WHEN HEROES COLLIDE

Part Eight: The Journey Home

"What are we going to do, Ryo?" Sailor Moon asked a bit worriedly. "Those Dark Moon people got Rini and we're stuck in here with no way out!" To her surprise, Ryo didn't answer her at all. He was staring up at the tunnel in the ceiling.

"Ryo? RYO!" Sailor Moon shouted loudly, snapping Ryo back to reality.

"I'm sorry, Sailor Moon," Ryo apologized.

"What are you looking at, anyway, Ryo?" Sailor Moon asked curiously.

"I thought I heard something," Ryo explained as his blue eyes once again looked up at the tunnel. Sailor Moon stayed quiet as she looked at the tunnel as well. She gasped slightly when she heard a soft metallic clang echoing off the walls of the tunnel.

"Do you think it might be one of the Ronin Warriors or the Sailor Scouts?" Sailor Moon whispered a bit excitedly.

"I can't say for sure," Ryo whispered. "Listen! Whatever it is, it's coming closer!" The noise from the tunnel was indeed getting louder and closer to the two warriors.

"Get out of the way!" Ryo shouted, pushing Sailor Moon out of the way as a figure fell from the tunnel and landed on the floor.

From looking at her, Ryo and Sailor Moon knew that she had to be one of the creatures from the Celestial Stones, due to her pale white skin and unusual colored eyes. They also noticed that she was different from the ones that they have faced before. The creature standing before them was wearing an orange camouflage shirt, baggy brown cargo pants, and dark brown combat boots, and had short curly orange hair.

"You're Petrofina, the creature from the Earth Stone!" Ryo realized.

"That's correct, Ryo of Wildfire!" Petrofina admitted sinisterly as she looked up at Ryo and Sailor Moon with her gleaming orange eyes.

"Uh-oh!" Sailor Moon gasped loudly.

"Relax, Sailor Moon. We can take her," Ryo told the Sailor Scouts' leader.

"Are you sure about that?" Petrofina retorted sarcastically.

"Run while you still can, Petrofina...or face your death!" Ryo shouted. "Armor of Wildfire! DAO JIN!"

"Oh, I'm so scared!" Petrofina gasped mockingly as Ryo withdrew his katanas.

"You should be, Petrofina," Ryo announced.

"We'll see about that!" Petrofina remarked as she stood up and charged towards Ryo and Sailor Moon.

"Look out!" Ryo shouted as he and Sailor Moon barely avoided Petrofina's fists, which left large indentations in the walls...

"This totally stinks!" Kento groaned loudly out of frustration as he slammed his fists against the wall.

"Take it easy, Kento. Beating up against the wall isn't going to get us out of here any quicker," Sailor Mars pointed out.

"Then what are we supposed to do, Sailor Mars?" Kento asked sarcastically.

"Sailor Venus was right about you. You're hot-headed and have a short fuse to match!" Sailor Mars remarked.

"What do you mean by that?" Kento asked loudly as he turned around to face Sailor Mars. Before Sailor Mars could say anything, the two warriors were startled to hear a rumbling noise coming from the hole in the ceiling that they fell out of.

"What was that?" Sailor Mars asked curiously.

"Sounds like we're about to find out!" Kento remarked, the sound obviously getting closer to them.

Suddenly, to their surprise, a pale figure dropped out of the hole and landed silently on the ground. She was wearing a sleeveless green dress with a jaggedly torn skirt and dark green high-heeled boots, and her long neon green hair stood on end, as though she had been electrocuted. The creature lifted her head and looked up at Kento and Sailor Mars with her green eyes, which sparked with electricity.

"That must be Electra, the creature that Sage and Sailor Jupiter fought!" Sailor Mars exclaimed. "But I thought they destroyed her!"

"Obviously not!" Kento retorted. "Relax, Sailor Mars! We'll finish what they started!"

"Try if you wish, little man, but you'll do no better than your friends!" Electra remarked sinisterly.

"Little man? Why, I oughta..." Kento grumbled angrily as he clenched his fists tightly. "Armor of Hardrock! DAO GI!"

"Oh, no! Is the big, strong Ronin Warrior of Strength gonna finish me off?" Electra gasped mockingly as Kento took out his naginata.

"You bet I will! You're going down, Electra!" Kento boasted.

"So, Kento of Hardrock, you wanna play hardball, is that it?" Electra asked sarcastically as a large ball of electricity formed in her hand. "Well, then, let's play!"

"Uh-oh!" Kento gasped as Electra threw the ball of electricity at him and Sailor Mars. They quickly dove out of the way as the ball of electricity reflected off of the metal wall...

"I don't know about you, Topaz, but I am truly enjoying this!" Amethyst confessed with a small smirk.

"So am I, Amethyst, so am I," Topaz agreed with a sinister chuckle. They both had their eyes fixed on the surveillance monitors. "This was a brilliant plan of yours, Amethyst. First, separating the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts, then facing them against one of our creatures from the Celestial Stones that they are not even the slightest bit familiar with."

"After seeing what had happened earlier with the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts, I felt it best not to repeat the same mistake. Separating them by their common elemental link will eventually lead them to their downfall!" Amethyst stated darkly.

"Oh, no!" Rini whispered worriedly as she watched the surveillance monitors as well, which showed all the Ronin Warriors in their full armor. One screen showed Ryo and Sailor Moon barely avoiding another blow from Petrofina. A second screen revealed Cye using his armor's shield of light to protect himself and Sailor Jupiter from Astronema's attack. In the third screen, Sage and Sailor Venus were pinned against the wall by two columns of water, which were being controlled by Seadra. In the fourth screen, Electra's electric whip nearly electrocuted Kento and Sailor Mars. In the last screen, Rowen used his armor to protect Sailor Mercury from the blast of fire that Flarea aimed at them, getting his dark blue armor singed in the process.

There's gotta be something I can do! Rini thought to herself.

Suddenly, to her surprise, Rini noticed a familiar dark gray ball shaped like a cat's head float into the room. "Luna P! Over here!" Rini whispered a bit excitedly. As her Luna Ball hovered towards the cage, Rini recalled that she was still holding her Luna Ball before Topaz knocked her unconscious outside Mia's house.

"Luna P, try picking the lock, okay?" Rini requested. The Luna Ball seemed to understand as the gold ball on the tip of its antenna shrunk down to the size of a pebble.

"That's it, Luna P," Rini whispered as her Luna Ball stuck the tip of its antenna into the keyhole of the cage and started manipulating it around. Rini nearly gasped out loud when she heard a small click and the door swung open slightly.

"Nice job, Luna P," Rini whispered as she crawled out of the cage and stood up. She grabbed her Luna Ball and quickly tiptoed out of the room.

"Topaz, go wake up Small Lady," Amethyst instructed Topaz. "I want her to see what will happen to her friends and anyone else who stands in the way of the Dark Moon family!"

