Serena, Ami, Lita, and Mina lowered Rei gently onto a couch at the Hikawa Jinja temple and lit candles and incense with stimulating fumes to revive her. Just as her eyelids fluttered open, Andi walked into the room, having changed into her pajamas. She paused and looked at the girls in silence for a long moment, wearing a deep frown before turning on heel and ascending the stairs.

As soon as she was gone, Luna and Artemis jumped up beside her. "How do you feel, Rei?" asked Artemis.

"Not too bad. She didn't take a lot of energy."

Luna was muttering under her breath. "Stupid little. . . how dare he. . . I can't believe. . . of all the nerve. . . Well I never. . . "

Lita raised an eyebrow at her. "Umm. . . You okay, Luna?"

"She's alright," Artemis answered for her. "She just never really got along with Apollo very well, that's all."

"Speaking of which," Mina chimed in, "Who exactly are Apollo and Antares? You two obviously know, so care to fill us in?"

"Apollo is the rudest, most obnoxious, disrespectful. . . "

"Ahem. . . Luna, maybe I should take this one," Artemis interrupted. "Antares is one of the eight Star Guardians, a group much like the Sailor Scouts, only more powerful. But they were all killed by an assassin from the Negaverse when they were just children, except for Antares. But Antares had been on a diplomatic mission the moon kingdom when it was attacked, and she vanished. Everyone thought that she and her guardians were dead too, but apparently not. Apollo is one of the Star Guardians' mentors, like Luna and I are yours."

"But if they were like Sailor Scouts, wouldn't that make them good guys?" Serena asked.

"They were good guys," answered Artemis.

"Apparently," said Luna with a heavy sigh of regret, "while it's not surprising that Apollo would betray us, I just can't believe that Princess Antares would. . . While it's never been heard of before for any Star Guardian, least of all Antares, to align herself with evil, I don't suppose it's impossible."

"So how do we fight her? Tell us everything you know about Antares and the Star Guardians."

"Unfortunately, we don't know much. Antares herself is the guardian of stone, so all of her powers pertain to earth and rock, and come from her rod."

"There's also a legend about the Star Guardians, but no one really believes it. Not even Apollo. There are a few who think it's a prophecy, but it's really nothing more than a nursery rhyme."

"Well let's hear it anyway, Luna."

"Well, alright, here goes:

Eight guardians of eight realms
Born together in one place,
Share a common destiny
Behind each starlit face.
Polaris, sure and wise,
Antares, brave and true,
Castor and Pollux, the Gemini,
Determined as any two.
And with Vega's compassion,
And Sirius's loyalty,
Rigel's inner strength,
And Altair's hope for time to be.
Together the eight can defeat
Most any evil force
That threatens peace within their realms
With friendship as their source.
So strong is the bond they share
Not even death can bid them part.
When death claims one, her soul lives on
Within the others' hearts.
And when the last of the eight
Is gone, we needn't mourn.
For once united by their death,
The eight will be reborn.

That's how it goes, girls." Luna finished her recitation.

"I'm going to destroy that orb tonight," said Rei after taking a moment to absorb everything.

"Are you sure? What if she catches you?"

"What choice do I have? I can't let her use it to hurt anyone else with it."

"Alright, fine," said Serena, "Just be careful."