"I need to save Rei-san," Juri announced. She could feel her hands shaking, fear at the back of her mind that she couldn't cheat death twice.

The group simply stared, save Usagi who spoke up first. "Juri-chan..."

"I'm sorry, Usagi-san," Juri apologized. "I wasn't able to protect you last night, not like I wanted. I'll make it up to you. I'll protect everyone, even if you must know my secret."

"Juri-chan," Usagi grabbed her arm, not letting her go. Usagi knew what Juri was trying to do and she couldn't allow her to do it alone. She couldn't risk losing Juri again. She had to try to do something, to shake off this feeling of hopelessness, to stop the nightmare from coming true.

"Usagi-san," Juri objected. "Let me go. I know what I'm doing."

"Juri-chan," Usagi countered. "You don't have to fight alone."

She paused. Those words, they were the same that Sailor Moon had said that night in the rain. It couldn't be a coincidence. "What?"

"Juri-chan, I'm sorry about last night," Usagi continued. "I wanted to fight with you, I really did. But something stopped me, and I'm upset with myself for it. You almost died because of me! I can't let that happen again. I can't lose my friend. The sun and the moon should fight together again."

Usagi knew quite well she didn't have a means to fight, but perhaps with everyone together again, she'd be able to summon something to fight, maybe a past weapon which hadn't broken. It worked before. Everyone's power had helped her before. They'd help her shake off this dark shadow in her heart.

The act wasn't really surprising to the other three. Usagi had become rather attached to Juri over the past two weeks for an unknown reason, though it was quickly becoming apparent. Juri was Usagi's shadow, the sun and the moon. They had a connection which none of the others quite understood. And Usagi wanted to pull Juri out of the shadows into the light so they could fight side by side.

"We'll fight too," Minako spoke up, summoning her crystal to her hand. Her conclusion was right after all. Juri really was Sailor Sun.

...

Doxite threw the potion on the ground, creating another golem, this one made of grass and wood. The general frowned at his creation once again. "Why can't I create a golem who doesn't wear a fundoshi?" he sighed. He really needed to rework that formula. "Whatever, just kill them both and take the green-hair's crystal."

"Stop right there!" Eternal Sailor Moon announced. "We are the pretty sailor-suited soldiers of justice, and we won't allow you to harm either of them!" She seemed quite confident despite not actually being able to fight yet. She had to figure out a means to fight, else she'd just be full of empty introduction speeches.

Mercury peered over her book for a moment. She had to keep studying, but a quick analysis would only take a moment. "The golem's weakness is fire," she stated, then returned to her studying.

"Well that's my cue," Sun stated confidently, summoning her bow to her hand. She pulled it tight, forming a fire arrow as the golem lumbered forward. Doxite didn't even bother to call it back, as the golem was an idiot in a fundoshi anyway. He instead turned his attention back to Rei and the green-haired girl.

Sun released her arrow, commanding "Solar Flare!" The golem hardly had a fighting chance, catching fire and fizzling away quickly. It was a highly flammable creature only meant as a distraction as Doxite took Rei into one hand in an attempt to restrain her from fighting him. She attempted to hit him with her broom though unsuccessfully.

"Rei-chan!" Sailor Moon turned her attention to him. She held her hand in front of her to summon her eternal tiare, but it still wouldn't come. "Come on, work," she fussed at it, attempting to summon a weapon. "Something! Anything! Cutie Moon Rod! Kaleidoscope! Moon Stick! Pink Sugar Stick! Come on!"

Was she losing her powers? Was her future self even able to fight as a senshi? Could this be an inevitable transition to her destined future? Or was it that nightmare that continued to eat away at her mind, the feeling of helplessness and loss of a true friend that threw her into tears in the middle of the night?

It was a strange feeling. Sun could feel Moon's frustration and anger, her pain and fear. She couldn't fight, and it scared her. Sun could feel it all, desperately fighting back the heaviness in her heart. She placed a hand on Moon's shoulder, wanting desperately to say she'd fight in her place. Yet something held her back. She had her own doubts and fears, as well. It was a bad combination.

"I'll take care of this," Jupiter jumped forward boldly, crossing her arms in front of her almost as if she were hugging her body. "Jupiter Coconut Mini Cyclone!" Coconut Cyclone was one of her more powerful attacks, yet she didn't want to hit Rei or the girl, so she toned it down, barraging Doxite with a flurry of small coconuts. He released Rei in an attempt to shield himself from the ridiculous attack.

Jupiter shifted to throw a larger, more powerful attack at him but suddenly paused when she noticed the green-haired girl began to glow. A bright light appeared at her chest and suddenly appeared a large bright green rose-shaped brooch.

"Another Eclipse?" Venus exclaimed. Even Mercury peered over her book.

The girl took the newly formed brooch in her hands. It sparkled as she gave it a command. "Rose Petal Power!" Roses and lightning surrounded her as she transformed into a brown-collared sailor senshi. Her outfit was two pieces, showing a bare midriff. Her dark golden bows were decorated with the bright green brooch. Her gloves were fingerless, and her boots were knee-high and open in the front, lacing up like a tall pair of sandals.

"I am the Thunderous Eclipse, Sailor Jupitercouri!" she announced. Wait, how did she know that. "I'd say...?" Without thought, she pulled a pair of butterfly knives out from the inside her boots, crossing them in front of her to generate electricity. "Brainstorm Crash!"

Doxite gritted his teeth in frustration, quickly phasing backwards and away from the attack. Another Eclipse managed to surface before he could steal her crystal. If that miko hadn't gotten in the way, he would've taken another one in his hands. The fewer Eclipse, the better.

While his plan certainly was foiled, he was quickly reformulating his calculations in his head, planning on improving the formula to track down galactic crystals before they became something useful. He was successful once, tearing out a crystal to an unawoken Eclipse. This time, however, resulted in a failure. But he'd learned something. That Sun and Moon, they affected each other. Moon's inability to fight affected both of them.

"You win this round, Eclipse senshi," Doxite hissed, withdrawing into a portal. "You won't be so lucky next time."

…

Author's notes.

Doxite's previous victim was an unawoken Eclipse senshi from the previous chapter, Ishikawa 石川 (stone river) Kohaku 琥珀 (amber). She was intended to be Mars's mirror. Ishikawa is a play on Hikawa, the Hino family Shrine.

The original name of this chapter was going to be "Jupitercouri comes thundering in."