"Certainly, Amethyst," Topaz agreed with a nod as he turned around. He gasped slightly when he saw the empty cage with its door wide open. "Uhh...Amethyst, we have a problem."

"What is it?" Amethyst asked curiously.

"Small Lady has somehow escaped!" Topaz reluctantly revealed.

"WHAT?" Amethyst shouted angrily as she turned around and saw the empty cage as well. "How did this happen, Topaz?"

"I don't know, Ameth..." Topaz started to reply.

"Never mind that!" Amethyst snapped angrily. "We have to find her right away!"

"Why should we bother? She's just a little girl, Amethyst," Topaz reminded his sister as they ran out of the room into a long hallway.

"True, but that little girl has special powers of her own, or did you forget about what happened to you earlier, Topaz?" Amethyst inquired as she looked at Topaz, who had a stunned look on his face. "I did see what happened on Earth when you captured Small Lady, Topaz, courtesy of your crystal ball. Come now! We wasted enough time talking!" Amethyst and Topaz ran out of the room and headed down the hallway in opposite directions.

As the two Dark Moon siblings disappeared down the hall, they didn't notice a door that was opposite of the control room open slightly. Rini popped her head out and looked around for any sign of Amethyst and Topaz. Finding the hall completely deserted, Rini quickly ran back into the control room, along with her Luna Ball.

"Good thing they didn't look in there," Rini muttered out loud as she ran over to the surveillance monitors. "Sailor Moon, can you hear me?" Rini shouted, hoping that Sailor Moon would somehow be able to hear her. Unfortunately, the leader of the Sailor Scouts showed no indication that she heard Rini at all. Rini then looked down at the control panel filled with several buttons and small switches.

"I wonder if any of these buttons can help my friends," Rini wondered aloud as she hesitantly pressed a red button. She looked up at the monitors and was surprised to see the tunnels in the ceilings suddenly close up.

"Great! Not there's no way we'll get outta here!" Kento complained loudly as he used his naginata to block Electra's electric whip.

"Oops!" Rini gasped as she once again looked down at the control panel. "That didn't work! Maybe this one..." Rini quickly flipped a gray switch near the top of the control panel.

"Ryo, look! Something's happening to the wall!" Sailor Moon announced.

Ryo turned around and saw that part of the wall was moving, revealing a dark tunnel. "That's our way out! Let's move!" Ryo shouted as he and Sailor Moon ran for the tunnel.

"Where do you think you two are going? We're not finished here!" Petrofina shouted angrily as she chased after the leaders of the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts.

"Yay! It worked!" Rini cheered happily. She looked up at the screen and quickly realized that the other Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts were still trapped with Electra, Flarea, Seadra, and Astronema. After looking over the control panel once again, Rini realized that there was a row of five identical gray switches near the top of the control panel; including the one she just flipped that freed Ryo and Sailor Moon.

"This oughta do it!" Rini muttered thoughtfully to herself as she flipped the remaining gray switches. She crossed her fingers in hope that her plan would work, with her Luna Ball by her side.

"Yes!" Rini cheered loudly when she saw tunnels opening in the other four rooms as well.

"What's this?" Seadra gasped as the section of the wall that she had Sage and Sailor Venus pinned against moved back, revealing another dark tunnel.

"AHH!" Sage and Sailor Venus screamed simultaneously as they disappeared into the dark tunnel due to the force from the columns of water controlled by the creature from the Celestial Stone of Water.

"What are Amethyst and Topaz up to now?" Seadra muttered suspiciously to herself as she ran into the tunnel to find Sage and Sailor Venus...

"Come on, Kento!" Sailor Mars shouted when she saw the tunnel open up in the wall behind her.

"No way, Sailor Mars! I almost got her beat!" Kento complained, who was still fighting the creature from the Spirit Stone. Electra quickly flung her electric whip at Kento, getting the whip entangled around Kento's naginata.

"Hey! Let go!" Kento shouted as he tried to pry his weapon free.

"Who's got who beat, Kento of Hardrock?" Electra asked sinisterly.

"MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!" Sailor Mars shouted. Electra quickly dove out of the way of the fiery rings flying at her, letting go of Kento's naginata in the process.

"Save it for later, Kento! We gotta find Rini!" Sailor Mars shouted.

"Okay..." Kento grumbled under his breath as he followed Sailor Mars into the tunnel...

"JUPITER THUNDERCLOUD ZAP!" Sailor Jupiter shouted.

"Is that your best shot?" Astronema retorted as she easily avoided the large ball of lightning that Sailor Jupiter threw at her.

"Huh?" Cye gasped when he heard a sudden noise coming from behind him. He turned around and noticed that the wall was moving, revealing a dark tunnel. "Sailor Jupiter! Now's our chance to escape!"

"I won't allow it!" Astronema shouted as she charged at Cye and Sailor Jupiter.

"Oh, yeah? Try this on for size!" Cye shouted as he aimed his trident at the advancing Astronema. "SUPER WAVE SMASHER!"

"Ahh!" Astronema screamed as she was pinned against the wall by Cye's attack.

"Sailor Jupiter, you make a run for it! I'll catch up with you!" Cye shouted.

"But, Cye..." Sailor Jupiter started to protest.

"There's no time to argue, Sailor Jupiter. I can restrain Astronema for only so long. Besides, we need to find our friends and rescue Rini," Cye interrupted.

"All right, Cye," Sailor Jupiter reluctantly agreed as she ran into the dark tunnel. Once Cye's attack ended, he quickly ran into the tunnel after Sailor Jupiter. Astronema coughed up some water as she slowly stood up.

"You will pay for this!" Astronema shouted angrily as she quickly flew into the dark tunnel after Cye and Sailor Jupiter...

"Let's see if I can get my point across!" Rowen shouted as he fired one of his arrows at Flarea.

"Nice try, Rowen of Strata," Flarea remarked sinisterly as she flung a small ball of fire at the arrow, burning it into a small pile of ashes. "Now it's my turn!" Flarea smirked evilly as she formed an arrow made of fire in her hands and threw it at Rowen and Sailor Mercury.

"Look out!" Rowen shouted as he pushed Sailor Mercury down to the floor, barely avoiding the fiery arrow.

"Hey, Rowen, look!" Sailor Mercury announced as she pointed at the wall behind them. Rowen looked up and saw the wall moving, revealing a dark tunnel.

"That could be a way out," Rowen muttered thoughtfully as he and Sailor Mercury stood up. "Then again, it could be leading us into another trap!"

"Well, that's just a risk we'll have to take, Rowen," Sailor Mercury replied.

"Too bad you won't live to find out!" Flarea shouted as she started to form a massive fireball in her hands.

"Not this time, Flarea! SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" Sailor Mercury shouted.

"Ahh!" Flarea shouted as she became enveloped in a thick blanket of ice, freezing her in place.

"That should hold her...for now," Sailor Mercury muttered out loud.

"Well, then, let's get moving," Rowen suggested.

"Right," Sailor Mercury agreed as she followed Rowen into the dark tunnel.

