Inside the Dead Moon Circus's tent, the Amazon Quartet, along with the rest of their troupe, were just finishing up with the final preparations of their show. The opening day was only a few days away, and everyone wanted to ensure everything was perfect to please Zirconia.
CereCere, JunJun, and VesVes were warming up to rehearse their respective acts. As they did, PallaPalla approached them.
"There you are, PallaPalla. We were wondering where you were," said VesVes. "Where have you been?"
"I was just looking for Tiger's Eye and the others," said PallaPalla. "I haven't seen them since I helped them with their big plan and was wondering how things were going."
"Speaking of which, what did they need your help with?" wondered JunJun. "I've been wondering what scheme Hawk's Eye's been cooking up since the other day."
"Well, they didn't give me any specifics about it," said PallaPalla. "But they did have me use this." She then waved her finger, making a circular mirror with a brown sun-like frame appear while hovering above it. "The mirror allowed us to see whatever target's secret dreams are, and Hawk's Eye had me convert some of the power into a ball, and from there, they just told me to leave the rest up to them."
CereCere hummed thoughtfully. "Well, it's pretty obvious they plan to use that power against the Guardians," she said. "But that still doesn't really tell us much. Then again, it's probably nothing to pry over. Personally, I'm interested in meeting these guardians myself and see what if they're as much of an annoyance as the trio claim them to be."
"Same here," smiled JunJun. "Heck, we might run into them in our opening show if things go south for the trio. Not that I don't have confidence in them."
"No need to worry about it," said VesVes with a smile. "I'm sure they can handle those guardians. But should the chance occur that they fail, we'll have to make sure to pick up the slack and teach those guardians not to mess with the Dead Moon Circus. After all, the Trio is just the opening act."
The other girls of the quartet all silently agreed.
He found himself in a dark and lonely place.
He could feel his chest heavy while he saw only a black rose before his eyes.
"I can't breathe… It feels like something's inside of my chest…"
Then, there was a gust of wind, causing the rose to slowly become undone until it was nothing more than a storm of petals.
When Mamoru next woke up, he found himself lying in a bed while staring up at the ceiling with a small and child-like Usagi, a tall, teenage Chibiusa, and Harusuke at his bedside.
The three Tsukinos were relieved and happy to see him awake.
"Mamo! You're awake!" Usagi spoke happily.
"Thank goodness!" Chibiusa sighed thankfully.
Mamoru sighed tiredly as he pinched his nose. "What… What happened to me?" he wondered.
"You passed out while we were walking to your car," explained Harusuke. "We would have taken you by car, but none of us know how to drive, so we had to carry you."
Just then, the door burst open, and Minako, Rei, Makoto, and Ami, along with Lune, Artemis, and Diana all rushed in.
"Usagi! Chibiusa! Harusuke! We came as soon as we heard!" said Minako.
"How's Mamoru?" asked Makoto. "Is he OK?"
"Don't worry, he's fine," said Usagi. "He just woke up.".
Then, the Inner Guardians and the felines stopped, staring at Usagi and Chibiusa, realizing their sudden changes. Even Mamoru blinked while rubbing his eyes. It didn't take them long for all of them to shout out in bewilderment and confusion.
"HUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHH?!"
"Why is Usagi a little kid now?!" Luna squawked in alarm.
"And why is Chibusa a teenager?!" Artemis sputtered.
"We don't know," Usagi and Chibiusa both spoke with a shrug.
"Believe me, we're as confused as you guys are," sighed Harusuke. "One minute, we just finished another one of Tiger's Eye's Lemures and saved Chibiusa's teacher. Next thing I know, they ended up like this."
Rei then bent down so she was at eye level with Usagi while smiling teasingly. "Well, I always said you cry like a little kid," she said. "But I didn't think you would take it so literally."
Usagi pouted huffily. "Hey! This isn't the time for you to tease me, Rei!" she snapped.
Makoto and Minako inspected Chibiusa. Both of which felt very impressed.
"Wow, Chibiusa. You really do look like Usagi now," Makoto murmured. "I mean, you already did before, and I've heard of like mother like daughter, but wow."
"You could definitely pass for being her twin sister," said Minako.
Chibiusa couldn't help but shyly look away. "Um, thank you, I guess," she mumbled.
