It- was a little bit in the afternoon in Juuban. Chibiusa was saying goodbye to her friends after getting off of school. She soon found Harusuke and Luna P waiting for her, and they all then started for home.
"So, how was school today, Chibiusa?" asked Harusuke. "Did you have a good day?"
"I sure did!" smiled Chibiusa. "I had a lot of fun today, Uncle Sunny!"
Harusuke chuckled. "I'm glad. You know, you've made a lot of friends ever since you came here the first time. Are you enjoying living in this age?"
Chibiusa nodded. "Yeah. I like it a lot," she replied. "Everyone is very nice to me, and we have lots of fun together."
Harusuke smiled. "That's great. I guess my sister from the future had the right idea to send you to this era," he said. "At least here in the present, you'd be able to make a lot of friends and enjoy life as a normal girl. Well, aside from being a Guardian, that is. But, then again, when you become the next queen, everything you've experienced will become a big help to you, so make sure you never forget this, okay?"
"I won't," said Chibiusa. "By the way, speaking of friends, do you mind if we go see Hotaru? I did promise her that we'd visit her."
"I don't see why not," said Harusuke. "It'll be good to see her again."
"And maybe it'll be a good opportunity to get to know her dad," thought Harusuke. "After all, he is the founder of Mugenzu and Mugen Academy. So maybe he knows something about all the stuff that's been happening."
Darkness.
Darkness was all that was with not a single soul around.
Then, three different colored strange lights shone forth from the darkness: one amber, another aqua-marine, and the third violet.
Those three lights circled as they floated around while a voice rang out from the darkness.
"Awaken! The time has come. For the light guided by the three talismans!"
The three lights glowed brighter, and in a blinding flash of light, a horrible scene began to play out.
Flames engulfed the town of Juuban, rubble lay all around, and the air had the smell of death and destruction.
And amongst all of this carnage were six bodies, lifeless and not moving. Those bodies were Sailor Moon and the other Guardians.
Then, A mysterious shadow stood on top of a ruined building just above them. The shadow was wearing what appeared to be a long cloak and held a long and silver scythe. The stranger gave a strange and eerie smile and swung her weapon, preparing to go for the kill.
Hotaru's eyes opened as she woke up after going through another seizure and finding herself in her bedroom. Her body hurt, and she was confused.
"It happened again..." she winced as she held her head. "What was I doing before it hit? Why can't I ever remember anything afterward?"
It wasn't long before Harusuke and Chibiusa arrived at the Tomoe estate. However, the gates were closed, so they went over to a radio intercom to see if anyone was home. Chibiusa pressed the button and spoke into the speaker.
"Excuse me. Is Hotaru home?"
A woman's voice answered her. "Hotaru is resting right now," she said curtly. "I'm sorry that you came all this way. Please leave."
The intercom cut after that. Chibiusa was a bit disappointed, while Harusuke was a bit put off.
"Well, whoever that was seemed pleasant. Talk about rude," Harusuke said with a huff. "Anyway, I guess we'll have to come back another time, Chibiusa. In the meantime, why don't we head home? We don't wanna make Mom worry."
Chibiusa answered with a nod, and the group walked away from the gate, heading for home. As they went on their way, Harusuke couldn't help but have a sense of deja vu from the voice he heard on the intercom.
"I wonder who it was, and why did it sound so familiar?" Harusuke wondered to himself. "Could it be my imagination?"
Back inside the house, Kaolinite, the intercom's voice, walked down the hallway and headed back to whatever she was doing. On her way, Hotaru came down the stairs.
"Kaori, was there someone at the door?" she asked.
"From the sound of it, it was that girl named Chibiusa you were talking about before," replied Kaolinite. "It would seem that she came over to see you again."
"Then... where is she?" asked Hotaru.
"I sent her away, of course," said Kaori.
Hotaru was shocked. "Why would you do that without asking me first?!" she demanded, as she turned on her heel and took off running towards the front door.
"Hotaru, you need to think about what you're doing," Kaori spoke out to her. "I believe you're taking this too far."
Hotaru stopped.
"Your father is a sweet and kind man, so he's allowed you to have your way, but don't take advantage of him," warned Kaori. "You, of all people, know that you're in no condition to be up and about, much less going around playing around with children."
Hotaru looked back and gave Kaori a cold glare that told her to step off. Then, she continued running off.
Kaori then smirked to herself in amusement. "My, my. If looks could kill," she mused.
Back outside, Chibiusa and Harusuke were still making their way home. Chibiusa was still feeling down as well as worried.
"It's a shame that Hotaru's too sick to come out today," said Chibiusa. "I sure hope that she's okay."
"I'm sure she's fine," said Harusuke. "We'll come over and visit her when she's feeling better."
Just then, they heard a voice call out to them.
"Chibiusa! Harusuke!"
The two then turned around and were surprised to see Hotaru running towards them, stopping to catch her breath when she caught up.
"H-Hotaru?!" gasped Chibiusa. "What are you doing here? We thought that you weren't feeling well."
"I... I came to see you guys," panted Hotaru.
"But you didn't need to that for our sakes," said Harusuke. "You look like you're in pain.
"No... it's fine," gasped Hotaru. "I'm sorry... about earlier. Did Kaori say anything nasty to you two earlier? I was worried about..."
Then, Hotaru suddenly winced in pain as she clutched her hand to her chest and, within seconds, passed out. As she fell, Harusuke quickly caught her before hitting the ground.
"Hotaru! Are you okay?!" cried Chibiusa. "Hotaru!"
"It's no good! She's out cold!" said Harusuke. "She must have had one of her seizures again!"
But the girl didn't respond. As luck would have it, Usagi and Ami were coming just around the corner behind them, and when they saw them, they quickly rushed over to see what was happening.
"Chibiusa! Harusuke! What's wrong?" asked Usagi.
"Usagi! It's Hotaru!" Chibiusa cried, her eyes filling with tears of panic. "She fainted, and we don't know how to help her! Please do something!"
Usagi could see that the little girl was frantic, but she was at a loss herself. "I don't know if I can, Chibiusa," she said honestly.
"But there has to be something!" Chibiusa cried. "If we don't help her, then she'll...!"
Ami then gently touched Chibiusa's shoulder. "It's okay, Chibiusa. Calm down," she spoke gently. "The only thing we can do right now is to take Hotar to the hospital. My mother works at one close by, and she can help her."
"Sounds like a plan," said Harusuke. "Let's hurry."
After a while, the group rushed over to the hospital. Hotaru was sleeping on a bed with Usagi, Chibiusa, and Harusuke watching over her. The pink ordango girl felt guilty as she looked down towards the floor.
"This would never have happened if I hadn't insisted we go to Hotaru's house in the first place," said Chibiusa miserably. "It's my fault she's like this."
"That's not true, Chibiusa," Usagi spoke kindly. "What happened to Hotaru wasn't something you had control over. It happens. Besides, if it wasn't for you and Harusuke being there for her, who knows what could have happened."
"She's right," agreed Harusuke. "So don't beat yourself up so much. Hotaru's going to be fine."
Chibiusa could only glance back towards Hotaru with worry while the girl continued to sleep.
A young Hotaru sat on the floor, sobbing with despair as a broken fishbowl lay before her with a dead goldfish amongst the broken glass.
"Daddy! Daddy, where are you?!" cried Hotaru. "My goldfish is dead! Somebody killed it!"
Then, Kaori appeared, giving her a cold and mocking stare. "Oh, what an odd thing to say," she said. "Don't you remember? You did this yourself. Now hurry up and clean it up."
That made Hotaru even more upset. "I didn't do it!" she cried.
Hotaru, as her current age, came walking cheerily into a classroom. But when she got inside, she saw her classmates huddled together around a boy having a bandage wrapped around his head. Curious and surprised about what was going on, Hotaru came over.
"What happened?" Hotaru asked. "Did you get into an accident? Are you okay?"
The girl then reached out a hand only to comfort the boy, but as soon as she touched him, the boy shot up from his desk, recoiling with fear, his face filled with terror.