Just moments after they left, Flarea managed to break free from her frozen prison. "You won't get away from me that easy!" Flarea shouted furiously as she flew into the dark tunnel, encased in a fiery glow...

"I hope they can beat those mean creatures from the Celestial Stones, and Amethyst and Topaz, Luna P," Rini muttered out loud as her Luna Ball floated next to her.

"So, there you are!" a familiar voice announced. Rini turned around and gasped when she saw Topaz standing in the doorway.

I don't know how you managed to escape, Small Lady, but you won't get away a second time. Now, why don't you be a good girl and get back in the cage?" Topaz ordered.

"No way, Topaz! I'm not gonna listen to you!" Rini shouted.

"We'll just see about that, you little brat!" Topaz muttered sinisterly as he stepped into the room. Rini leaned against the control panel in fear as Topaz came closer to her.

Before he could grab the little pink-haired girl, Topaz's eyes briefly glanced up at the surveillance monitor. "What the...?" Topaz gasped when he saw that all five rooms in the surveillance monitor were completely empty.

"I don't believe this! How could this have happened?" Topaz exclaimed out of shock as he pressed some buttons on the control panel in an attempt to find the missing Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts, not realizing that he just gave Rini an opportunity to escape.

"Who could have done this?" Topaz then realized that he had left Rini unattended. "Small Lady! She's gone...again!" Topaz complained loudly as he angrily slammed his fist down on the control panel.

"Topaz, what are you doing back in here?" Amethyst asked suspiciously as she entered the room.

"I'm afraid I have bad news, Amethyst. Somehow, Small Lady had set the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts free."

"What did you say?" Amethyst asked angrily as she joined her brother at the control panel.

"See for yourself, Amethyst," Topaz simply stated. Amethyst looked up at the surveillance monitor and gasped when she saw the same thing Topaz saw: five empty rooms with no sign of the Ronin Warriors, the Sailor Scouts, or the creatures from the Celestial Stones.

"We must find them right away, Topaz! They could ruin our plans to take over Crystal Tokyo!" Amethyst exclaimed.

"I'm on it, Amethyst. And while I'm at it, I'll search for Small Lady as well," Topaz replied as he sat down at the control panel and started typing away...

"Faster, Sailor Moon! I can see some light up ahead!" Ryo announced as he and Sailor Moon continued running down the dark tunnel.

"I'm going...as fast...as I can...Ryo!" Sailor Moon shouted as she panted heavily.

"It's not much further, Sailor Moon!" Ryo reassured Sailor Moon when he realized that the light was getting closer and brighter. A few minutes later, Ryo and Sailor found themselves in a large hallway with four separate smaller tunnels, identical to the one they just left, connected to the main hallway.

"Which way now, Ryo?" Sailor Moon asked curiously as Ryo looked around the unfamiliar area. "Petrofina's gonna catch up to us any minute now!"

"I know that, Sailor Moon, but I...huh?" Ryo gasped slightly. "What is it, Ryo?" Sailor Moon asked curiously.

"I hear footsteps coming," Ryo whispered as he cautioned Sailor Moon to be quiet.

Sailor Moon could clearly hear several footsteps coming towards her and Ryo from the four other dark tunnels. She started to become nervous as the footsteps grew closer, not knowing who or what was coming. Sailor Moon let out a loud sigh of relief when Sailor Venus and Sage emerged from one of the dark tunnels.

"Sailor Venus!" Sailor Moon exclaimed happily.

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Venus gasped out of relief.

"Hey, Sage!" Ryo exclaimed.

"Ryo?" Sage gasped out loud.

Just then, the three remaining Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts emerged from the other dark tunnels. "Is everyone all right?" Sailor Mercury asked as she looked around at her fellow Scouts.

"Just fine, Sailor Mercury," Sailor Jupiter replied, giving the blue-haired Sailor Scout a thumbs-up.

"Hate to interrupt this little reunion, but we got a bigger problem heading right for us," Ryo revealed.

"Let me guess. Another one of those Celestial Stone creatures, right?" Kento guessed.

"You definitely got that right!" Cye remarked under his breath.

"I got an idea, guys," Rowen announced. "Ryo, which one of those creatures was sent after you and Sailor Moon?"

"It's Petrofina," Ryo replied as Sailor Moon nodded her head in agreement.

"All right, then. Kento, Sailor Venus, cover this tunnel," Rowen instructed.

"All right! It's party time!" Kento cheered as he and Sailor Venus stood at the tunnel's opening.

"Ryo, Sailor Mars, you two cover this tunnel. Flarea will be coming out of there any minute," Rowen instructed, pointing at the hallway that he and Sailor Mercury ran out of earlier.

"Gotcha, Rowen," Ryo agreed as he and Sailor Mars approached the tunnel that Rowen was pointing at.

"Astronema's in this tunnel," Cye revealed.

"Electra's down that way," Kento announced.

"And Seadra's down this tunnel," Sage added.

"All right, everyone. Take your positions," Rowen announced as he approached the tunnel that Cye pointed at, followed by Sailor Moon, while Sage and Sailor Jupiter stood at the tunnel that Kento was pointing at, and Cye and Sailor Mercury approached the tunnel that Sage had briefly jerked his thumb at.

"So...what now, Rowen?" Kento asked a bit impatiently.

"Don't you see, Kento? Amethyst and Topaz separated us all for a reason," Rowen explained. "It was our elemental link that allowed us to defeat those monsters. That's why Ryo and Sailor Mars could defeat Flarea, and why you and Sailor Venus could defeat Petrofina."

"That makes perfect sense, Rowen," Sailor Mercury agreed.

"Get ready, guys! Here they come!" Ryo announced when he spotted a fiery red glow coming through the tunnel fast.

"I've got you now!" Flarea shouted angrily as she reached the end of the tunnel. To her complete surprise, instead of running into Rowen of Strata and Sailor Mercury, she was face-to-face with Ryo of Wildfire and Sailor Mars. "Uh-oh!" Flarea gasped as she quickly stopped herself.

"You got that right, Flarea!" Ryo shouted as he brought his twin katanas together. "FLARE UP NOW!"

"MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!" Sailor Mars shouted.

"AHH!" Flarea screamed loudly as the two attacks struck her simultaneously. Her body soon turned completely into gray ashes and fell into a pile on the floor.

"That one's definitely toast!" Kento remarked.

"Heads up, Kento! The others will be here shortly, so be ready!" Cye announced as he readied his trident. Within moments, Seadra, Petrofina, Astronema, and Electra flew into the main hallway.

"We've got trouble!" Astronema shouted when she noticed that not only did all the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts manage to escape, but also it was obvious that the ten heroes were waiting for them.

"Oh, dear!" Seadra gasped.

"Looks like the gang's back together again!" Electra remarked.

"What's the matter? You scared of us now?" Kento taunted sarcastically.

"We're not afraid of you pathetic Ronins or you pesky Sailor Failures!" Petrofina remarked as she, Electra, Seadra, and Astronema charged at the ten heroes.