Then, a female doctor walked into the room. She looked mature but very youthful, and her hair was also a familiar shade of blue.
"I apologize for interrupting, but I'm here to see Mr. Chiba," the doctor said. "We're ready for your chest x-ray."
Everyone looked at the doctor, unfamiliar with who she was, except for Ami, who smiled brightly when she saw her.
"Oh, Hi, Mom," she greeted. "It's nice to see you."
Usagi and the others looked at Ami in surprise before returning their gaze to the doctor.
"No way! You're Ami's mother?!" they all exclaimed.
"Wow! You're so pretty!" Usagi couldn't help but marvel.
The doctor smiled. "I'm pleased to meet all of you," she greeted. "I'm Saeko Mizuno. And you all must be the friends Ami's told me so much about. My daughter's told me a lot about you all."
"She has?" Harusuke asked doubtfully. "I'm afraid to ask, but what has she told you?"
"Just that you're all her special friends, and she's fortunate to have you all," smiled Saeko. "And I'm pleased you're everything she said you'd be."
The woman then slightly bowed politely.
"Please continue to be friends with my daughter and take good care of her, too."
Ami then blushed. "M-Mom! That isn't necessary!" she squeaked.
Usagi and the others could only smile.
"You don't have to worry," smiled Chibiusa. "If anything, Ami's the one that takes care of us half the time."
"Especially when it comes to studying and other things," said Makoto. "Your daughter's been a big help to us, and she's always studying hard to become a great doctor."
"And her knowledge has even saved our brother Shingo," chimed in Usagi.
"Not only that, but she's the brains of our group," Harusuke also spoke. "She's always calm and prepared to tackle or make a plan for whatever comes her way. You must be proud of her."
Saeko was briefly surprised, but she smiled with pride. "Indeed I am," she said thankfully. "I've always been proud of my daughter, and I always will be. And I hope she continues to grow as she follows her dreams."
"Th-Thanks, Mom," Ami mumbled shyly as she glanced at the floor.
Saeko then addressed Mamoru. "Now then, come with me, Mamoru. I'll take you to the examining room. The rest of you can wait in the lobby."
The group then took their leave while Mamoru got out of bed. Usagi and Chibiusa were still worried, but Mamoru reassured them with a smile, promising that he would be all right.
It wasn't long before the exam was finished, and Mamoru was speaking to a male doctor while looking at his X-ray.
"We've found something in your lungs," the doctor said to Mamoru. "It appears to be some kind of shadow."
"A shadow?" repeated Mamoru in puzzlement.
"Yes, we're not sure what it could be, so I recommend running more tests," said the doctor. "Until then, I would go home and get some rest as much as you can while I make a and then come back if you have any additional symptoms."
"All right," replied Mamoru.
But he still felt worried.
Mamoru soon returned, and Usagi and Chibiusa were the first to rush to him.
"Mamo! Are you all right?!" Usagi asked worriedly. "How did it go?"
Mamoru smiled. "Well, the doctor wants me to come for another appointment," he said. "But other than that, I think I'm all right."
"Wish we could say the same for us," sighed Chibiusa. "What if we're stuck like this for the rest of our lives?"
"Don't worry, Chibiusa. I'm sure we'll find a way," said Harusuke. "But unfortunately, this does pose a problem. How will we explain this to Mom, Dad, and Shingo? I mean, I know people say that Usagi and Chibusa look like each other, but even they'll notice something a bit off."
Then, Chibiusa had an idea. "You can leave it to me," she said. "I can use Luna P to make them believe I'm Usagi. Or at least enough for them not to suspect anything. In the meantime, Mamo, you take Usagi home, and I'll meet you guys at Mamo's apartment. The rest of you guys can head home. We'll call you if anything else happens."
Everyone else stared at the pink ordango teen in surprise as she dashed up with Diana following close behind.
"Wow, look at Chibusa taking charge," murmured Usagi.
"I know," agreed Minako. "Guess goes to show that the cherry doesn't fall from the cliff."
Harusuke face palmed himself. "Minako, I'll pretend that sentence you butchered made complete sense for my sanity," he sighed.
Mamoru returned to his apartment with Usagi, Chibiusa, and Diana while everyone went home as usual. From there, Mamoru rested in bed, hoping to recover some, but Usagi couldn't help but fret about him.