Hotaru was even more confused. "Wh-What's the matter?" she asked worriedly.
"Are you serious?!" snapped another boy. "How can you ask that when you're the one who hurt him?!"
"Yeah! We know you're evil!" said a girl. "So stop acting like you're a goody-goody and get out of here!"
The other students verbally agreed, and feeling shocked, hurt, and even more confused, Hotaru dashed out of the classroom.
Hotaru had now broken down into tears as she cried in her father's lap while he patted her head to comfort her.
"Daddy, they said that I hurt another one of my classmates at school again," sniffled Hotaru. "But I don't remember doing anything at all!"
"It's okay, Hotaru. Calm down," soothed Tomoe. "It's not your fault. You're not to blame in the least."
"But I must be, and that's why no one wants to be friends with me," went on Hotaru. "I feel... like there's another person inside of me... A person that wants to hurt the people I care about."
Hotaru continued to sleep while Usagi, Harusuke, and Chibiusa continued vigil. Then, Ami came into the room.
"My mother will see her in a few minutes or so," she said. "But her condition seems to have stabilized, so she should be okay."
"Thank goodness," sighed Usagi in relief.
"Well, that's good news, said Harusuke.
At that moment, Hotaru began to stir as she turned to her side, and Chibiusa held her hand with hers hoping to comfort her. Then, Hotaru's hand squeezed Chibiusa's, and her eyes slowly opened.
"Hotaru, you're finally awake," Chibiusa spoke happily.
"Ch-Chibiusa," murmured Hotaru as she sat up from where she lay.
"H-Hold on a minute. Maybe you should lie back down," said Chibiusa. "You might need more rest."
Hotaru smiled. "It's okay, Chibiusa," she reassured. "I'm fine now."
"You mean that the pain is gone?" asked Chibiusa. "Really?"
Hotaru answered with a nod.
"Really? Are you sure?" Chibiusa questioned worriedly.
Hotaru nodded again with a smile. Chibiusa's eyes then filled with tears as she buried her face in Hotaru's lap in a hug.
"I'm so glad!" Chibiusa cried happily. "That's good news!"
"Sure is," said Harusuke.
"We're glad that you're feeling a bit better," said Ami. "But, you shouldn't get up too quickly. "
But Hotaru took off the covers and got out of bed. "It's all right. I've become used to these now," she said. "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."
"But, you really should wait until my mother can examine you," said Ami.
"I appreciate that, but I have strict orders from home to never be seen by another doctor," said Hotaru. "So, I really should be leaving." She looked over at her two friends. "Bye, Chibiusa. Harusuke. Thank you both."
As Hotaru walked out the door, Chibiusa followed her. Usagi and Ami were worried, but Harusuke followed after them.
"Don't worry, I'll walk the two of them home," he told them. "I'll call you if anything happens."
The three were just about to leave when they heard Usagi.
"Hey, Hotaru. I don't know if anyone's told you, but my mom makes some great pancakes," she said with a friendly wink. "Come over to our place and join us some time. You won't regret it."
Hotaru smiled. "Sounds good," she said.
Hotaru, Chibiusa, and Harusuke had just left the hospital when a car pulled up to them. It was Haruka.
"Hey there, Little Bun-Head. Harusuke," Haruka greeted. "Where are you three going? I'd be happy to give you guys a lift."
Harusuke, a little on guard, remembering that the other girls warned him about not getting too close to Haruka, but considering that Hotaru recent attack, he decided to take her up on her offer.
"Well, that's very nice of you, along with your timing," said Harusuke. "We'll take you up on that."
They were soon speeding down the road in Haruka's car.
"Thanks for the ride, Haruka," said Chibiusa. "This is way better than walking."
"Anytime," said Haruka. "Are we headed in the right direction?"
"Yes, we are," said Hotaru. "It's just a bit further."
Hotaru glanced at Hotaru through her mirror. "I don't believe we've met," she said. "What's your name?"
"I'm Hotaru Tomoe," she introduced. "Nice to meet you."
Haruka was a bit surprised. "Hotaru Tomoe? You wouldn't happen to be Souichi Tomoe's daughter by chance, would you?" she asked.
"Yes, I am," said Hotaru.
Harusuke glanced over at Haruka. "How could she possibly know that?" he thought. "Then again, she does attend Mugen Academy herself, so there's no doubt that she could know some things about that guy. But still..."
Chibiusa then spoke to Hotaru. "Say, Hotaru... would it be all right if I could come over and visit again?" she asked tentatively. "Or... would that be too much of a bother?"
"No, not at all," said Hotaru. "I was happy that you came. You and Harusuke can come by whenever you feel like it."
Chibiusa was happy, as was Hotaru, but Harusuke and Haruka remained silent, not saying another word. Then, as they came close to Juuban Park, Haruka felt a particular breeze blow through her hair and put on the brakes, causing the car to a screeching halt.
"The winds are restless!" Haruka thought as she looked towards Juuban Park. "And it's coming towards that direction!"
"Is something the matter, Haruka?" asked Chibiusa. "Why'd you stop?"
Harusuke quickly put on a poker face. "Sorry about that," she said. "I got thirsty. I'm just going to go buy a drink in the park."
She then got out of the car and disappeared past the entrance.
"Well, that certainly was weird," said Harusuke. "Couldn't she have waited till we got home?"
Suddenly, a scream of terror came from inside the park, making the three jump with surprise. They looked to where they heard it, and they saw Mimete, a young man with a pink shirt and jeans, and a Daimon.
The Daimion was feminine, wore white heels with knee-high socks, and wore a preschooler's uniform, a red skirt with trousers, and a blue polo. She even had a yellow hat with a black star in its middle, green skin, and an adorable face that hid the malice behind it.
"A-A monster!" the man cried as he tried to run away.
But the Daimon cut him off, blocking his escape. "You should expand the world with a circle of friends!" she said. "Please understand; I just want to be friends. But to make that happen, all you have to do is give me your pure heart!"
At that moment, a World Shaking attack came shooting out of the darkness, forcing the Daimon to dodge and the man to stumble, falling flat on his back, but took off running out of sight.
Sailor Uranus then stepped out from the darkness.
"You might be able to take someone's pure heart, but you can't take someone's love," Sailor Uranus spoke with a wink and a wag of her finger. "And so, answering the call from a new era, Sailor Uranus, here to fight with brilliance!"
Knowing that Mimete was now targeting another pure heart victim, Harusuke jumped out of the car along with Chibiusa.
"Hotaru, stay here!" ordered Harusuke. "We'll be right back!"
Before Hotaru could object, the two dashed away. Then, Hotaru felt a sharp pain in her chest once again as her consciousness began to wane.
"N-No! Not again!" Hotaru gasped. "It's happening again!"
Harusuke and Chibiusa rushed into the bushes, and Chibiusa pushed the nose on Luna P to contact the other guardians.
"Everyone! A Daimon has appeared in Juuban Park!" said Chibiusa. "Come here quickly!"
"We're on our way!" Usagi and the other girls acknowledged.
Chibiusa then turned to Harusuke. "All right! Let's do it, Uncle Sunny!"
Harusuke nodded, and he, along with Chibiusa, transformed.
"MOON PRISM POWER, MAKE UP!"
"SOLAR CRYSTAL POWER, SHINE ON!"
Transformation Sequence: Chibiusa
The Prism Heart Compact opens, revealing Chibiusa's Silver Crystal inside it. It begins to glow pink until a heart made of light pops up from it, flipping and overtaking the screen, revealing Chibiusa bathed in light with the Prism Heart Compact in the center of her chest. The compact bursts with pink ribbons that tighten and wrap around Chibiusa's body, making her leotard. Chibiusa then spins around as a red bow appears where her compact is on her chest. Pink ribbons then wrap around her legs, forming her pink boots and around her waist, forming her skirt and red bow at the back. Her gloves materialize next, and white-bordered red circular accents on her odango appear, along with pointed white fittings resembling a rabbit's ears, a golden tiara with a red gem, a pink choker around her neck, and pink studded earrings. Her transformation finished, Chibiusa winks and then strikes her signature pose with a crescent moon in a pink background shining brightly.