"Now, guys!" Ryo announced.

"You got it, Ryo! THUNDER BOLT CUT!" Sage shouted.

"JUPITER THUNDERCLOUD ZAP!" Sailor Jupiter shouted.

"SUPER WAVE SMASHER!" Cye shouted.

"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" Sailor Mercury shouted.

"IRON ROCK CRUSHER!" Kento shouted.

"VENUS LOVE-CHAIN ENCIRCLE!" Sailor Venus shouted.

"ARROW SHOCK WAVE!" Rowen shouted.

"MOON SCEPTER ELIMINATION!" Sailor Moon shouted.

All four creatures let out pain-filled screams as the numerous attacks from the Ronin Warriors and the Sailor Scouts struck them simultaneously. One by one, the remaining creatures from the Celestial Stones disintegrated into dust.

"All right! They're gone for good!" Kento exclaimed as he and Cye exchanged high-fives.

"Don't be so confidant yet, Kento. If Amethyst and Topaz brought them back once, they can most certainly do it again," Rowen interrupted.

"Those Celestial Stones, they have to be the key in all this," Sailor Mercury mused thoughtfully.

"You're probably right about that, Sailor Mercury," Cye agreed.

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" Kento asked.

"Isn't it obvious, Kento? We have to destroy the Celestial Stones!" Sailor Venus announced.

"Sailor Venus is right, guys," Rowen agreed. "With the destruction of the Celestial Stones, those creatures cannot be resurrected again, and Amethyst and Topaz won't be able to use their devastating powers to take over Crystal Tokyo in the future."

"Good idea, but first, we have to find the Celestial Stones," Sage pointed out. "They could be anywhere on this ship."

Just then, the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts were startled to hear faint footsteps approaching them.

"Who could that be? Don't tell those creatures from the Celestial Stones got resurrected this quickly!" Cye gasped out loud.

"That could be a possibility, Cye," Sailor Mercury reluctantly replied. "Or maybe it's Amethyst and Topaz?" Sailor Jupiter suggested.

"We're soon going to find out!" Ryo whispered when a formless shadow appeared on the wall next to them, coming from a bend in the main hallway. As the shadow slowly came closer, it took on a more distinct form, turning into the silhouette of a young pig-tailed girl and a floating ball with large pointed ears and a drooping antenna.

"No way! Could that be...?" Sailor Venus started to ask.

"It is!" Sailor Moon exclaimed happily. "Rini! Over here!"

At that moment, Rini turned the corner, along with her floating Luna Ball, and found herself facing the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts.

"Sailor Moon!" Rini exclaimed happily with tears brimming in her eyes as she ran towards the leader of the Sailor Scouts. Sailor Moon knelt down on one knee and embraced Rini when she ran into her open arms.

"Oh, Sailor Moon! I thought I was never gonna see you again!" Rini whimpered out loud as she freely bawled her eyes out.

"Hey, it's okay, Rini. We're here now. Nothing bad is going to happen to you," Sailor Moon whispered reassuringly as she wiped away the tears still lingering on Rini's cheeks.

"Now that we found Rini, all we have to do now is to find those Celestial Stones and destroy them so they can never be used for evil again," Sailor Mars announced.

"Rini, do you know where we can find the Celestial Stones?" Rowen asked curiously.

"No, I haven't seen them since Topaz brought me up here," Rini reluctantly admitted.

"Wait a second! I've got an idea on how we can find the Celestial Stones!" Sailor Mercury announced.

"How, Sailor Mercury?" Cye asked curiously.

"Sailor Venus, do you still have that pocket tracer that Rini gave us?" Sailor Mercury inquired.

"Yeah, I think so. Here it is," Sailor Venus replied as she handed the thin pink pocket tracer over to Sailor Mercury.

"Oh, I get it," Rowen realized as Sailor Mercury opened the pocket tracer and started pressing some buttons. "Since that tracer was originally programmed to track down the Celestial Stones in the first place, we can use it to find them aboard the ship."

"Exactly, Rowen," Sailor Mercury revealed as she looked down at the tracer's screen. "I'm picking up a signal, guys. According to the tracer, the Celestial Stones are in that direction." Sailor Mercury pointed down the same corridor that Rini and her Luna Ball came walking down just moments earlier.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kento asked a bit sarcastically.

"Yeah, let's move!" Ryo shouted as he headed down the large hallway, followed by Sage, Cye, Kento, Rowen, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, Sailor Moon, and Rini...

"Amethyst, I've found them!" Topaz announced.

Amethyst looked up at the surveillance monitor and could see all of the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts running down one of the several halls on the ship, along with Rini and her floating Luna Ball.

"Can you find out their precise location aboard the ship, Topaz?" Amethyst inquired.

"Of course," Topaz admitted as he flipped a couple of white switches on the control panel. Almost instantly, a map of the ship appeared on the surveillance monitor, replacing the image of the ten heroes and Rini.

"That's them on the map," Topaz explained as he pointed at a flashing red dot on the map that was continually moving across the screen at a slow pace.

"So...where are they, Topaz?" Amethyst asked a bit impatiently.

"Just give me a minute..." Topaz muttered out loud as he slowly traced the path that the red dot was following with his finger. He gasped out loud when he realized where the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts would eventually end up.

"What's wrong now, Topaz?" Amethyst prodded.

"Unless I'm wrong about this, Amethyst, the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts are heading towards the main engine room," Topaz reluctantly revealed.

"The main engine room? That's where we keep the Celestial Stones. Those annoying pests will destroy them, ruining our plans to conquer Crystal Tokyo once and for all!" Amethyst shouted angrily.

"I'm well aware of this, Amethyst. If we hurry, we can cut them off before that happens," Topaz explained as he quickly got out of his seat.

"We've accomplished so much this past year, Topaz, so we could finally fulfill our promise to our dearly departed brothers, Diamond, Sapphire, and Rubeus, and our sister, Emerald. We cannot allow our enemies to win this fight!" Amethyst stated coldly as she angrily slammed her clenched fist against the control panel. "We must stop them at all costs!"

"Well, then, we better get moving before they reach the main engine room, Amethyst, or all of our plans for Crystal Tokyo will be ruined," Topaz suggested. Amethyst silently nodded in agreement as they ran out of the control room...

"Which way now, Sailor Mercury?" Rowen asked. The Ronin Warriors, Sailor Scouts, and Rini had stopped at a section of the hallway, with several doors on either side. They were patiently waiting on Sailor Mercury, who was silently studying the tracer once again.

"The signal's getting much stronger. We're definitely getting closer to the location of the Celestial Stones," Sailor Mercury muttered thoughtfully. She looked up at the closest door, which was on the left side of the hallway. "Right through there! That's where we'll find the Celestial Stones!" Sailor Mercury announced.

Sage quickly approached the door and tried to open it, but to no avail. "Shoot! It's locked!" he complained as Ryo, Cye, Kento, Rowen, and the Sailor Scouts joined him.