"Hey, Mamoru? Is there anything I can get for you?" the little blonde ordango girl asked.
Mamoru shook his head. "No, I'm okay, Usa," he said. "But I appreciate you for asking. I apologize if I'm causing you any trouble. You've got enough to worry about with the Dead Moon Circus, and now I've gone and ended up like this."
Usagi shook her head. "You're not causing any trouble at all!" she denied. "It's not your fault you passed out."
The two then fell silent as they looked at each other before looking away. Due to Usagi being a child now, the two couldn't help but feel awkward.
"This is throwing me off a little." The two lovers spoke wryly in their thoughts.
At that moment, Mamoru felt a sharp pain in his chest again, causing him to clutch it, which alarmed Usagi.
"Mamo!"
But Mamoru kept putting on a brave face as he grimaced while lying back in bed. "I'm okay," he insisted. "I just… need to rest, is all." He then raised his hand to Usagi's cheek, caressing it gently as he spoke apologetically. "I'm sorry, Usa. Lately, all I've been is nothing but a burden to you these days. My power doesn't even come close to what yours is. If anything, I'm only standing in your way. Sometimes, I worry that you'll always have to save and take care of me, and I don't want that for you."
Usagi was surprised at this as she held Mamoru's hand in earnest. But before she could say anything, Mamoru fell asleep out of exhaustion, his hand falling silently on the bed.
The ordango blonde stared at the male, processing over what he had said a moment ago, and couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
"Mamo, you say that you're worried about me having to save and take care of you, but for me, it's the exact opposite," she thought. "Whenever there's trouble, I'm always dragging you into it. And it's the same with everyone else, too. You all get hurt and end up suffering. Sometimes, I can't help but wonder if you're better off without me."
The thought made Usagi's eyes brim with tears, but she bravely wiped them away with her sleeve. Then, she gently leaned toward Mamoru and softly kissed his cheek as he slept.
"But I can't let you go, Mamo. I love you so much. My dream is to be by your side, just like right now. Forever and always."
She then climbed into the bed with Mamoru and rested on his arm, and before long, she was fast asleep, too. While they did, Chibiusa stood outside the room, peeking through the cracked door, having seen and heard everything.
As she watched them from afar, she couldn't help but feel a little sad and jealous of the two, thinking how much they have each other.
Chibiusa later went to the park with Diana and Luna P, wanting to take some to think on the swings. While thinking, she also couldn't help but start thinking about what Helios said about her being the maiden he sought.
"I wonder. Is the maiden that he's looking for really me?"
Diana could see that Chibiusa didn't look happy.
"Is something wrong, Smal Lady?" the white kitten asked.
Chibiusa leered. "Don't call me Small Lady," she grumped. "I'm exactly small with this big body of mine."
Diana shrugged as she hopped on the pink ordango teen's shoulder and climbed until she laid her head. "All right. Just Lady, then," she sighed. "Anyway, why do you look so sad? I would have thought this was what you wanted. And I'm sure if the King and Queen saw you now, they'd really be impressed. Even though it's only a spell, and the real you is tiny."
Chibiusa pouted. "You didn't have to be so blunt about it, Diana," she huffed. "You can be as much of a meanie as Luna sometimes."
Diana could only chuckle.
Then, suddenly, a bright burst of light shone before Chibusa, catching her off guard. Inside it, a familiar winged horse appeared before her.
"Helios! It's you!" gasped Chibiusa.
"Hello, Maiden," greeted Helios. He then took notice of Chibiusa's new form. "Oh my. Look at you. "You're beautiful," he softly marveled. "Without a doubt, you are indeed the maiden I've been searching for."
But Chibiusa shook her head. "You're wrong. This isn't even real," she told him. "I'm not sure how I ended up like this, but it has to be because of the Dead Moon Circus."
"Dead Moon Circus?" repeated Helios, appearing to recognize the name. "That would make sense. In fact, this has to be their doing."
"Does this mean you know about the Dead Moon Circus?" asked Chibiusa. "How do you know them? And who exactly are you anyway?"
Helios seemed to pause at first before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that yet," he said gently. "But please understand I want you to believe me. I need you and your power. You dream beautiful dreams protected by moonlight while being a princess and a guardian. Therefore, you are the chosen maiden."
Then, Helios's began to fade as his light floated up towards the sky.
"Helios, wait!" Chibiusa cried out.
But the white pegasus had already disappeared.
While feeling her doubts grow more so than before, Chibiusa now felt her confidence grow lower as she gazed at the sky where Helios disappeared.
"I'm sorry, Helios," she said quietly. "But I don't think I'm the maiden you're looking for. I think it's someone else."
Mamoru and Usagi were still fast asleep in their bed.
But as they slept, Helios emerged from a mirror on one side of the room and silently approached their bedside. As he gazed upon their sleeping forms, a sad look filled his eyes.
"My prince, please forgive me," Helios apologized quietly. "I couldn't protect Elysion. And because of my failure, your body is being affected, which is causing your suffering. I'm so sorry."
The white pegasus then faded from existence once more. When he did, Mamoru woke up having heard Helios's voice. But he was nowhere to be seen.
"Was that… a dream?" Mamoru wondered aloud.
But the only answer he got was the silence of his empty room.
Meanwhile, at a bar in town, the Amazon Trio, disguised as humans, were busy drinking while gazing at a hand mirror made by Fish's Eye. They were watching a replay of Usagi and the others leaving the hospital.
"Well, Well. It looks like it worked," hummed Tiger's Eye. "Those girls have swapped their ages, but are you sure it was wise to target those two? They honestly don't seem all that special to me."
"Of course," said Hawk's Eye. "After all, those girls were the ones that Fish's Eye saw when he discovered Solaris's identity, and supposedly they're both related to him. So, it stands to reason that they're both most likely guardians, particularly Sailor Moon and her little mini her."
"And with them being as small as they are, I doubt they'd be able to fight," said FIsh's Eye. "With them out of commission, the other Guardians will be easy pickings. All we have to do is take them out one at a time when they're completely defenseless. Divide and Conquer."
"Makes sense to me," smirked Tiger's Eye. "With that being said, which one should we target first?"
They then watched Usagi and the others leave the hospital until Fish's Eye noticed Ami.
"Take a look at her," he pointed out. "The one with the blue hair."
"Hold on, I know her!" recognized Tiger's Eye. "She was one of my targets before!"
"And it's not just her," observed Hawk's Eye. "It seems like all those girls were our targets at some point. Anyway, what made you drawn to her anyway? You don't usually go for women."
"I'm not sure," hummed Fish's Eye. "For some reason, I feel like she and I are similar somehow."
"Well, in that case, you can target her," said Hawk's Eye. "And as for me, I think I'll try my hand with the tall girl over there."
"And I think I'll shoot for that shrine maiden with the black hair," said Tiger's Eye. "That just leaves…" Then he gulped. "Oh, no! Not her! It's that Minako girl!"
Hawk's Eye recognized her, too, and was just as irked. "Oh, god. Anyone but her! Why does she have to be there?!"
"Oh, yeah, she was the one you two were fighting over for a competition," remembered Fish's Eye. "But why are you both so scared?"
"Let's just say both of us saw a peek at her dreams and deeply regretted it," Hawk's Eye spoke wryly. "Truthfully, I'd rather not go after her again."
"Neither do I," said Hawk's Eye. "But like it or not, we have to. After all, this plan of ours has to work. Otherwise, we'll never be able to face Zirconia again. And I think I speak for everyone when I say it's now or never."
"I agree," said Tiger's Eye. "All right, you guys. It's time for the Amazon Trio to partake in our most dangerous mission yet! So let's put down those Guardians for good and make the Dead Moon Circus proud while taking our revenge!"
The Amazon Trio raised their glasses heartily, clinking them together, and each took a large swig of their drinks before slamming their cups onto the table. Then, they all got up and left while disappearing into the night.
In her room at her residence, Ami was busy at work typing on her supercomputer, trying to dig up something about the Dead Moon Circus.
It didn't take her very long to discover the same dark dome around the Juuban District. The same one that Chibiusa saw in her dream before.
"What could that be?" she wondered. "Is that some kind of barrier?"
Then, she remembered what Usagi and the others said when they spoke to her mother, particularly Harusuke's words about her being the brains and always having a plan.
