In her dimension in the Black Moon Clan's base, Esmeraude was soaking in a warm bath, enjoying herself and admiring her beauty.

"This body of mine is so beautiful," Esmeraude simmered happily. "And I'm making it even more beautiful by immersing it in this bath with jasmine oil. After all, Prince Demande loves the scent of jasmine."

Then, Saphir appeared in the form of a specter. "You seem to be enjoying yourself, Esmeraude," he spoke in his usual chiding behavior. "Don't you think it's about time for you to get out?"

"Come now, Saphir. It's rude to spy on a woman while she's bathing," Esmeraude spoke snootily. "It's unbecoming of a man such as yourself."

"As usual, you don't even know what you're talking about," Saphir spoke coldly. "As you're well aware, we need to complete the Dark Gate as soon as possible. Need I remind you that we need to send the power of the Malefic Black Crystal into the Juuban District and destroy it, and here you are wasting time taking a bath."

Esmeraude then laughed loudly. "As usual, you don't seem to understand the bigger picture," she haughtily spoke as she got out of the tub, putting on a bathrobe. "My plan is moving forward even as I bathe, and I've already located the next negative point, which is at the Juuban District's Eisai Cram School, so you don't need to tell me what to do!"

And with a haughty huff, Esmeraude disappeared, leaving Saphir fuming.


At the Juuban Eisai's Cram School, it was late at night, and all the students were busily at work inside studying, unaware that Esmeraude had appeared just on top of the roof, ready to put her plan into action. She summoned her Dark Henge as it came shooting down from above like an arrow and stuck into the concrete surface. When it activated, its dark power spread throughout the school, infecting everyone inside it.

"Come forth, Droid Giwaaku!" Esmeraude commanded.

The Dark Henge flared with Dark Power as a droid then emerged from it. A female humanoid wore long baggy leggings and gloves on her arms and legs, which were colored green, and a black leotard with large openings on the hips. Her skin was a light purple, had her droid gem in the center of her chest, had short red hair with long bangs on the sides of her face, and two long antennas sticking out from on top of her head.

Esmeraude laughed loudly as her Droid came to life while the Dark Henge started to grow. "You see that, Gikwaaku? It's already growing with Dark Power and will soon finish tomorrow evening. Until then, I want you to defend this point."

"Your wish is my command, Lady Esmeraude," Giwaark acknowledged.


The following day, at Juuban Middle, the students were over at the board with the semester's final exam results. Usagi, Ami, Harusuke, and Naru were already there, checking to see if they made it on the board. Usagi then saw someone's name on the board and let out a squeal of excitement.

"You're so amazing, Ami!" Usagi gushed to the bluenette. "You're at the top of our whole class again!"

"You got every single question correct, except for one," Naru spoke with amazement. "You are a genius!"

"Come on, that's not true," Ami spoke humbly. "All the things I studied just happened to be on the test, is all."

"Don't be so modest," Harusuke smiled. "Out of all the people in our school that are the smartest around. Have a little pride in yourself."

Three girls walked past that moment, and when they saw Ami, they all scowled mockingly.

"Must be so nice to be the best," one spoke snidely.

"Yeah, but all she ever does is study," said the second. "How dull."

"It shouldn't come as a surprise that the boys call you a nerd behind your back," the third one said rudely.

Ami felt hurt, while Usagi, Harusuke, and Naru were surprised.

"How rude!" Naru huffed crossly. "Girls like that are always annoying!"

"Don't pay any attention to what they say, Ami," Usagi soothed. "They're just jealous because you're smarter than they are."

"Not to mention that it can't be easy having to study all those subjects," added Harusuke. "Besides, I don't think you're a nerd at all. Well, not in the way they're talking."

"Thanks, you guys, but you needn't worry," said Ami. "I'm used to this kind of thing by now."

"Yeah, no kidding," Usagi agreed. "Because of my bad grades, I get laughed at all the time."

"Not to mention, Rei never lets you hear the end of it, Sis," Harusuke chuckled. "Then again, you can avoid all of that if you study like you're supposed to."

Then Umino came running up, holding a long piece of paper in his hand. "Look at this! I found this cheat sheet with all the test answers inside Ami's desk!"

Usagi and her friends looked up as a group of students crowded around Umino to inspect the cheat sheet he found.

"So, Mizuno got a perfect score because she cheated on the test," another boy said. "I knew it!"

"She's probably been cheating this whole time on every test!" Umino said. "And that's most likely why she gets the best grades!"

Ami was shocked, Harusuke was scowling, and Usagi and Naru's faces were red with anger, not believing what they were hearing.

"I've always wondered if she's been trying to be intelligent," said another boy. "After all, she does hang out with Usagi and her brother all the time."

"Yeah, that Usagi's such a goofball, she couldn't get a good grade if she tried!" said a third. "And I'm willing to bet that her brother's in on it too!"

