CHAPTER 27

Luna had been wandering around the town minding her own business one morning. She liked going for strolls by herself but she was in for a big surprise that day. She was walking among all the cars parked in a nearby car park when she heard a distinctive meow sound coming from above her.
Raising her head she saw a huge, bluish-gray coloured cat sitting on top of a camper-van's roof staring down at her. "What the?" She was unsure what to make of it and then the cat made his way as carefully as he could down from the high point onto the ground. He was also huge as in being rather over-weight and as he approached Luna she became rather nervous.
"Uh. W-w-what do you w-w-w-want?" She was starting to feel scared and intimidated but as the big cat slowly approached her he made no indication that he was going to attack. In fact he seemed to be smiling the way you can describe a cat's smile as such and purring cheerfully. In spite of Luna's shock she sensed that he meant her no harm so she stood her ground.
When he came up to her he started to rub his face against her and lick her. "Oh goodness!" Luna cried. "Don't you think this is a little sudden? I mean we've only just met."
Luna began to blush but the big cat did not even seem to understand what she was saying. He was not a mysterious talking cat like she was and was merely acting on his own natural instincts. He was a male cat and he recognized Luna as the female of his species.

Luna was suddenly rescued as the big cat suddenly reacted to the sound of a little girl's voice calling out, "Here kitty, kitty, kitty."
He left Luna's side and raced obediently through the parked cars towards the call of his owner. Luna followed and discreetly watched as a little girl picked up the enormous feline in her arms and snuggled up to him. "Good kitty. Come on Hercules. Let's go home."
"Of course," Luna sighed. "What other name would you give to a great, big cat like that?"

But Luna was not the only one observing Hercules and his owner. Back in the realm of the Negaverse Titus had conjured up the image of them for her and Zoicite to see.
Zoicite grinned and spoke with silk in her voice, "Could this little girl be the holder of the seventh Rainbow Crystal?"
"Of course General Zoicite. I recognize a presence within what we are seeing. She is our next target," Titus crowed ecstatically anticipating yet another successful retrieval of one of Queen Beryl's lost Shadow Warriors. Four of them were taking up residence in her personal chambers. The chambers that she had once shared with Jedite and she believed that she would be sharing them with him again once all seven of the Shadows were gathered together once more. "Let's not waste any time my general. I am eager to start."
"So am I Titus." Zoicite was looking forward to the treachery Queen Beryl had planned against this annoying nuisance Titus. She smiled wickedly relishing the prospect of ordering her good friends, The Plant Trio, to do to her what they had done to that other thorn in her flesh, Nephlite. "So am I."

A couple of hours later Luna called the Sailor Scouts for a meeting in their civilian identities by the public water fountain in the middle of town. Serena and Lita both arrived together and found Luna seated on the edge of the fountain with Amy. "Hello," Serena smiled and waved.
Lita began to apologize, "Sorry we're running late." Then glancing around she and Serena both noticed there was somebody missing. "Hey! Where's Raye?"
Luna closed her eyes and bowed her head while Amy nervously tried to explain, "The thing is, um, Raye's kind of busy today."
As Serena and Lita both raised their eyebrows incredulously Amy gulped and getting her bearings told the honest truth, "You see because it's Saturday she felt like going out on a date with Darien."
Luna cringed with disappointment at Raye's blatant lack of commitment and Serena felt a stab of rage. She guessed why Raye was doing this. It was because of the big row that had erupted between them recently that had involved her grandfather and Chad, the travelling street musician who had moved into the Cherry Hill Temple as a boarder and an assistant/apprentice.
Indeed at that very moment Raye was trying to call Darien's apartment from a public pay phone so that Chad and her grandfather would not know she was arranging a date after the enormous argument they had had because of Serena. They thought she was going to be meeting Serena and her other friends.
But as she dialled the number she heard Darien's answering machine speaking to her. "Hi. You've missed me sorry. I'm not at home right now. But please leave a message after the beep."
Raye was desperate to contact him and when the beep sounded she blurted, "Oh hello. It's Raye. I was just wondering if you were free today you might meet me for an ice cream sundae at the new ice cream parlour that's just opened on the corner of Yarmuth and Bean Streets. I'll be waiting if you can come. I hope I can see you later today."
Little did she know that Darien really was at home. But he was deliberately ignoring his phone when it rang. In fact he wasn't even listening to her message. He was deep in thought talking to himself in his chair. So intensely was he musing over matters out loud that he hadn't even consciously heard his phone ring. Let alone the urgent message Raye was trying to leave. He sat with his hands in his lap and his head straight down looking at them. "The seventh Rainbow Crystal. I must get it. I can't allow the Negaverse to win this time. Then I must somehow get those other four back off them. Those crystals are the crucial key to rediscovering my lost identity and background. I won't let myself be defeated."

