories are clear," Black Lady said, ignoring her parent's pleas. "I was always alone! Alone!"
And with a wave of her hands, she unleashed a powerful blast of Dark Power at them. Mamoru instinctively hugged the queen, protecting her from harm once again, but someone jumped in the way of the attack and countered with a powerful blast of white light, canceling out Black Lady's attack. Mamoru and Neo Queen Serenity looked up to find that the one who saved them was Solaris, now fully awake and back to his old self again.
"Solaris!" Neo-Queen Serenity and Mamoru cried.
"Chibiusa! Stop this right now!" Solaris yelled. "I don't know what lies that lousy specter told you, but you're not alone, you hear me?!"
"Silence!" Black Lady yelled as she unleashed another blast of black lightning.
Solaris stood his ground and attacked using another Nova Flare, doing his best to keep it from coming close to himself, the queen, and Mamoru.
"Listen to me! I know what it's like to feel the way you are!" Solaris shouted. "Sometimes, you feel like that you're unwanted by everyone, and you think that you're better off alone, but that's not true when it comes to you! Even though you and Usagi had your differences, even I could see that you still care about one another, and Usagi loves you very much!"
"Enough of your lies!" Black Lady shrieked angrily. "Just disappear!"
The possessed little girl in a woman's body increased the power of her attack, managing to overpower Solaris' Nova Flare, shocking the three and making them cry out in agony as they took the attack. However, Neo-Queen Serenity took it in stride as she called out to Black Lady despite the pain.
"Please, Small Lady! You must leave this place immediately! It's dangerous not just for your mind, but for your body as well!"
"The same goes for you," Black Lady spoke coldly. "If you stay here any longer, you'll all sure to die, so leave while you can."
"It's not my life that's important! The only thing that matters is your safety!" Neo-Queen Serenity cried out. "Small Lady, everyone experiences pain and sadness in their lives. There are times when you feel like burying yourself in your sadness, but you have to find the strength to bear through it and move forward! Despite everything that happens in life, we must hold tight to our memories of love and remember the warmth that comes from them!"
"She's right! Even I've experienced pain and despair first hand when Zoisite fooled me, but I didn't let that get to me!" Solaris cried. "Because I not only had Usagi and the others with me, but they also helped me make new memories to forget about that pain! You've made some incredible memories as well! Memories that surely outweighed the bad!"
Black Lady scowled softened as a hint of emotion began to show on her face. Neo Queen Serenity then summoned the Silver Crystal again and shone its light on her. All of Black Lady's fond memories with the Guardians began to flood her mind when she did. She saw herself eating ice cream with Ami, dancing with Rei, helping Mako make her lunch, and assisting Minako in taking care of Usagi and Harusuke. She even remembered when Usagi made her pancakes despite her screwing up, walking with Tuxedo Mask, and playing with Harusuke. All those memories began to fill the woman's blackened heart with a warm sense of happiness, causing her to cease her attack.
"These memories," Black Lady murmured. "They're making me feel - so warm."
"Those happy memories you shared with everyone, I know those times were not illusions," Neo-Queen Serenity said. "They were real experiences, fueled by warm feelings. You're feeling the deep emotional connection that all human beings share right now.
Black Lady went over to her family, her eyes never leaving her mother's. "Tell me something," she murmured. "Why do you all care so much about me?"
"It's because we love you, Chibiusa," Neo-Queen Serenity. "And we always will no matter what."
Black Lady's eyes began to fill with tears, and for the first time in a while, a heartfelt smile crossed her face as the black crescent moon mark on her forehead faded away.
"I believe you now," Black Lady whispered happily. "Everyone loves me, and it warms my heart."
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Back outside of the pillar of Dark Power, everyone was anxiously waiting for something to happen, thinking of the worst. Finally, the Dark Power dispersed, and standing there was Sailor Moon, who had just reverted from Neo Queen Serenity, Mamoru, Solaris, and Chibiusa, who had finally returned to normal, and was sleeping peacefully in Sailor Moon's arms. When the Guardians and the cats saw the four, they were overjoyed as they rushed over to them.
"Chibiusa's back to her old self!" Sailor Mercury sighed with relief.
"And Solaris is awake too!" Sailor Mars cheered. "Thank goodness!"
