Flames of destruction engulfed the Moon Kingdom.
Usagi, or Princess Serenity, was running through the flames and destruction, chasing Endymion, who was running ahead of her.
"Endymion!" the princess called. "Endymion!"
Endymion looked back and gave the princess a reassuring smile. The princess watched as Endymion ran further ahead, disappearing into the flames of destruction.
The princess' eyes widened in horror as the flames seemed to engulf the prince of Earth as everything went white.
"ENDYMION!"
Usagi was still fast asleep, tossing and turning in her bed as she continued to suffer through her nightmare. Luna noticed them and went over to Usagi feeling a bit worried.
"No more... I don't want to be a Moon Princess anymore..." she mumbled. "Constantly having to fight the Dark Kingdom... I don't want to do that. I wanna be a normal girl..."
"Usagi, don't say that!" pleaded Luna. "You can never forget that you made a promise!"
"It looks like the trauma was more serious than I thought," she said to herself. "She keeps contradicting herself. Now, I can't help but feel worried."
Then Usagi turned in her sleep once again. As she did, her arm came flying down and plopped right on top of Luna. The poor black cat struggled as she tried to get free, but the weight of Usagi's arm prevented her.
"Usagi! Wake up!" she screeched. "You're crushing me!"
Then she saw Usagi's sleeping face. As she slept, Usagi's closed eyes began brimming with tears as she continued to dream about Mamoru.
"Tuxedo Mask... where are you?" she murmured tearfully. "I'm so worried about you... Where are you right now...? Please be safe..."
Luna now felt sorrier and more worried for Usagi than ever as she continued to watch over her, hoping that she would be back to normal soon.
The next day during class, everyone was feeling bright and cheerful, but Usagi was still feeling depressed about what had happened to Mamoru.
Naru and her group then came up to Usagi's desk.
"Hey Usagi, check this out," said Naru excitedly as she pointed to an article in a magazine. "A new hair salon just opened in the Juban District!"
"And it also happens to be owned by Kariko Tokoyama, the winner of last month's World Hair Design Contest," added Yumiko.
"Not only that, but she's also offering free haircuts for anyone who attends grand opening!" said Kuri.
"Yeah! Isn't that great?!" Naru spoke, grinning. "We should go! We have to check it out!"
Usagi didn't respond at first for about a few seconds, then she finally answered in a monotone-like voice. "Yeah... That sounds great..."
Naru could see that Usagi wasn't acting like her chipper self, which worried her. "Is something the matter, Usagi?" she asked. "You seem depressed."
"Yeah... sure..." responded Usagi as she continued to sit at her desk, sad and depressed.
Harusuke was watching from afar and felt worried about his sister. "Poor Usagi..." he thought to himself.
A little later, the rest of the group met up at the Hikawa Shrine to discuss Usagi's problems. Luna and Harusuke then explained.
"She hasn't been sleeping well," Luna explained. "Just when I think that she's fallen asleep, she starts talking in her sleep and having nightmares about Tuxedo Mask."
"The poor thing," mused Ami sadly. "I feel bad for her. "
"Do we even know what happened to Tuxedo Mask after the enemy took him?" asked Makoto.
Luna shook her head. "I'm afraid we don't. We only know that she's still missing," she said sadly. "And that worse part of it is, Usagi's so worried about him that she can't think or focus on anything else. It's getting to be painful seeing her this way."
"I'll say," agreed Harusuke. "She's become more clumsy, she's not paying attention more than usual, and to top it all off, she's hardly eaten either. And when Usagi doesn't eat, that's when you know something's wrong with her."
"This does pose a problem," said Artemis. "We need Usagi to get serious about being the Princess before something bad happens."
"But you really can't blame her," Rei spoke up quietly. "The one she loves got taken away from her, and we haven't heard from him since. I know what kind of pain she must be going through."
"Well, this is unusual," spoke Makoko. "I'd never thought I'd see you of all people sympathize with Usagi like this." Then she suddenly remembered what Rei said back when she slapped Usagi and finally understood. "I'm... sorry about that," she apologized.
Harusuke then looked at Rei, who turned towards the coy pond, not saying another word.
"It would seem that Usagi's not the only one who's feeling heartbroken about Mamoru," he thought. "Rei must be feeling just as depressed as Usagi is, if not a little more."
"Be that as it may, no matter how hard it must be, now isn't the time for Usagi to go soft," said Artemis.
"I agree," said Luna. "To crush the Dark Kingdom's ambitions, we have to get her back on track as a full-fledged Princess and soon so she can use the Silver Crystal."
"There must be something we can do to help her," said Minako. "But what?"
There was a long silence. Then Harusuke spoke up.
"I'm sorry. It's my fault."
Everyone immediately looked at Harusuke.
"What are you talking about, Harusuke?" wondered Ami.
"I'm saying that it's my fault," Harusuke bitterly spoke as he squeezed his hands. "If I didn't let my guard down, Mamoru would never have ended up kidnapped, and Usagi would never be in this state right now."
"Come on, Harusuke, don't say that," said Luna. "It's not your fault. Even we didn't expect Queen Beryl to show up the way she did."
"And there's no way you could have predicted anything like this could happen," added Ami.
"I know, but still... I feel so powerless," Harusuke spoke. "Here I am, her older brother as well as a guardian, and yet I can't do anything to help her or cheer her up. It makes me wonder what kind of brother am I."
Minako then stood up and placed a reassuring hand on Harusuke's shoulder, causing the boy to look up.
"Harusuke, don't go getting depressed on us too," she said sternly. "You're a good brother. That's what kind you are. I've seen how much you care about Usagi. So don't go blaming yourself for something that was beyond your control. The only thing you can do right now is to be there for Usagi."
"She's right," said Makoto. "And don't worry. I'm sure that Usagi'll cheer up eventually. Just give her a little time."
Harusuke still felt a bit sad, but he gave his friends a small smile as he stood up. "I suppose you're right," he said. "In the meantime, I'm going to head home and check on her. Hopefully, I'll come up with some way to help her before I get home."
"Mind if I come with you?" asked Minako.
"Well... I guess so, but what for?" wondered Harusuke.
"Let's just say I have my reasons," winked Minako. "And I think I might know how to cheer her up."
Harusuke then gave Minako a tiny smile. "Sure. If you think you can help her," he said.
As the two of them walked ahead, Artemis watched them, remembering back to when Harusuke fought Queen Beryl the other day. The thought alone made him a bit worried, but he didn't say anything for now as he and Luna followed Minako and Harusuke to the Tsukino house.
At the Tsukino house, Usagi was alone in her room, sitting at her table while listening to the music coming from the star-shaped locket. As she listened to the music while staring at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but feel all the sadder as her eyes began to fill up with tears. She knew that she shouldn't be so down, considering that the girl made a promise to fight and save him, but she couldn't but cry. She thought about what Mamoru would say if he saw her in this sorry state.
"Crying doesn't suit you, Bun-head."
"You're just... being mean," Usagi sniffed as she wiped her tears. Then she had a thought. "Or is he? I mean - does my hairstyle look that weird?"
She then looked to her right and noticed a magazine left open at an article about the new hair salon. She then remembered what Naru and her friends said about it and that the grand opening was giving free haircuts to anyone who attended.
At that moment, Usagi heard a voice.
"I see that you're looking at that ad for the new hair salon, right?"
Usagi looked behind her and was surprised to see Minako standing there.
"M-Minako..."
"Hey there, Usagi. Sorry if I came here unannounced, but I asked your brother if I could come over, and he let me in," apologized Minako. "Anyway, why don't you try a new hairstyle? It might make you feel better."
Usagi was a bit puzzled, but she agreed. First, Minako undid the buns in Usagi's hair, letting it down completely. Then she got a brush and gently stroked Usagi's hair with it while she began thinking up some new hairstyles for Usagi to try.
"Let's see... something like a mature and sophisticated bob cut or maybe a wavy style that's bold and bouncy?" she suggested. "Or how about long and straight for a classic and chic look? Sometimes changing your hairstyle is just what a girl needs to lift her spirits."
"Yeah..." said Usagi, now showing a smile. "I think I'll give it a shot..."
As Minako brushed Usagi's hair, Harusuke stood outside the room. He had heard everything, and he couldn't help but feel relieved.
"Way to go, Minako," he thought. "I guess you were the right person to go to after all. Hopefully, this will help Usagi take her mind off of Mamoru."
He then walked away down the hall towards his room. He was just about to enter his room when Luna and Artemis approached.
"Harusuke?"
Harusuke looked down. "Oh. Hey Luna. Artemis. What's up?"
"There's something that we need to talk to you about," said Artemis. "Alone, if you don't mind."
Harusuke looked down the hall, ensuring that no one else was around. Then he opened the door to his room, letting himself and the two cats inside.
"So what's up?" wondered Harusuke. "Is something the matter?"
"It's nothing like that," said Artemis. "There are just some questions that I need you to answer for me," He paused, and then he resumed. "First and foremost, it's about the other day when Queen Beryl showed up."
Harusuke then remembered, and he felt his heart skip a beat a little; however, he kept his wits. "What about that day?"
"I want you to tell me everything that you know about when she came," said Artemis. "What exactly was going through your mind when you saw Queen Beryl? And please try to remember as much as you can.
Luna looked at Artemis curiously, as did Harusuke, but the boy closed his eyes and thought back.
"Let's see... I remember Zoisite and Kunzite about to fight us, but then Queen Beryl showed up," Harusuke spoke. "Then, as soon as Luna said her name... I - I zoned out. The next thing I knew, I was on my knees with a pounding headache."
"I see," said Artemis. "And you're sure that you don't remember anything else?"
"No. I don't," replied Harusuke. Then he had a thought. "Actually... I do remember something else. There was a feeling that I felt before I blanked out. Something that completely overwhelmed me."
"And what was that feeling?" wondered Luna.
Harusuke paused for a few seconds; then, he looked at the two cats with eyes filled with slight fear as he spoke in a quiet voice.
"Rage. Pure rage."
There was a long silence. Then there was a knock on the door. The door opened, and Minako peeked inside of the room.
"Hey guys, I was gonna take Usagi to that hair salon," she said. "Do any of you want to come along?"
"Well... I don't know if..." Harusuke began.
He was about to tell Minako that now wasn't a good time, but then Artemis interrupted.
"You should go with them, Harusuke," the white cat said. "You need to be there for your sister. Besides, that was all I needed to know. Go out and spend some time with Minako and Usagi."
Harusuke was hesitant, but he didn't say anything more. "Alright then. Count me in," he said.
The three then left the house leaving the two cats by themselves.
"Artemis, why did you ask Harusuke those questions?" wondered Luna.
"It was for the investigation," said Artemis. "I had to ask because there's something that's been worrying me about him. I can't say anything more than that, I'm afraid."
"Why not?" asked Luna.
"It's because I don't have enough information to explain everything yet, Luna," said Artemis. "For now, we have to make sure we keep an eye on him. If anything happens to him, make sure you let me know. Got it, Luna?"
Luna was still feeling unsure, but she nodded in response.
An unconscious Mamoru lay in a bed made of stone bathing in dark black waves of energy while Kunzite watched over him in the Dark Kingdom. At that moment, Zoisite appeared.
"So, how is he doing?" Zoisite asked.
"He's still unconscious at the moment, but his injuries have almost completely healed," replied Kunzite. "It's only a matter of time before he fully wakes up." He then looked up at Zoisite. "Has Queen Beryl spoken to you yet, Zoisite?"
"Not yet," the brunette spoke, shaking his head. "I'm still afraid of what she has in store for me. I wonder. Will she banish me as she did with Jadeite? Or will she arrange for me to be dead like Nephrite? I'm scared, Kunzite."
"Fear not, my love. I'm sure that Queen Beryl will give you a second chance," Kunzite reassured. "After all, she did spare you. We'll just have to wait until she gives up further orders."
"Kunzite... Zoisite..."
Zoisite and Kunzite then stood at attention upon hearing a familiar voice. At that moment, Queen Beryl appeared before them. The two remaining Kings of Heaven immediately bowed respectively to their queen.
"Listen well, you two," said the evil queen. "I'm sure that I don't need to tell you, but we must secure the Silver Crystal from Sailor Moon at any cost."
"Yes, Queen Beryl," the two acknowledged.
Queen Beryl then looked at Kunzite. "Kunzite, I trust that you've managed to discover Sailor Moon's true identity by now?"
"Not just yet, my queen," said Kunzite. "Please give me more time."
"You better be quick about it," the evil queen spoke in an ominous tone. "Uncover Sailor Moon's identity as soon as possible so that we can steal the Silver Crystal from her."
"Don't worry. Leave it to me," Kunzite spoke. "I already have my next plan ready to be put into motion." He then waved his middle and index fingers, and a long golden lock of hair came down and wrapped around his hand. "This is a strand of hair belonging to Sailor Moon of which I managed to find during the last battle," he explained. "I will search for the girl who has the same matching strands of hair, and then I will uncover Sailor Moon's identity."
"Very well, but proceed with caution," warned Queen Beryl. Then she turned towards Zoisite, which gulped upon meeting her gaze. "As for you, Zoisite..."
Zoisite then gulped and braced himself for whatever punishment Queen Beryl had as she paused impressively.
"You should consider yourself lucky. Due to your previous actions, I was planning on executing you as soon as you returned," went on Queen Beryl. "But... I have decided to pardon you of your crime."
Zoisite's eyes went wide with surprise, as did Kunzite's.
"Y-you mean it, Queen Beryl?!" Zoisite managed to choke out.
"Yes. But remember, you will obey my orders without any question, and if you ever decide to pull a stunt like that again, I will make sure to erase you from existence!" Queen Beryl spoke sternly. "Is that understood?"
"Y-yes, my queen!" Zoisite spoke happily, bowing. "You won't regret this! I will obey you without any question, and I promise won't do what I did ever again!"
"In that case, I have a mission for you to do as well, Zoisite," said Queen Beryl. "A mission that only you can do."
"A mission only I can do?" wondered Zoisite. "What is it?"
Queen Beryl's eyes glinted as the orb in her staff shone as she then began explaining Zoisite's mission.