Meanwhile back at the fountain Lita asked Amy what she was doing as she began tapping keys on her mini data-computer. "I'm trying to get a reading on the seventh Rainbow Crystal," she explained.
Serena looked inside her bag and withdrew the Crescent Moon Wand. "But my wand isn't giving off any indication that the Negaverse is even searching for it. And in any case if they were we could just allow the wand to lead us straight to them and the crystal. Why should we be trying to find it now?"
"Give me strength," Luna moaned. "Serena don't you think the idea of trying to find it before we have to contend with the Negaverse for it makes sense? Use your brain."
"Oh excuse me," Serena gave one of her slightly embarassed gulps as Amy suddenly exclaimed in triumph.
"Luna. I think we're on to something. It's scanned the city and it's pin-pointed a house."
Luna and the girls all stared at the little computer screen. Luna said, "It looks like we're to find the last Rainbow Crystal there. Come on you girls. We're visiting that address."
So they all set off walking to their destination of investigation.

As they arrived Serena asked, "So where's the crystal supposed to be?"
"It should be somewhere in the house," Amy answered.
"Well let's do it," Lita chimed in.
But just then Luna glanced up and saw who else but the same enormous over-weight cat Hercules staring out of the window. When he saw Luna his ears pricked up and Luna was very uncomfortable.
"Uh. Wait a minute," she urgently cried. "You girls go ahead. I'll wait outside."
The three girls all looked down at her with bulging eyes and open mouths.
"Luna. What's come over you?" Amy spoke first.
Serena said to her, "Luna. You are our guardian feline. You should come with us."
"Well, you see that big cat in the window? He's kind of got a crush on me," Luna shook and trembled and the girls smiled.
"That's okay. Even Luna can sometimes be distracted from work," Amy laughed good-naturedly. "See you later Luna. We'll be back."
But as the three of them turned to approach the front door Serena couldn't resist a little jibe. "See you Fraidy-Cat. Scared of kitty love indeed."
"You just had to have your two cents worth Serena," Luna muttered.

So Amy rang the front doorbell while Serena and Lita stood back a few feet on the front path. The door opened and the little girl who owned Hercules appeared. Amy politely greeted her. "Hello. Are your parents at home?"
"Why yes," she replied. "But they're out in the back garden tending to the lawn and flowerbeds."
Suddenly Lita and Serena heard the Crescent Moon Wand in Serena's bag begin to go beep. That meant the Negaverse was nearby and about to strike. Could this little girl be the carrier of the seventh Rainbow Crystal? They gasped in trepidation at what could suddenly happen.
But they were unprepared for what did happen. Hercules had been standing behind the girl's legs and sensing that Luna was just outside nearby he suddenly made a dash past her and Amy out through the door. She was distraught and chased her pet past Lita and Serena and as Luna looked up and saw him approaching she shrieked.
"Oh no! No!" Luna turned around and sped off with Hercules after her.
"Hercules! Come back!" The poor girl was very upset and as Luna tried to escape through a narrow alleyway Hercules followed her. The girl in turn ran into the darkened alley as the two cats vanished. "Hercules?" she sniffed.
Next instant she let out a huge scream and fainted as Zoicite and Titus materialized before her face. The two women both laughed at her sprawled out looking almost like she was asleep. "Such a sweet child. Unaware of the treasure inside her," Zoicite smiled wickedly. "Titus. You know what to do."
"Yes my Commander," Titus squeezed past Zoicite in the narrow space, quickly knelt down and turned the girl onto her back and reached into her chest. But to her amazement she was feeling around in vain for the seventh Rainbow Crystal.
"What's taking you so long?" Zoicite demanded annoyed but Titus stood up and turned to her.
"There's no crystal inside her General Zoicite."
"What? But you said you sensed it when she appeared in the vision you conjured? Have you made a mistake?"
"I couldn't possibly make a mistake with the power of the Negaforce drawing me to each crystal," Titus insisted then thought for a second. "Wait a minute. We saw her holding her pet cat. I bet the last crystal must be inside that cat."
Zoicite was flabbergasted. "In that case you had better track down where that cat has disappeared to."

Just then a familiar voice called out, "There she is!"
Zoicite and Titus noticed Sailor Moon with Mercury and Jupiter in the entrance of the alley. They had heard the little girl's scream and had immediately transformed to come to her rescue. Unfortunately in their haste they had all tried to run inside the narrow passage at the same time and ended up entangling themselves up with each other. While Sailor Moon was attempting to warn them to back away from the motionless girl or else she would punish them in the Name of the Moon, Sailor Jupiter stumbled and knocked Sailor Mercury forward. As she half fell over one of her legs flew up in the air and kicked Sailor Moon in the face. Sailor Jupiter was trying hard to straighten Mercury up as she was bent forward on one leg and Sailor Moon cried in pain, "Oooww! Take your foot out of my face!"
It was pandemonium and Titus and Zoicite used it as their cue to escape vanishing into thin air. As the three Sailor Scouts straightened themselves up they realized they had lost them. "But the girl's still here. Let's take her back to her home," Sailor Mercury pointed at her and they untangled themselves so they stood in single file. Then somehow between the three of them, they picked her up and walked away from the alleyway. Sailor Jupiter was the strongest, so once they were free from the tiny, cramped space, she carried the girl in her arms behind the other two.

Meanwhile Luna had run into a very bad situation. As she turned a corner running away from Hercules she ran straight into the leader of a gang of alley cats knocking him to the ground in a dazed heap. Before she knew it four other cats were glaring angrily at her. They took any attack upon their leader as a personal challenge and they were beginning to hiss and bare their claws.
"Oh no!" Luna's hair stood up on end and she began to tremble and shake. "No! No!"
In a few seconds they would all be upon her including the leader who was getting to his feet with a nasty glint in his eyes. But just when Luna was wondering if she'd have any lives remaining from her supply of nine, Hercules appeared out of thin air and he responded quickly. With a huge snarl he sprang at the other cats and lashed out at them with his claws making them scatter in surprise and alarm at such sudden ferocity. Then he picked up Luna by the scruff of her neck and ran away with her before they could recover and fight back. Before Luna knew what was happening she had been dragged behind a fence and down a nearby open manhole. "Yeeoooww!" she shrieked as Hercules plunged through the circular opening pulling her along with him. He landed as gracefully on his feet as you could expect considering his mouth was firmly but gently clamped upon Luna's neck and how rather fat he was. Then he dragged her further into the sewer to put as much distance between themselves and the alley cats as possible.
But thankfully none of them seemed inclined to try to follow them. Hercules was a rather tough cat and his claws were sharp. They were just licking their scratches and feeling glad that fat ball of blazing fury was gone. Luna had to admit that Hercules had courageously saved her when he stopped and released her.

But in the meantime Zoicite and Titus had materialized elsewhere in the sewer. Zoicite immediately held her nose and gagged. "That horrible smell. Where have you brought us Titus?" Then she realized what the answer was before Titus could say anything.
"Urgh! Sewage! Titus you stupid idiot!"
"But General Zoicite," Titus protested. "I sense that the cat is currently somewhere inside this sewer."
Zoicite groaned, "You'd better be right then. Let's go find that mangy feline then."
With that she turned but as soon as she made a move to go forward she fell with a shriek. She had failed to notice how close she was to the edge of the walkway and she half fell into the dirty water. Her left foot splashed into the smelly muck though she just managed to avoid tumbling all the way in. She was crouched and hunched over with her right knee bent over and her hands flat on concrete. As she cursed and grunted Titus reacted in shock and bent down to help her up.
As she heaved her to her feet with her arms under her armpits from behind she said, "Watch your step General Zoicite."
Zoicite ground her teeth and clenched her fists, "Now you tell me."

As for the little girl, the three Sailor Scouts had taken her back home to her parents. They were horrified to see her motionless form but extremely grateful to the Scouts for helping to save her. "We will put her in bed and stay to keep a close guard over her while you go and get a doctor," Sailor Jupiter told them.
"That's right. If those evil people try to attack her again we will protect your daughter," confirmed Sailor Mercury.
"You can depend on us," added Sailor Moon.
"Nobody may know where you mysterious girls came from but there's no question that you're good and a blessing to us," the girl's father took her in his arms and her mother said, "Come with us to her room. We'll make sure she's tucked in and leave her in your care. Thank goodness you started appearing the exact same time as these sinister wicked forces began attacking our city."
So the dear child was sleeping soundly in her comfy bed and her parents departed while the Sailor Scouts took up their vigil.
"I wonder where Luna disappeared too?" said Sailor Jupiter.
Sailor Moon felt very resentful, "She calls me irresponsible sometimes. And she runs off on us. The nerve."
Sailor Mercury came to Luna's defence, "She would never run off. Something must have happened to her. I hope she's all right."
Then Sailor Moon gave a squeal of glee, "Look. I found the new Sailor V videogame."
Sailor Jupiter sighed, "You actually want to play video games in your Sailor identity?"
"What if the Negaverse comes back after this girl?" Sailor Mercury chimed in.
But Sailor Moon was already setting up the game. "Hey! Who says I can't have a little bit of fun while I'm guarding somebody? Besides if trouble shows up I'll be right here and you two will instantly alert me to action."
"Yeah right," Sailor Mercury sighed with resignation and while Sailor Moon settled down to enjoy herself she spoke seriously with Sailor Jupiter.
"Do you suppose she was the carrier of the last crystal? Could Zoicite and Titus have taken it?"
"Maybe," Sailor Jupiter thought deeply. "Though usually once they extract the crystal that creepy witch Titus immediately transforms the victim into a maniacal, bloodthirsty monster to attempt to destroy us. Yet this time she didn't. Why is that?"
Sailor Mercury agreed, "True. That is strange. Perhaps she may not have had the crystal at all?"
"But if that's true then who could the crystal be inside?" Suddenly Sailor Jupiter gasped, "Do you suppose the carrier may be one of her parents?"
Sailor Mercury reacted in horror, "That's a possibility. Jupiter you'd better go running after them in their car on the way to the hospital just in case they get attacked. I'll stay here and watch the girl while Sailor Moon is, um, occupied."
There was no time to waste. They knew that Sailor Moon would go all sulky on them if she was told to stop playing the game now unless there was an immediate enemy to fight. So Sailor Jupiter sprinted off to check on the mother and father and Sailor Moon never realized she'd left. For now she was in her own world.