Sailor Moon gently began to shake Chibiusa, trying to rouse her. "Chibiusa! Chibiusa, can you hear me?!" urged Sailor Moon. "Please wake up! Say something!"
Chibiusa stirred a bit, then her eyes slowly opened. When she saw her friends and her family surrounding her, she smiled. "Sailor Moon. Everyone. Thank you for saving me," she murmured. "I understand now that I'm not alone. You've all been with me this whole time, and knowing that makes me feel warm inside."
"And you'll always be in Neo Queen Serenity's heart as well, you know," Sailor Moon smiled. "I'm so glad that you're alright."
Then, Sailor Moon felt her entire body grow weak, causing her to almost faint, but Mamoru was there to catch her just before she fell.
"Sailor Moon!" the other guardians cried.
"Are you alright, Usako?" Mamoru asked worriedly.
"I think so," Sailor Moon replied weakly.
"But Sailor Moon, you used the Silver Crystal to save me," pointed out Chibiusa.
"And you also helped break Solaris free using the Planet Attack," added Luna worriedly.
"Don't worry. I'm alright," reassured Sailor Moon. "I just need to rest, is all."
Unfortunately, Sailor Moon would have no time to rest, for right then, the platform began to rumble and shake, catching everyone's attention.
"What's happening?!" cried out Mamoru.
At that moment, Wiseman appeared from up above, letting out a triumphant laugh as he did. "You fools! You may have been able to stop Black Lady, but it's too late now!" the evil specter crowed. "The Dark Gate has now been opened! Soon, the immense energy of the Malefic Black Crystal will reach Earth, and once it does, there will be no stopping it! The destruction of your world is at hand!"
"Not if we can help it!" called out Sailor Mars.
"Yeah! We'll stop you, no matter what it takes, Wiseman!" Solaris cried defiantly.
Wiseman laughed. "You fools! You will get destroyed along with this cursed planet!"
The phantom held up his crystal into the sky as a loud clap of dark power struck his crystal ball, and from it, shot out towards the guardians hitting them with its intense energy. Sailor Moon and the others screamed in pain as they were shocked by the evil power. At the same time, the clouds in the sky began to open, revealing the Malefic Black Crystal below them began to resonate, shooting beams of its energy into the dark sky above.
"We have to do something quick!" Mamoru cried out. "Otherwise, the Earth will be reduced to nothing but a wasteland!"
At that moment, Sailor Moon, regaining some of her strength, bravely stood up on her feet, her Silver Crystal glowing brightly in the center of her chest. The crystal released a powerful shockwave of energy, dispersing the Dark Power that was hurting herself and her friends, much to Wiseman's shock.
"I won't let that happen!" Sailor Moon spoke as she bravely stepped forward. "I will use all of my power to prevent it! I love this planet and everyone on it. This Earth has so many memories, and there's no way I'll let it disappear! I can't even imagine the people on this planet dying. So this threat ends now!"
"Sailor Moon, stop!" cried Sailor Mercury. "You're in no condition to use the Silver Crystal again!"
"She's right! It's too dangerous!" yelled Sailor Mars. "You could die!"
"Don't do it, Sis!" Solaris also shouted. "It's too risky!"
"Your Silver Crystal is no match for my awesome power!" Wiseman smirked. "Now die!"
At his command, another mighty pillar of Dark Power shot down, hitting straight at Sailor Moon, only to be immediately dispersed, revealing that once again, Sailor Moon had transformed into Neo Queen Serenity. The queen and the evil specter gazed grimly at one another, the tension so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Then Wiseman began gathering power into his crystal ball a second time, while Neo Queen Serenity held up her crystal above her head, glowing as it hovered in her hands.
The two forces then unleashed their power; Wiseman unleashed his signature white beam while the queen countered and released a giant bubble of light, shielding her body. The two powers clashed, causing sparks to fly everywhere, but due to her still being weak from the previous fights, Neo Queen Serenity began to falter, causing the bubble to weaken. However, the queen of Crystal Tokyo stayed strong as she used every ounce of power she had to stave away Wiseman's attack.
"You're wasting your time!" Wiseman boomed with self-confidence. "Now that the Dark Gate is open, the Silver Crystal is powerless!"
"This is bad!" Luna cried. "She's too weak!"
"We've got to help her!" Sailor Jupiter shouted. "But how?!"
Chibiusa gazed at Neo Queen Serenity, watching as she gave it everything she had to fight Wiseman. But, as she did, she couldn't help but feel guilty because the girl knew that she was responsible for what was transpiring now and made her feel terrible.
"This is all my fault!" Chibiusa cried out as she clung to Mamoru. "I'm responsible for all of this! If it weren't for me, all of you wouldn't be in this mess, and you'd all be safe!"
Then as a single tear from her eye fell, that tear suddenly began to sparkle, and at that moment, something came out from the center of Chibiusa's chest, glowing as it hovered in front of her. To everyone's surprise, the light was a familiar-looking crystal that was silver in color and had the shape of a sphere.
At that same time, the prism in Solaris' bracelet began to glow brightly in a silver-colored light, a yellow crescent moon mark showing in the middle. Then his armor changed. The armor changed from gold to a bright and pure white color, and his helmet changed in design. The symbol of the sun in the center of his chest also morphed into a yellow crescent moon mark. The Guardians, as well as Mamoru, were amazed, as was Chibiusa.
"It's the Silver Crystal!" Chibiusa gasped. "But how..." Then the pink ordango understood. "I see now. The Silver Crystal didn't disappear! Instead, it became a part of me. And my connection, as well as my bond with Solaris, caused a Unison Fusion to happen."
Realizing this made the grief in Chibiusa's heart ease up, and her heart swelled with courage as she looked at Mamoru.
"Mamo, I'm going to protect everyone using the Silver Crystal," Chibiusa said to him.
Mamoru was worried. "Chibiusa, you can't!" he objected. "If you use the Silver Crystal, you might die!"
"It doesn't matter," insisted Chibiusa. "You all risked your lives to protect me, and it's time I did the same for you."
Mamoru saw the determination in Chibiusa's eyes and conceded with a nod. "Alright then! Then we're going to help you fight this thing!"
"Yeah! We can't afford to lose here!" Sailor Mercury said. "Earth is counting on us!"
"And we made a vow to protect this beautiful planet!" said Sailor Mars.
"We have to do this for all the people that live here!" continued Sailor Jupiter.
"And for all of their futures!" said Sailor Venus.
"Come on, you guys!" Solaris yelled out. "It's time we show Wiseman that you don't mess with Earth!"
Chibiusa held her Silver Crystal above her head while Solaris and the other Guardians held out their hands, aiming for Wiseman, summoning whatever power they had. While she gathered her strength, Chibiusa's attire changed into a beautiful white dress as a yellow crescent moon mark appeared on her forehead.
Wiseman and Neo Queen Serenity noticed this, and they were surprised.
"What?! Two Silver Crystals?!" Wiseman exclaimed.
"Chibiusa!" Neo Queen Serenity gasped.
"Please, Silver Crystal!" Chibiusa called out. "Lend me the strength to protect everyone and this planet!"
The other Guardians began to glow as they all began to resonate with the two Silver Crystals, lending them their strength.
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"
"MARS STAR POWER!"
"JUPITER STAR POWER!"
"VENUS STAR POWER!"
"SOLAR PRISM POWER!"
Chibiusa joined her mother, and the two raised their crystals high and, with the power of everyone else and each other, their Silver Crystals shone in beautiful pink light.
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER! ! !"
The light of their combined effort was now pushing Wiseman's power back, threatening to swallow him whole, but the evil specter refused to give in.
"No! Not like this!" Wiseman shrieked, sensing that he was losing. "I won't succumb to the power of the Silver Crystal!"
"Evil power, begone from this world!" Neo Queen Serenity and Chibiusa commanded, as their bubble of light swelled immensely, overwhelming Wisman as his Dark Power.
Wiseman howled as the light of the Silver Crystal proved too much for even him, as the light purified and extinguished him, along with the Malefic Black Crystal from Nemesis.
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Sailor Moon and Chibiusa found themselves floating in a strange dimension filled with the light of the Silver Crystal.
"What happened to us?" wondered Sailor Moon. "Did - we die and go to heaven?" Then, after answering her question mentally, Sailor Moon smiled. "Oh, well. At least we managed to protect everyone, right, Chibiusa?"
Chibiusa heartily agreed, but a familiar voice was heard, echoing throughout the space.
