As the monster attacked, the Scouts looked at it and then launched into attacks of their own. "Crescent Beam Smash!" Venus shouted as she hit the monster with a direct attack, but it seemed to have no effect. "Let me try! Mars Fire Ignite!" Mars shouts as she launches an attack at the monster who staggers for a second before laughing. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Jupiter says as she tries to hit the monster from behind but it just absorbs her attack like it was nothing.
"Nothing is working on this damn thing! Why?" Jupiter says as Sailor Moon decides to try her attack. "Moon Gorgeous Meditation!" She says as the attack comes out of the tip of her wand and the monster knocks it away. "No, he blocked my attack!" She says backing up as the monster charges for Sailor Moon as a rose pops the monster in the face and it roars.
"Do not give up, there is an always a way to win." Says a voice from far away. As the Scouts look up Tuxedo Mask is seen standing in a window as the monster roars again. "Mercury Bubble Blast!" Sailor Mercury says as she begins to scan the monster. "The fog should give us time! Once I find the weak point we all need to attack it at once!" She says as the other Scouts quickly agree. Her visor makes a small beeping sound as she finds its weak spot. "Aim for the jewel sitting on its forehead!" She quickly shouts.
But it's too late, the monster as managed to quickly pin the other Scouts to the wall and floor with some type of wire, as even Tuxedo Mask was trapped by this attack, as the monster turns towards Ami and roars loudly. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury shouts as she attempts to hit the jewel but her attack is blocked, as the monster knocks her into a wall as the other Scouts call out.
Mercury slowly got up and saw the blood flowing from her head as she slowly took a step forward before falling towards the ground as a set of strong arms caught her as she looked up at her savior, smiling softly upon seeing his face. "I knew you couldn't be dead. You promised to save me if I need it..." She says softly before passing out as the monster roars.
The other Scouts looked at the cloaked man who had saved Mercury and put her in a safe spot as he faced the monster. His cloak blowing off, as they gasp, a single thought entering all their minds. 'He's supposed to be dead. He died in her arms, how is this possible?!?" The young man just smirked as he looked up at the monster his soft blue eyes becoming Ice Cold as soon a black armor surrounds his body as a sword slowly appears in the air and then into his hand. His look targeting the monster as his black hair blows a bit.
He looks at the monster as he suddenly charges it before vanishing and cutting all the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask loose as he then jumps off a wall swinging down towards the monster cutting one of its arms off. "Don't worry big guy, you will be finished soon." Hiro mutters as he then charges the monster again, making another huge cut in it as he looks up towards the Scouts. "Hit it now!" Sailor Moon quickly nods and tries her attack again. "Moon Gorgeous Meditation!" She shouts as the attack hits the jewel head on as the jewel starts to crack and then shatters a few seconds later.
Hiro watches as the monster turns to dust as he then looks at the Scouts, before walking away a bit. Suddenly a pink hair girl appeared over the battlefield as she looked on. "No! You big meanie! You destroyed my monster! It was going to beat the Scouts. I'm going to tell Queen Crystal!" She shouts to Hiro. He just looks back up at her. "I warned you to either control that thing or I would stop it. It attacked Mercury so it had to be dealt with. And tell Crystal all you want. I don't answer to her." He walks into a black portal and vanishes.
"That man! So stubborn!" She looks at the Scouts, before giggling. "Oh well. I guess you guys win this time!" Sailor Jupiter looks at her and shouts. "Who exactly are you?" The girl just giggles again before answering. "The name I wanted was already used. But I guess I could recycle it. You can call me Princess Wicked Lady. Well gotta go! Toddles!" She says as she vanishes also. Sailor Moon just drops to her knees. "They got Rini?"
Tuxedo Mask shakes his head. "No Rini is safe, there is something not exactly right with this picture. Regardless you all should go take care of Mercury." He says as he jumps out of an open window. "Guys, what do we tell Mercury?" Sailor Mars asks. "Nothing right now, let's just get her to a safe place." Venus says as she jumps down and helps Jupiter pick Mercury up as they quickly leave the exhibit hall and building.
