In the lab, Tellu, Viluy, and Cyprine gathered per Tomoe's request as he and Mimete stood before them, giving a demonstration and lecture about their latest plan. A small tank with a ball with a pure heart crystal image was between them, while Tomoe controlled four bird-like puppets that floated about on top of the water.
"Now, I want you to pay very close attention," said Tomoe as he controlled the puppets. "Watch as the cormorant dives under the water to catch its prey."
With a flick of his fingers, he made the four birds dive below the water and fight to get their beaks on the ball. Eventually, one of them managed to grab the ball in its beak and swallow it in seconds. Tomoe then made the birds come back to the surface, took the puppet with the ball, and squeezed its throat, popping out.
"As you have witnessed, the cormorant instinctively stored its catch in its throat using its instinct to its advantage," explained Tomoe. "This will be the model for our future efforts to steal pure hearts. We'll begin by releasing a Daimon near the target that might possess a talisman and then have it swallow the pure heart. Once that is done, and it returns to the lab, I will have it cough it back up, a safe and reliable method if I do say so myself."
"Well, that is a pretty good idea, Tomoe, but there's one problem," said Tellu. "What about those Guardians? They're just going to get in the way again, and they'll destroy the Daimon before it has a chance to get a pure heart."
"That is a valid point, Tellu," said Tomoe. "But recently, we have discovered a countermeasure for dealing with their interference. Care to explain, Mimete?"
"With pleasure," smiled Mimete. "As you're all well or may not be aware, I've been doing some experiments by forcing some of the defect Daimons to fight the Guardians. While they fended them off, even they had a bit of trouble defeating them. That was when I had an idea."
She then waved her wand, and two projections appeared, one of them a white Daimon Egg and the other being black.
"As you can see, the white egg is the one that Tomoe usually makes for our missions, and the other is the defect," said Mimete. "Usually Tomoe's are the ones that produce a good Daimon, but the defects are the ones that have a habit of going wild turning into monstrous creatures. That was when I had an idea. What if we took the characteristics of the defects and then added them to Tomoe's creations?"
The two projections then merged, forming a brand new Daimon Egg.
"Do you mean combing the two Daimon Eggs?" wondered Viluy.
"Precisely!" Tomoe spoke with excitement. "When she proposed the idea to me, I had a hard time believing my ears myself. However, the idea has merit, so I've created the ultimate Daimon that not even the Guardians will be able to stop!"
Tomoe walked to the side of the table where an oven-like device sat with its door open and a handgun inside it. As he did with his other concoctions, he put a pink liquid with an embryo into a beaker. Then, he poured a mysterious black substance into it, making it start to pulse and glow. The cup exploded with a shatter, and a large Daimon Egg colored a gradient of black and white appeared.
Tomoe placed the newly formed egg into the oven with the gun, and the door slammed shut by itself. Then, it began to whine as its insides glowed and sparked with tiny beams of light emitting from it. Finally, the noise and glowing stopped, and the oven let out a giant cloud of pink smoke that turned into the shape of a cormorant spreading its wings while letting out a caw. Then, it reopened, showing the Daimon Egg inside, but the handgun was no longer there.
"What happened to the gun?" asked Cyrpine. "Did it fuse into the Egg?"
Tomoe throatily cackled in delight as the Daimon Egg hovered over to his hands. "Yes, this is my greatest creation yet! With this new Daimon Egg, not even those lousy Guardians have a chance!" He turned to Mimete as he threw the egg over to her. "I trust that you will use this to find the last talisman?"
"Just leave it to me, Tomoe," Mimete said with a wink as she looked at the egg. "With this new Daimon of ours, there's no way that we'll fail."
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Harusuke was walking around Downtown Juuban by himself, heading for the bookstore. As he walked on, he remembered back to past events that had transpired the other day, after he, along with the others, came back from their investigation.
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Usagi, Mamoru, and the others came back to the Hikawa Shrine, giving Luna and Artemis their report of Mugen Academy.
"It would seem that we were right to suspect Mugen Academy, after all," said Luna. "That Daimon showing up there proves it."
"Not just the school, but Haruka and Michiru, too," pointed out Minako. "Especially with how hostile they were toward us."
"It seems to me that those two might know some things that we don't," said Mamoru. "Which means it's more likely that they could be enemies."
"If that's the case, then you should all be careful and watch out for those two; they could be trouble," said Artemis. "And for the time being, we should keep away from Mugen Academy for a bit until we're able to go back. That way, we won't raise suspicion."
Usagi and Harusuke wanted to deny what they were saying, but even they could agree that their odd behavior from their encounter was nothing short of suspicious, so they said nothing.
Then, Usagi glanced over at Chibiusa, sitting quietly, lost in her thoughts. The ordango blonde then went to her daughter, wondering what was wrong.
"Chibiusa, is there something on your mind?" Usagi asked.
"I was just thinking about that girl we met, Hotaru," replied Chibiusa. "Her skin was so white like snow. I could almost see right through it." She then smiled to herself. "She looked so pretty, don't you think?"
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Harusuke then thought back to when Hotaru was healing Chibiusa's wound when she was Sailor Chibi Moon.
"Now that I think about it, that girl did seem different than average," he thought. "Not only was she more mature than her age, but there was also the way she healed Chibiusa's arm, too. It just seems like one after another with this whole thing."
He soon came to the bookstore and went inside to browse some books. At first, he looked through some manga along with some literature, but then he went to the non-fiction section, and one book caught his eye. It was small, medium-thick, and had "A Guide Book of Prestigious Private Middle and High School" for its title. The title alone made Harusuke curious. Knowing that it was a book containing vital information about the schools, there was a possibility that the book also had information about Mugen Academy. So, he took the book out of its shelf and began flipping through the pages. Sure enough, he stopped on a page with a picture on Mugen, along with one of a man with short white hair and wore glasses with one clear lens. He then gave it a quick read.
