On the planet Nemesis, Prince Demande, Saphir, and Esmeraud had retreated to their base so that they could stay hidden from their enemies after Solaris and Tuxedo Mask's raid. Prince Demande, who had recovered from the recent assault, was livid, remembering how the two boys were able to overwhelm him so easily.

"How dare those bastards humiliate me like that?!" Prince Demande growled in anger. "I will not stand idly by while being treated like that!" He turned to his brother. "Saphir. Set the Malefic Black Crystal to full power and direct all of its energy towards the barrier at the Crystal Palace! Once we destroy the barrier, I will descend to Earth and go get the queen myself."

"No, Brother, you musn't!" objected Saphir. "You've got to get over that woman! She's rejected you in the past as Sailor Moon, and even now as Neo Queen Serenity! I fear that you've lost sight of the Black Moon Clan's ultimate objective, all because of this obsession with her! Our ancestors have always resented to leave the planet Earth and forced us to live here on Nemesis. And I, for one, haven't forgotten that our plan to rewrite Earth's history so that we may finally reap our revenge!"

Prince Demande glared at Saphir, and with a mighty wave of his hand while releasing a force of energy, sent Saphir flying straight into a pillar, smacking it hard, back first.

Esmeraude was shocked. "Prince Demande! What are you doing?!" she cried incredulously.

"If you've got time to lecture me, Saphir, then you've got time to work on adjusting the Malefic Black Crystal," Prince Demande spoke coldly, ignoring Esmeraude. "Now, go make yourself useful."

Saphir struggled as he got up on his feet and disappeared from the room, obeying his brother's order. When he was gone, Prince Demande walked away on his own, the future queen of Crystal Tokyo still on his mind.

"One day, Neo Queen Serenity," the prince said to himself. "You will be mine, no matter what it takes."

His words didn't go unnoticed by Esmeraude, who was seething in anger and jealously.

Back at the Crystal Palace, the other Guardians, Luna, and Artemis, were anxiously waiting for Sailor Moon, Solaris, and Tuxedo Mask to return with nothing but the silence of the palace for company. At some point, Chibiusa had woken up and had now joined them as well.

"Geez, it's so quiet in here. It's almost like a ghost palace," commented Sailor Jupiter. "It's almost hard to believe that people lived here once before the Black Moon Clan came and killed them all."

"If the Silver Crystal had protected this place," Luna spoke quietly. "There wouldn't have been such extensive loss of life and destruction."

"I wonder what could have happened to the Silver Crystal anyway?" wondered Artemis. "Why wasn't it secured safely in the palace in the first place?"

At that moment, the look on Chibiusa's face changed into a guilty expression as she dropped Luna-P to the floor. Sailor Mercury then picked up Luna-P and handed it back to her.

"Are you alright, Chibiusa?" Sailor Mercury asked kindly. "You look upset."

Chibiusa didn't reply as she took Luna-P into her arms and hugged it tightly.

"It's been quite some time since Solaris and Tuxedo Mask went to find Sailor Moon," said Luna. "I sure hope they're OK."

"Well, we ain't going to get anywhere by waiting around!" Sailor Mars said. "I'm going to go out and find them!"

She was just about to leave when King Endymion appeared.

"Wait a moment, Sailor Mars," King Endymion said. "That will not be necessary. Please, observe."

The ghost specter of Endymion then walked over to a control panel on one side of the room and touched a dial twisting it. Then a display turned on, and they could now see a picture of Solaris, Tuxedo Mask, and Sailor Moon making their way back to Crystal Palace, much to everyone's relief. Immediately, everyone rushed over to the main doors and burst through them and saw their three friends coming towards them.

"Sailor Moon!" everyone cried.

The odango blonde immediately rushed over to her friends and met them a big group reunion hug, while Solaris, Endymion, and Tuxedo Mask let them have their moment.

Sailor Moon was so happy to be back that she couldn't help but shed a few tears. "I'm so glad to see you guys!" she wailed. "Jupiter! Venus! Mercury! Mars!"

"There you go crying again. Pull it together, would you?" Sailor Mars scolded. "We're not out of the woods yet, you know!"

"Wah! Mars is angry with me again!" Sailor Moon whined. "Why do you have to be so angry?!"

"I'm not angry with you," Sailor Mars sighed. "I was just trying to cheer you up."

Everyone else laughed, and soon Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon were laughing too. Solaris couldn't help but smile as he watched his sister and his friends, then he took notice of Chibiusa, who was standing just behind them. He then went over to her.

"Chibiusa, nice to see you awake," Solaris said. "How are you feeling?"

"Um, OK, I guess," said Chibiusa, who still wasn't her usual cheerful self.

Solaris tilted his head in confusion and was just about to ask what was wrong when Sailor Moon rushed over to them. Before Chibiusa could react, Sailor Moon wrapped her arms around her and hugged her.