"Even with what they all said about me, I still need to get stronger," Ami thought. "I can't afford to let them or the people of this city down."
Just then, Saeko arrived, having gotten home from work.
"Welcome home, Mom," greeted Ami. "You're home late."
"Sorry, there was trouble at the hospital," Saeko spoke as she took off her shoes, leaving them by the door. "I'm surprised that you're still up. It's one a.m. Have you eaten yet?"
"Yes, I did. I made sure to eat something," assured Ami. "No need to worry."
Saeko smiled. "You know Ami, you're a very mature and responsible girl," she complimented as she sat on the couch. "That's why I know I can trust you enough to leave you alone." She then looked at Ami with a hint of remorse. "But I do that constantly, and I'm sorry I haven't been there for you lately. I must look like a bad mother to you."
Ami was briefly surprised but shook her head. "Not at all," she said kindly. "Being a doctor is a high-demanding job, and you've been working hard. You don't have to worry about me."
Saeko sighed. "I know. But sometimes, I feel like even though I'm working to help others, I'm ignoring my family, and that doesn't make any sense, now does it?"
Ami couldn't say anything.
Ami then retreated to her room and was about to turn in for the night when her eyes fell on her desk, particularly at the drawer. She went over to it and opened it. Inside it was a collection of postcards. These were all sent by her father.
You see, a bit of time ago, Saeko was married to Ami's Father, who, while Saeko pursued her job as a doctor, was a traveling artist. Always having a laid-back lifestyle and constantly traveling and going on sketching trips. This resulted in the two eventually realizing that they weren't compatible with each other and, in the end, divorced. However, despite that, Ami's Father would always send a postcard on her birthday to keep in touch with her.
Ami picked up one that had a picture of a fish on it and smiled nostalgically.
"Come to think of it, Dad would always say that I was too mature for my age," Ami thought. "And I should start acting more like a kid. In fact, he would probably agree with Mom."
The next day, it was raining hard.
Ami was walking around town using an umbrella to keep her dry. As she walked, she spoke to the Tsukinos via her communicator, checking in with Usagi and Chibiusa about their conditions, which, upon learning, nothing had changed.
"So, you're both aren't back to normal yet, huh?" asked Ami.
"Unfortunately, yes," Harusuke said wryly. "I guess it'd be too simple if things returned to normal overnight."
"Ami! What are we going to do?!" Usagi wailed. "There's no way we can stay like this forever!"
"Calm down, Usagi," soothed Ami. "I'm sure we can think of something. Just hang in there a little longer, okay? In the meantime, please keep me posted. I'll let you know if I find anything."
Ami then turned off her communicator.
"I've got to find a way to return them to normal," she told herself, determined. "But I have no idea how to."
Then, as she continued her walk, she noticed something. To her left was a tropical fish shop.
"Wait a minute. When did this store open?" the bluenette wondered. "And was it always here?"
But despite her questions, Ami couldn't help but go inside to inspect. Inside, there were rows upon rows of tanks filled with colorful fish.
Ami couldn't help but feel amazed. "How beautiful," she murmured. "It's almost like an underwater reef."
Then, a male worker with wavy blue hair tied in a ponytail approached her.
"I'm glad you approve," he said with a smile. "You know, there's something people say about those attracted to water. It means they're dealing with a lot of stress and frustration. Having a pet fish and watching it swim can help ease that stress."
Ami looked across at the male as he gestured towards a particular small fish. Its scales were the same color as his hair while having green stripes, and its pelvic and dorsal fins were bright orange.
"Why don't you take this little guy home?" suggested the worker. "I'm sure he'll be able to brighten things up at home."
Ami took one look at the fish and couldn't help but smile. "Why not?" she accepted. "I think my mom would love to have a fish."
The male worker smiled as a malicious glint in his eye went unnoticed.
That night, Ami took the fish home, giving it a nice roomy tank to swim around and keeping it at the table while waiting for her mother to come home from work. As she watched it swim around, she couldn't help but smile.
"You know, you look like the fish on a postcard my Dad sent me," she said to the fish. "I can't wait for Mom to see you. She'll be surprised."
She then continued her lonely vigil hour after hour until, at last, Ami fell fast asleep on the table. But as she slept, the fish in the tank began to shimmer in an ominous light, spreading its influence throughout the apartment unbeknownst to her.
Then, not long after that, Ami heard the sound of the door opening, which woke her up. Believing it to be Saeko, Ami sleepily got up and went over to the entrance to greet her.
"Mom? Is that you?"
But as she looked towards the entrance, she saw a shocking sight that made her gasp.
Saeko stood there with another male, holding him close while smooching him on the lips.
The male then pulled back. "Hey, isn't your daughter still up?" he asked worriedly. "What if she hears us?"
"Oh, I wouldn't worry," Saeko sneered. "Besides, who cares? All she cares about is studying anyway. I don't. And neither should you."
To say that Ami was shocked to hear those words come out of her mother's mouth was an understatement. She couldn't speak as she backed herself against the wall in shock.
Then, she took notice of a mirror and saw something else. Instead of her usual reflection, the reflection showed herself as a small child running desperately toward her father as he shrank into the void.
"Daddy! Daddy!" the small child cried out. "Don't go!"
"Don't follow me, Ami," her father spoke coldly. "Besides, all you care about is studying and getting good grades. And all your mother cares about is her job. This is goodbye."
And with that, he disappeared, leaving the child all alone.
Ami could only reach for the mirror's surface, sorrow filling her heart even further.
"No! That's not true, Dad! You and Mom are always on my mind! Why can't you understand?!"
The mirror then showed images of Usagi, Chibiusa, Mamoru, and even Harusuke and the other guardians. They all looked jubilant and cheerful.
At that moment, the fish appeared behind Ami and revealed himself to be Fish's Eye, who wrapped his arms gently around the girl's neck while whispering temptingly.
"Just look at them. They look so happy, all smiles and not needing anyone else. You're jealous of them, aren't you? Be honest. There's no need to hold yourself back anymore. Just let out your desires and tell me what you truly want. You can trust me."
Ami's eyes went vacant as the darkness slowly began to take hold inside of her heart. "Yes. It's true," she mumbled out. "The truth is, my dream is to be loved by someone. Anyone."
But as quickly as she started to fall into darkness, she suddenly realized what was going on and snapped herself out of it.
"No! Snap out of it, Ami! This isn't real! It's all an illusion!"
She made a mad dash out of the room to escape, but more trouble came for her. Just as she tried heading for the door, she was promptly surrounded by several Nightmare Lemures that blocked her path. Knowing it was the enemy, Ami quickly activated her communicator.
"Harusuke! Usagi, can you hear me?!" Ami cried out.
"Ami? What's wrong?!" Harusuke spoke in alarm.
"Are you okay?!" asked Usagi with concern. "What's happening?!"
"It's the enemy!" Ami spoke urgently. "My apartment has been taken over, and I need-!"
But her cry for help came too late, as Fish's Eye emerged from the mirror and grabbed Ami by the ankles.
"Sorry, but I'm letting you go," he smirked. "Even though you're a woman, you belong to me."
And before Ami could react, Fish's Eye retreated into the mirror, pulling her with him.
When Ami regained her senses, she was underwater, sinking into a dark abyss. Her body felt heavy as drowsiness seeped into every pore of her body.
"This is… a nightmare…" she mumbled out weakly.
Fish's Eye's voice came, it sounding soothing like a lullaby as it echoed throughout the space.
"That's right. A dream from the lemures is a sweet nightmare. But there's no reason for you to fight or suffer from it. If you give in, it will comfort you. Just close your eyes and let this dream comfort you."
Ami did just that as she closed her eyes while her body sank further into the darkness.
"It feels so nice," she thought. "Maybe… I should give in. I'm nothing special. I've always been weak. All I want to do now is just fall peacefully asleep and never wake up."
But just as she was about to, a tiny voice called out from the darkness.
"Princess! Princess Mercury!"
Ami's eyes blinked open, and while her vision was a bit blurry, she could see a strange blue light approaching her from the darkness.
"What's that? Who is that?"
She blinked again while squinting as the entity came closer, and when her vision cleared, she couldn't help but gasp.
The light turned out to be a miniature version of herself as Sailor Mercury.
Naturally, the bluenette became wide awake as she blinked and stared in surprise.
"Y-You're me!" Ami gasped in bewilderment.