Back in the real world, Usagi, Minako, and Harusuke arrived at the Hair Salon Kariko. Inside numerous girls were having their hair cut or washed by the staff members, who all wore red or blue uniforms. When the three arrived, a young woman wearing a white uniform with short green hair and dark eyes came.
"Welcome and thank you for coming to Kariko Tokoyama's," she greeted. "How may I help you?"
"I'd like you to take a look at her hair and see what new style would look best on her," said Minako as she gently pushed Usagi forward.
"Of course. Just leave it to me," said Kariko. "Come this way."
Usagi was a bit unsure, but she followed Kariko to a chair that came with a sink. As she sat down and lay back, undoing her hair, Kariko put a small washcloth covering her face and turned on the water. She then lathered her hands with shampoo and gently scrubbed Usagi's hair.
"Please let me know if I pull your hair or massage your scalp too hard," reminded Kariko.
Usagi felt a bit awkward by having her hair scrubbed by someone else, but she began to relax as she let Kariko work her magic bit by bit.
Minako and Harusuke watched on from afar.
"I sure hope this cheers her up so she can be her old self again," said Minako.
"Yeah. Let's hope," said Harusuke. He then looked around at the many different girls getting their hair done. Some were getting them cut, some were getting them washed, and even some were getting their hair dried.
"I feel kinda awkward being here," he spoke. "I mean, I'm the only boy that's in here, right now."
"Try not to think about it," smiled Minako. "Besides, I've seen a couple of boys who go to salons like this all the time. You should ask if you could get your hair done, Harusuke."
"No way, Minako," Harusuke chuckled. "Besides, I like my hair the way it is."
As the two chatted on, they were unaware of the evil occurring at that moment. The hair dryers that the girls were using were machines explicitly designed to analyze their hair and match it to the hair that Kunzite found, which belonged to Sailor Moon. Not only that, but Kariko was an agent for the Dark Kingdom helping out in the search.
As the hairdryer scanned another girl's hair and while watching a mirror which was some sort of a screen, Kariko was disappointed to see yet another who didn't match the hair Kunzite gave her.
"She's not Sailor Moon either," she thought. "So far, none of their hair match the strand that Kunzite provided."
As Kariko continued to test the girls, Minako and Harusuke sat in the waiting area. Minako was reading a magazine while Harusuke kept an eye on Usagi. Then, one of the workers approached them, catching Minako and Harusuke's attention.
"Thank you for waiting," she said, smiling sweetly. "Please follow me to the hair steamer, Miss."
"I'm... not here to have my hair done," Minako said. "I just came with my friends."
"That's no problem. But, while you're waiting, you should try our revolutionary hair steamer," said the worker. "We use special steam that instantly repairs split ends and sun damage which sometimes you're not even aware you have. It'll make your hair silky smooth and make you look like a star, not that you need it because you already look like one. And in addition, it's free."
Minako was impressed and flattered, but she still wasn't very sure.
"I'd go for it, Minako," said Harusuke. "It's as they say, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. You should give it a shot. I mean, what's the harm?"
Minako then nodded. "Alright then. I'll go for it," she said. "I mean, after all, it's free, and it sounds pretty good."
The woman led Minako to the hairdryer, who sat down and undid her long golden hair. She then had her hair in curls wrapped in a cap and had the dryer lowered to her head as she sat in the chair. While that was happening, Harusuke sat back in the waiting area, waiting for Minako and Usagi to finish.
"It's a pity I can't join them," he thought. "That sounds and looks pretty relaxing. But, then again, I do have my pride."
He then grabbed a magazine skimmed through it, hoping to pass the time.
As Minako was having her hair dried, she was unaware that she was also having her hair tested by Kariko. Kariko, still scrubbing Usagi's hair, looked towards the mirror, hoping that Minako would match the sample. This time to Kariko's surprise, the mirror gave several dings signaling that the hair matched the strand that Kunzite found. She then looked back towards the unsuspecting Minako, her eyes gleaming red with triumph and an evil smile tugging at her lips.
"I finally found you, Sailor Moon," she cackled to herself. "After all this time, I've discovered Sailor Moon's true identity!"
She immediately stopped what she was doing, leaving the water running on Usagi's head.
"Um... Miss Kariko, are you finished with my shampoo yet?" wondered Usagi.
Kariko didn't answer. She walked straight towards Minako with a pair of scissors at the ready.
"I found you, Sailor Moon!" she snarled. "You're all mine, and you can't run away anymore!"
Before Minako could react, Kariko grabbed her by the collar and had her pinned down.
"S-stop it!" yelped Minako. "Let me go!"
Usagi sat up, taking the towel off her face, and Harusuke looked up upon hearing the noise.
"Minako!"
At that moment, Kariko's assistants immediately stopped, each one holding a can of spray, unleashing all of its contents. The girls that inhaled the spray all slowly fell unconscious one by one.