"Chibiusa! I'm so glad that you're alright!" Sailor Moon said. "You had me worried sick!"

Chibiusa was surprised but didn't say anything more as she hugged her back while everyone else watched the two.

After a while, King Endymion led the party to another room in the palace. This room was lined with teal curtains with gold trims all around, and in the middle was a table-like bed made of stone. On top of that stone bed was a large crystal as big as a boulder, and inside it was a young woman. She had long flowing blonde hair in the style of odango, and she wore a white dress, had a golden tiara with red jewels on top of her head, and looked as beautiful as a goddess.

Upon seeing her, Sailor Moon gasped. "Is... that who I think it is?" she asked aloud.

"Yes, it is," replied King Endymion. "The monarch of Crystal Tokyo herself, as well as my wife, Neo Queen Serenity."

Then Chibiusa rushed forward to her petrified mother's side. "Mommy! I brought Sailor Moon and the others from the past to help!" she told her, the girl's eyes filling with tears. "Please, Mommy! Open your eyes!"

Unfortunately, the queen didn't respond. Feeling sorry for Chibiusa, Solaris went over to the child and gave her a few comforting pats on her shoulder.

"King Endymion, how did the queen end up in this state?" asked Tuxedo Mask.

"And I hate to ask, but how long will she remain like this?" Sailor Venus also wondered. "I mean, will she ever wake up, or is she even alive?"

"I believe that she is alive inside there, but I still can't help but worry," King Endymion answered. "If the Silver Crystal hadn't disappeared, then perhaps we could revive her."

"The Silver Crystal? Lost?" repeated Solaris as he looked back.

Chibiusa couldn't help but gulp as a sinking knawing feeling entered her stomach as she bit her lip, but she stayed silent.

"How could something as powerful as that end up being lost?" asked Sailor Jupiter.

"I wish I knew," said King Endymion. "The only possible explanation I can think of is that it got taken from the palace just before the Black Moon Clan's attack began, somehow."

Then Sailor Mars had an idea. "Sailor Moon has her Silver Crystal. Why don't we see if it works on her?"

Sailor Moon looked at her brooch, feeling doubtful. "But she's been like this for a long time now," she pointed out. "Not to mention, I haven't done anything like this before. Can my crystal have enough power to wake her up?"

"We have to try," said Luna.

"Please, Sailor Moon, give it a shot," said Artemis.

"Have faith in yourself, Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Mask also said. "You can do this."

Sailor Moon, now filled with confidence, then faced her future self while holding up her brooch, opening it with a wave of her hand.

"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"

The Silver Crystal in her brooch then exploded in a beautiful pink glow that shone throughout the room. Sailor Moon put all of her strength and power into the crystal as everyone watched and prayed, hoping, but unfortunately, it wasn't working. Sailor Moon tried harder but then started to grow weak, causing the crystal's glow to fade until it stopped. Sailor Moon then fell back as the other Guardians rushed over, managing to catch her in time.

"It looks like nothing happened," Sailor Mercury spoke with disappointment.

Chibiusa couldn't help but feel and look devastated as tears built up in her eyes once more. "No. It's no use," she spoke to herself. "Even Sailor Moon's not strong enough to save Mommy."

The pink odango was so upset that she ran out of the room with Luna-P following close behind.

"Chibiusa, wait!" Sailor Moon called out after managing to recover.

But before she could pursue her, Solaris stopped her. "You guys stay here. I'll go look for her," he said gently. "She'll be safe as long as she remains inside of the palace."

"I'll go with you," Tuxedo Mask said. "The poor girl's hurting, and someone has to comfort her."

And with that, Solaris and Tuxedo Mask took off chasing after Chibiusa leaving the room as well.

Chibiusa exited the Crystal Palace and didn't stop walking and crying until she came to an abandoned playground, tarnished with destruction. Chibiusa went to an old swing set that miraculously remained standing and sat down on it while Luna-P stayed on her lap. Chibiusa sat there thinking about her mom and how Sailor Moon failed to save her, making her feel depressed, lonely, and unsure of what to do.

Then, Chibiusa heard a strange and ominous laugh.

"Who's there?!" Chibiusa demanded. "Show yourself!"

At that moment, someone appeared just above her, making her jump with fright. That someone was the Wiseman.

"I foresee that our stars of fortune have aligned at this very moment," the Wiseman spoke, pointing at her. "Thus, fate has brought me the Rabbit's capture."

Chibiusa immediately jumped off the swing and tried to run away, but then, her body suddenly froze up, preventing her from fleeing.

"It's no use running, Rabbit," the Wiseman said. "You are inside my domain now."

The Wiseman waved his hands over his crystal ball, and the area suddenly warped into a strange void with only himself and Chibiusa inside of it.

"I can see it now. I see fear preying on you," the Wiseman continued, using his precognitive powers. "Memories of the Silver Crystal remain hidden in the far corners of your mind, under a blanket of sadness."

Chibiusa flinched as memories of her past began to play out in her mind. Repressed memories that she had desperately tried to keep under wraps but now began to resurface due to Wiseman's influence as he showed her via his crystal ball.

First, she remembered her mother and father, beloved and adored by all of the people of Crystal Tokyo, remembering how envious she felt of them, most especially towards her mother, wanting to be just as elegant and noble as her.

Then, Chibiusa saw herself getting scolded by some of the servants in the palace after accidentally breaking a vase, which was one of the many minor mistakes she made. But, the worst part of it all was that whenever she made one of those small mistakes, one or many of the servants would always tell her that she would never become a proper lady with the way she was.

She could also remember getting bullied whenever she was at school. The children all laughed and teased her whenever she made a mistake and would tell her that she was a fake princess and was nothing like the queen. Chibiusa tried her best not to listen, but the girl could only endure so much.

But one day, all of that would change for the worse. As usual, she was getting teased by the other kids calling her a fake princess. Chibiusa tried to object, telling them that she was the princess, but none of the kids didn't believe her.

"If you're the princess as you say you are, then why don't you use the power of the Legendary Silver Crystal?" asked a boy.

"Yeah! A real princess should be able to use that thing, no problem!" agreed a second. "If you are the queen's daughter, and are that angry, then prove it! Use your power on us!"

It was then that Chibiusa had enough. She was tired of all the bullying, scolding, and feeling inadequate when it came to her mother. But, most of all, she wanted to prove that she could become a proper and elegant lady like her mother, and there was one item that would make all of that come true for her.

Chibiusa knew what would happen next and dropped Luna-P while covering her ears. "No! No! Please stop!" the pink ordango begged. "I don't want to see any more!"

But the crystal ball continued to show her memories as it now showed her entering her mother's private chambers while she wasn't around. Inside, the Silver Crystal stood on a pedestal, protected under a layer of another kind of crystal. Chibiusa quietly tiptoed into the room, ensuring no one was around until she was just in front of the pedestal. She knew what she was about to do was wrong, but she couldn't help herself.

"I'm just going to borrow it for a little while," Chibiusa said to herself. "If I have the Legendary Silver Crystal, I can become as wonderful as my Mommy."

Chibiusa held up Luna-P to the pedestal and, using her, unlocked the barrier that protected the Silver Crystal. The crystal that cloaked it melted away, laying the Silver Crystal itself bare. Chibiusa reached out and held the crystal in her hands marveling at how beautiful it was up close as it glowed in a warm white light. But then, suddenly, the Silver Crystal started shining brightly, almost blinding her and catching her by surprise. Then, after a few seconds, it suddenly disappeared.

"Wh-what happened?!" Chibiusa exclaimed. "Where'd the Silver Crystal go?!"

She heard a familiar voice coming from outside the room at that moment.

"Small Lady! Small Lady, where are you?"

Knowing who that was, Chibiusa's heart froze like water into ice and immediately hid behind the pedestal alongside Luna-P. At that moment, Neo-Queen Serenity entered the room, looking around for her daughter. Then her eyes fell to the pedestal, and when she saw that the Silver Crystal was no longer there, she was shocked and worried. Immediately, she dashed out of the room, not only searching for Chibiusa but also the Silver Crystal as well.

But she would never get the chance, for, at that moment, the Black Moon Clan attacked, unleashing their relentless assault on Crystal Tokyo. Just as King Endymion had told Sailor Moon and the others during the invasion, Neo Queen Serenity got encased in a thick layer of crystal as Crystal Tokyo fell to ruin.

Chibiusa let out a horrified scream as she relieved this terrible event. "NO! MOMMY! DADDY!" she wailed. "

"So that's what happened to the Legendary Silver Crystal vanished," the Wiseman said. "And because of what you've done, you repressed that memory deep inside of your mind."

"You're wrong! I didn't do anything!" Chibiusa cried, furiously shaking her head while holding her ears. "It wasn't my fault!"

"I wonder what your friends the Guardians would say if they found out," the Wiseman said as he continued to use his crystal ball.

Then, illusions of Sailor Moon and all the other Guardians surrounded her. All of them did not look happy, glaring at Chibiusa accusingly like she had committed a crime.

"This is all your fault, Small Lady!" Sailor Moon snapped.

"All of this happened because you lost the Silver Crystal!" added Sailor Jupiter crossly.

"Neo-Queen Serenity left the palace to search for you!" Sailor Venus spoke coldly.

"And now she's in a coma because of you!" Sailor Mars snapped while pointing.

"You're the one to blame for this!" Sailor Mercury added angrily.

"I can't believe you would do this, