After leaving the apartment, Chibiusa continued to run, blinded by her sorrow, self-loathing, and the rain, until she found herself at Juuban Park again, finally stopping. Despite what she had said before, the little girl felt she made the right decision. But that didn't make things all the more painful for her as she recalled the times with Helios, mainly when he called her maiden.
"When he called me maiden, I got butterflies in my stomach and felt so happy," she thought sadly. "But I'm not the maiden he's looking for. I'm powerless, small, and useless. I'm nothing."
She took out the Moon Carillon once more, gripping it in her hand with sorrow. But just as she did, Helios reappeared in front of her once again.
Chibiusa avoided his gaze as she spoke tremblingly, fighting back her tears. "Helios, I'm sorry for being so useless. I hope that one day, the time will come when I'll be the one you need. When I become a great Guardian, a splendid lady, and as good as Usagi. But... will I be able to achieve such a dream?"
As tears again began to fall from her eyes, Helios stared before quietly approaching her, giving her a gentle nuzzle of comfort with his snout.
Then, as Chibiusa looked up, Helios suddenly changed into a human, now a young male with fair skin, light-blue hair, golden eyes, and a golden horn on top of his head. He wore a white robe with transparent sleeves, blue rims, and five golden orbs with navy blue fabric hanging on his chest. He also had a red silver-lined jewel on his forehead, two thin steel chokers, the bottom one having a gold ornament, and a navy blue belt around his waist.
Before Chibiusa could speak, the boy leaned in close and gave her a gentle peck on her lips, kissing her, leaving her wholly speechless while he smiled warmly.
"Please don't cry, maiden. There's no need for tears," the boy spoke kindly to her. "You are always important and are deeply needed. You are surrounded by overflowing love, so I hope you can feel it."
Chibiusa couldn't speak, and her eyes were wide with wonder as her fingers touched her lips.
Then, Helios's body began to fade, her body flickering like a candle dying in the wind.
"I'm afraid I can't hold on to this form much longer," he said. "But I can promise you this: our paths will cross again, my fair little maiden."
And in a flurry of shining white feathers, Helios disappeared.
At that moment, Usagi, Ami, and Harusuke rushed over, the three of whom were relieved to see her.
"Chibiusa! There you are!" Usagi cried as she embraced her in a tight hug. "Thank goodness! You had us worried!"
But Chibiusa was still frozen, her eyes staring into the space Helios disappeared to.
"Hey, Chibiusa. You doing OK?" Harusuke asked.
At last, Chibiusa responded. "O-Oh! I'm all right!" she reassured. "Sorry!"
"Was that really Helios?" the pink ordango girl thought. "If it was... then who is he?"
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Meanwhile, in a dark and lonely place, Helios was floating back towards a large cage where his actual body in pegasus form lay unconscious. He was just about to reenter his body when he heard a woman's voice that was as cold as ice and malevolent as a devil's.
"Well, well. You're quite the fighter, aren't you? Breaking free of my binding spell the way you did."
Helios looked up and scowled as someone approached him.
While hiding in shadow, the person was feminine, with a long dark green dress, a lavender cape, and only a pair of glowing blue eyes and slitted pupils shining in the darkness.
"But while you're brave, do not forget that you and this place belong to me now," the woman continued speaking. "And soon the Earth and its people will be as well. So you'd do well to behave yourself and return to me."
Helios glared as the woman continued gloating.
"The shine of the White Moon Kingdom no longer exists. Without its protection, Earth and the kingdom members will all fade into dust once I obtain the source of their infinite power, the Imperium Silver Crystal! After all, I am the queen of the Dead Moon, its true owner, and the one who will possess all!"
But Helios remained defiant. "You may have conquered this land and have captured my body, but you haven't yet crushed my spirit or my heart!" he spoke bravely. "The prince and princess will vanquish you and your evil and reclaim this land!"
The woman ground her teeth in anger. "You insolent little pest!" she snarled as she launched a powerful blast with a wave of her hand.
Helios avoided the blast, and before Nehelina could even attack further, Helios transformed into his pegasus form and fled, disappearing into an unknown space. He was relieved to have gotten away, but despite this, Helios was more concerned about something else that took greater priority.
"I must find the Golden Crystal quickly! Otherwise... the Earth is next!"
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The following day, Usagi and the other teens were roaming around downtown. As they did, Rei was reading a book while walking titled: "How to Manage Shrines."
"Hey, Rei. What are you reading?" asked Usagi. "With your nose in a book like that, you almost look like Ami."
"It says "How to Manage Shrines,"" said Ami. "But why are you reading a book like that?"
Rei sighed. "Well, Grandpa's just got a cold not too long ago," she explained. "And with the economy being as bad as it is, I'd like to try and help make the shrine run more smoothly."
"Aw, man. Sorry about Gramps," said Harusuke. "But don't you have Yuichirou helping you at the shrine?"
"Unfortunately, he's gone to stay with his parents for a while," said Rei. "Supposedly, he's been planning to talk to them about a family business."
"Well, if you need help at the shrine, you could always hire some help," suggested Ami.
"No way, not a chance!" Rei cut in. "Labor is way too expensive."
"In that case, I've got a great idea!" Minako chimed in. "How about you get an adopted son-in-law?"
Everyone gave Minako a baffled look while Rei scowled in annoyance.
"Minako, are you suggesting that I get married or something?!" Rei growled.
"Just hear me out for a second," said Minako. "You're into boys as we are, but you have high standards. Don't think of it as a marriage. Think of it as a business arrangement! You'll get a free pair of helping hands, he'll inherit the shrine, do all of the hard work, and you'll get to do whatever you want!" She then swooned. "A free husband helper!"
Rei couldn't help but be enticed by the idea. "A free... husband helper," she murmured thoughtfully. "That actually sounds tempting."
At that moment, Harusuke gave Minako a finger flick on her forehead, making her yelp in pain.
"Ow!" Minako exclaimed as she held her forehead. "Harusuke, what'd you do that for?!"
"Stop filling Rei's head with your crazy ideas, Minako," Harusuke chided. "And you, of all people, should know that's a terrible idea. You can't treat marriage like a business contract or a tool."
"I agree, so can you please act a bit more mature?" nodded Ami. "Besides, that doesn't sound like it would make for a strong relationship."
"Well, what do you think a couple of mature high school girls like us think about?" said Minako.
Then she and Makoto spoke together while wistfully looking at the sky.
"I want a boyfriend!"
"And it looks like those two have gone to dreamland to escape reality again," sighed Harusuke. "Besides, as much as I would hate to change the subject, we've got bigger problems to deal with."
Then, Luna, Artemis, and Diana trotted up to them.
"I couldn't agree more," said Luna. "Tomorrow is the day the Dead Moon Circus finally opens, and that will be the perfect time for us to investigate them."
Everyone became determined.
"It's finally time for us to move in," said Rei.
"And you better believe we're ready for them," said Harusuke.
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At the Hikawa Shrine, Rei soon came back home.
Grandpa Hino was lying in bed, buddled up, and wholly flushed with a bag of ice on his forehead to help ease his fever. He was and felt miserable.
"Ugh, my fever still hasn't gone down," he moaned. "I think this might be the end of me this time. Namu Amida Butsu."
"Grandpa, first of all, we're Shinto, not Buddist," Rei deadpanned. "Second, you just need to rest, so try not to move so much, OK? I can take care of everything, so don't worry."
From there, Rei went about her duties, maintaining the shrine, including running the gift shop. It was a slow day, so few people were around. That was until two schoolgirls approached.
"Excuse us," one said. "Can we buy some love knots, please?"
"Sure thing," smiled Rei.
After she had rung the school girls up for their love knots, they couldn't help but be excited.
"I hope this gets your crush to finally notice you," said the first.
"I hope so, too," said the second. "I've heard this shrine's charms work wonders."
But as they left, Rei couldn't help but feel a bit baffled.
"Just look at them," she murmured. "Does getting a boyfriend mean that much? And now that I think about it, wasn't I acting just like them not too long ago?"
Rei began thinking about when the others started voicing their dreams when the eclipse first appeared. Even though she expressed her dream to them, she couldn't help but wonder if that's what she truly wanted.
"My dream is to take over the shrine for Grandpa and run it by myself while becoming a priestess. But... is that what I really want? Or is it something else?"
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A bit later, Rei finished all her duties and closed the shop. Since she had some free time, she decided to do some archery to help ease her doubts. It was a hobby she took to help fulfill her duties as a priestess.
However, as she shot one arrow after the other at the target, she couldn't hit the bullseye like she wanted to, leaving her a bit frustrated.
"My arrows are straying..."
Then, she heard the caws of her faithful crows, Phobos and Deimos, as they flew down to greet her. Rei couldn't help but smile as she picked up two arrows and threw them, and the two crows each caught one with their beaks and returned them to her.
"Good job, Phobos. Deimos," Rei congratulated as she laughed.
Grandpa Hino watched from afar from his bed as she continued her interaction with the crows. While he did, he remembered when she first met those crows as a child.
Back then, he still had no idea why or how she knew or gave Phobos and Deimos their names, and even though she said herself that they told her, he didn't question it, believing it to be something to be the whims of a child.
"Rei, I remember when you first came to this shrine before you started school. You were always a mysterious child," he reminisced in his thoughts. "I know that you'll eventually leave this place and move on to bigger things, like a bird leaving the nest to fly where it truly belongs, but I can't help but wonder when that day will come or where that place will be."
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The grand opening of the Dead Moon Circus arrived. The entire gang was attending, along with a vast crowd.
Aside from the circus tent, there were many rides and attractions, including a giant Ferris wheel, bumper cars, and a merry-go-round.
Upon seeing this, Usagi and Chibiusa's eyes were wide with wonder and amazement, and the others were just much. However, their mood soon changed when they approached the ticket booth, which showed that the tickets alone were around ten thousand yen or one hundred dollars. The price alone was enough to make Mamoru indignant.
"You've got to be kidding!" Minako complained crossly. "Ten thousand yen for getting in?!"
"Seriously? That much?" gasped Ami.
"What a total ripoff!" Rei huffed.
"With a price like that, that must be enemies!" objected Makoto. "Only the Dead Moon Circus would charge people for that much!"
"No kidding," agreed Harusuke. "Never pegged them as the kind to be scalpers."
"The three of us cats are going to check out the perimeter," said Luna. "The rest of you, make sure to stay on guard."
And so she left with Artemis and Diana.
But just as you would expect from the two, Usagi and Chibiusa had forgotten all about investigating the Dead Moon Circus and wanted nothing more than to go on the rides and attractions.
"There's so many fun things to do!" squealed Chibiusa. "Hey, Mamo? Can we please ride the go-carts?"
"I wanna ride, too!" chimed in Usagi.
"Well, I suppose there isn't any harm," said Mamoru. "But remember, we're not here to play around."
The three of them then took off together as well.
"Off those three go again," Harusuke chuckled. "Well, I suppose there's nothing wrong with having a bit of fun despite this being a mission."
Then, Harusuke glanced up and noticed two particular crows flying around from above, which he recognized quickly.
"Hey, wait. Aren't those..."
"Yeah. I figured I'd bring Phobos and Deimos with me today," explained Rei. "Although, I'm starting to wonder if it was even necessary to bring them."
"Well, for now, why don't we split up and see what we can spot?" said Ami.
"Captial idea, Ami!" Minako spoke with bubbling enthusiasm. "And I can already spot something up ahead! An ice cream!"
She then raced off.
"Minako, that's not what I meant!" Ami cried as she chased after her. "I meant for anything suspicious!"
As the two disappeared, Harusuke also decided to take his leave. "Well, I might as well see what I can find in the south. Give me a beep on the communicator if anything goes wrong."
He then walked away, leaving only Makoto and Rei.
"So what about you, Rei?" asked Makoto. "You got any place in mind?"