"That's right. I am a part of you. Another you, so to speak," said the tiny guardian. "Listen to me, Princess, you can't stay here! You have to wake up! Don't be swayed by your enemy's words, and remember your true dream!"
Ami stared as she took her smaller self gently into her hands.
At first, she wondered about what she was talking about, but then, memories flooded into her mind as she remembered the warm, smiling faces of her friends and family, which made her remember.
"That's right! There are lots of people who love and cherish me, and I love and cherish them just as much." Ami realized. "That's why I study so hard, so I can cherish them, protect them, and make more memories with them!"
The small Sailor Mercury smiled knowingly as Ami began to radiate with a blue glow while rising upward toward the water's surface.
"And my dream is to become the best Sailor Guardian I can be and protect them all!" she shouted. "Because that's my duty and who I am!"
Ami then burst out from the water's surface, proud and triumphant as light illuminated the surrounding space, much to Fish's Eye's shock.
Then, a shining heart-shaped blue crystal appeared before Ami. Without any hesitation, Ami took the crystal into her hand, held it up high, and shouted out a new transformation phrase.
"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"
Transformation Sequence: Ami
The planet Mercury appears along with its symbol as Ami puts her hand up, fingernails sparkling in bright blue. Next, her body becomes silhouetted in shining blue as ribbons of sparkling water erupt from her hand. While spinning around, the water swirled around her body, forming her Sailor Uniform and her symbols. Finally, a water ripple overshadows her, and she emerges wearing her uniform like before, but with some changes. Her collar only bore one white stripe, her choker now had a yellow star with a blue gemstone in the center, her shoulder pads became like Super Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon's, and the back waist bow was enlarged and lengthened.
The symbol of Mercury briefly flashed in the middle of Ami's forehead before her tiara materialized. Her transformation finished; she smiled while jumping back and assuming her final pose, her sign and a harp symbol appearing in the background against a blue background filled with bubbles.
"Protected by Mercury, the planet of Water, Guardian of Wisdom!" she proclaimed. "I am Sailor Mercury! Now, douse yourself in water, and repent!"
Fish's Eye could only stare in horror as he shielded his eyes from the guardian's blinding light as the water whipped around in response to her power.
Then, something else appeared before Sailor Mercury. It was a small silver lyre with a wing at its curved part.
"This is your new weapon, the Mercury Harp!" she heard a voice call out to her. "Use it to blow away the nightmare!"
Taking the voice's advice, believing it to be her other self, Sailor Mercury took hold of the lyre and strummed its strings, causing the water to come to life as it turned into a mighty torrent of water, blasting Fish's Eye out of the space and allowing her self to break free.
Fish's Eye coughed while wiping his cheek after taking the damage. "H-How is that possible?!" he exclaimed. "You shouldn't have been able to break free! You're weakling!"
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you couldn't have been more wrong!" Sailor Mercury spoke bravely.
Then, the front door burst open, and Usagi, Chibiusa, and Harusuke rushed in.
"Ami! We're here!" cried Harusuke.
"Usagi! Chiibusa! Harusuke!" Sailor Mercury spoke gratefully. "I could use some backup!"
"Come on, Chibiusa! Let's transform and see what happens!" urged Usagi. "Maybe we'll go back to normal!"
Chibiusa nodded in agreement as she joined Usagi and Harusuke as they transformed.
"MOON CRISIS, MAKE UP!"
"SOLAR QWASER POWER, SUIT UP!"
Transformation Sequence: Usagi and Chibiusa.
Both Usagi's Crisis Moon Compact and Chibiusa's Chibi Moon Compacts open. They both begin to flash until they erupt with pink light. While enveloped in light with their compacts affixed to the middle of their chests, Usagi and Chibiusa stand side by side as pink ribbons made of light burst from their brooches, trailing and flapping in the wind-like capes. First, as she turns around, they wrap around Usagi, forming her leotard, and the same happens to Chibiusa. Next, the two stood back-to-back, bending backward elegantly as their skirt, boots, and ribbons materialized. Then, as they move around face-to-face, Chibiusa kisses Usagi's cheek, and as she pulls away, her tiara and other accessories appear along with Usagi's. The two then open their eyes, their transformations completed; they turn and strike their signature poses while a yellow moon with pink roses on the side appears in the background.
Transformation Sequence: Solaris (Post Super S)
Harusuke's crystal begins to shine, each of the ten points glowing in different colors of the rainbow until the center explodes in golden light. Harusuke, enveloped in silver light, holds his hands to his chest. His crystal lets out a burst of light as he throws his hands out, the symbol of the Sun appearing on his chest. Multiple streams of rainbow-colored light shine forth from it and spread throughout his body, enveloping him. Then, chrome golden and silver armor forms on his body, starting from his chest, arms, and legs. The symbol of the Sun appears in the middle of his forehead, and as it shines, light envelops his head, forming his helmet. His transformation completed, his eyes snap open, brightly flashing silver once and while spinning once, strikes his signature pose as the symbol of the Sun, now having ten different colored points, shines behind him in a starry blue background.
As soon as they changed to their guardian forms, Usagi and Chibiusa were delighted to find they had returned to their proper ages.
"All right! We're back to normal!" cheered Super Sailor Moon.
Fish's Eye scowled. "Damn you all! How did you break the spell?!" he shrieked. "I have to get out of here!"
But as he tried to summon his portal to escape, a magic circle shot past, enveloping his body and freezing him up. That magic circle came from Solaris.
"Sorry, but you're not going anywhere!" he spoke grimly. "All right, girls! Go for it!"
"And I'll help, too!" said Sailor Mercury.
Super Sailor Moon and Super Sailor Chibi Moon summoned their Moon Kaleidoscopes, and Sailor Mercury readied her harp. The two super moon guardians unleashed their signature attack while Sailor Mercury unleashed a brand new one.
"MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!"
"MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!"
Super Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon each fired a blast of rainbow shards, while Sailor Mercury let loose a funneling stream of water.
Both attacks combined and struck their mark, destroying Fish's Eye in a bright burst of light and water. Upon his destruction, the negative energy shrouding the apartment immediately faded away, the atmosphere returning to normal.
With their enemy gone, Super Sailor Moon went over to her comrade. "Mercury! Are you all right?" she asked.
"I'm fine now. Thank you for your concern and for coming," replied Sailor Mercury. "I'm glad to see you're both back to normal."
Solaris then noticed Sailor Mercury's new form and her Mercury Harp. "Hey, check you out! It looks like you've gotten yourself an upgrade, Mercury! You even got yourself a weapon just like me!"
Sailor Mercury could only smile.
But as they spoke to each other, Super Sailor Chibi Moon couldn't help but feel that same feeling of inadequacy while gazing at Super Sailor Moon.
"It's still amazing how strong and beautiful Usagi is," she thought sadly. "Everyone always counts on her whenever they need her. I've always known this. Even if we both share the same weapons and the same Legendary Silver Crystal, I don't compare to her at all. I'm nothing like her. Without her, I'm useless!"
She then pulled out the Crystal Carillon, giving it a shake and making it ding.
"TWINKLE YELL!"
At her command, Helios immediately appeared right beside the screen floor to the balcony.
Super Sailor Moon and the others were surprised.
"Chibi Moon, what are you…?" Super Sailor Moon began to ask.
"Helios. You were wrong about me," Super Sailor Chibi Moon said to the white-winged horse. "The maiden you're looking for is someone else."
Her words made her heart sting with self-loathing as her eyes brimmed with tears.
"Wait, maiden?" puzzled Solaris. "What are you talking about, Chibi Moon?"
"I am searching for a maiden whose beauty matches her dreams," explained Helios. "A princess and a guardian protected by moonlight, and possesses a sacred item that can unlock the seal of the Golden Crystal."
"Then, if that's the case, is the maiden you seek, Sailor Moon?" wondered Sailor Mercury. "Or rather, Princess Serenity?"
"Sailor Moon is also Princess Serenity?" Helios questioned as he looked across at the girl.
At that moment, Super Sailor Chibi Moon, unable to stay and take it any longer, bolted from the room, feeling utterly useless and dejected.
"Hey! Chibi Moon, wait!" Solaris cried. "Where are you going?!"
But the little guardian didn't respond nor look back as she ran, leaving everyone else worried and puzzled by her reaction. At the same time, Helios silently took his leave, disappearing from view.