"Doctor Souichi Tomoe, the genius geneticist, is the sole founder of both Mugenzu and Mugen Academy," Harusuke murmured to himself. "Sounds like he's got a lot of dough." Then he remembered Hotaru introducing herself the other night. "Wait a second. Doesn't Hotaru have the same last name as this guy? If that's the case, then she must be related to him. Maybe she's his daughter or something."
"Considering of going to Mugen Academy?" asked a voice.
Harusuke turned around, and standing before him was Michiru. Upon seeing her, Harusuke couldn't help but remember her glare from yesterday, but he managed to keep himself together.
Michiru then walked up to Harusuke. "Professor Tomoe is more than just the owner of Mugenzu and Mugen Academy. He's also a world-renowned instructor," she went on. "But he was expelled from the academic world quite long ago."
"Expelled?" repeated Harusuke. "Do you have any idea why?"
"Who knows?" replied Michiru. "Though, there is a rumor that Mugen Academy is a school for sorcerers and sorceresses. Pretty crazy, right? Perhaps they say that because of the merit of talented students that attend there. Or perhaps..."
But before Michiru could finish her sentence, a teenage girl from another school came running up to them.
"Um, excuse me," the girl stammered nervously. "Are you the famous solo violinist from Mugen, Michiru Kaioh?"
"Yes, I am," responded Michiru.
The girl then squealed in excitement. "You're an absolute virtuoso! I'm such a big fan of yours!" she gushed as she whipped out a notebook. "May I please get your autograph?!"
Michiru complied and signed on the girl's notebook while Harusuke watched in bewilderment.
"You got to be kidding. First, Michiru's a model, and now I find she's a famous violin player?" he thought. "As if she wasn't enough of a celebrity. Then again, her playing is something to be admired."
As soon as she finished signing, Michiru sent the girl on her way.
"So, does this mean that you're one of those sorceresses since you're a violinist, too?" asked Harusuke.
Michiru smiled as she faced Harusuke. "I could be," she chuckled. "Why don't you find out for yourself?" She then handed Harusuke a small white envelope. "It's a ticket for my next recital."
"Wait, recital? You mean like a concert?" Harusuke asked while staring at the envelope. "And is it okay for me to have this?"
"But of course," smiled Michiru.
As she smiled, Harusuke couldn't help but remember the other night when he saw Sailor Neptune and when she kissed him. Those memories alone made him blush as he tried his best to stay calm.
"Well, since you're being generous, I suppose I'll take them. Thank you very much," said Harusuke. "Say, I was going to head for the Game Center Crown. You - wouldn't want to come with me?"
"Why not? I was on my way over there to meet Haruka anyway," said Michiru.
The two were just about to start walking when Harusuke saw a pair of familiar blade twin tails sticking out from the sides of a tree ahead. Knowing who it was, Harusuke went over to the tree.
"Usagi, is that you over there?" he asked.
The twin tails jumped in surprise, and sure enough, Usagi came out of hiding. "U-Uh... hey, you two," the ordango blonde greeted nervously. "What brings you around here?"
"We were just heading for the arcade," said Harusuke. "You wanna come with us?"
"W-Well, sure. If you don't mind having me along," said Usagi. "I mean, I don't want to intrude."
Harusuke was puzzled. "Intrude? On what?" he wondered.
"N-Nothing. Never mind," Usagi spoke, shaking her head. "Just forget it."
The three then started walking together. Usagi then whispered to Harusuke so that Michiru wouldn't hear them.
"Hey, Bro, what were you doing with Michiru?" she asked. "You two having some rendezvous?"
"It's nothing like that," Harusuke whispered back. "I just happened to run into her when I was at the bookstore looking for info." He then looked towards Michiru, walking ahead of them. "Say, Sis, do you think... that Michiru might be Sailor Neptune?"
Usagi silently screamed, dumbfounded. "Where would you get an idea like that?!"
"Well... doesn't she look like her?" asked Harusuke. "Heck, she even sounds and acts like her. At least to me."
Usagi then looked toward Michiru as well. "No way. It can't be," she said. "At least, I don't think so."
Soon, the three arrived at the Game Center Crown arcade, and when they got inside, they found Haruka waiting for them.
"Well, if it isn't Bun-Head and her brother," said Haruka. "I guess you guys come around here a lot."
Upon seeing Haruka, Usagi started thinking about the investigation from yesterday and Haruka and Michiru's behavior. She also started thinking about Sailor Uranus, the night when she kissed her, and what Harusuke said about Michiru.
"Now that I think about it, Haruka looks a bit similar to Sailor Uranus," Usagi thought. "And since I can get a good look at them, Michiru kinda looks like Neptune. So is it possible that the two of them are..."
Now feeling very curious, words started coming out of Usagi's mouth before she could stop herself.
"Say, Haruka? Can I ask - are you and Michiru, Sailor Guardians?"
There was a long silence, Haruka and Michiru staring at Usagi curiously, while Harusuke gave his sister a look of pure disbelief. Usagi then froze with horror, screaming internally while realizing what she had just said.
Then, Haruka burst out laughing. "What? A Sailor Guardian? What the hell is that?"
"I must admit, even I've never heard of such a thing," said Michiru. "What is that exactly? Is it like a video game or something?"
Before either Harusuke or Usagi could respond, they heard a voice snap.
"Stay away from Usagi and Harusuke!"
The Tsukino siblings jumped and looked behind them to see Minako, Rei, Makoto, and Ami standing there, all of which were giving Haruka and Michiru threatening glares. Sensing that the girls meant business, Haruka and Michiru decided to leave.
"Have it your way then," said Haruka. "Let's go, Michiru."
The two of them then left.
"What was that all about?" Harusuke asked the others. "That was a little harsh, don't you think?"
"You know we're supposed to be careful around them, Harusuke," Rei spoke firmly. "They could be our enemies, remember? So it's for the best that you stay away from them for now."
"She's right," agreed Ami.
Usagi and Harusuke were about to object when Chibiusa walked in. She was looking very sulky.
"Is something the matter, Chibiusa?" asked Usagi.
"I was hoping to go to the park with Mommy Ikuko today," Chibiusa pouted. "But she had to work."
"Well, which park did you want to go visit, Chibiusa?" asked Makoto.
"The Juuban Nature Park," replied Chibiusa.
At that moment, Minako's face lit up like a Christmas tree, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "What?! That park?! In that case, I'd be happy to take you!"
"Wait a minute, aren't we in the middle of discussing something, Minako?" asked Usagi. "Something like how you and the girls were treating Haruka and Michiru?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Usagi," said Minako innocently. "Besides, you're starting to sound like Ami."
"Minako, what's going on at that park today?" asked Ami. "You sound unusually chipper."
"Yeah, and usually, when you get like that, it's one of two possibilities," said Harusuke. "Either it has to do with some major promotion, or it has to do with a good-looking guy."
Minako flinched guiltily, confirming Harusuke's suspicion as everyone eyed her with suspicious glares.
The red bowed blonde then conceded. "Oh, all right, fine! I'll confess! You see, they're shooting a Yosaku Eda movie there today."
Usagi's face filled with excitement, too. "What?! Yosaku Eda?! That's awesome!"
"Wait, isn't he that famous actor who takes part in a lot of drama and romance movies?" asked Harusuke.
"The very same!" gushed Usagi. "Listen, Chibiusa; I'll go with you!"
"Of course, you will," muttered Chibiusa. "That's not what you were saying before."
"He is pretty handsome," Makoto sighed dreamily. "He reminds me of the guy that broke my heart."
"That's what you say with every handsome guy, Mako," Harusuke spoke flatly.
"You can't blame her! He's one of the hottest guys ever to show on the big screen!" Minako swooned. "And if you were in our position, you would want to see him in person, too!"
"Say, you're coming too, aren't you, Rei?" Usagi asked her. "I know you'd want to see him, too!"
"Well, now that you mention it, I suppose I could," Rei spoke, pretending not to be interested. "I mean, we've got nothing else better to do."
"But if we do that, what about our investigation of Mugen Academy?" asked Ami. "Shouldn't we be looking for more information as well as studying?"
"Well, you never know. Maybe we'll be able to find some information over there," said Usagi.
Ami's eyes narrowed in a stare. "How so?" she asked.
Usagi faltered under Ami's gaze, taking a few seconds. "Um... call it my woman's intuition?" she asked hopefully.
"Like Ami's gonna fall for that bone-faced lie," Harusuke thought to himself. "Unlike the others, Ami's not as boy crazy and not as stupid."
But Ami smiled. "Well, in that case, all right then," she said with a giggle. "Let's all go."
"Say what?!" exclaimed Harusuke, clearly shocked. "You can't be serious!"
"It might be fun to have a nice change of pace, Harusuke," said Ami. "We can't just be worried and negative all the time."
"And we might even study more efficiently if we pluck ourselves down in the middle of nature!" added Minako.
"But, I thought we were going to take a break from studying," pointed out Ami.
"All right, everyone! We're all going to the Juban Nature Park!" Usagi cried out, rallying the girls. "Let's go!"
"Yeah!" the other girls yelled out.
Harusuke sighed. "And yet again, I get dragged along for another boy hunt."
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Just as Minako said at the Juuban Nature Park, a film now stood in the middle of it, with many onlookers watching. The crew was busily at work setting everything up for the shoot. Amongst them was Yosaku Eda, who was getting into character. As they went about their way, Mimete watched amongst the crowd, keeping her eyes on Yosaku.
"So that's Yosaku Eda, a talented and promising movie star that's been movies all over Japan," Mimete said to herself. "It's safe to say that kind of passion is ideal for the last pure heart to be residing. I'll wait till he's defenseless, and then I'll snatch his pure heart. And if those Guardians try to intervene, I'll introduce them to our new and improved Daimon."
The scene was soon ready, and the cameras were rolling. The scene's setting was that the hero was going to battle and was leaving the heroine.
"Stay away! Don't come near me!" the heroine cried. "You're going off to fight again and leave me behind all alone!"
"That's not true!" Yosaku firmly spoke as he walked up to the heroine, holding her by the shoulders. "I won't ever let you be alone!"
The two then embraced each other lovingly as the crowd watched in amazement. Usagi and her group were watching as well and were just as impressed.
"Wow, he's such a good actor!" murmured Usagi. "Makes me wonder how he got to be so good."
As she and the others continued watching, Chibiusa, being the small child she was, couldn't see anything. She jumped in place, trying to get past their shoulders, but it was no use. Harusuke noticed this and lifted Chibiusa onto his shoulders.
"How's that, little princess?" smiled Harusuke. "Now you can see better."
Chibiusa smiled and was happy, but then, a small gust of wind billowed. It curled under the pink odango's hat and carried it up and away into the air.
"Oh, no! My hat!" cried Chibiusa. "Quick, Harusuke! After it!"
Harusuke set Chibiusa down, and the two of them gave chase. The hat continued to drift about on the windy current, like a kite, until it happened to fly past a girl sitting on the bench reading her book. That girl was Hotaru.
"Hey! Somebody stop that hat!" cried Harusuke.
"That hat's important to me!" Chibiusa also cried. "Someone catch it!"
Hotaru heard the two and looked up. Not hesitating the minute she saw it, she chased after the hat as well. The hat soon landed on the ground just a few feet away from the shore of the lake. Hotaru quickly pounced on it, pinning it down, so it wouldn't float away again. When Chibiusa and Harusuke saw her, they were surprised but grateful as they came over.
"Thank you so much," said Chibiusa. "You saved it."
"Well, you're pretty lucky it didn't land in the stream," said Hotaru. "It would have been a pity if it did."
Then, Hotaru suddenly winced in pain, clutching her hand to her chest.
"Hey, are you all right?" asked Harusuke. "What's the matter?"
"It's... it's okay," Hotaru gasped. "This happens a lot. Don't worry."
"Are you sure?" asked Chibiusa.
"Yes. I'll be fine," said Hotaru. "It'll go away soon."
"This is just like what happened the other night when we saw her," thought Harusuke. "I wonder if she's got some kind of medical problem?"
After a while, Hotaru's face began to relax as the pain subsided.
"I'll be okay now," said Hotaru. "Sorry for making you worry."
"Not at all," said Harusuke. "We're just glad that you're all right."
"Say, Harusuke, is it okay that we stay with her?" asked Chibiusa. "I'd feel bad if we left her all by herself."
"You don't have to do that," said Hotaru. "I don't want to be a bother."
Harusuke smiled. "It's all right. We don't mind," he said. "Besides, it's the least we can do after you saved Chibiusa's hat. Oh, pardon our manners, but we didn't introduce ourselves. I'm Harusuke."
"And I'm Chibiusa," she introduced as she held out her hand.
At first, Hotaru was surprised, but she shook Chibiusa's hand in earnest. "Well, my name is Hotaru," she said with a friendly smile. "It's nice to meet both of you."
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Back at the set, Yosaku was taking a much-needed break with his costar, who also was his girlfriend. The two cuddled closely together, enjoying each other's company.
"Are you sure that we should be doing this?" asked the woman.
"This is the only time we can be together," said Yosaku. "I just want to spend time with you."
The two leaned in close and were just about to kiss when they were rudely interrupted.
"Oh my. What a loving and touching scene this is. Is this a part of the movie, too?"
Both Yosaku his costar jumped and found Mimete, now in her Witches 5 outfit, standing before them.
"Who are you?!" demanded Yosaku.
"Someone who's after your Pure Heat," replied Mimete, as she summoned forth the Daimon Egg. "Now, Daimon U Estern, show yourself!"
As she threw the Daimon Egg to the ground, it exploded in a cloud of smoke, it changing to a cormorant that let out a caw, and from the smoke, the Daimon stepped out from it. The person was a woman who wore a yellow-brown poncho, pink leggings with heels and spurs with a rope on the side, dark brown arms-length gloves, and wore a sombrero with a cactus on top of it. She also had aqua-colored skin, pink hair, and red eyes with no irises. Upon seeing the strange creature, Yosaku took his costar by the hand and took off, leading her to safety.
"Aww, how sweet, he's protecting his girlfriend. That's sure to prove that his heart is pure," Mimete cooed, pretending to gush. "U Estern, go after Yosaku and take his pure heart!"
U Estern summoned a gun at her command and raced after them in hot pursuit.
"Someone! Help us!" cried out Yosaku. "There's a monster chasing us!"
U Estern then aimed with her guns and began firing. A series of rapid bangs rung in the air as everyone on the set started to panic and run.
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Back with Harusuke, Hotaru, and Chibiusa, they were admiring the scenery of the nature park. But then, they heard the commotion over by the set.
"What's going on?" wondered Chibiusa. "Are they still shooting the movie?"
But Harusuke knew that something was going on, and it wasn't in a good way. "Chibiusa, you stay here with Hotaru and keep out of sight," he warned. "I'll be right back."
Before Chibiusa could even speak, Harusuke dashed off, leaving the two girls behind.
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Meanwhile, Usagi and the girls were enjoying a small picnic. But as they started eating, they too heard the commotion over at the set.
"What's that?" wondered Usagi. "Something seems to be going on."
"Maybe they're resuming the shoot and are doing an action scene," suggested Minako.
But she would soon be wrong. At that moment, Yosaku, his costar, and other set members came running past along with U Estern, much to the gang's surprise.
Then, Harusuke came running up but skidded to a stop when he saw the girls. "Everyone! Sorry to spoil your picnic, but duty calls again!" he cried.
The girls wasted no time.
"Everyone! Let's transform!" said Minako.
The teens made sure that no one was looking and then sprang into action.
"MOON COSMIC POWER MAKE UP!"
"SOLAR CRYSTAL POWER SHINE ON!"
"MERCURY STAR POWER MAKE UP!"
"MARS STAR POWER MAKE UP!"
"JUPITER PLANET POWER MAKE UP!"
"VENUS STAR POWER MAKE UP!"
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Transformation Sequence: Usagi
Usagi's Cosmic Heart Compact opens, revealing the pink heart-shaped crystal inside, waving her hand over it. It flashes twice and erupts in pink light. Usagi is now standing in the middle of a light blue heart that's spinning to the right. She stands one leg while holding up her arms and begins pirouetting in the opposite direction, going faster until, in a burst of light, pink ribbons envelop her torso and midsection, transforming into her leotard. She elegantly stretches out her arms, and pink ribbons cover them, forming into her gloves. She then raised her right foot high with incredible flexibility, and pink ribbons cloak it changing into her boots. The heart made of blue light then turns into a circle of sparkles swirling around her waist, forming her skirt and bow. Now no longer in light, Usagi spins around a couple of times like a ballerina and takes a slight bow. As she comes out from her bow, a crescent moon mark glows in the middle of her forehead. Then, a tiara appears bearing a gold symbol of the moon, along with her earrings, choker, and her ordango covers. Finally, Usagi opens her eyes, her transformation now complete, and strikes her signature pose.