Usagi flinched at that insult, and Harusuke was now angry too. Umino and the rest of the students then looked towards them, all of them scowling accusingly.

"Hey, Usagi! Don't you think it's weird that she's at the top of the class while you're stuck at the bottom?" asked the second boy. "And Harusuke, you hang around with your sister and Mizuno all the time, and you're in the top ten. So are you be helping Ami to cheat?"

"It's not weird at all!" Usagi snapped. "Ami's smart, and she studies harder than anyone else I know! And my brother studies too!"

"That's right! What's the matter with you people?!" demanded Naru. "Especially you, Umino! You're not acting like yourself at all!"

"Sounds to me that you've sided with a dirty cheater!" Umino snapped crossly. "And we don't like it!"

Three of the boys from the crowd then went over to Usagi's group with the intent to confront them, but Harusuke stepped forward, glaring dangerously at them.

"Oh, yeah? Well, we don't like how you guys are attacking us and picking on Ami!" Harusuke barked. "And how do we know that the cheat sheet you've found isn't fake, Umino?! For all we know, you or anyone else could've planted that thing in her desk so that you could frame her!"

"What did you say, Harusuke?!" Umino snapped, clearly insulted.

"You got some nerve accusing us, Pretty Boy," the boy spoke, clenching his fists. "There's no way we're gonna take that lying down!"

Harusuke took a stance, ready to defend himself, but then, Makoto ran up, hearing the commotion, and stepped in front of Harusuke.

"Knock it off already!" Makoto warned. "Leave them alone!"

"And what do you want, Makoto?" snapped the boy. "Are you defending this cheater too?! Fine! It's that's your problem, then I'm ready to fix it!"

The boy then stomped up to Makoto and grabbed her by the scruff of her collar. However, that would be his biggest mistake, as Makoto immediately countered. Makoto threw the boy over her shoulder in a swift motion, slamming him to the ground in a judo throw. The other boys charged in, but Makoto took them down with ease, using her martial arts to throw them into one big pile.

"Nice moves, Mako!" complimented Naru. "You're so strong!"

But Ami was more worried than she was impressed. "Mako, please! Don't rough them up so much!" she begged. "You'll get trouble!"

"But that boy lashed out at her first, Ami!" protested Usagi. "And the other two were mean too!"

"Not to mention that they were accusing you of cheating!" Makoto pointed out crossly. "Did you expect me to let them get away with that?!"

"It's all right because I know I'm innocent," said Ami. "But I appreciate all of you for believing in me."

"Of course, we believe you!" Harusuke said. "We've seen you study all the time, and you would never be as low as to cheat. You don't even need to, considering that you've got a near-perfect score on the exam."

"That's right! So don't let those jerks get to you," said Usagi. "We'll always believe in you, no matter what!"

"Thank you, Harusuke," Ami said. "But now that you mention it, I am frustrated by the fact that I missed one question. I was so close to a perfect score!"

Makoto, Usagi, and Naru all face-faulted in disdain.

"Oh, brother," Makoto, Usagi, and Ami groaned.

"Leave it to her to get fixated on an incorrect question," Harusuke sighed, smiling. "But that's Ami for you."


After school, Ami, Harusuke, Usagi, and Makoto were now walking home. Makoto and Usagi were still fuming about what happened.

"I still can't believe that Umino and the others were badmouthing Ami like that!" Usagi huffed. "It's just not right!"

"I agree," nodded Harusuke. "They aren't the kind of students to do those kinds of things, especially Umino,"

"One thing's for sure," said Makoto. "I know that they all go to Eisai Cram School for the Gifted, and some of the people in that school let their intelligence go to their heads."

Then Chibiusa came up to them along with Luna.

"Hey, you guys! Is it true that Ami gets good grades because she cheats?" Chibiusa asked.

"Where did you hear about that, Chibiusa?" asked a surprised Usagi.

"Some guy wearing swirly glasses," replied Chibiusa. "He was going around telling people about that."

Usagi, Mako, and Harusuke knew only one person who wore swirly glasses, and all three of them couldn't help but feel livid.

Usagi was so cross that the twin tails of her hair practically stood up on end. "How horrible! That lousy Umino! He's making me so mad!"

Makoto wrung the strap of her bag, threatening to tear it off. "The next time I see that punk, I'm gonna wring his neck like a rag!"

"Normally, I would try to play it cool and let it go, but now I'm super mad too!" Harusuke growled. "That Umino's getting way too petty! I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!"

Ami, on the other hand, was completely calm. "Usagi, Mako, Harusuke, it's all right. There's no need to be so rash," she said quietly. "Besides, you three believe me, and that's good enough for me."

Then, before anyone could say anything, Ami took off, running down the sidewalk, disappearing around a corner. Usagi and her group now felt sorry for the bluenette.

"That smile. It looked so pained," Harusuke murmured.

"Yeah. Ami won't admit it, but she's taking it hard," Makoto said.

"Poor girl," Usagi spoke with pity. "I wish there was something we could do to help her."


Ami was now all alone as she wandered around trying her best to stay cheerful, but she wasn't as confident as the others were, as the words of Umino and the others echoed in her mind. Then, as she continued, she happened to walk past three students, two girls and a boy that happened to be from Eisai Cram School. Ami tried her best not to pay attention to them, but she heard them talking.

"There goes, Mizuno, the cheater," sniffed the boy.

"She needs to change her status from best student to best cheater," sneered one of the girls.

"She's such a fraud!" scoffed the second girl. "A fraud who's cheats just to get amazing grades!"

Ami felt her heart sink as she took off running, trying to drown out their hateful comments. She soon came into an alley and hid inside it, sinking to her knees as she choked back a sob, trying her best not to break down crying.

"They're so mean," Ami whimpered, holding her head in her hands. "Why are they so mean? I'm innocent."

Then she remembered what Usagi and Harusuke had said.

"Of course, we believe you! We've seen you study all the time, and you would never be as low as to cheat."

"We'll always believe in you, no matter what!"

Ami then smiled. "I'm okay," she said to herself. "As long as Usagi and the others believe in me, I have no reason to be worried."

The bluenette teen then stepped out of the alley, feeling better about things. Then, she took notice of a flyer taped to a telephone pole in front of her. It was an advertisement for the Eisai Cram School. Ami then thought back to when Makoto mentioned the school.

"Now that I think about it, Umino and the others do go to that school," Ami thought to herself. "Could it be a coincidence? Or could it be something else?"

Feeling worried that something was amiss, Ami went to the Eisai Cram School to investigate, soon arriving there. When she got there and entered the building, she felt a chill run through her spine as if her body was instinctively warning her of danger, but she pressed on until she came to a classroom opening the door.

Ami then gasped, for the classroom was completely dark and filled to the roof with an evil miasma that made her choke just from inhaling it.

"This is Dark Power!" Ami gasped as she struggled to breathe. "And it's everywhere!"

Realizing that a droid was behind this, Ami looked around, ensuring that no one was around as she activated her communicator.

"Everyone! We've got trouble over at the Eisai School for the Gifted!" Ami spoke urgently. "I'm there right now, and Dark Power is filling the place!"

"Don't worry! We're on our way, Ami!" Usagi spoke through the communicator. "Just sit tight until we get there!"

Ami then turned off her communicator and took out her transformation wand.

"MERCURY STAR POWER MAKE UP!"


Transformation Sequence: Ami

Ami holds up her hand as blue sparkles swirled around it, alighting her fingernails turning them into a shade of bright blue. Her transformation stick appears spinning, and she takes hold of it, the star on end and the symbol glowing. It begins to turn as Ami is enveloped in blue light. Then she sweeps the pen over her head as a stream of sparkling blue water begins to emit from it, forming her leotard, boots, and gloves. A sparkling ripple and a flurry of bubbles expand over her body, creating a tiny mist of water that forms the rest of her uniform, the same as Sailor Moon's, but the center bow, boots, and rims on the gloves were blue and bright blue. Finally, she turns around and then strikes her signature pose.


Sailor Mercury bravely looked around the classroom, ready to fight whatever Droid was guarding the school.

"I know you're here, Droid!" Sailor Mercury called out. "Where are you and Esmeraude hiding?! Come out and face me!"

But Sailor Mercury didn't know that Giwaaku was outside of the classroom hovering just in front of the window, and she was not pleased to find her in there.

"Damn! That's one of the six Guardians that I have to get rid of, Sailor Mercury!" Giwaaku hissed. "I'll kill her!"

With a wave of her hands, the Droid used her powers to create five copies of herself and sent them into the classroom to attack Sailor Mercury. They all appeared before the Guardian and pounced straight for her, but Sailor Mercury went on the attack.

"MERCURY BUBBLE SPRAY FREEZING!"

Sailor Mercury unleashed a flurry of bubbles, which froze the copies instantly, disappearing into the air upon contact. Not wanting to give in, Giwaaku created five more copies to attack, forcing Sailor Mercury to use Bubble Spray Freezing again.

"DOUBLE BUBBLE SPRAY FREEZING!"

Once again, the bubbles froze the copies of the Droid when they hit, destroying them, but again, Giwaaku summoned five more copies.

"This is pointless! She keeps making more clones after I destroy them!" thought Sailor Mercury. "I need to destroy the main Droid's body and defeat her before she overwhelms me with numbers!"

As Sailor Mercury bravely stood her ground, Giwaaku scowled in annoyance. "Damn it all! Sailor Mercury's more powerful than I expected!" she cursed to herself. "I guess I'll have to think of something else."

With a snap of her fingers, the clones in the classroom disappeared, much to Sailor Mercury's bewilderment. At that moment, Sailors Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Artemis came bursting in.

"Whoa! What incredible Dark Power!" gasped Artemis as his fur stood on end. "It's everywhere!"

"Yeah! What happened to this place?!" wondered Sailor Jupiter.

"Be careful! The Droid should be hiding somewhere nearby!" warned Sailor Mercury. "It also appears that the Droid has been using this school to carry out their latest plan, which most likely explains why Umino and others' behavior suddenly changed!

"That would certainly explain it," said Sailor Jupiter. "Dark Power must have contaminated Umino and the others."

"Unforgivable!" Sailor Mars spoke crossly.

Giwaaku now felt uneasy, realizing that she was at a disadvantage, but then, an idea shot through her antenna, which made her smirk with malice. "In that case, I'll just make Sailor Mercury kill her friends! That way, I won't have to do anything!"

The antennas on her head extended and began to glow as Giwaaku aimed. "Now, Sailor Mercury, you're about to find out what your friends truly think about you, and I can't wait to watch what you'll do. Granted, two of them are missing, but this should be fun. HALLUCINATION GIWAAKU!"

The Droid then fired a small beam from her antennas, nailing Sailor Mercury on the head, which caused her to stagger but not fall.

"Sailor Mercury! Are you okay?" asked Sailor Venus.

Sailor Mercury then looked towards her comrades, and because of Giwaaku's beam, she began to see illusions of them as rude, nasty, and evil bullies, all of which started making fun of her.

"Good grief! Would you look at yourself?!" Sailor Mars sneered. "I've always wanted to say this, but that suit doesn't suit you at all, Sailor Mercury! I mean, the two shades of blue on white completely wash out your skin tone!"

"W-Wait a minute? Why are you criticizing me now?" Sailor Mercury asked, feeling confused.

"Because you've neglected to improve your wardrobe due to being so wrapped up in studying!" scoffed Sailor Jupiter. "It's no wonder your sense of fashion never improves!"

"Come on now, Jupiter," Sailor Mercury spoke, now starting to grow timid. "Not you too."

"Yeah, and I'm so tired of hearing you brag about your studying and good grades!" Sailor Venus angrily snapped. "It makes me want to throw up!"

"Wh-what can I say?" Sailor Mercury spoke, growing meeker. "I mean, I study all the time, but I've never bragged that I was bragging. So I apologize to each of you if I gave you that impression."

"Oh, please! Stop being a goodie-two-shoes!" Sailor Mars huffed. "That apology sounded so fake!"

Sailor Mercury now felt very confused and hurt, not realizing was this was an illusion, as she covered her ears, trying not to hear.

"Yes, that's it," cackled Giwaaku. "Hate the people who badmouthed you, and when you've had enough, crush them!"

At that moment, Usagi, Harusuke, Chibiusa, and Luna arrived at the scene of chaos and were shocked and horrified.

"Look! A Dark Henge!" cried Usagi.

"And there's a droid too!" gasped Luna.

Without wasting a moment, Usagi took out her brooch, and Harusuke pulled up his sleeve, revealing his bracelet while shouting out their transformation phrases.

"MOON CRYSTAL POWER MAKE UP!"

"SOLAR PRISM POWER BLAZE FORTH!"


Transformation Sequence: Usagi

Usagi holds up the Crystal Star brooch as it opens, revealing the Silver Crystal inside. Usagi waved her hand on the Silver Crystal, and it flashed it a bright short burst of pink light emitting a chime. It does it a second time, and on the third, it shines brightly, enveloping Usagi in its glow. Usagi then holds the brooch above her head, suspending it in between her hands, drawing it to the center of her torso, flipping it once before placing it in the center of her chest. She then spins around a few times as the crystal begins to glow even brighter than before in pink light. She holds her hands up as a pair of wings spring forth from her back while pink ribbons come out from the crystal wrapping around Usagi's body, forming her leotard. The wings on her back disappeared as more pink ribbons wrapped around her arms and hands, creating white gloves and red boots around her calves and feet. As the blue skirt appears around her waist, one more pink ribbon ties at her back as she does a kind of spread-eagle motion with one leg up, a glowing moon symbol appearing on her forehead. Her tiara, earrings, choker, and ordango covers appear, and Usagi, now Sailor Moon, finishes with her signature pose.

Transformation Sequence: Harusuke.

Harusuke holds up his hand as the stone on his bracelet shines bright in golden light. The stone lets out three pulses, the symbol of the Sun glowing inside of it on the third pulse. Harusuke is enveloped in silver and gold light as he jumps into the air, his clothes disappearing. The symbol of the sun appears just above him and goes down, phasing through his body, making his silver jumpsuit with gold lines on the sides materialize. Two smaller sun symbols go over his feet to his kneecaps, and his gold and metal boots and silver kneecaps appear. Around his waist, a ring of light wraps around it, forming a belt with a gold belt buckle in the shape of an oval. Harusuke then spreads his arms wide as two more light rings envelop his arms and hands, making gold gloves appear. The symbol of the sun appears in front of him now, and crashes into his chest, making his chest piece like before, now thicker and having shoulder guards. Finally, a helmet materializes above Harusuke's head, the design slightly different as he reaches and grabs hit, putting it on his head, not having a mouth protector. Harusuke opens his eyes, punches his hands together, and strikes his signature pose, the symbol of the sun appearing behind him with a star-filled background.


Giwaaku continued watching Sailor Mercury from her window as she continued to assault her with her hallucinations until a pair of voices shouted from below her.

"Hold it right there!"

Giwaaku flinched and then looked down, seeing the two remaining Guardians below. "So, the last of you finally show up," she scowled.

"You have filled this Cram School with Dark Power, infecting the minds of students with animosity, making them say hurtful things!" Sailor Moon scolded.

"And those hurtful words came at the expense of an innocent maiden!" Solaris chimed in. "That in of itself is unforgivable!"

"I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice, Sailor Moon! And in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

"And I'm the knight the brilliance of the sun with the courage of a warrior, who fights for love and justice! And in the name of the sun with my blinding rays, I'll scorch you!"

"Like I'm scared of a couple of cocky brats like you two," scoffed Giwaaku as she aimed with her antennas. "Take this! AUDITORY HALLUCINATIONS GIWAAKU!"

"Solaris! Sailor Moon! Be careful!" warned Luna.

But she was too late as the Droid fired a beam both Solaris and Sailor Moon at the same time, subjecting them to her illusions.

"What... the heck just happened?!" wondered Sailor Moon.

"I don't know," Solaris spoke, shaking his head. "But I felt like she hit us with something!"

Then Sailor Moon heard voices in her mind that belonged to the other Guardians.

"Sailor Moon, you're so useless!"

"Flat-chested too!"

"A clumsy idiot!"

"You suck at everything!"

"And are a glutton like a pig!"

Solaris could hear the voices too.

"You're so naive, Solaris!"

"And pathetic!"

"Not to mention, you're built like a stick!"

"Creeper!"

"A hopeless boy that will never get a girlfriend!"

"You'll be all alone for the rest of your life!"

Sailor Moon instinctively held her hands over her chest feeling hurt, while Solaris felt his arms feeling ashamed, appearing to break down from the insults, while Giwaaku smirked with triumph, thinking they were under her spell. But to her surprise, the two Guardians snapped out of their depressed states.

"Yeah! So what?! I'm a dumb, flat-chested, clumsy idiot who sucks at everything, but who cares?!" Sailor Moon cried. "I'm used to people calling me names!"

"And I may be a naive, pathetic, hopeless, skinny boy that will probably never get a girlfriend!" Solaris yelled. "But you know what?! It's sticks and stones! You ain't going to break us down that easily!"

Giwaaku was surprised as well as unnerved. "You two got some twisted personalities!" she gawked. "But let's see if you two like this!"

The Droid then summoned forth her copies, and they all circled Sailor Moon and Solaris. One came shooting towards them and gave Sailor Moon a swift kick to her back, knocking her flat on her face on the ground.

"That hurt!" Sailor Moon wailed.

Solaris then clapped his hands together, creating a ball of light, aiming it at the clones. "SUNSHINE METEOR!" he yelled as he punched it with his fist.

The attack blasted straight into a clone, destroying it, but two more came at him from both sides. Solaris jumped up, hoping to hover his way out of there, but another clone of Giwaaku dove down and sharply kicked Solaris on the head, causing him to fall right on top of Sailor Moon, stunning him. The clones then shot towards them, hoping to take advantage, but a red rose came shooting from above, catching them by surprise as it pierced the ground.

Everyone looked up, and standing on top of the roof, next to the basin, was Tuxedo Mask.

"You have attacked and toyed with the minds of teenagers by planting a Dark Henge in a Cram School!" Tuxedo Mask spoke coldly. "A place where students prepare themselves for high school entrance exams! I won't forgive a Droid as evil as you!"

"Tuxedo Mask!" gasped Sailor Moon.

"Having perfect timing as always," Solaris said with a wince.

"You pathetic fool!" Giwaaku snarled. "I'll teach you to interfere! Get him!"

Giwaaku's clones flew towards Tuxedo Mask, attacking him at her command. Tuxedo Mask tried to fend them off, dodging as well as fending them off with his cane. However, because of the numbers and their speed, Giwaaku's clones overwhelmed him, each landing a punch or a kick, knocking Tuxedo Mask off the roof and falling towards the ground. Seeing him falling, Solaris immediately took to the air in a single jump, managing to catch Tuxedo Mask in his arms before he hit the ground.

"Tuxedo Mask!" cried Sailor Moon as she rushed over. "Are you okay?"

The masked man could only wince in pain, his face littered with bruises, as Solaris set him down on the ground.

Giwaaku then cackled as she returned her attention towards Sailor Mercury, who was still desperately trying to keep herself together while the others tried to find out what was wrong.

"Now that he's out of the way, you two can watch the main event!" Giwaaku crowed as she aimed her antennas at her. "Watch as I make Sailor Mercury kill your fellow Guardians! HALLUCINATION GIWAAKU POWER UP!"

Once again, she fired a beam of light at Sailor Mercury that was more powerful than before, striking her in the head. Sailor Mercury now was seeing illusions of the Guardians insulting her again. This time, the insults got more personal.

"Sailor Mercury...! Ami Mizuno...! You cheated on all of your tests!" accused the Sailor Jupiter illusion.

"You're nothing more but a disgusting cheater!" the illusion of Sailor Venus snapped with venom.

"Yeah, you were!" the illusion of Sailor Mars scowled. "Just like I always thought you were!"

The real Sailor Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Artemis, were worried, as Sailor Mercury desperately covered her ears, growing more frightened as well as insane from despair.

"Sailor Mercury, what's wrong?!" asked Sailor Jupiter.

"Are you all right?!" asked Sailor Venus worriedly. "Snap out of it!"

But Sailor Mercury couldn't as she heard those hateful words echo in her head on loop as they grew even louder and faster. Her psyche was close to crumbling, her heart began to pound quickly, and her eyes began to burn. Then, suddenly, Sailor Mercury snapped, unable to take anymore as she crossed her arms, creating a bubble in them, screaming.

"MERCURY BUBBLE SPRAY FREEZING!"

Sailor Mercury then unleashed a flurry of bubbles at the three Guardians, forcing them to jump out of the way as the bubbles hit the door, freezing it instantly. The three Sailor Guardians, as well as Artemis, were shocked.

"Sailor Mercury, what are you doing?!" yelled Sailor Mars. "Why did you attack us like that?!"

"Just stay away from me!" Sailor Mercury yelled back. "Stay away!"

The despair-crazed Guardian unleashed another flurry of bubbles, forcing the Guardians to dodge once more as the bubbles froze the wall just behind them. Sailor Mercury continued to relentlessly attack, using her Bubble Spray Freezing again and again. Because they couldn't hurt their ally, the others had no choice but to avoid them as the entire classroom slowly became filled with ice.

Sailor Moon and the others could hear the commotion from outside, causing them all to worry.

"What's going on in there?!" Solaris cried. "That sounded like Mercury and the others!"

At that moment, the window suddenly flung open, and Sailors Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Artemis came scrambling out, cold as well as terrified.

"Guys! What's happened in there?!" asked Sailor Moon. "And why do you all look like you came out of the freezer?"

"It's Sailor Mercury!" Sailor Mars exclaimed. "She's gone insane for some reason!"

"It seems like she's possessed somehow!" Sailor Jupiter added.

"We tried our best to calm her down, but she keeps attacking us!" Sailor Venus gasped. "We don't know what to do!"

Giwaaku laughed with triumph as Sailor Mercury glared, raring to fight, still seeing illusions of her friends insulting her, their words repeating in a cacophony of hate.

"Sailor Mercury, take revenge on those who badmouthed you!" commanded Giwaaku, who was having the time of her life. "You heard what they said about you, so go ahead and kill those mudslingers so they won't call you names anymore!"

Sailor Mercury then assumed her stance, ready to unleash another flurry of bubbles, much to the shock of Sailor Moon and the others.

"Don't do it, Mercury!" yelled Artemis. "You've gotta snap out of it!"

"Don't be fooled by her hallucinations!" cried Luna.

Sailor Mercury responded by firing another volley of bubbles at the Guardians, but Solaris jumped in front of them and shot a beam of light from his hand.

"GOLDEN LASSO!"

Solaris then twirled the light from his hand like a rope above his head, creating a spiral of protection blocking the Bubble Spray Freezing with ease. At that moment, Sailor Mercury assumed a particular stance, putting her hands in the center of her chest, making the others gasp.

"I know that stance!" cried Sailor Venus. "She's going to use her Shine Aqua Illusion!"

"Sailor Mercury! Stop this!" begged Tuxedo Mask.

"Please, don't do it!" Chibiusa also begged.

Solaris then stepped forward along with Sailor Moon.

"Sailor Mercury, listen to us! We're your friends!" Sailor Moon cried. "The Droid's illusions are fooling you, so we know that you don't want to hurt us! I know because we believe in you!"

"That's right! We'll always be on your side, and no matter what anyone says or what you're seeing, we'll always be there for you!" Solaris shouted. "Please! Don't let the Black Moon Clan take over your mind! Trust what's in your heart instead of your eyes and ears!"

Solaris then walked bravely towards Sailor Mercury until he was only a few feet away.

"However, if you're still intent on attacking us, then focus your attacks on me instead of the others!" Solaris went on. "I'll take anything you can dish out!"

"Solaris, what are you doing?!" Sailor Jupiter demanded, clearly alarmed.

"Get out of the way!" Luna cried. "If you don't, Sailor Mercury will hit you!"

But Solaris raised his hand, refusing to move. "I'll be fine. I know because Sailor Mercury won't hurt me! If she does, I can take it. I refuse to hurt a friend, especially one who's suffering so much! Sailor Mercury, I don't know if you can hear any of us, but I want you to know you're one of my closest friends, and no matter what happens, I'll always care about you."

Sailor Mercury flinched, seeming to hesitate as she stood there, indecisive. A tense few seconds had passed, everyone watching Sailor Mercury waiting to see what she would do.

Giwaaku then touched down on the ground. "What are you waiting for, Sailor Mercury? Do it. Kill those Guardians, starting with Solaris. You mustn't forgive them for badmouthing you. Punish them!"

Sailor Mercury blinked and prepared to attack, and Solaris shut his eyes, bracing himself for the incoming blow, but then Sailor Mercury turned her attention on Giwaaku, surprising everyone.

"You're the one I'll never forgive!" Sailor Mercury shouted. "MERCURY SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"

She unleashed a mighty torrent of water at the Droid, forcing her to hold up her arms to defend, as it blasted her, forcing her back until she hit the wall while covering her arms in ice.

Giwaaku got back up, breaking the ice off of her arms, her eyes wide in disbelief. "That's impossible!" she shrieked. "How did you resist my illusions?!"

"Your illusions could never understand our bond with each other!" Sailor Mercury spoke. "That bond binds our hearts, and that alone can have the power to overcome any illusion!"

At that moment, Sailor Mercury's body began to radiate in bright blue light that shrouded her entire body, causing Giwaaka to shield her eyes. At the same time, everyone stared at Sailor Mercury in amazement. The light then left Sailor Mercury's body and went straight towards Solaris, his prism absorbing all of it. It then changed colors, turning into a bright shade of blue and light blue, as the symbol of Mercury showed inside it. Then, feeling power surging through his body, Solaris raised his hand and shouted out these words.

"SOLARIS MERCURY POWER RANK UP!"


Transformation Solaris: Mercury Mode

The gem in Solaris' bracelet glows brightly in a bright blue light, the symbol of Mercury shining inside the prism. Next, Solaris is enveloped in bright blue light, as long tongues of water shoot out from his bracelet and encircle his body as he spins around, similar to Ami. First, the ropes of water wrap around his body, creating a sphere. Next, his boots emerge from the water, blue while retaining the silver. Then his belt is revealed, also being blue, along with his right and left gloves and chest, while keeping the silver. At the center of Solaris' chest, it changed to silver, and the dot had changed to the symbol of Mercury. Finally, the head of Solaris emerges from the lightning, the helmet slightly different in design. A blue visor covers his eyes as he strikes his signature pose, while the background shows his symbol and Sailor Mercury overlapping each other in a blue and gold background.


"No way!" cried Artemis. "A Unison Fusion!"

"Solaris transformed into another form by using Sailor Mercury's power!" Luna spoke in a mix of delight as well as amazement.

The Guardians were amazed, especially Sailor Mercury, as Solaris stepped up against Giwaaku.

"I'll handle the rest, Sailor Mercury," Solaris said. "I've been meaning to give this Droid a piece of my mind for messing with yours. Sound good with you?"

Sailor Mercury then nodded. "Go right ahead."

Giwaaku scowled as she summoned forth her clones. "So what?! You're just a cheap knockoff of Sailor Mercury!" she scoffed scornfully. "You still don't stand a chance against me!"

The clones then shot towards Solaris, raring to beat him up, but Solaris countered by crossing his arms, creating a bubble in his arms.

"BUBBLE SPRAY FREEZING!"

He then unleashed a flurry of bubbles freezing all of the clones destroying them. Giwaaku growled as she attempted to make some more clones, but Solaris used another technique before she had the chance.

"BUBBLE SPRAY!"

Thick fog blanketed the area obscuring Giwaaku's vision as Solaris released another flurry of bubbles.

"Damn it all! Where'd you go?!" the Droid demanded crossly.

Then Solaris suddenly appeared behind her from the fog, spinning around as a trail of water droplets surrounded his body.

"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"

The droplets became one, and Solaris unleashed a stream of water right at the Droid's head, not only soaking her but also freezing her antennae in the process, shattering them into pieces.

"No! My antennae!" shrieked Giwaaku.

"Now, you can't use any more of your lousy illusions!" Solaris spoke as the fog faded away. "Now, I think it's time to get rid of you for good! So here's payback for Mercury and for calling me a creeper!"

"Wait! You remembered that?!" Gawaaku squawked.

Solaris held up his hands, and a geyser erupted at his feet, overwhelming his body. Finally, the spout died down, and Solaris, now shrouded in water, shot towards Giwaaku, the water taking the shape of a dolphin that chirped playfully while creating a tidal wave in its wake.

"SOLARIS MERCURY DELPHINUS TORPEDO!"

Giwaaku's eyes went wide with terror as she tried to run away, but the dolphin made of water while riding the wave shot straight into her, resulting in an explosion of water upon impact. As Solaris emerged from the water, landing on his feet, while Giwaaku shrieked in agony, dissolving into ash, leaving only but her blackened gem behind. Simultaneously, the Dark Henge on top of the building ceased functioning as it shrunk until shattering into pieces.

"Good work, everyone," Tuxedo Mask acknowledged. "You successfully stopped another enemy plan. As always, the power of your bonds is nothing short of impressive."

And with a wave of his cape, he was gone.


Esmeraude, still bathing in her dimension, was shocked when Saphir told her the news.

"Impossible! The Guardians defeated Giwaku, too?!" Esmeraude gasped.

"I told you that lazing around a tub wasn't wise," Saphir huffed snootily. "Perhaps then, your plan wouldn't have failed."

Esmeraude then laughed loudly. "Don't worry. I'll find a new Negative Point soon," she said. "And let me make one thing clear, there's only one person who's allowed to watch me bathe, so if you don't mind, get the hell out!"

Saphir let out a humph, as his projection faded away. Esmeraude then slapped her fist into the water with a splash, scowling crossly.

"I'll get them next time!" she said to herself. "Just you wait!"


Usagi and the others soon returned to their civilian identities and congratulated Ami.

"You were awesome today, Ami," complimented Usagi. "You were able to break free of that droid's power."

"And you helped me perform a Unison Fusion," said Harusuke. "I gotta say, it was pretty awesome."

"It was no big deal," Ami smiled. "Sure, I lost it a bit back there, but I had all of you guys snap me out of it. Besides, you all already believed that I would never cheat, right? So that shows that no matter what happens, we're bound by trust, and that's all that matters."

"That's right," Usagi grinned. "That's what friends are for!"

"Geez, talk about cheesy," Harusuke chuckled. "But, I wholeheartedly agree."

Just then, Umino came walking up along with a crowd of other students, all of which were back to normal.

"Hey, Mizuno!" said a boy. "Congratulations on getting the best grade on the semester's final exam!"

"Yeah, nice work!" smiled a girl. "Do you think you can give us pointers on how to study for it next time?"

Ami's cheeks turned pink shyly. "Well, there honestly isn't a method for it," she said. "You just need to study as best you can."

As Ami continued talking with them, Usagi felt cross, remembering what Umino and the others had done.

"What's the matter with them?!" Usagi grumped huffily. "Did Ami already forget that Umino and the rest of them were the ones that spread those nasty rumors about her being a cheater?!

"Now, now, Sis. There's no need to get angry," Harusuke soothed. "You know as well as we do that they were all affected by the Dark Power."

"He is right, you know," chuckled Rei. "If you want to be angry at someone, then be angry at the enemy."

At that moment, Umino strolled up to them. "Hey, Usagi. Why don't you come to our study session?" he asked the ordango blonde. "You and your friends can join us."

Usagi's face immediately paled as she let out a shriek of terror as she took off, running as fast as her legs could carry her.

"I don't want to study!" Usagi wailed as she ran. "It makes me crazy and gives me rashes! I'm super itchy!"

Everyone stared dubiously at Usagi, watching as she disappeared. They all then burst into laughter, finding it funny.

"That's our Usagi for you," sighed Luna. "Whatever are we going to do with that girl?"

Harusuke then looked at Ami as she continued to laugh. "Well, it looks like someone's feeling better now."

Ami then looked at Harusuke. "Of course, I am. I can't help but feel happy," the bluenette said. "By the way, Harusuke, I want to apologize for almost attacking you. If you hadn't said anything - "

"There's no need to apologize, Ami," Harusuke interrupted, smiling warmly. "I'm just happy that you're back to your old self again. But remember this, if you're feeling worried about something, or if anyone's picking on you, make sure to talk to us, okay? After all, you're our friend. So don't be afraid to let out your worries to us."

Ami stared at Harusuke, and she smiled back at him. "Thank you, Harusuke. I appreciate it. Now then, since we've got some free time, do you want to do some studying? After all, we do have a test coming up."

"Maybe another time, when it's not so dark out," Harusuke chuckled with a wink. "But I'd be more than willing to study with you tomorrow? Sound good?"

Ami nodded in agreement.

"All right then. It's a date then," Harusuke said as he walked away. "See you tomorrow."

At that moment, Ami's cheeks flushed pink as she seemed to tense up. "A-A-A date?!" she squeaked.

"Is something wrong, Ami?" asked Makoto. "You looking a bit red."

Ami furiously shook her head. "N-No! It's nothing! Don't mind me!"

Makoto, Rei, Minako, Chibiusa, and the cats could only stare at the bluenette curiously as she continued to blush.