"Relax, Sage! I got the key!" Kento remarked as he pulled his fist back and punched the door as hard as he could. As Kento moved his fist away from the door, there was a piercing groan coming from the door as it eventually fell backwards into the room, slamming on the floor with a loud crash.

"See, what did I tell ya?" Kento boasted as he entered the room, followed by Ryo, Sage, Cye, Rowen, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, and Sailor Moon.

"No wonder Kento's always boasting about being the Warrior of Strength," Sailor Venus muttered under her breath.

"What is this place?" Cye asked when he noticed the unusually large piece of machinery located in the center of the room; with large glowing deep violet crystals protruding out of it that almost touched the ceiling.

"This must be an engine room of some sort," Sailor Mercury theorized as she walked towards the machinery in the center of the room and examined the large crystals. "These crystals must provide power to the entire ship."

"Then, where are the Celestial Stones at, Sailor Mercury?" Rowen inquired.

"The signal's coming from...over there!" Sailor Mercury announced as she looked up at a wall on the left side of the room.

"Are you sure about that, Sailor Mercury?" Sage asked a bit skeptically. "That's a solid wall."

"That tracer gave us accurate readings so far, Sage, so why would it stop now?" Sailor Jupiter pointed out as Sailor Mercury approached the wall where the signal was strongest.

"What about the next room? Maybe that's why you're getting the signal through the wall," Ryo suggested.

"That could be a possibility," Sailor Mercury murmured thoughtfully.

"Ryo and I will go check the next room. We'll let you know if we find anything," Sailor Mars revealed as she and Ryo left the room.

"Hmm..." Sailor Mercury muttered thoughtfully to herself as she activated her visor.

"What are you doing, Sailor Mercury?" Cye asked curiously as he watched Sailor Mercury carefully look over the wall with her blue visor.

"If my suspicions are correct, Cye, then there should...there is!" Sailor Mercury exclaimed loudly.

"There is what?" Sailor Moon asked curiously as she, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, Sage, Kento, Cye, and Rowen turned around to see what Sailor Mercury was talking about.

"There appears to be a secret compartment right behind this wall," Sailor Mercury explained as she continued studying the secret door she managed to locate through her visor. "The Celestial Stones are being kept in there, I just know it. If only I can figure out how to open it." Upon further examination, Sailor Mercury noticed that a small square-shaped panel of the secret door was slightly different from the rest, but barely noticeable to the naked eye.

"I wonder if..." Sailor Mercury murmured thoughtfully as she raised her clenched fist and rapped her knuckles against the square-shaped section of the door once. When nothing happened, Sailor Mercury tried a second time, then a third time.

"Sailor Mercury, I think something's wrong with that tracer," Sailor Mars announced as she and Ryo reentered the engine room just as Sailor Mercury rapped her knuckles against the wall for the third time.

"Yeah, we couldn't find any...thing..." Ryo trailed off. He and Sailor Mars were surprised when a section of the wall that Sailor Mercury had rapped her knuckles against silently moved away, revealing a secret room.

"Wow! There was a secret room!" Rini gasped loudly.

"Yeah, but what's inside it?" Sailor Venus asked as Sailor Mercury touched her earring, causing her visor to disappear.

"I'll give you one guess," Kento muttered out loud as the ten heroes and Rini cautiously entered the secret room, which was basked in a soft pale white glow.

"Look! Over there!" Cye exclaimed as he pointed at a tall black cylinder- shaped stand in the center of the room. Ryo, Sage, Kento, Rowen, the Sailor Scouts, and Rini looked up and gasped when they recognized the five colorful glass orbs resting on top of the stand.

"The Celestial Stones!" Rini gasped out loud.

"Hey, what's that thing in the middle?" Sailor Moon asked curiously, pointing at an unusual looking jewel lying in the center of the cylinder- shaped stand. The Ronin Warriors gasped loudly when they recognized the large deep red curved tear-shaped jewel secured to a tied loop of light green cord with long frayed ends.

"The Jewel of Life? It can't be! How did it get up here?" Ryo exclaimed loudly out of shock.

"Jewel of Life?" Sailor Mars repeated.

"What's that?" Sailor Jupiter asked curiously.

"The Jewel of Life is said to be the heart of the nine armors that were created from Talpa's body, including our own," Sage explained. "The Jewel of Life also aided us in defeating Talpa for good."

"But, I don't understand how it even got up here in the first place," Rowen muttered thoughtfully. "Mia had the Jewel of Life locked up in her family safe at the house for safekeeping."

"Wait a minute! Mia said the last thing she remembered before ending up in the park was that a stranger came to her house, claiming that he had car trouble, right?" Sailor Mercury asked.

"Yeah, she did say that," Cye admitted.

"So, it's very likely that the stranger was none other than Topaz in disguise!" Sailor Mercury announced.

"That would explain how the Jewel of Life got up here," Ryo realized.

"And the Dark Moon people do have the power to turn ordinary people into hideous monsters," Sailor Venus added.

"So, it seems that you figured it all out!" a familiar woman's voice retorted. The Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts turned around and gasped when they saw Amethyst and Topaz standing in the doorway to the secret room.

"Too bad you're too late to stop us!" Topaz boasted with a sarcastic laugh.

"Yeah, right!" Kento scoffed as he reached for the glowing Celestial Stone of Earth. "All we gotta to do is crush these Celestial Stones of yours and..." Before Kento could grab the Celestial Stone of Earth, a strange force of energy struck him hard, knocking him against the wall.

"Kento!" Cye and Sailor Venus exclaimed simultaneously as Kento collapsed to the floor.

"Man, those things sure pack a punch!" Kento reluctantly admitted as Cye helped him back on his feet.

"Hate to say I told you so, but..." Topaz replied nonchalantly as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Your foolish attempts to stop our plans for Crystal Tokyo were all in vain. Unlike those before us, we will succeed in conquering the city of Crystal Tokyo," Amethyst admitted boastfully.

"But, for a little insurance, we might as well destroy the future queen and princess while we're at it," Topaz remarked sinisterly, his brown eyes focused on Sailor Moon and Rini in particular.

"You'll have to get through us first, Topaz!" Sailor Mars proclaimed.

"That will be our pleasure, Sailor brats!" Amethyst admitted darkly as she and Topaz walked further into the secret room towards the Ronin Warriors, Sailor Scouts, and Rini.

As Ryo took a step back, his foot accidentally hit the stand that was holding the five Celestial Stones and the Jewel of Life, causing it to vibrate slightly.

"No! Stay away from that!" Amethyst demanded loudly with a slightly panicked look in her deep violet eyes.

"Why? What'll happen?" Ryo asked a bit suspiciously.

"That's none of your concern!" Topaz spat out defiantly.

"Oh, really? Then you won't mind if I do this?" Kento asked nonchalantly as he intentionally pushed the stand, causing it to teeter back and forth slightly.

"Knock it off, you impudent fool! You have no idea what you're doing!" Topaz shouted.