Transformation Sequence: Harusuke (Post Crystal)
Harusuke's hand waves over the Sunstone Crystal, and it begins to pulse with light until it shines brightly. Harusuke, now shrouded in light, holds his hand with the Sunstone Crystal up high and throws his fist to the floor, and his symbol appears beneath him. Light encases his legs up to his hips, and in a burst of light, his boots, belt, and additional armor on his thighs materialize. Then his right encompasses his right arm from hand to shoulder, and his gloves, along with some armor, appear, and the same happens to his left hand. Harusuke then punches his fists together, creating a spark of light, and crosses his arms as his chest gets wrapped in light. Harusuke then throws his arms out, and his chest plate appears, the symbol in the middle glowing brightly. Finally, his helmet appears on his head, this time covering up his entire head, leaving his face exposed. Harusuke opens his eyes smiling with confidence, his transformation now complete, and assumes his signature pose, with the sun appearing in the background while his symbol overlapped it.
Transformation Sequence: Ami
Ami holds up her hand as blue sparkles swirled around it, alighting her fingernails turning them into a shade of bright blue. Her transformation stick appears spinning, and she takes hold of it, the star on end and the symbol glowing. It begins to turn as Ami is enveloped in blue light. Then she sweeps the pen over her head as a stream of sparkling blue water begins to emit from it, forming her leotard, boots, and gloves. A sparkling ripple and a flurry of bubbles expand over her body, creating a tiny mist of water that forms the rest of her uniform, the same as Sailor Moon's, but the center bow, boots, and rims on the gloves were blue and bright blue. Finally, she turns around and then strikes her signature pose.
Transformation Sequence: Rei
Rei's hand is held up as red sparkles swirl around it, alighting her fingernails, turning them into a shade of bright red. Her transformation stick appears spinning, and she takes hold of it, the star on end as well as the symbol glowing. It begins to turn as Rei is enveloped in red light. As she held up her pen while spinning around, long bright tongues of flame erupted from it, forming several rings around her body. They tighten around her body, and in a brilliant flash of light, her outfit forms having to look just like Sailor Moon's, but she is wearing red pumps along with a pair of red star-shaped earrings, the center bow is purple, and the rims of her gloves, her skirt, her choker, and collar are red. After that, Mars finishes with her signature pose.
Transformation Seuence: Makoto
The planet Jupiter appears, and Makoto puts her hand up, her fingernails begin to sparkle in bright green, and her transformation wand comes to her hand spinning, now having a different design. Her body now becomes silhouetted in green, as blue lightning erupted from her wand while holding it up. As she spins around a few times, until stopping with her back turned, the lightning swirls around her, forming rings like an atom. Finally, the lightning explodes, revealing Makoto in her green Sailor Uniform wearing green boots, a pair of rose earrings, a pink bow and ribbon, gloves with green trims, and a green skirt, choker, and collar. Makoto then turns around, and in the middle of her forehead, her symbol appears, and then her tiara materializes. Her transformation finished; she assumes her final pose, her sign and planet appearing in the background against a starry sky.
Transformation sequence: Minako.
Minako's hand is held up as golden stars swirl around it, alighting her fingernails, turning them into a shade of bright orange. Her transformation stick appears spinning, and she takes hold of it, the star on end as well as the symbol glowing. It begins to turn as Minako is enveloped in yellow light. Then she sweeps the pen over her head as banners of golden stars emit from it. Minako then holds up the pen above her head as the banners of stars form a spiral around her body. They disappear into the ground, forming a circle of stars and burst into more stars going upwards, enveloping Minako's body. Then Minako emerges wearing the same outfit as Sailor Moon's, the center bow, boots, and rims on the gloves colored orange, her back bow, yellow, and her center bow, blue. She then opens her eyes as she assumes her signature pose.
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Yosaku and his lover were trapped as U Estern closed in. Yosaku's costar bravely stood in front of Yosaku to protect him, but in response, U Estern took out a horseshoe and threw it at her, nailing her straight at her neck like she was a stake, knocking her out cold. She then fired her gun at Yosaku's feet, which upon contact, turned into a sticky substance, anchoring him to the ground, preventing him from escaping. As Yosaku struggled to get free and U Estern closed in for the kill, Sailor Moon and the other Guardians arrived at that moment in the knick of time.
"Hold it right there!" said Sailor Moon. "You disrupted the filming of a movie made for the public to enjoy! That makes you nothing short of an outlaw who chases people with a gun! Wyatt Earp might forgive you, but we aren't as generous! In the name of the moon..."
"We'll punish you!" all of the Guardians said together.
"So, we finally meet face to face, Guardians," said Mimete with a glare. "Since you've taken the time to introduce yourselves, allow me to do the same. I'm a level forty Death Buster and member of the Witches 5, Mimete. Pleased to meet you, but sadly, you won't be around much longer. U Estern, get them!"
U Estern cocked her gun and dashed towards the Guardians. Sailor Mars went on the attack, as did Sailor Venus.
"MARS BURNING MANDALA!"
"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SHOWER!"
But as Mars released an array of fire rings and Venus a shower of light beams, U Estern rapidly fired her gun and shot them down before they hit.
"She shot them all down like it with nothing!" cried Sailor Jupiter. "That's not only good accuracy but also fast reflexes!"
"Then let's catch her by surprise!" said Sailor Mercury, as she crossed her arms, conjuring up a bubble between them. "MERCURY BUBBLE SPRAY!"
She threw out her arms, releasing a flurry of bubbles, making a thick fog spread through the area. U Estern looked around, trying to see through the fog, but then Solaris appeared in front and shot a beam of light, making it wrap around her, squeezing tightly. Then, Sailor Moon appeared behind the Daimon, her Spiral Heart Moon Rod held in hand.
"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"
With a spin and a pose, she unleashed a blast of hearts. However, U Estern suddenly broke free from the Solar Binding and pulled out another gun. She spun around and rapidly fired at the Moon Spiral Heart Attack, shooting down every heart. Sailor Moon and the other Guardians were shocked.
"No way! It didn't work!" gasped Sailor Mars.
"This Daimon is different from the previous ones!" said Sailor Mercury.
U Estern then aimed her guns and fired at the Guardians, pelting them all with a shower of bullets, forcing the Guardians back. Then, U Estern reloaded her gun and fired at the Guardians again. Each of her shots had the strength of a punch as all of the Guardians were forced back. Then U Estern fired her guns at their feet, the bullets turning into a sticky substance, hindering their movement. The Guardians struggled to try and get free, but it was no use.
Mimete cackled in delight. "Well done, U Estern! Now's your chance to take his pure heart! Do it now!"
U Estern put her guns away and went over to Yosaku. The Daimon grabbed him by the scruff of his collar and inhaled deeply, sucking in like a vacuum cleaner. In seconds, Yosaku's pure heart crystal came out of his mouth, and just like the cormorant it, U Estern opened wide, taking the crystal into her mouth and swallowed it, much to the shock and disgust of the Guardians.
"Did you see that?!" cringed Sailor Moon. "She swallowed it!"
"That is just plain messed up!" Solaris gawked.
"Good job, U Estern," Mimete smirked. "Now, let's head back to the professor."
But before the two could do just that, two familiar voices shouted out.
"URANUS WORLD SHAKING!"
"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"
A giant earthen sphere attack, along with a sphere made of seawater, shot forth and blasted U Estern, catching her by surprise. So much so that she briefly coughed up the pure heart but swallowed it back down again. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune then appeared.
"Answering the call from a new era, Sailor Uranus, here to fight with brilliance!" she said.
"And Sailor Neptune, here to fight with elegance!" she also said.
Mimete clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Damn it. Should have known you two would show up," she hissed.
She looked around, trying to find a way to escape this situation. Then she saw it. In the bushes, having arrived during the battle, Chibiusa and Hotaru were peering through the bushes, watching.
Mimete then smirked as she pointed towards the two. "U Estern! Go after those kids in the bushes, and capture them!"
The Daimon then took her rope, twirled it in a lasso, and threw it towards them. Chibiusa instinctively moved Hotaru out of the way, getting caught by it and pulled out from their hiding place. U Estern then pulled out her gun and aimed it straight at her.
"Chibiusa!" Sailor Moon and her group cried.
Sailor Uranus and Neptune moved in to help the pink odango, but Mimete cut them off.
"Not so fast! Don't even think about moving!" she said with a smirk. "If you so much as flinch, there's no telling what will happen to this child!"
"Damn you!" seethed Sailor Uranus.
Just then, a rose came shooting down from above, not only cutting the rope to set Chibiusa free but also knocking the gun out of U Estern's hand. That rose came from Tuxedo Mask, sitting on the camera crane.
"Movies are visual tales made for making people all over the world happy," said Tuxedo Mask. "But you have defiled the sanctity of them with your despicable ways! It's time someone took you off the set!"
"Thank you, Tuxedo Mask!" Chibiusa spoke gratefully.
"More annoying people keep showing up!" snarled Mimete as she summoned her wand. "I've had just about enough of you!"
"Not if we have anything to say about it!" said Sailor Neptune.
Mimete, Sailor Uranus, and Sailor Neptune started fighting, the witch blasting the two Guardians as they dodged them. At the same time, Tuxedo Mask took on U Estern, U Estern firing her gun, while Tuxedo Mask countered with his roses and cane. Seeing this as an opportunity, Sailor Moon and the others struggled to free themselves from the gunk that held them. But then, Solaris had an idea.
"Sailor Mercury! Use your Shine Aqua Illusion on this stuff! Maybe freezing it will do the trick!"
"I'll give it a shot!" said Sailor Mercury as she crossed her arms. "MERCURY SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"
She threw a stream of water right at their feet, which immediately froze the gunk in seconds. The Guardians then tried again, this time breaking free easily. Seeing as they were free, Solaris shot himself towards Tuxedo Mask and U Estern, cocked back his fist, and swung, nailing the Daimon smack on the cheek, knocking her to the ground.
"Thanks for the assist, Solaris!" said Tuxedo Mask. "Now finish it!"
"With pleasure!" replied Solaris.
He held up his hand, and his Astral Light Nimbus Blade appeared. As soon as he clenched its handle while holding it high, its sharp edge changed from black to white, the gold jewel shining brightly. He drew a circle with it, taking a two-handed stance, and dashed straight for U Estern.
"SOLARIS CELESTIAL BLADE SLASH!"
U Estern looked up in time for Solaris to slice straight at her, cutting her half. Then, in a shriek of agony, the Daimon exploded in a bright burst of light, leaving only the gun, the pure heart crystal, and the Daimon Egg behind. Sailor Uranus quickly took advantage, noticing the defeated Daimon, and snatched the pure heart crystal before anyone could react, giving it a quick look.
"Sorry to say, this one doesn't have a talisman," said Sailor Uranus said to Mimete. "Looks like you wasted your time for nothing."
But Mimete was calm. "Oh, I wouldn't say it was for nothing," she said with an evil smile. "Sure, I didn't find the talisman, but thanks to you, I have the opportunity to get rid of you Guardians once and for all."
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" asked Sailor Moon. "In case you haven't noticed, we've got you outnumbered, and your Daimon's gone."
Mimete then cackled. "Are you sure about that? Because I'd say, it's still alive and kicking."
The Guardians were puzzled, then Chibiusa shouted.
"Hey! Look at that!" she cried, pointing.
Everyone looked and saw a startling sight. Usually, the Daimon Egg would have shattered into pieces, but this time, it didn't. Instead, it was still in one piece and was glowing in an ominous light.
"Wh-What's going on?!" gasped Sailor Moon. "How's the egg still here?!"
No one knew. Then, everyone heard a pulse from the egg as it grew bigger. It continued growing and pulsing until it grew to a large size. The egg then began to crack as if something were hatching from it until it exploded, and from it, a beastly creature emerged. It was large, ghastly, had glowing red eyes, and looked humanoid. The Guardians were shocked, while Mimete cackled with glee as she took to the air.