"Not really," said Rei. "I'll just focus on watching who's coming and going at the main gate."
"Sounds good," smiled Makoto. "I'll circle back to you later then."
She then took off as well, leaving Rei by herself. But as she stood by the entrance, she didn't know that Tiger's Eye was spying on her beside a cotton candy stand.
"There she is," said Tiger's Eye. "My little birdy."
But as he kept an eye on her, he heard Hawk's Eye speak to him telepathically.
"Tiger's Eye. What's your status?"
"I'm standing by the entrance," Tiger's Eye replied. "And I have eyes on my target."
"Understood," said Hawk's Eye. "Make sure you take care of that girl and be careful. We've already lost Fish's Eye."
Tiger's Eye clenched his fist in anger. "I'm aware," he said coldly. "Which is why I'm going to take my revenge by getting rid of that lousy guardian. And when she takes her final breath, I'll take great pleasure in rubbing it in those lousy guardians' faces!"
He then disappeared into the crowd to prepare for his trap.
Rei simmered happily as she watched the many families and couples go by her. "It's funny. I haven't been somewhere like this in a long time or felt this good," she thought out loud. "It's almost like I'm a little kid again."
Then, she heard a voice. "Well, of course. That's what the circus is all about."
Rei jumped, turning around, wondering where the voice came from, only for her eyes to fall upon an attraction.
It was a tall, colorful building shaped like a strange crown with a sign that read in large letters, "Mirror House."
At first, Rei seemed to hesitate, feeling tempted to go inside, but then a couple walked past her. They were talking about the mirror house.
"That was so much fun!" gushed the woman.
"It really was," smiled the man. "I'd love to go again next time."
Their words alone convinced Rei to go inside, her curiosity all the more piqued. "I'll just go in for a quick peek," she thought.
But as she walked over to the mirror house, she didn't see that the couple was nothing more but an illusion created by the nightmare lemures courtesy of Tiger's Eye, and as she entered, the doors not only shut behind her but also disappeared, sealing her in.
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Meanwhile, over at the main circus tent, the three cats were about to go inside to investigate, only to be stopped by CereCere, who swiftly turned them away.
"Sorry, but no cats allowed!" she said firmly. "Now, shoo, shoo!"
Much to their annoyance, Luna, Artemis, and Diana left.
As soon as they were gone and all the people were inside the tent, CereCere closed the entrance with a snap of her fingers while a barrier shrouded the entire tent.
"Now, it's time to start the Dead Moon Circus."
From there, the show was underway, as all four members of the Amazon Quartet, along with a few other lemures, wowed the audience with their acts.
But as they performed, the audience didn't realize that numerous nightmare lemures were draining their energy while exposing their dream mirrors. And while watching with a smirk, Zirconia was pleased.
"Yes! That's it, my amazonesses! More power! More!" the old woman crowed with a cackle. "Gather as much as you can so we can help revive our queen, and keep searching for Pegasus while you're at it!"
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Rei wandered through the numerous halls of mirrors, trying to find the exit, with only the click-clack sound of her heels being heard. But every reflection of herself made even her a bit befuddled trying to see which was her actual reflection.
Then, she noticed a particular mirror that didn't show a reflection at all, which intrigued and puzzled her.
"I wonder how they did that?" Rei wondered aloud as she touched its surface. "Maybe some kind of mechanism?"
"No, it's not," said a voice. "And it isn't a gimmick either."
Rei promptly looked back and saw a sight that made her gasp. She saw a reflection of herself in one of the mirrors, but a child version of her was moving of its own free will and even talked to her.
"Hello there," the child-like Rei reflection greeted. "I'm you. Nice to meet you. And I'll reveal to you your heart's innermost desires."
At first, Rei was surprised but quickly figured out what was happening.
"Shoot! This is a trap!"
And confirming her suspicions, a swarm of nightmare lemures appeared all around her while the child reflection of her smirked impishly as she spoke scornfully to her.
"As I'm sure you're aware, Mom passed away when I was much younger than this, and Dad was busy with politics. He couldn't be bothered to come see me, so he would dump me with Grandpa all the time. Pretty unfortunate things to happen to a child as young as I was."
While trying to ignore her words, Rei tried breaking the mirrors to make herself a way out, but she couldn't, no matter how hard she tried.
"All I wanted was to be happy. Also, I'm growing sick and tired of being used by Usagi and the other guardians the more I hang out with them."
"No! That's not true!" Rei suddenly burst out. "I don't think that way at all!"
Then, in one of the mirrors, Rei saw her child-like reflection again. This time, she had her arms wrapped lovingly around the neck of Tiger's Eye, who was wearing a white tuxedo.
"Come on, you and I both know that's not true," the child-like Rei taunted. "That's why I've decided to start thinking about my happiness and make someone listen to whatever I say, like a guy that's completely into me. That's what it means to be truly happy."
The little girl leaned in close, about to kiss Tiger's Eye, but Rei, having enough, whipped out an ofuda and threw it with all her strength.
"EVIL SPIRIT, BEGONE!"
The ofuda slammed itself into the mirror enough to make it crack, but it didn't break.
The malevolent clone of Rei then reappeared from behind the original from another mirror, continuing with her tempting.
"Although I may have to kiss a few frogs here and there despite not being my type. But as long as I find a rich and handsome man to marry, he'll be my prince, and I'll be taken care of. That's what women really want. Who cares if I end up as a priestess in a musty old shrine?"
Rei then turned around only to see her child-like reflection in the arms of Tiger's Eye while wearing a pink wedding dress. Upon seeing this and hearing her shrine being insulted, Rei had enough.
"Time to transform and get out of here!"
She raised her hand about to shout her phrase, but before she could, the nightmare lemures swarmed around her, shocking her with their miasma and knocking her to the ground. She also became disoriented, her mind becoming cloudy and her eyes growing heavy and hazy.
"Wait... transform? Into what?" she thought. "Why did I come here, to begin with?"
She then fell unconscious.
It was then at Tiger's Eye emerged from a mirror feeling rather pleased.
"Well done, nightmare lemures," he complimented. "Now, since there's an unfortunate woman whose body and heart are ripe for the taking, let's get to work."
At his command, the nightmare lemures swarmed around Rei while draining her as she remained peacefully unaware.
"And after I drain her, I'll make sure to devour her flesh, too," Tiger's Eye smirked while licking his lips. "Then, I'll take great pleasure in showing off her bones to the other guardians and throw them into despair."
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Back with Luna and her group, the black cat was still fuming.
"The nerve of that girl!" she huffed. "They've got plenty of animals in the circus, so what's wrong with some cats?"
"I know, and I wanted to check out the circus, too!" complained Artemis.
"I thought we were supposed to be investigating, Mama and Papa," pointed out Diana.
Then, Luna saw Phobos and Deimos from above. The two birds were squawking up a fit as they flew above the mirror house in agitation.
"Hey, what's going on with Phobos and Deimos?" asked Artemis. "They're being louder than usual."
"And what's with that mirror house?" wondered Luna. "That wasn't there before. Let's go check it out. There could be trouble."
Back inside the mirror house, Tiger's Eye was ready to have his way with Rei as he approached her with predatory eyes. But then, there was a loud smash as two things suddenly broke through the window.
Those things were Phobos and Deimos.
Before Tiger's Eye could react, both crows dive-bombed straight toward him while firing a shower of their feathers like arrows. Each one pierced his skin, causing him pain, forcing him to retreat back into the mirror while the nightmare lemures' spell stopped.
While this was happening, Rei heard a voice call out to her.
"Mars. You have to wake up, Princess Mars."
Rei's eyes then fluttered open, and when she looked up, she saw three unexpected guests floating before her eyes.
The first was a miniature version of her but as Sailor Mars. The other two were twin girls, each with long black hair carrying a black feather. However, one wore a red leotard, while the other was purple.
The three then gestured toward a mirror, which showed what was happening outside.