"Oh, I know exactly what I'm doing, Topaz! I'm stopping you and your sister from taking over the future!" Kento remarked.

"Go for it, Kento!" Sailor Venus encouraged Kento, much to the Sailor Scouts and Ronin Warriors' surprise. Kento smirked slightly as he deliberately pushed the stand over, causing the five Celestial Stones and the Jewel of Life to spill out on the floor.

"NO!" Amethyst screamed loudly. Suddenly, the lights started to flicker and the entire room started to shake violently, causing everyone to fall to the floor.

"What just happened?" Rowen asked a bit hesitantly as he slowly stood up, along with Sailor Moon, Ryo, Sailor Mars, Sage, Sailor Jupiter, Cye, Sailor Mercury, Kento, and Sailor Venus.

"The entire ship is going into complete shutdown, and you can blame your fool-hearted friend for that!" Topaz muttered icily as he looked up at Kento.

"Hey! What do you mean?" Kento demanded loudly.

"The Jewel of Life is the only relic in existence that's capable of suppressing such uncontrollable power," Amethyst explained. "Not even anything from our time could contain such power."

"Tell us, how are you able to use the Jewel of Life?" Sage asked suspiciously. "It's a force for good, not evil."

"That's where you're wrong, Sage of Halo," Topaz interrupted. "The Jewel of Life can be a force for either good or evil. Now that the display has been disturbed, the power from the power of the Celestial Stones will be unleashed in an uncontrollable explosion, obliterating everything and everyone in this ship along with it!"

"Oh, no!" Sailor Moon gasped loudly, along with the other Sailor Scouts, the Ronin Warriors, and Rini.

"We gotta get out of here now!" Ryo shouted as he, Sage, Kento, Cye, Rowen, the five Sailor Scouts, and Rini ran past Amethyst and Topaz out of the secret room.

Once they disappeared out of sight, a small smirk played across Topaz's face as he picked up the Fire Stone in one hand and the Air Stone in the other. "Hurry, Amethyst! If we put everything back just as it was, we can prevent the ship from being destroyed and still accomplish our goal to take over Crystal Tokyo."

"That was very clever of you, Topaz," Amethyst admitted as she picked up the Earth Stone and Water Stone, while Topaz was putting the stand back up and placing the Fire Stone and Air Stone back where they were once resting.

"Those foolish do-gooders honestly believed that nothing could be done to prevent the power of the Celestial Stones from destroying the entire ship," Topaz remarked boastfully as Amethyst placed the Earth and Water Stones back where they belonged. He quickly scanned the room with his brown eyes and spotted the Spirit Stone resting against the wall near the secret door.

As Topaz picked up the Spirit Stone, Amethyst asked, "Topaz, do you have the Jewel of Life?"

"No, I don't, Amethyst. Why do you ask?" Topaz asked curiously as he put the Spirit Stone back on the stand.

"I can't find the Jewel," Amethyst revealed, catching Topaz by surprise.

"You can't find it? We have to find it, Amethyst! It's the only thing that'll prevent the Celestial Stones from demolishing the entire ship and us with it!" Topaz shouted with a hint of panic in his voice as he quickly got down on his hands and knees and joined Amethyst in the search for the red curved tear-shaped jewel.

"Any luck yet, Topaz?" Amethyst asked her brother.

"No, I don't see it at all," Topaz reported.

"The Jewel has to be in here. It couldn't have just walked off on its own," Amethyst muttered out loud.

"Maybe not, Amethyst, but someone could have walked out of here with it," Topaz revealed.

"You mean to tell me that one of those pesky heroes took the Jewel of Life with them?" Amethyst asked loudly out of shock.

"Well, it's not in here, and like you said, Amethyst, the Jewel of Life couldn't walk out of here on its own," Topaz pointed out.

"We must stop them before they leave the ship!" Amethyst shouted as she and Topaz quickly stood up and ran for the door. Before they could reach the opening, the door suddenly closed down right in front of their faces.

"What the...we're locked in!" Amethyst gasped loudly as Topaz tried ramming into the door with his shoulder. She looked back at the stand and gasped when she saw the five Celestial Stones glowing brightly, filling the room with an intense light.

"Topaz, something's happening with the Celestial Stones!" Amethyst shouted loudly with a hint of panic in her voice.

"Oh, no! Their power's becoming unleashed! It must have shorted out the ship's systems, which caused the door to close on us," Topaz realized. "I'm afraid that we're trapped in here, Amethyst."

"You mean there's no way out?" Amethyst exclaimed loudly out of shock. Topaz reluctantly shook his head no in response.

"I can't believe it's going to end like this," Amethyst muttered out loud as she slowly slumped down to the floor. She took out her locket and opened it, revealing the picture of her deceased older brothers and sister. "Diamond, Sapphire, Rubeus, Emerald...please forgive us. We failed you, but we'll soon be together again..." Amethyst trailed off as a tear ran down her face and landed on the picture inside of her locket...

"Come on! This way, hurry!" Ryo shouted as he led the Ronin Warriors, the Sailor Scouts, and Rini down the hall.

"How are we gonna get out of here, Ryo?" Sailor Jupiter asked.

"If we can find that window we saw when we first got here, we can bust it open and escape through there," Ryo explained.

"Are you crazy, Ryo?" Sailor Mars asked suspiciously. "We'll get trapped in outer space with no way out!"

"Relax, Sailor Mars. The power of our armor will protect us, just like it did before when Sailor Moon and I traveled to outer space when we were searching for the Celestial Stone of Air," Rowen explained.

"Yeah, that's right!" Sailor Moon realized. Just then, the ship shook violently, causing everyone to fall to the floor once again.

"We better move it, guys!" Sage shouted as he, Ryo, Cye, Kento, Rowen, Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mars, Sailor Venus, Sailor Mercury, and Rini warily got back up. "That ship is a time bomb just waiting to explode!"

"Hold on a second. This area looks familiar," Rowen muttered thoughtfully. "If I'm right, then the window we're looking for should be down that way!"

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Kento shouted as he turned into the corridor on the left that Rowen was pointing at. A few moments later, the Ronin Warriors, Sailor Scouts, and Rini heard Kento announce, "Hey, guys, I found it!"

"You heard him, let's go," Ryo suggested as he, Sage, Cye, Rowen, the Sailor Scouts, and Rini headed down the corridor that Kento disappeared into.

"There it is!" Cye exclaimed as he pointed at the same window they saw when they first arrived on the ship.

"So, what now?" Sailor Venus asked curiously.

"It's easy, Sailor Venus. All I gotta do is bust this window open and..." Kento started to explain as he withdrew his naginata.

"Kento, stop!" Ryo shouted.

"What's wrong, Ryo? Don't you wanna get out of here?" Kento asked sarcastically.

"If you use your attack, you'll end up ripping this ship apart," Ryo explained.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Kento reluctantly agreed as he holstered his weapon.