"Neither one of you are dead," the voice chuckled. "The two Silver Crystals answered your strong desires of wanting to protect each other as well as the Earth and brought about a miracle."
Sailor Moon and Chibiusa looked around, recognizing the voice.
"Mommy? Is that you?" Chibiusa wondered, glancing around.
"Everyone is waiting for you," the voice dismissed. "It's time you both go back home."
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When Sailor Moon came to, she found herself in the arms of Mamoru while surrounded by all of her friends.
"Mamo?" Sailor Moon murmured. "Is that you?"
"I'm right here," Mamoru smiled. "And is everyone else."
Sailor Moon looked over at the smiling faces of her friends, relieved to see that they were alright as well. Then she saw Chibiusa, who was lying unconscious in Solaris' arms. Immediately, she shot up and went over to her, feeling worried.
"Chibiusa! Are you okay?!" Sailor Moon asked, gently shaking her.
The pink ordango slowly opened her eyes, and when she saw Sailor Moon, she smiled, telling her that she was okay. Sailor Moon could only smile back as she embraced her daughter heartily, her heart filled with relief as well as pride.
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It wasn't too long before things had gone back to normal again. The Malefic Black Crystal had faded away, becoming a distant memory, and the sun was shining with clear skies once again. But it was time for goodbyes. Now that the Black Moon Clan was gone and the Malefic Black Crystal, Chibiusa was going home to the future. Everyone had gathered over to the pier at the lake in Juuban Park, where Chibiusa had first arrived to say goodbye to her.
"Thank you for everything, everyone," Chibiusa said to her friends. "I'll never forget what you've done for me."
"We should be the ones telling you that, Chibiusa," smiled Rei. "I suppose this is goodbye for now."
"If we meet again, make sure to read my love fortune for me, Rei," Chibiusa told her.
"Take good care of yourself," Ami said.
"You too, Ami," Chibiusa said back to her. "And thank you for helping me with my studies."
"Be sure to give our best to the Guardians of the future," said Makoto.
"I will, Mako," said Chibiusa. "And I'm going to miss all those delicious lunches you made."
"Make sure to remember not to wet the bed anymore," winked Minako cheekily.
"Yeah, right. As if, Minako," Chibiusa huffed. "You know I won't." She then smiled. "But I'm sure going to miss playing with you."
Chibiusa then looked to Usagi, Mamoru, and Harusuke, the three of which had been quiet for a while now.
Harusuke then nudged his sister gently. "Go on, Sis. You know you want to."
"It's your turn to say goodbye now, Usako," added Mamoru.
Usagi then walked towards Chibiusa, and the little girl did the same until they stopped just a few feet away from each other. There was a long silence, neither one of them saying a word. Usagi then bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears as she embraced Chibiusa in a tender hug. The two stayed like that for a good while, savoring whatever little moment they had left with each other. Chibiusa then pulled away and spoke these words that would make anyone's heart melt.
"I love you, Mommy."
Usagi watched as Chibiusa stepped away from her and took out her time key as it began to glow, shrouding the girl in light. Then, after giving one last look of her friends and family, Chibiusa disappeared into the light.
"Goodbye, Chibiusa," Usagi whispered. "I'll miss you."
Mamoru gave Usagi a reassuring squeeze of her shoulder, comforting her as they, along with everyone else, watched the leaves fall from the trees wishing Chibiusa well.
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At the future city of Crystal Tokyo, outside in a luscious green meadow, Chibiusa managed to make it back there safely, running while searching for something in particular. The once wasteland of a city was now full of life, its buildings sparkling like new, and the plant life vibrant and colorful. Chibiusa ran as fast as she could, a smile plastered on her face until finally, she came up to a hill. On top of it was a sight that made Chibiusa's heart soar.
Waiting for her were her friends, the Sailor Guardians, her uncle, Taiyou, and most of all, her parents, King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity.
Chibiusa then calmly walked up to them, hiding her previous excitement, and then to the surprise of everyone, she paused and curtsied gracefully, just like an elegant princess. Neo Queen Serenity smiled with pride as she got on her knees and held out her arms. Chibiusa rushed over to her mother and tackled her in a hug, her eyes overflowing with tears of joy as her mother returned the hug in earnest while saying these words.
"Welcome home, Small Lady."