Rei was horrified. "Oh, no! They're all being attacked!" she gasped. "I can't believe I let that spell deceive me! I'm better than that!"
"That's right," nodded the mini Sailor Mars. "But thankfully, we were able to save you in the nick of time."
"And we're glad you've come to your senses," smiled the first twin.
"Just as we would expect from you, Princess Mars," said the second twin.
"But who are you all?" Rei questioned. "I know one of you looks just like me, but..."
Then she looked at the twins, particularly their black feathers. As soon as she did, she quickly recognized them but was surprised when she realized.
"Hold on, could you two be..."
"You know me as Phobos," said the twin in the red leotard.
"And I am Deimos," said the twin in the purple leotard.
"And I'm a part of you, of what makes you you," said the small Sailor Mars. "But I'm afraid this isn't the time for introductions. It's time to wake up from this nightmare, Princess Mars, and remember your true dream. But for now..."
Then, Rei's body began to shine red light as a red crystal heart appeared before her.
"It's time for you to transform," the mini Sailor Mars, Phobos, and Deimos said together.
Rei took hold of her new crystal and, with a firey determination burning in her eyes once more, raised up while yelling her phrase.
"MARS CRYSTAL POWER MAKE UP!"
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Transformation Sequence: Rei
The planet Mars appears along with its symbol as Rei puts her hand up, fingernails sparkling in bright red. Next, her body becomes silhouetted in blazing crimson as a long tongue of fire erupts from her hand. While spinning around, the fire whirls and wraps itself around her body, encasing her in it, and then explodes, revealing her body now surrounded by several rings of fire around her head, arms, legs, and midsection. They all burst while forming her Sailor Uniform, looking the same but with some changes. Her collar only bore one white stripe, her choker now had a yellow star with a red gemstone in the center, her shoulder pads became like Super Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon's, and the back waist bow was enlarged and lengthened.
The symbol of Mars briefly flashed in the middle of Rei's forehead before her tiara materialized. Her transformation finished; she smiled while jumping back and assuming her final pose, her sign and an arrow symbol appearing in the background against a red background filled with flames.
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"Protected by Mars, the planet of fire, guardian of war! I am Sailor Mars!" she declared. "And in the name of Mars, I'll chastise you!"
Tiger's Eye, who managed to get all the feathers off at this point, couldn't believe his eyes.
Sailor Mars also couldn't help but marvel at her new strength, feeling it surge through her while the cloud in her mind cleared.
"This fire rushing through me... Why did I even hesitate before? I'm the sailor guardian of fire who has sworn loyalty to Princess Serenity and Prince Taiyou! My dream is to protect them, my friends, and this planet! So I won't hesitate any more and fight!"
It was then that something appeared before her. It was a long red arrow whose fletching was made of fire and had an ornament attached.
"That is your Mars Arrow," she heard Phobos and Deimos say to her. "Use it well and burn away this nightmare!"
Sensing danger, Tiger's Eye used his power to make multiple reflections appear in the mirrors while more nightmare lemures appeared.
"Sorry, but I won't let you escape from here so easily!" he sneered. "Despite me flying solo, I can still take you down! Let's see if you can spot the real me before you get swallowed by the darkness!"
Sailor Mars looked around, trying to discern which reflection was the real enemy. Then, she remembered something.
It was a childhood memory of herself of when she was learning archery from Grandpa Hino.
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A young Rei was outside in her background in traditional priestess garb, trying her best to hold her bow and arrow correctly and aiming at the target while Grandpa Hino supervised.
Rei then launched the bow, but due to her poor form, the arrow was thrown off course, dipping down toward the ground and piercing while only a few feet away from the target.
Rei groaned in frustration. "Ugh! I can't get the target!" she complained. "Why can't the arrow go how I want it to?!" She then looked at her grandfather. "Grandpa, are you sure this skill is necessary to become a great priestess?"
"Of course it is," nodded Grandpa Hino. "Every priestess in this shrine practiced archery. I know it's tricky, but you'll get the hang of it. Besides, you're only just starting."