Getting back to Zoicite and Titus they were making their way through the sewer. It was getting so dark and black as they crawled through the pipes that Titus was leading Zoicite by the hand so they wouldn't lose each other. Zoicite hated this immensely and she wished she could just go back to the Negaverse and leave Titus behind. But she feared the wrath of Queen Beryl so she submitted to holding her hand while she directed her along in the dark.
"We're getting very close now General Zoicite. I can feel that cat in this direction."
Suddenly she pulled up to a stop and Zoicite bumped into her. "Oof. Now what?"
Zoicite was annoyed but Titus spoke urgently, "I can feel something soft and warm against the pipe."
"What?" Zoicite reached out and felt it too just as Titus shrieked.
"It's moving!" Zoicite could sense some little furry things beginning to swarm over her arm and she began to panic.
"What's going on Titus?"
"Eeeeek! It seems that we're surrounded by an army of rats General Zoicite!"
"Rats! I hate rats!" Zoicite screamed.
"So do I!" Titus yelled and now the last thing Zoicite wanted to do was to let go of Titus' hand as the two of them desperately crawled through the pipe with the rats squeaking and crawling over their bodies. They moved as quickly as they could while Titus beat them back with very short bursts of water so as to avoid causing a flood to sweep them away along with the rodents. Zoicite was almost scared to death and was white as chalk when Titus finally pulled her through the rats to the end of the pipe and they burst out into another huge section of the underground sewer. They didn't stop to catch their breath even. They both ran off with raucous screams of "Rats" as the rats themselves all poured out of the circular opening and swarmed after them in hot pursuit.

At that moment Luna and Hercules were walking through the sewers. "There must be a way out of here. I hate this stinking place," Luna moaned then she turned towards Hercules. "I really do appreciate that you saved me but you wouldn't happen to know,,,"
Suddenly she noticed a scratch on one of his front legs with some dried blood surrounding it. She gasped in horror, "You've been injured. Your leg was hurt when you fought off those savage cats for," she gulped.
She put her face up against the injury. "Why did you risk getting yourself hurt for me anyway? Is it because you like me?"
As if he could understand her he started to lick her face and meow affectionately. "Oof. What a stupid question to have asked," Luna spluttered.

Suddenly she was alerted to sounds coming from behind them. She gasped again in utter dismay at what she saw. "Here come Titus and Zoicite!"
The two women were running as if they were trying to win a marathon against the legion of rats pursuing them. "There he is my Commander!" Titus called out.
"Then get that crystal!" Zoicite responded.
Hearing these shouts Luna realized the truth. "You're the one with the last Rainbow Crystal."
As the enemy rapidly approached, the giant wall of rats at their backs, Luna directed Hercules towards a small drainpipe. "Come on big fellow. We'll escape from them this way."
But Hercules was so big and fat that Luna had to desperately push from behind to get him through the opening. "Suck it in!" she grunted and fortunately she was able to squeeze him through and she followed. "No offence intended but I think you should consider trying a diet," she told him as they quickly made their way through the passage.
"After them Titus!" Zoicite shouted and remarkably Titus threw herself down flat and crawled inside after them like a snake. Zoicite was going to consider following but she saw the rats bearing down upon her. They were simply too close. "I'll be just outside to catch them as they come out," she called through the opening before teleporting away. The rats all plunged through the hole after Titus and the cats.
Luna kept urging her companion forward. "Come on Hercules. Live up to your name." Turning around she cringed in terror at the sight of Titus crawling along after them on hands and knees. But before she could catch up to them, the rats caught up to her.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!" she screamed as she disappeared beneath all the little furry creatures.
Luna doubled her efforts to propel Hercules forward. "Go faster. I see a light up ahead. It looks like an exit. You can do it."

But at that moment Zoicite was materializing outside ready to pounce on Hercules as soon as he emerged. However somebody else had just so happened to be walking by and saw her. It was Raye.
Raye had had a very boring day ever since she had failed to get Darien's attention on the phone to ask him out on a date. "I can't believe I wasted the whole morning trying to find that Darien. Some days you just can't win with love." She had been muttering this to herself when out of the corner of her eye she had noticed Zoicite's sudden appearance across the road opposite her by the sewer drain opening. "Hey. That looks like Zoicite. What's she doing here?"
Raye was thinking she'd better transform and accost her to find out when suddenly something startling happened.
A huge wave of water burst out of the pipe deluging Zoicite and sending little balls of fur, the rats, flying everywhere. "What the blue blazes is going on?" Raye yelled with her eyes open fit to burst. But Hercules and Luna both landed on their feet, shook themselves sending water flying and began to run away, while Titus ended up lying on top of Zoicite with rats scrambling in all directions.
"You dopey fool!" Zoicite yelled.
"Hey! I panicked. They were all over me," Titus tried to excuse herself.
"Never mind! Never mind!" Zoicite realized what was more important. "Get that cat!" she pointed with her finger while lying on her back and Titus didn't need to be told twice. She jumped up and sailed through the air with one huge leap landing in front of Luna and Hercules stopping them in their tracks. Luna saw Zoicite bounding up from behind and began to tremble and shake as she realized they were trapped.

Meanwhile back at the little girl's house, Sailor Moon was still playing the Sailor V video game while Sailor Mercury was calling Sailor Jupiter on their communication devices. "Sailor Jupiter. We have a code red alert. The Crescent Moon Wand is beginning to react," Sailor Mercury held the wand up in her hand which was beginning to beep, "This means Zoicite and Titus are closing in on the crystal carrier. What's been happening to the mother and father?"
"I have discreetly been observing them. They drove to the hospital and a doctor is currently getting into their car to drive back with them."
Upon hearing Sailor Jupiter's report Sailor Mercury turned to look at the girl who had not so much as once stirred from her faint.
"Take a short cut and beat them back here to join me with the girl Sailor Jupiter. I'll send Sailor Moon off on the trail of the wand's guidance. If the carrier is one of the parents it will lead her straight to them and she can summon us to join her as quick as we can."
"Right-o Sailor Mercury."
As Sailor Jupiter signed off Sailor Mercury reached out and tapped Sailor Moon. She screamed as the Sailor V character in the game was immediately zapped. "NOOOOOOOO! Look what you've done! I was doing so very well!"
"Forget about the game Sailor Moon. Look at this," Sailor Mercury insisted practically shoving the beeping wand into Sailor Moon's hands. Sailor Moon was quietened down as she beheld it and Sailor Mercury continued,
"Track down Zoicite and Titus while I keep an eye on the girl and wait for Sailor Jupiter. As soon as you encounter the enemy call us on your communicator and we will come as fast as possible."
Sailor Moon was astonished. "Sailor Jupiter isn't here now?"
"Sailor Moon there's no time to explain. You must track down the enemy at once."
Sailor Moon did a double take but composed herself and said, "Okay." Then she was gone and Sailor Mercury kept her vigil by the child's bedside.

Getting back to Hercules and Luna, Zoicite had just blasted Luna aside out of the way with a cry of "ZOI!" and a gesture of her pointed forefinger and Titus had exerted her influence on Hercules to prevent him from scratching her as she bent down and flipped his inert body over onto its back. His four legs and his tail were hanging loose and limp as she probed his underside belly for the Rainbow Crystal when suddenly they heard a shout.
"What do you Nega-witches think you're doing?"
They both looked up to see Sailor Mars above them on the edge of the outer wall where the drainpipes had their openings leading into the sewer. She was bending down on one knee with her back to them and her face turned looking very serious and stern. But Titus did not lose her cool demeanour and she kept Hercules paralyzed and extracted the crystal calmly while Raye was talking.
"I am Sailor Mars and I say whatever no good things you're up to I shall punish you on behalf of the power of Mars. I shall give you both a strong taste of my fireballs."
Zoicite nodded to Titus and as Titus proceeded to work the dark magic of the Negaforce on Hercules, Zoicite cried out to Sailor Mars, "It's too late. We have what we were after and soon you'll have big trouble on your hands."
Several things happened then. Sailor Mars leaped gracefully down off the wall, Luna cried out in dismay as mystical forces began swirling around Hercules, Zoicite and Titus rose into the air laughing in triumph and a red rose flew out from nowhere grazing Titus' hand making her cry out in pain and shock as she dropped the crystal. As Zoicite watched in horror the crystal fell down into the waiting open palm of Tuxedo Mask who quickly ran from wherever he had thrown the rose. His fingers closed around it and he smirked up at them. "Thank you very much for getting the crystal for me Titus and Zoicite. Cheerio now."
As he ran off the two shocked villains immediately soared back to the ground and began to chase him. Zoicite screamed, "No! You come back here! That crystal belongs to our queen! Titus! Stop him!"
Both Zoicite and Titus were absolutely terrified at the thought of their queen's ferocious anger and Titus tried to hit him with blasts of water which he dodged and weaved. They all vanished with the last crystal and neither Luna nor Sailor Mars knew what the outcome of the chase was. But Hercules was still in the process of transformation. Evidently Tuxedo Mask had been so concerned about getting the crystal himself and escaping with it that it never dawned on him what was going to happen.

Hercules changed into an enormous monster version of a cat walking upright on two legs like a man. Luna shivered in absolute terror as he approached them. "S-s-sailor M-m-m-mars. D-d-d-do s-something!" her voice quivered pleadingly. Sailor Mars didn't want to hurt Hercules still she prepared to attack with her fire if she needed to. But then a curious thing happened.
Hercules did not make any move to attack or even threaten them in any manner whatsoever. Instead to their amazement he bent down on one knee and stared at Luna making a noise that sounded like purring magnified twenty times. His eyes were twinkling merrily as he reached out his big paw and gently coaxed Luna to sit inside it so he could pick her up and sniff at her.
"Hey Luna. I swear he's smiling at you," Raye called up to her.
Before Luna could reply Hercules licked her affectionately with his huge, long tongue.
"Urk. I- I think you're right Mars," Luna answered. "I suppose the black magic that Titus has been using doesn't have quite the same effect on him as it does on humans. In spite of what it's made him look like, he's still the very same Hercules on the inside. And he remembers who I am very well." From her vantage point Luna could see that Hercules still had the very same wound he'd sustained on his front leg which was now functioning like a human's arm as he gently held her.

Just then Sailor Moon's voice cried out in concern, "Luna! I'll save you!"
She had been allowing the wand to lead her towards the area where Nega-activity was strongly detected and had just seen the towering form of Hercules with Luna and assumed the worst at first glance. But Luna and Sailor Mars both called out to her.
"No Sailor Moon! He's harmless and gentle! Umph!" Luna's cries were cut off as Hercules licked her once more.
Sailor Mars backed up Luna's desperate pleas, "Sailor Moon. Just use your wand to restore him back to normal. He won't hurt Luna. Trust me."
Sailor Moon had had the wand in her hand held out in front of her like a divining rod of course and so she waved it as quickly as she could. "Moon Healing Activation."
In a matter of seconds Hercules was himself again and was snuggling up to Luna to her utter embarrassment.

Sailors Moon and Mars called the other two on their communicators to let them know that all was well and they were not needed. "Unfortunately we didn't get the crystal," said Sailor Mars. "Tuxedo Mask was briefly here before Sailor Moon arrived. He ran off with it, Zoicite and Titus chased after him, they all vanished and we don't know who got away with the crystal in the end."
That was a real worry to Mercury and Jupiter, but on the plus side the girl's parents had arrived with the doctor and treated her. She was out of her coma and was going to be all right. She was only missing Hercules.
"We'll bring him home now and then she'll be completely happy again," said Sailor Moon. "We'll all have to allow Luna to spend some quality time with him though."
"What?" Luna was aghast. "What are you talking about?"
"Isn't he your boyfriend Luna?" Sailor Moon asked.
"Hercules? My boyfriend? Give me a break!"
But all four girls were saying, "Aw don't be shy." Even Mercury and Jupiter over the communicators. They were all grinning widely and chortling with glee.
"I suppose he did save my life so I should at least show some gratitude but," Luna was cut off as Hercules licked her face and purred. She groaned and bowed her head with a sigh of resignation.