"It'd be best if Rowen does the honors," Sage suggested. "He can easily create a hole through the wall with his arrow's shock wave big enough for us to escape through without tearing apart the entire ship."

"Hang on tight, everyone!" Rowen cautioned his friends as he withdrew an arrow from his quiver, placed it in his bow, and aimed it directly at the window. "Armor of Strata! ARROW SHOCK WAVE!" The arrow soon changed into a jagged beam of yellow light as it struck the window, blasting a large jagged hole in the wall.

"AHH!" everyone screamed simultaneously as an incredible force from deep within the realms of outer space pulled at them from the newly created opening, like a powerful vacuum.

"Hold on!" Ryo shouted as he instinctively grabbed Sailor Mars by the arm, while Sage, Kento, and Cye quickly did the same with Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, and Sailor Mercury. Just then, the powerful force sucked the ten heroes and Rini out of the spaceship in a split second.

"I got you, Sailor Moon!" Rowen shouted as he quickly grabbed Sailor Moon's wrist.

"Hang on, Rini!" Sailor Moon shouted as she held on to Rini with her free hand. Using the will of their armors, the five Ronin Warriors quickly formed protective orbs of light around themselves and the five Sailor Scouts.

"We better get away from that ship, and quick!" Sailor Jupiter shouted. "You heard what Topaz said. That ship of theirs is a giant ticking time bomb that'll blow up any second now!"

"Come on!" Ryo announced as he used his will to move the red sphere holding him and Sailor Mars at a much faster speed, followed closely behind by Sage, Sailor Jupiter, Cye, Sailor Mercury, Kento, Sailor Venus, Rowen, Sailor Moon, and Rini.

Within moments, a monstrous sonic boom was heard by all. The Ronin Warriors, Sailor Scouts, and Rini looked back and gasped loudly out of shock. The huge spaceship composed entirely of black crystals had exploded into a giant fireball, which was quickly extinguished due to the lack of oxygen in outer space.

"Whoa...that was intense," Kento exclaimed slowly.

"You got that right, Kento," Sailor Venus agreed.

"Is it possible that they could have somehow survived that?" Cye wondered out loud.

"I don't see how, Cye," Sailor Mercury murmured thoughtfully.

"We did it! The Dark Moon family has finally been defeated once and for all!" Sailor Moon openly admitted.

"Yay!" Rini cheered loudly.

"It's a shame that we lost the Jewel of Life in the process, though," Rowen muttered out loud. "It was a powerful tool that defeated the most evil demon this world has probably ever seen."

"You mean this?" Rini asked curiously as she took the Jewel of Life out of her pocket.

"The Jewel of Life! But, how did you get it, Rini?" Rowen asked curiously as he knelt down in front of Rini.

"I found it on the floor before we left," Rini explained. "I know it was really important to you guys, so I saved it for you." Rini handed over the Jewel of Life to Rowen.

"Thanks, Rini," Rowen admitted as he stood back up and gazed around at their surroundings. "It's fortunate that the ship exploded the way it did. If any large remains were left, they could have ended up crashing into the Earth like a meteor."

"Yeah, definitely," Sailor Moon agreed.

"Sailor Moon, I have to know: What did Topaz mean when he called you and Rini the future queen and princess?" Rowen inquired curiously.

"It's a really long and complicated story, Rowen. You sure you wanna hear it?" Sailor Moon asked curiously.

"Yes, please, Sailor Moon," Rowen requested.

"Let's see...where should I start?" Sailor Moon asked herself with a nervous laugh. She took in a deep breath before she started. "Well, first of all, Rini, like the Dark Moon people, is also from the thirtieth century."

"So, would that make Rini your future descendant?" Rowen asked curiously, catching both Rini and Sailor Moon by surprise. "I mean, you two do look similar to each other, so you must be distantly related, am I right?"

"Well, you're right about the being related part, Rowen," Rini confessed.

"The truth is...Rini...she's my daughter," Sailor Moon hesitantly admitted with a nervous laugh, catching Rowen off guard.

But...but how is that even possible? You had to be at least a thousand years old when you had Rini!" Rowen exclaimed.

"Well, from what I found out when my friends and I first traveled to the future with Rini to help save Crystal Tokyo, there's this ice age that happens, which puts everyone in a really deep sleep," Sailor Moon explained. "The ice age was ended in the thirtieth century by my Silver Imperium Crystal, and I end up becoming Neo-Queen Serenity of the planet Earth. Hard to believe, huh? Sometimes, I can't even believe it myself!"

"So, that's why Topaz called you the future queen," Rowen realized. "And since Rini's your future daughter, it would make her the princess. But, what about these Dark Moon people? Where did they come from?"

"I was getting to that. As Neo-Queen Serenity, I used the power of the Silver Imperium Crystal to get rid of all negative feelings, which will bring peace and tranquility to Earth," Sailor Moon continued. "But, unfortunately, some people resisted the power of the Silver Crystal and they ended up retreating to a tenth planet in our solar system called Nemesis and calling themselves the Dark Moon Clan. Nothing was heard from the Dark Moon Clan until, one day, they attacked Crystal Tokyo out of the blue."

"It was really bad," Rini sadly admitted as she recalled that day when the Dark Moon first attacked Crystal Tokyo. "My dad got hurt pretty bad from the attack. He couldn't even move. And my mom...she was attacked when she left the palace to look for me. The Sailor Scouts of my time saved my mom by making a crystal shield around her, which put her in a deep sleep. They also used their powers to make a shield around the palace. I knew that the only thing that could save us all was the Silver Imperium Crystal, but it vanished. At the time, I had no idea that the Silver Crystal somehow got absorbed into my body. I thought the only way to get it was to go back in time and find Sailor Moon, so I used the Moon Crystal Key to do that."

"I don't understand, Rini. Why did you need to find Sailor Moon of the past?" Rowen asked curiously. "Then again, your mother was encased in crystal, and you were unaware that you were in possession of the Silver Imperium Crystal at the time."

"Well, my dad, he used to tell me stories about Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts as bedtime stories. I was never told that Sailor Moon was really my mom. I thought that she only existed in the past, so I went back in time to find her and get the Silver Crystal. When I met Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, I had no idea they would become my parents, and I almost broke them up forever," Rini reluctantly admitted.

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't, Rini, otherwise you wouldn't even be here," Rowen pointed out.

"Yeah, I know," Rini replied. She looked up at Sailor Moon and asked, "You don't think that Amethyst and Topaz are still alive, do you, Sailor Moon?"

"I seriously doubt it, Rini. And even if they did, they'd have no way of returning to Crystal Tokyo with their ship destroyed," Sailor Moon openly confessed.

"I honestly don't see how anyone could have survived that explosion, so you don't have anything to worry about, Rini," Rowen added.

"I sure hope so, Rowen. Hopefully, that's the end of the Dark Moon people this time," Rini muttered out loud as the dark blue orb of light holding her, Sailor Moon, and Rowen floated towards Earth, along with the four other orbs of light carrying the remaining Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts...