"Surprised? You were right about this Daimon not being like the others," said Mimete. "This is a special type of Daimon that will transform into this state whenever its first form is defeated and it's more powerful."
The Daimon let out a ghostly whinny as it charged at the Guardians, its feet thundering on the ground, making it shake. The Guardians scattered in all directions trying to avoid it, but the Daimon was also quick, swiping its hand and knocking Sailors Mercury and Venus to the ground.
"Mercury! Venus!" cried Sailor Moon.
"Tuxedo Mask! Get the kids out of here!" Solaris shouted. "It's too dangerous!"
The masked man answered with a nod, and he took Chibiusa and Hotaru to safety. Then, the giant Daimon swung another fist towards Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. The two dodged the attack with ease, and both attacked it using their moves.
"URANUS WORLD SHAKING!"
"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"
The others joined in the fray, too.
"JUPITER COCONUT CYCLONE!"
"MARS FIRE SOUL!"
"SOLARIS NOVE FLARE!"
Multiple attacks hit the Daimon at once, making explosions erupt all over it. The Daimon recoiled in pain while taking a step back and retaliated with a punch of its massive fist, forcing everyone to dodge. Then, Solaris touched his stone and, with a green flash, transformed into his Jupiter Mode. He jumped into the air, shrouding himself in lightning, and shot downwards toward the Daimon, turning into a small tornado, creating lightning that took the shape of a dragon's head.
"SOLARIS JUPITER RYUJIN HUNTER!"
Solaris connected his attack, hitting the Daimon square on its head, only for the Daimon to snarl and throw him off.
"What'll we do now?" wondered Sailor Mercury worriedly as she and Venus got back up. "That Daimon's not only big, but it's too strong!"
"And if we don't stop it here, innocent lives will be in danger!" cried Sailor Venus. "There has to be a way we can stop it!"
"But how?! Even with us working together, our attacks hardly did anything!" cried Sailor Moon. "My Moon Spiral Heart Attack didn't work last time, so I doubt it'll work on something that big!"
"And I don't think I can cut that thing with my sword," said Solaris. "Not to mention, my previous attack didn't work either! But there has to be a way to beat it! We just got to think!"
Then Sailor Moon spoke. "Solaris, I think there might be one way to take this thing down! What if you and Jupiter used that planetary alignment thingy?"
Solars, along with the other guardians, all looked at her and were surprised.
"Well, I don't see anyone else coming up with any ideas," said Sailor Mars. "And the two of you were pretty powerful together."
"But we don't even know how we did it the last time," said Sailor Jupiter. "Plus, everything was happening so fast."
"Just recreate what happened when you fused the first time," said Sailor Mercury. "Just think!"
The Daimon let out a roar as it swung its fist at them again, causing them to jump up and dodge.
"Well, we might as well give it a shot," said Solaris said to Jupiter. "Do you remember what we did to activate the fusion?"
"Let's see, I activated my planetary powers, then you transformed into your Jupiter Mode, and then... we held hands," said Sailor Jupiter thoughtfully. "That's about all I can think of."
"I think there was more to it than that," said Solaris. "It was like our hearts became connected, therefore becoming one. So let's try remembering how we felt back when it happened. If we focus on that, then maybe it'll work."
Sailor Jupiter nodded. "All right, let's do it!"
The two Guardians stood side and held each other's hands while closing their eyes, synchronizing their breathing as well as their pulses.
"What the hell are those two doing?!" Sailor Uranus demanded. "They're just standing there holding hands!"
Mimete was also puzzled but didn't care. "Looks like those two are giving up! Daimon! Take them down now!"
The Daimon turned its attention towards Solaris and Jupiter and swung its giant fist. At that moment, both Solaris and Sailor Jupiter began to glow in the same green light as power coursed through their bodies.
"What the...!" exclaimed Mimete. "What is that?!"
"That light again!" gasped Sailor Venus.
Both Solaris and Sailor Jupiter then opened their eyes and spoke in unison.
"UNISON FUSION! PLANETARY ALIGNMENT!"
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Transformation: Unknown.
Solaris and Sailor Jupiter stand back to back, holding hands as their bodies radiated with light Solaris being gold and Sailor Jupiter's being green. They both hold up one of their hands, and their symbols appear above them, both of them overlapping one another. Then, the two let go, and they shoot into the air flying in a swirl, their bodies silhouetted with their respective colors. They fly closer together until they finally merge in a bright flash of gold and green. A girl's silhouette in gradient colors of gold and green flies through their overlapping symbols standing on top o them. Boots and gloves materialize around the girl's feet, along with clothes and armor mixed with Solaris and Sailor Jupiter's outfits colored green and gold. The girl opens her eyes and poses while Solaris and Jupiter's symbols appear in the background.
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"All right! They did it!" cheered Sailor Moon.
The other guardians were thrilled too. Sailor Uranus and Neptune, on the other hand, couldn't believe their eyes.
"What... just happened?!" murmured Sailor Uranus.
"I think... Solaris and Sailor Jupiter just joined together," said Sailor Neptune in amazement.
Mimete was shocked too, but not for long. "I don't know what the heck happened, but it doesn't matter! Daimon! Crush them!"
The Daimon roared in response and swung its giant fist towards the group. The fusion quickly dashed toward the Daimon and countered with a punch of her own. The collision of their blows created a concussive blast that shook and ripped the ground and made the air tremble, causing a great wind to gust about, forcing everyone to brace themselves while shielding their eyes. The Daimon stumbled, its feet skidding across the ground, but managed to stay upright. Then, the fusion leaped into the air, gave the monster a powerful kick to its head and chin, and a mighty knee to its midsection. As the Daimon fell to the ground with a thunderous boom, Mimete's mouth hung agape, as were Sailor Uranus and Neptune.
"All right! Way to go!" cheered Sailor Moon.