Later at the shrine
Serena looks at the group and then to the table. "I went and talked to Rini, she's fine. She felt normal mostly while we were fighting minus a minute were she felt out of it, but she didn't change or anything." She says as the others think. Rei then speaks softly, "What about Ami? What do we tell her about him? That he's now the enemy?" Mina shakes her head. "We don't know that for sure! He showed up and beat up the monster. So maybe he's not on their side!" Mina says with a shaky voice. Lita sighs and speaks. "We have to tell her something. But Mina's right we don't know for sure, the only way to find out is if we are attacked again."
Serena looks over to the still out cold Ami and shakes her head. Her friend cared so much for that young man who saved her and even the other Scouts on different times, and then she starts to think. If he was truly working for the enemy, she had no idea how her friend would fair. She lost her mother two years ago and then she lost him not long after. Just to regain him now and have him working for the enemy. That will finish breaking her. 'Ami, I promise what ever spell those creeps have him under, I will get him out from it and back to you.'
Ami just listened to her friends, fighting the tears threatening to come out. 'How could this be? He's alive, but he died I know he did. I saw it! But those eyes, they are his eyes. Why did he join them, I don't want to fight him, this is too hard for me. He's secretly been there for me since I became a Scout, every fight I've gotten into alone and was about to be seriously hurt, he's come in to save me. He even came to me when I wasn't transformed to talk to me.'
'But I have to fight him, it's my duty as a Scout. But is it my duty to fight and possible destroy someone I love? Their has to be a reason for this! He's under a spell, he has to be. I will save him like he has me. I will track them down and save him from them. I need to be stronger, I need to go there.' She thought as she slowly opened her eyes as sat up. The others looked at her and smiled softly. As Serena hugged her tight, "I am glad you're ok Ami! But we have something to tell you…" She says looking down.
"I know Serena. I saw him. And I know he's with them. But…" Ami says softly. The others look at Ami. "But what Ami?" Serena asks softly. "I am going to save him, but I have to get stronger to do so." Ami says as she pulls out a small necklace with a key on it. As the others get wide eyed. Rei quickly speaks up, "Ami, I know you want to save him, but we went there before. We don't know how to operate that training ground! Last time we barely made it out alive!"
Ami just quickly stands up and looks at them. "I'm going, I am going right now. I will get stronger. He left me a way to help him and I plan to use it!" She walks out very determined even if she has to do it alone. Serena just looks to the rest of the group and sighs for a minute. "She still loves him, what if she can actually do it…"
Hour Later at an abandon warehouse
Ami stood in front of the door as she slowly opens up the door and steps inside as the lights turn on and the systems inside come online. 'I can do this! I have to do this I want to save him. I have to become better and stronger. I have to use the training program he left for me and not give up regardless of how hard it is.' She transformed into Sailor Mercury as she walked over to a control panel as computer systems came to life.
An image of Hiro appeared on the screen. "Ah, Mercury. I figured you at least found this place. And I also know why you're here. You want to get stronger, strong enough to save someone you care about. Even though this is a recording, just you being here means something happened to me. Never blame yourself the time I spent with you was some of the best in my life. But there are things you should know about me. I understand if you can't bare to listen, but if you want to know. The Arena has the answers, pass its tests and get your answers."
The image vanishes as she looks to her right as she runs towards the Arena ready to make good on the promise she made earlier. As she starts the training program someone watches from the shadows and giggles slightly. "That's right Sailor Mercury, train for your promise, but it won't matter in the end. Because you will lose and he will be mine…" The person just vanishes.
Hours Later at the Shrine
"Why are we still here discussing this? We should be with Ami, getting stronger!" Serena says growing sick of the discussion and debates. Rei just looked at Serena and sighed. "That Arena almost killed us last time… How are we supposed to beat something that's tuned that high?" Serena just stood up. "You can stay here and debate it if you want. I am going to help Ami, she's been gone for hours at that training center. She could use our support!" She says before running out as a few seconds later the others got up and went after her to help their friend.
Warehouse a few minutes later
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury shouted for what seemed to be the millionth time, destroying yet another auto defense hologram drone. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked straight ahead knowing she was about to face the first test of many the Arena offered in order to get her stronger and give her answers. She charged forward again fighting with a sword made from an icicle. As she dodged a few attacks sending more of her own off as she breathed heavily. 'This Door Guardian is tough. I must beat it though.' She thought as she ran towards it, then sliding under it's legs as she uses her attack again, freezing the monster in a solid block of ice as it shatters to millions of pieces as the door slides open.
She runs inside an empty room as a hologram of Hiro appears. "Very good Am…" The hologram stops then starts back. "I mean Sailor Mercury. Your powers have nearly doubled, you have been training for a few days straight. Time passes differently in here then on the outside. One hour in the outside world equals a day here. You will be tested endlessly. Only if you pass the final fight will you be allowed to ask to your heart content. But I sense your alone, don't give up. They will come, they always do, even if it's late."
The hologram smiles softly at her. "I never meant for this to happen. I never meant to come here, to spend this time here, to fall in love. But even someone as powerful as I am can't control everything. I am afraid for you Mercury, the bitch that tossed me here will one day find this world. When she does, destroy this place. Never let her know you knew me. She will make you into a weapon to hunt me down. I couldn't kill you, even if you came at me to kill me. There is one more thing you should know. You will have to walk the Hall of Memories. You will have to relive our time together as an outsider, do not interfere. That is the final test, once you finish everything else, you will walk the Hall of Memories.
The hologram starts to fade out, but smiles lovely at her one more time. "Don't forget what I said. Believe in yourself and them…" Points behind her before completely disappearing as the other Scouts are there when she turns around. "You all came…" Mercury manages to get out with tears in her eyes. Sailor Moon runs over and hugs her. "We are friends. Of course, we came to help you, we owe him a lot too. We will help you free him from whatever they are using to control him. Just like you all helped me with Darien, we will help you with Hiro."
Mercury began the tests with her friends as they kept going, as everything got harder and harder, but she refused to give up as they reentered the Arena for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Mercury this place is a Maze." Jupiter says while looking around. "No it's not look!" Mercury says while pointing to a new door as a huge Guardian is standing in front of it. "The Final Gate Guardian and the Hall of Memories is behind it…" She says as she's ready to fight it. The other look at the look she has on her face, a look they have never seen before.
Mercury charges towards the Guardian with the others as they surround it. "Mars Fire Ignite!" "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Both Mars and Jupiter shouts as the monster roars in pain after being hit with there attacks, as then the monster suddenly, swings it's massive arm and knocks them both into Venus, sending all three of them into the wall very hard. Mercury nods to Sailor Moon as they try using both of there attacks. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" "Moon Gorgeous Meditation!" Both of the attacks slam into the monster as it quickly turns towards them and hits them both sending them on the other side of the Arena.
"This thing…is tough…" Mercury says as she slowly stands up. "But he put this training ground here to make me stronger… I will not let him down…" She begins to glow a soft blue as her left hand begins to glow and form a ball of ice around it. She slowly steps towards the monster as she falls into a trance almost. The ice ball gathers above her hand as she adds more ice to it as suddenly three rotating spheres of water appear around it. She runs towards the monster jumping into the air. "Mercury Ice Bomb!"
Suddenly she throws the ice ball towards the monster as it grows to be as big as the monster the three water sphere exploding on contact sending shards of ice everywhere as Mercury gets cut from being too close as she soon makes another one of those attacks in her other hand. "Mercury Ice Bomb!" She says even louder as this one chains into an even bigger explosion that throws her to the other side of the Arena and right up against the wall as suddenly both attacks explode again sending shards of ice everywhere, even bigger then the last time, as all the Scouts have to take cover.
As Mercury is on the ground, she looks straight ahead with a small smile on her face. "I won, for you…" She gets out before passing out to the ground. The other Scouts look towards the door and find the guardian totally destroyed as they then run over to the knocked out Mercury. "That attack was amazing…" Sailor Moon spits out after looking at the other Scouts. "That must be the new attack she came up with. We are almost done, but I feel stronger, much stronger since coming here…" Mars says while looking at the others, as the door the Guardian was watching over slowly opened.
From the shadows a dark hair man looks down at the Scouts below and smiles softly. "Ami you have grown so strong in the Arena physically. The Hall of Memories will make you grow mentally. I know you will be the one to defeat Crystal. Even if I am your enemy and you cut me down, I will still protect you. That I promise…" He simply steps back into the shadows and vanishes.