Transformation Sequence: Harusuke (Post Crystal)
Harusuke's hand waves over the Sunstone Crystal, and it begins to pulse with light until it shines brightly. Harusuke, now shrouded in light, holds his hand with the Sunstone Crystal up high and throws his fist to the floor, and his symbol appears beneath him. Light encases his legs up to his hips, and in a burst of light, his boots, belt, and additional armor on his thighs materialize. Then his right encompasses his right arm from hand to shoulder, and his gloves, along with some armor, appear, and the same happens to his left hand. Harusuke then punches his fists together, creating a spark of light, and crosses his arms as his chest gets wrapped in light. Harusuke then throws his arms out, and his chest plate appears, the symbol in the middle glowing brightly. Finally, his helmet appears on his head, this time covering up his entire head, leaving his face exposed. Harusuke opens his eyes smiling with confidence, his transformation now complete, and assumes his signature pose, with the sun appearing in the background while his symbol overlapped it.
"Give me a break! A sailor guardian!" Mimete snarled crossly. "U Tomodachi, do something to get rid of her!"
"Hi, let's be friends!" U Tomodachi spoke as she got ready to fight. "I'm sure you'll like me once you get to know me!"
"That's enough, Daimon!" shouted a voice. "Why don't you cool it for a bit?!"
Everyone looked back as two figures stood in the shadows of a tree, eventually revealing themselves to be Solaris and Sailor Chibi Moon.
"When it comes to looking for friends, you can't force someone to be yours! And for that matter, you can't steal their pure heart either!" she scolded. "I am the Pretty Guardian Trainee who fights for love and justice! I am Sailor Chibi Moon!"
"And I'm the knight with the brilliance of the sun and the courage of a warrior, who also for love and justice! I am Solaris!" he proclaimed.
"And now, in the name of the future Moon, I'll punish you!"
"And in the name of the Sun, with my blinding rays, I'll scorch you!"
"Get out of here! Both of you!" ordered Sailor Uranus. "This isn't any place for a kid and a babysitter!"
"Excuse you?!" demanded Solaris and Sailor Chibi Moon crossly, clearly insulted.
But U Tomodachi didn't seem to mind. "So, you guys want to be my friends, too? Okay then, let's play!" she said with a giggle as she retracted her hands, making barbed rope from each of them, putting them together to make a jump rope. "I have to warn you, though, I play a little rough!"
The Daimon then began twirling the rope as she charged forward, turning herself into a wrecking ball with spikes. Sailor Uranus and Solaris, while carrying Sailor Chibi Moon, jumped out of the way just before she hit them.
U Tomodachi appeared to be hurt. "Come on, now! Don't be shy!" she begged with big, puppy dog eyes. "Let's be friends!"
"No way!" Solaris and Sailor Chibi Moon snapped.
Now angry, the Daimon prepared to charge again when a voice came from above.
"Stop right there!"
The Daimon then stopped as she and the others looked up. Sailor Moon and the other Inner Guardian were in the trees, who jumped down from it and stood with the other Guardians.
"You evil people just won't stop going after pure hearts!" scolded Sailor Moon. "Don't you guys know when to quit?!"
"We're the Sailor Guardians who fight for love and justice!" all five of them said together. "And in the name of the Moon, we'll punish you!"
"More interference?!" Mimete cried in frustration. "Come on, you bunch of pots, have you met kettle black already?! U Tomodachi! Take care of these fools!"
And with that, Mimete teleported away in retreat, leaving the Daimon by herself.
U Tomodachi was now beside herself with anger and sadness as she tearfully glared at the Guardians.
"I can't believe this is happening to me, and just when I thought we'd all be friends!" she sobbed. "Well, that's it! I don't need you as friends anyway! I quit!"
The Daimon then spun her jump rope, and with a loud sobbing wail, she raced away. There was a long silence as the Guardians stood there, dumbfounded by what had just happened.
"Did... she just run off?" asked Sailor Moon.
"I... think she did," said Sailor Mars. "What the heck was that about?"