Harusuke immediately covered his mouth, trying not to inhale the gas. "Dammit! Hold on, Minako! I'm coming to help you!" he yelled.
He rushed on over to try and help her, but he was immediately cut off by an assistant. Before he could react, the assistant socked him right in the gut knocking the wind out of him. Harusuke coughed as he tried to breathe, but he ended up taking in the gas, making him fall unconscious to the ground.
Usagi, however, saw what was going on and sneakily crawled away, making sure to keep low to the ground so that she wouldn't inhale the gas.
Minako was also beginning to lose herself, but she was kept awake by Kariko with one firm shake of her shoulders.
"Don't you dare fall asleep yet, you idiot!" Kariko snapped as she snipped her scissors dangerously. "Hand over the Silver Crystal now!"
"What? Wh-what are you talking about?" Minako asked dizzily.
"Don't play dumb!" Kariko snarled as she shook Minako harder. "My computer analyzed your hair, and it says it's an exact match to Sailor Moon's, so don't you dare tell me otherwise! I want that Silver Crystal, and I want it now!"
Minako felt all the more confused. How could this woman confuse her for Sailor Moon? Sure she and Usagi had the same hair somewhat, but there was no way that her hair could have matched hers. Then Minako remembered back to when she was brushing Usagi's hair.
"That's it... I must have gotten some of Usagi's hair tangled with mine when I was brushing it!" she thought.
Kariko then gave Minako one more hard shove as she took her silence as a means of defiance.
"So you're refusing to hand it over, eh?" she smirked. "Fine then. I've got ways of making you change your mind."
Her assistants suddenly appeared around her in a circle and spun around Kariko until they became a whirlwind of red, blue, and white. Then, the whirlwind disappeared, and a horrifying sight now stood there before her.
She was big and bulky, wore a red one-piece unitard with stranger white markings at the center, had long white spikes protruding from her shoulders and three others coming out of her spine, and wore a strange band on her arm that covered her right forearm reminiscent of a barbershop pole. She had gray skin, red lipstick on her lips, piercing yellow eyes, a row of pink hair curlers on top, and had dirty blonde hair that stuck out from four different directions in pigtails.
Kario had now become the monster known as Mitsuami
"It's... it's a monster!" gasped Minako in horror.
Meanwhile, Usagi, who had managed to sneak away unseen, saw that Minako was in trouble as she hid behind a corner of the room.
"This is bad! The Dark Kingdom's turned Miss Kariko into a monster so that they could get to me!" she said to herself. "Hold on, Minako! I'm coming to save you! And you too, Harusuke!"
She then raised her hand into the air, initiating her transformation.
"MOON PRISM POWER MAKE UP!"
Transformation Sequence: Usagi
Usagi's body shone with rainbow-colored light as she seemed to spin around. Then from her brooch, it flashed pink and pink ribbons shot out, wrapping her upper torso and midsection and became a white leotard with a red bow in the center and a collar that was blue with white stripes. Next, Usagi crosses her arms, and more pink ribbons wrap around them, turning into long white gloves. The pink ribbon then wraps around Usagi's legs and turns into a pair of red thigh-high boots. Then a blue skirt appears around Usagi's waist with a red bow in the back. Then a tiny gem starts glowing in the middle of Usagi's forehead, and a gold tiara with a red gem, a pair of dangling crescent moon earrings, a red choker with a moon on it appear along with red circular accents in her hair buns. Usagi then strikes her signature pose as the moon shines behind her in the background.
The monster closed in on Minako snipping her scissors as she did. Minako was too weak to move and could only tremble in fear. Then suddenly -.
"Hold it right there!" a familiar voice yelled. "That girl isn't the real Sailor Moon! The real Sailor Moon is right here!"
The two immediately turned around behind them to find that a Sailor Guardian was now standing before them, much to the monster's shock.
"I-impossible!" she gasped as she looked back and forth at Minako and Sailor Moon in disbelief. "How can this be?!"
"You offer free haircuts to girls who have little money, but you don't care about their feelings when you mess with their hearts!" the heroine proclaimed. "I, Sailor Moon, will not forgive such devious monsters like you! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
Mitsuami was still a bit surprised, but she managed to regain her composure as she smirked darkly.
"I will admit that I never expected you to come here on your own," she said. "But you're like a slug that jumped right into the salt! So, in the name of the Dark Kingdom, I Mitsuami will melt you into goo!"
Her hand then popped off and was replaced by a blowdryer. She aimed and unleashed a powerful blast of hot air at Sailor Moon, causing our hero to immediately dodge by jumping out of the way while Minako watched from afar, still feeling weak.
"I... have to help her... " she gasped. "Usagi..."
She tried to stay awake, but it was no use as Minako finally fell unconscious.