"Where could they be? What could possibly be taking so long?" Mia muttered worriedly as she stared out at the forest surrounding her home from the balcony of her computer room. Over a day has past since the Ronin Warriors and Sailor Scouts had left to find Topaz and Amethyst, and Mia had not seen or heard from them since then. As the moon peeked out from behind the trees, Luna, Artemis, and White Blaze joined Mia on the balcony.

"Any sign of them yet, Mia?" Luna asked curiously.

"No, nothing yet, Luna," Mia reluctantly admitted as she stared up at the night sky, which was peppered with stars. "I just hope that everyone's all right, especially Rini. I still can't believe I allowed Topaz to take her."

"Don't blame yourself, Mia. There wasn't much you could do to stop Topaz from taking Rini away...nor us, for that matter," Artemis pointed out as Mia stared down at the floor with a guilt-ridden expression on her face.

"What are those strange lights?" Luna asked out loud.

"What lights, Luna?" Mia asked curiously as she immediately brought her head up.

"Those balls of light up in the sky," Luna replied as she pointed at the night sky with her paw. "They appear to be the same colors as the Celestial Stones. You don't suppose that the Ronin Warriors and the Sailor Scouts were too late to stop Amethyst and Topaz, do you?"

"I certainly hope not, Luna," Artemis muttered out loud.

"Maybe it's Ryo and the others!" Mia suggested.

"But, how is that possible?" Luna inquired curiously.

"The Ronin Warriors are able to project the energy of their armor outward, forming a shield of light around them that protects them. It was that same orb of light that kept Rowen safe while he was stranded in outer space," Mia revealed. "It has to be them, I'm sure of it!"

"Perhaps we should take a closer look at those colored lights, just to be sure," Luna suggested as she looked over at Mia's telescope, which was on the balcony.

"Good idea, Luna," Mia agreed as she approached the telescope, positioned it towards the sky, and peered through the eyepiece.

"What do you see, Mia?" Artemis asked curiously.

"It is them! And they have Rini with them!" Mia exclaimed happily as she looked up from the telescope.

"That's great!" Luna and Artemis exclaimed simultaneously.

"It looks like they're trying to land behind the house. Come on!" Mia shouted as she ran back inside the house, followed by Luna and Artemis.

The two cats sprinted down the stairs and towards the kitchen after Mia, who was just ahead of them. Once they reached the kitchen, Mia quickly opened the door leading into the back of the house and she and the two cats ran outside just as the balls of light appeared just above the treetops. As the orbs descended further down to the ground, Luna and Artemis saw that each orb held a Ronin Warrior and a Sailor Scout, with the dark blue orb also carrying the once missing pink-pigtailed girl and her Luna Ball.

"Guys, you're back!" Mia gasped as the five orbs touched down and eventually faded away.

"Rini, are you all right?" Artemis asked curiously.

"We were worried sick about you," Luna added.

"I'm fine now, Luna," Rini confessed as she knelt down and embraced the two cats.

"What about Amethyst and Topaz? What happened to them?" Mia asked curiously.

"Those two are history," Ryo announced.

"The Dark Moon family will no longer be a threat to the past, the present, or the future of our world ever again," Sailor Mercury added.

"Now we can go back home," Sailor Venus openly admitted.

"But, first, you should all rest. It's late and you've all been gone for a long time," Mia suggested.

"I definitely have no problem with that!" Sailor Moon admitted groggily as she suppressed a long yawn. The others chuckled softly as they all headed inside...

"Rowen, wake up!" Kento shouted as he shook Rowen's shoulder hard, who was still asleep in bed.

"Just give me five more minutes, Kento," Rowen murmured groggily as he turned onto his other side.

"That's what you said five minutes ago," Kento remarked dully. "Come on, Rowen! The girls are leaving in a few minutes! Don't you want to say goodbye to them?"

"All right, Kento. I'm coming," Rowen replied as he sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes for a few moments before he eventually stood up.

"Come on, hurry up, Rowen!" Kento shouted as he ran downstairs ahead of Rowen.

"Cool it, Kento! I'm coming!" Rowen shouted as he followed Kento through the kitchen and out the back door.

Once outside, Rowen saw that everyone else was waiting outside in the backyard, including the three other Ronin Warriors, the five Sailor Scouts, Mia, White Blaze, Luna, Artemis, and little Rini.

"About time, Rowen," Sage remarked as Kento and Rowen joined him, Ryo, and Cye.

"We were starting to think that Kento had to pry you out of bed with the Jaws of Life!"

"Got pretty close to actually using it!" Kento admitted jokingly.

"Okay, I think we all get the point here," Rowen pointed out dully, obviously not amused by Kento and Sage's ribbing.

"Well, girls...I guess this is goodbye," Mia reluctantly admitted.

"Yeah, I guess so..." Serena trailed off as she started to get all misty- eyed.

"We appreciate everything that you've done for us during our stay here, Mia," Amy openly confessed.

"I was more than happy to do it, Amy," Mia replied with a small smile.

"It was pretty cool meeting you guys," Lita admitted.

"Same here, Lita," Ryo agreed.

"You sure you have to leave now?" Sage asked curiously. "We were just getting to know you girls."

"Yeah, I know, Sage...but we've been gone for over a week now," Mina revealed. "Our parents must be really worried about us by now."

"They won't be that worried, Mina. When you return to your time, I'll make it so that only a day has gone by," Rini announced.

"That's good to hear, Rini. I'm sure my grandfather would be worried out of his mind if I was gone for an entire week," Rae confessed.

"So, is everyone ready to go now?" Rini asked the five Sailor Scouts, Luna, and Artemis. All seven of them shook their heads in agreement as Rini detached the Moon Crystal Key from the chain around her neck and held the key high up in the air.

"MOON CRYSTAL KEY! Open the Gate of Time and take us all back home!" Rini shouted.

To Ryo, Sage, Kento, Cye, Rowen, and Mia's surprise, a pair of large doors appeared in front of the Sailor Scouts and Rini, with the eight different phases of the moon engraved on the front.

"There it is!" Luna gasped softly.

"You guys might want to stay back," Lita cautioned the five boys and Mia.

"All right, Lita," Ryo replied as he Sage, Cye, Kento, Rowen, Mia, and White Blaze all stepped back a little bit.

"Okay, here we go," Serena announced as the doors slowly swung open, revealing a brilliant white light inside. The six girls joined hands, with Luna and Artemis hanging onto Serena and Mina's shoulders, and slowly walked into the blinding white light. As soon as the girls were out of sight, the doors slowly closed behind them and eventually disappeared altogether.

"That was pretty cool, huh, guys?" Kento asked curiously.

"Yeah, I'd say so," Cye agreed.

"Looks like the Sailor Scouts are now a thing of the past...I mean, the future," Sage replied.

"You think we'll ever see them again?" Ryo asked.

"I'm not sure, Ryo. Only time will tell," Rowen confessed...THE END...OR IS IT?