Then Sailor Uranus gasped as she dashed away towards the Daimon. Solaris and Sailor Chibi Moon gasped, too, realizing what was in the direction U Tomodachi headed.
"Oh no! Hotaru's over that way!" Sailor Chibi Moon cried.
"We have to stop her!" Solaris shouted. "After her!"
The two then raced away with Sailor Moon and the others toiling behind them.
U Tomodachi was beside herself with depression and anger as she forged ahead without a care in the world. Then, just ahead of her, she saw Hotaru, who barely had enough strength to get out of the car while still gasping in agony.
But the Daimon didn't care as she continued her charge. "Out of my way! Out of my way!" she shrieked. "I'm coming through!"
Then, it happened. Hotaru's body suddenly began to radiate with a strange and ominous purple aura, and her eyes started to glow in the same color as she looked squarely at U Tomodachi. Then, a peculiar bubble surrounded her body and slammed straight into the Daimon, not only stopping her dead in her tracks but also shocking her with its immense power. U Tomodachi convulsed in surprise and pain as she let out a scream of agony. Then, Sailor Uranus arrived in time for her to see the bubble begin to dissipate as Hotaru's eyes returned to normal while she passed out from fatigue.
"Wh-What the hell is this?!" Sailor Uranus murmured in shock.
U Tomodachi was now staggering while her body was smoking from the assault. Then, Sailor Moon and the others caught up, and as soon as they saw the Daimon, the Pretty Guardian of the Moon summoned forth her Spiral Heart Moon Rod and delivered the finishing blow.
"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"
A powerful blast of hearts erupted from her rod, and with a mighty explosion of pink, U Tomohime was no more, leaving a script book: "Fiery Drama of Hot Young Passion, "Leap out my friend!" The Daimon Egg popped out, cracked open, and let out a dying puff of smoke.
"Whoa, that's a surprise," said Solaris. "It didn't change, not that I'm complaining."
"Yeah, lucky for us," said Sailor Venus. "But I wonder what could have caused the Daimon to be so easily defeated?"
Then, Sailor Uranus left, disappearing into the bushes out of sight, still unnerved from what she had seen.
After a while, Harusuke, Chibiusa, and Haruka returned to Hotaru, while Usagi and others stayed out of sight. When Harusuke and Chibiusa saw Hotaru was unconscious, they quickly rushed to her.
"Hotaru?! Are you okay?!" Chibiusa cried while gently shaking her. "Please, say something!"
Hotaru slowly came around, opening her eyes. "Ch-Chibiusa," she murmured. "What happened to me?"
"You passed out again," said Chibiusa. "But thankfully, you seem to be okay."
Hotaru then instinctively realized what had happened, which filled her face with fear. "Listen, if this keeps happening, I don't think that she should meet anymore," she spoke quietly. "I can't control the way I am, and I might end up hurting you two."
Harusuke and Chibiusa were surprised.
"But... why?" asked Chibiusa. "Why would you say that, Hotaru?
Hotaru bit her lip. "I'm sorry..." she spoke, trying to hold back her tears. "I hope you can forgive me."
Before anyone could stop her, Hotaru dashed away into the night, not even looking back, leaving a confused Chibiusa behind.
"What's the matter with her?" Harusuke wondered.
Haruka then spoke to Harusuke so that Chibiusa wouldn't hear. "Harusuke, you need to tell Chibi Bun-Head to stay away from that girl."
Harusuke looked across to Haruka as she walked toward her car. "Hold up. Why do you say that?" he asked.
"Just trust me on this one," said Haruka as she got into her car. "And you should keep your distance as well. For both your sakes."
And with that, Haruka sped away before Harusuke could ask anything further, leaving him and Chibiusa behind. However, despite it all, Harusuke gave Chibiusa a reassuring pat on her shoulder to ease her emotions.
"It'll be okay, Chibiusa. Hotaru just needs to have some time to herself," he said. "She's just having trust issues regarding her condition. I'm sure things will be fine."
Chibiusa could only stay silent while answering with a nod as the cold night wind blew, rustling the leaves in the trees.