But Rei still felt doubtful. "But, will I ever be as good as you or any others that came before? Sometimes, I can't help but think that I'm not."
Grandpa Hino approached her and fixed Rei's posture so that she was pulling her bow and aiming with her arrow.
"Rei, you do not need to doubt yourself," he said sagely. "You possess keen senses and incredible skills that not even me or anyone else has. Should you hesitate, keep moving forward while sharpening your abilities and staying focused on your goal."
Rei then closed her eyes as she focused while her Grandpa continued to speak.
"Block out any distractions. Concentrate with all your heart and soul. Then, let your arrow fly!"
Spurred by her grandfather's words, Rei took a deep breath, and while her eyes snapped open, she fired the arrow.
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While letting the memory and Grandpa Hino's words be her guide, Sailor Mars shut her eyes as she focused on her senses. Then, while opening her eyes, she used her powers to conjure a bow made of flames while taking aim with her Mars Arrow.
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"
While shouting her new attack, she let the arrow loose as it struck true right into a mirror and pierced Tiger's Eye's midsection. Immediately, all of the other reflections of him disappeared as the Amazon howled in agony.
"No! This is... impossible!" Tiger's Eye cried out. "How did I lose... to a bumpkin like you?!"
Tiger's Eye exploded in flames with these last words while the mirror house faded away in a cloud of dying nightmare lemures.
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Inside the main circus tent, while juggling several balls during the show, one shattered in PallaPalla's hands, and the nightmare lemures' spell also dissipated, returning the audience to normal, which didn't go unnoticed by her and the other amazons. Hawk's Eye, while taking part in the show, also noticed and realized what had happened.
"What's going on here?!" demanded Zirconia.
"That girl beat Tiger's Eye!" VesVes spoke in a scowl.
"No! It can't be!" gasped Hawk's Eye. "Not him, too!"
PallaPalla growled in frustration. "Those guardians got in our way again!" she snarled. "How annoying!"
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The other guardians returned to the entrance. They were busy talking about how much fun they had at the attractions when Rei rushed up to them with the cats in tow.
"Everyone! Am I glad to see you!" Rei panted.
"What's wrong, Rei?" asked Usagi. "Did something happen?"
Rei then explained what had happened. Needless to say, everyone couldn't help but be surprised.
"No way! You took on Tiger's Eye all by yourself?!" exclaimed Makoto.
"And they were targeting the people inside the circus tent?!" cried Ami.
"Yes, he lured me into some kind of mirror house and was trying to get me to give in to my doubts," explained Rei. "The more I hesitated, the deeper he could get into my heart."
"Just when I thought they couldn't get any more despicable," said Harusuke.
"This whole circus has to be a trap," said Mamoru. "Although, I'm not sure what could be their motive. I thought they were searching for dream mirrors."
"Maybe they're doing more than just searching for Pegasus," suggested Harusuke. "And we're playing right into their hands."
"But either way, we have to stop them and whatever they got planned," said Minako determinedly. "No matter what it takes."
"That's right," nodded Usagi. "It's up to us to protect everyone in Juuban. And we'll do it whatever the cost!"
Everyone resolutely agreed as they took their leave.
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That night, VesVes, PallaPalla, JunJun, and CereCere were still annoyed after having their spell rudely broken.
"I hate those Guardians!" complained PallaPalla. "They're even more annoying than the trio made them out to be!"
"I still can't believe they beat Fish's Eye and Tiger's Eye even with their enhanced powers," commented VesVes. "It was enough to interrupt our performance, too! They're going to pay for it big time!"
"And how exactly are we supposed to do that?" asked JunJun. "If we set up another big trap, it'll end up destroying the whole circus, and we'll end up hearing it from Old Lady Zirconia."
"I agree, and Zirconia's still working on her little secret project," said CereCere. "So, in the meantime, why don't we slow down and carefully think this through while having fun plotting their demise? Don't forget, this was only the opening act of the Dead Moon Circus. The real show will soon begin."
The others responded with nods, determined to have their revenge plans and fulfill their goals succeed.