"Come on now, let me dry your hair!" mocked Mitsuami as she continued her assault. "It looks rather wet!"
Sailor Moon from behind the counter as Mistuami's hot hair blasted the plants that were sitting up there. Sailor Moon's face immediately paled with horror as the plants burned to a crisp.
But Mitsuami wasn't done. She took off the blowdryer on her hand and was now equipped with a big barber's blade sharpening it with a piece of leather.
"Now it's time to shave all that unwanted hair!" she cackled as she divebombed straight for her.
Sailor Moon jumped out of the way in time for the monster to cut the counter entirely in half. Then just as Sailor Moon looked back, Mitsuami switched weapons once again. This time, she wielded a green Gatling gun. The monster aimed and fired, unleashing a wave of scissors for bullets. Sailor Moon squealed with fright as she rolled out of the way dodging the attacking scissors. However, she accidentally crashed into a cart spilling its contents everywhere. Sailor Moon saw a small jar of powder from the mess, which gave her an idea. As soon as Mitsuami saw her, Sailor Moon grabbed it and threw it right at her, causing its contents to explode in a giant white cloud. Mistuami roared in agony as she was now blinded. Seeing this as her chance, Sailor Moon took out the Moon Stick and aimed.
"Alright, Mistuami! No, Miss. Kariko! It's time to end this!" she said. "I'm going to use the Moon Stick to turn you back to normal! MOON HEALING..."
Then as Sailor Moon was about to use her Moon Healing Escalation, something shot out from nowhere, piercing her wrist, which caused her to drop her Moon Stick. Sailor Moon felt pain, but she quickly picked up the Moon Stick, refusing to lose it. Then she saw what had pierced her, which caused her eyes to grow wide with shock. There in front of her was a single red rose.
Only one person Sailor Moon knew would use roses as a weapon.
"No way... It couldn't be!" she thought. "Am... am I imagining it?!"
She slowly turned towards a chair in the dark corner of the room. The chair had its back turned, but Sailor Moon could see someone sitting in that chair. The chair then slowly turned around, and Sailor Moon immediately felt her heart leap as her eyes began to fill with tears of joy.
For sitting in that chair was none other than Tuxedo Mask.
"T-tuxedo Mask... you're alive!" she wept tearfully. "Thank goodness!"
Sailor Moon expected Tuxedo Mask to be happy to see her, but she was wrong. The masked man looked towards her, his face filled with no emotion and his eyes cold and piercing as he stood up and walked towards Sailor Moon.
"You are mistaken," he said. "I'm not Tuxedo Mask. I am Endymion, the commander of the Dark Kingdom."
Sailor Moon was now puzzled as she was horrified. "You... you can't be!" she spoke, not believing what she was hearing. "You can't be serious!"
But he was as Tuxedo Mask took out his baton, extending it and preparing to attack. "Sailor Moon, hand over the Silver Crystal," he demanded.
At that moment, Mistuami had finally recovered and now had equipped herself with a large hair clipper that revved and buzzed like it was a chainsaw. Taking advantage of Sailor Moon's shock, she swung the clippers hoping to kill her with a single shot. Luckily, Sailor Moon immediately jumped out of the way just in time at the last moment.
"Mitsuami! Retrieve the Silver Crystal!" commanded Tuxedo Mask. "Don't let her get away!"
"Yes, sir!" replied Mitsuami.
Sailor Moon could not believe her eyes and what she was hearing. Tuxedo Mask, Mamoru Chiba, Endymion, her one true love, was now working with the Dark Kingdom to try and kill her and steal the Silver Crystal. She couldn't believe it. She refused to believe it, but it was true.
"What have they done to you, Mamoru?" she whimpered quietly, her eyes now filling with tears of heartbreak.
Mitsuami then charged straight towards her, the clippers sharp and buzzing. "I'll give you such a good trim; you'll never need to come back for more!"
Having no other options at this point and not wanting to fight Tuxedo Mask even though he was now an enemy, Sailor Moon took off, running, racing right through the entrance as Mitsuami and Tuxedo Mask followed in hot pursuit.
At that moment, Harusuke finally began to wake up as his eyes fluttered open.
"What... what's going on?" he groaned as he rubbed his head. "What's happening?"
Then he heard Minako, who at some point managed to regain consciousness.
"Harusuke... Over here. Hurry..."
Harusuke immediately rushed over to Minako and helped her to her feet. "Minako, are you all right?"
"Yeah... but... don't worry about me... we need to call the other guardians... Usagi's in trouble," Minako spoke weakly. "And not only that... Tuxedo Mask's - become an enemy..."
Harusuke's eyes widened. "What?! Do you mean he's alive?! And what do you mean he's become an enemy?!"
"There's no time..." Minako snapped. "We have to transform... quickly!"