The fusion then clenched her hand and fired a green and gold light beam in the sky above it. Immediately, dark clouds filled the sky along with the rumbling sound of thunder.
"THUNDER BINDING!"
With a clench of her fist, while throwing it to the ground, a powerful bolt of lightning shot down and struck the Daimon, making it roar in agony. Simultaneously, three rings of electricity wrapped around its arms, legs, and middle, restraining it. The Daimon snarled as it tried to get free from its bindings, but they wouldn't budge. The fusion then held out her hands in front of her and began generating a tremendous amount of energy into her hands in the form of a green sphere with gold sparks, ready to deliver the finishing blow.
"SOLARS JUPITER SPARKLING METEOR CANNON!"
A green high-voltage beam erupted from her hands, swallowing up the Daimon as it let out its last roar of agony while it turned to dust. When the attack dispersed, the only thing that remained was the Daimon Egg, which finally crumbled into pieces as it let out a small puff of smoke in the shape of a cormorant. The fusion looked across to Mimete, who was still hovering, now slightly unnerved, daring her to take her on.
"It would seem I underestimated you," said Mimete. "I didn't expect this kind of power to overwhelm our new Daimon so easily. No matter. Next time, you won't be so lucky. I swear you'll pay for this!"
And with that, Mimete disappeared.
"It would seem that Eudial's got a replacement," the fusion spoke with Sailor Jupiter's voice.
"Looks that way, and she seems just as nasty as she was," said Solaris through the fusion.
The fusion then separated back to Solaris and Sailor Jupiter. As they, along with the other Guardians, went to return Yosaku's pure heart, Sailor Uranus and Neptune watched them from a distance, still stupefied by what they had seen.
"So, it seems that Sailor Moon and her friends have gained some kind of fusing power," said Sailor Uranus. "I gotta say, I didn't expect that."
"I agree," said Sailor Neptune. "They seem to be getting stronger by the day."
Sailor Uranus didn't say anything more as she and Neptune left.
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Later that night, Harusuke and Chibiusa were walking Hotaru home, now being nightfall.
"I apologize for having you two walk me home like this," said Hotaru. "You didn't have to."
"We don't mind at all, Hotaru," smiled Chibiusa. "It's the least we can do. After all, you did save my hat."
"And we can't just leave you alone after what happened," said Harusuke. "Besides, what are friends for?"
Hotaru looked up at Harusuke in surprise. "W-We're friends? Really?"
"Of course we are," said Chibiusa. "Do you... not want to?"
"N-No. It's nothing like that," relented Hotaru. "It's just... no one's told me that before. Everybody in school thinks I'm creepy and usually stays away from me. I mean, I have random seizures, and I even do a couple of strange things, so I can't blame them."
"Well, we don't think you're creepy at all," said Chibiusa. "We think you're wonderful just the way you are."
"R-Really? You think so?" asked Hotaru.
"Yeah. Sure, we've only just met today, but even I can see that you're a kind girl, Hotaru," said Harusuke. "And we would love to be your friends if you're willing to have us."
Hotaru stared, then a sweet, joyful smile spread across her cheeks as she answered with a nod. "Thank you, Harusuke. Chibiusa."
It wasn't too long before the three arrived at Hotaru's house, which had the appearance of a large mansion. When they came to the house, they saw that someone was waiting outside the front door. It was the man with short white hair with one lens.
"Oh, look. It's my daddy," said Hotaru.
Upon seeing the man, Harusuke couldn't help but gasp, remembering the man's face. "Hold on a minute. That can't be..."
The man then came up to the three. "Hotaru, thank goodness you're home," he said gratefully. "I noticed it was late, and I was starting to get worried about you."
"I had a slight attack while I was out, but I'm okay, Daddy," said Hotaru. She then introduced her new friends. "Daddy, this is Chibiusa and Harusuke. They were kind enough to walk me home."
"How very thoughtful," the man smiled. "Thank you very much, Chibiusa. Harusuke."
"You're welcome," said Chibiusa.
But Harusuke was still surprised. "Um, excuse me, sir," he said. "Pardon me for being forward, but... you wouldn't happen to be Souichi Tomoe, would you?"
"Indeed I am," the man smiled. "Are you surprised?
"Well, I've seen your face on a book recently about Mugen Academy," said Harusuke. "I just didn't expect to be meeting you in person and finding out that Hotaru's your daughter. But it's a pleasure to meet you."
Hotaru then stood with her father as she looked up at Harusuke. "Say, will we see each other again?" she asked hopefully.
"Of course, we will," said Chibiusa brightly. "After all, we're friends now."
Harusuke nodded in agreement, and Hotaru's eyes sparkled.
"Isn't that great, Hotaru?" Souichi spoke with a smile. "Two new friends."
"Well, we best get going now," said Harusuke. "We'll see you later, Hotaru."
"Okay, bye then," said Hotaru.
"You two can come over any time you want to," said Souichi. "We'll be here."
Harusuke and Chibiusa then took their leave as they waved goodbye. As they went on their way, Harusuke noticed that Chibiusa looked a little sad.
"What's the matter?" asked Harusuke. "I would have thought you'd be happy to make a new friend."
"It's just... seeing Hotaru with her daddy makes me miss my daddy," replied Chibiusa. "I wish I could see him right now."
Harusuke then gave Chibiusa an affectionate pat on her head. "I'm sure you'll see him again, Chibiusa," he spoke kindly. "Don't forget, your dad, as well as your mom, are missing you just as much in the future. The only thing you can do for them now is to keep doing your best as the princess and as a trainee guardian to make them proud."
Chibiusa's frown turned into a tiny smile as she nodded. "You're right."
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Back inside the Tomoe house, Souichi had just put Hotaru to bed. He walked down the hall and headed for the building's lower levels until he came to the door that led to the basement, where the laboratory was. He then put on a white lab coat and let out an evil cackle in the darkness of his lab as his eyes shone ominously in the dark.