"But Minako, are you sure you're gonna be able to do this in your condition?" asked Harusuke. "You look like you're about to pass out any second."
"I'll be fine... once I transform," Minako said as she took out her transformation pen. "Now come on! We have to help Usagi!"
Harusuke then gave Minako a firm nod in understanding as they raised their hands into the air shouting their phrases.
"VENUS POWER MAKE UP!"
"SOLAR GUARDIAN POWER FLARE UP!"
Transformation sequence: Harusuke.
Harusuke's bracelet begins to glow as Harusuke holds it into the air. Next, the symbol of the sun starts to shine on Harusuke's head as golden yellow and silver light envelop his body. First, the sun appears above him, shining its light upon him. Then, while Harusuke bathed in its light, a silver jumpsuit with gold lines on his hips materializes around his body. After that, the light shone on his legs, and long golden metal boots that went up to his knees appeared on his legs with silver hexagon knee pads. Next, the light shone on his arms, and then golden gauntlets appeared on his hands going up to wrists. Then a yellow symbol of the sun materializes in front of him, and it crashes into his chest, making a golden chest piece of armor appear with silver shoulder guards. Finally, a silver helmet covers his head, exposing his hair and making it stand up with a mouth guard covering his mouth and nose. Finally, Harusuke's eyes open, and he strikes his signature pose the symbol of the sun appears behind him.
Transformation sequence: Minako.
The symbol on Minako's pen begins to glow in a bright shade of yellow as she holds up her transformation pen. Next, it spins around as it shines and envelopes Minako in yellow light. Then she sweeps it over her head as streams of yellow stars start to emit from it. Minako then holds up the pen above her head as the streams form a spiral around her body. The stars then disappear into the ground creating a circle of stars around her as they burst into more stars going upwards, enveloping Minako's body. Then emerges wearing the same outfit as Sailor Moon's, but the center bow, boots, and rims on the gloves are orange and her bow bright yellow. She then opens her eyes as she finishes with her signature pose.
Meanwhile, Sailor Moon ran for her life to avoid Mitsuami's clippers. She dodged and weaved, and Mistuami kept attacking, destroying everything in sight.
"Stop moving around!" she roared. "I still want to give you your cut!"
Sailor Moon screamed with fright as she dodged once again. The clippers bashed straight through a power line, causing it to tip over to one side.
"You need to be more careful!" squeaked Sailor Moon. "You could take somebody's head off with that thing!"
Then Tuxedo Mask arrived. "What are you doing wasting time, Mitsuami?!" he demanded. "Get that Silver Crystal!"
Sailor Moon couldn't help but be distracted by Tuxedo Mask's words. Mistuami thrust her clippers, hoping to land a hit, seeing her chance. Sailor Moon dodged, but she lost her balance and fell onto the ground on her back. Mitsuami then closed in on her prey, her clippers armed and ready.
"Now for that trim, my dear," she smirked. "I hope you're ready..."
Sailor Moon gulped, thinking it was all over for her, but then five voices were heard.
"Stop right there!"
Sailor Moon, Mistuami, and Tuxedo Mask all looked up to see that the other guardians, as well as Luna and Artemis, had arrived coming to the rescue, much to Sailor Moon's relief.
"Alright, girls! Let's clean house!" shouted Solaris. "Take out that monster's clippers!"
"MARS FIRE SOUL!"
"JUPITER SUPREME THUNDER!"
Sailor Mars and Jupiter unleashed their attacks simultaneously, combining them into an electrified stream of fire. The conjoined attack hit Mitsuami's clippers dead, causing the monster to howl in pain as the clippers then exploded.
"MERCURY BUBBLES SPRAY!"
Sailor Mercury then unleashed her move, making fog blanket the area. Mitsuami growled as she tried to see where her enemies were. Seeing his chance, Solaris then used one of his moves next.
"SOLAR BINDING!"
A beam of light shot forth from his hands, wrapping around tightly around Mitsuami, preventing her from moving or attacking.
"Now's your chance, Sailor Moon!" yelled Sailor Venus.
Sailor Moon raised her Moon Stick, the Silver Crystal glowing brightly, and waved it over her head, releasing a blast of sparkes and dust.
"MOON HEALING ESCALATION!"
Mistuami struggled as she tried to break free, but it was too late.
"REFRESH!"
The evil spell on her broke in a burst of light, reverting Mistuami to Kariko and her assistants as well.
Tuxedo Mask clicked his tongue in annoyance, knowing he had lost. But then Sailor Mars approached Tuxedo Mask, her eyes filled with tears of joy.
"Tuxedo Mask! I mean - Mamoru..." she said. "I'm so glad that you're back safe and sound! So glad..."
"Sailor Mars, that guy is not the Tuxedo Mask you used to know, believe me!" warned Minako. "He's now one of the commanders of the Dark Kingdom!"
Everyone then stared at Tuxedo Mask in surprise, Sailor Mars, especially in disbelief. She could not believe what she was hearing.
"No... she's kidding, right? Tuxedo Mask, tell me it's not true!" she begged.
"Roses have many thorns," Tuxedo Mask spoke coldly, and he brandished his baton. "And it's also true that even the reddest of roses turn to the blackest of nights when they wilt."
"Are you... planning to fight all five of us?" asked Sailor Mercury incredulously.
"Normally, hurting young women isn't my style," replied Tuxedo Mask. "But to get the crystal, I'm prepared to do what's needed."
Solaris then stepped in front of the guardians. "You can't be serious, Mamoru," he said. "I know that you're a brave man, but there's no way you can take us all on at once. Besides, if you think that I'm just going to stand idly by while you threaten to hurt these girls, you got another thing coming."
"Then do you intend to stand in my way, Solaris?" asked Tuxedo Mask. "Be warned if you do; I won't hesitate to strike you down."
"You bet I do," growled Solaris as he cracked his knuckles. "If you wanna get to these girls, especially Sailor Moon, you gotta get by me first! And you can be sure I won't go down without a fight!"
"Solaris, wait a minute! You can't!" begged Sailor Mars.
"Sorry, Sailor Mars, but I'm gonna have to ask you to stay out of this," said Solaris. "I know how much he means to you as well as Sailor Moon, but now that Tuxedo Mask's an enemy, I have no choice but to fight him. No matter how much we care or love him."
The two boys gazed grimly at each other daring one another to make a move. Then suddenly, Tuxedo Mask heard Queen Beryl inside his head.
"Endymion. Retreat, for now, this is a direct order from Queen Metalia."
Tuxedo Mask then lowered his weapon, tucking it away in his cape. "Guardians, it would seem that your deaths by my hands got postponed. A woman's friendship is fragile, so much so that even a slight breeze can make it fall apart like a flower in the wind," He then looked at Solaris. "As for you, Solaris, it would be wise to keep your emotions in check; otherwise, those very emotions will ensure your demise as well as the demise of the people around you. Be careful of that."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" demanded Solaris.
"I'll let you figure it out," Tuxedo Mask spoke as he turned on his heel. "Until then, farewell."
And with that, Tuxedo Mask disappeared into the night via a portal to the Dark Kingdom, leaving everyone stunned and confused.
Queen Beryl sat at her throne beside herself with glee in the Dark Kingdom.
"It would appear that Endymion has become a warrior of the Dark Kingdom of both body and soul," she said smiling.
"Indeed," concurred Kunzite. "The brainwashing was extremely effective."
"Now that Endymion has proven himself dedicated to us," went on Queen Beryl. "We must think of ways to make good use of his loyalty."
She then cackled in triumph, reveling in her small victory.
A little while later, in the real world, Usagi and her friend watched as Kariko and her workers were back at it, stylizing hair as if nothing had happened. Then Usagi spoke up.
"Listen, you guys. I just wanna say something," she said. "Miss Kariko was turned into a monster because of me. If we don't stop the Dark Kingdom, more innocent people will suffer, and I won't let that happen."
"Well, I'll be darned," smiled Artemis. "It seems like Usagi's finally starting accepting her responsibilities as a princess."
Usagi then looked back at her friends, smiling with glee. "But more importantly, Tuxedo Mask is back!" she squealed. "All is right in the world of Usagi now!"
Everyone face-faulted in response.
"You sure about that, Artemis? Because it looks to me that Usagi's pretty much the same as she always is," sighed Luna.
"W-well... I think she's trying to put on a brave face by making light of everything," said Artemis. "At the very least, she's showing that she's growing up and moving on."
"And she's not the only one who should be learning to move on," said Makoto as she placed a hand on Rei's shoulder. Rei then looked up as Makoto smiled kindly at her. "You should too. You can't let it bother you forever."
Rei understood what Makoto meant, and she smiled with confidence. "Yeah. You're right," she said.
The girls then watched as Usagi went into a rant about Tuxedo Mask and how she must use the power of love to save him.
Meanwhile, in Juuban Park, the cemetery was as gloomy as it always was. The stars shone, the moon was bright, and the only sound you could hear was the sound of crickets chirping.
As the night rolled on, a lone figure made its way through the cemetery being as quiet as he could. That figure was Zoisite. As he walked by the many graves, he carefully checked each one to inspect them for something.
"Now let's see... I know that it's around here somewhere," he mumbled to himself.
He ventured deeper into the cemetery, going past trees and many bushes.
Then he stopped by a particular tree and saw something beside it. It was a cross made out of two sticks tied together, and on top was an orange cloth tied around it. Zoisite walked up to the cross and stood there staring at the cross for about a moment or two. Then Zoisite walked away, disappearing into the night the cloth now removed from the cross.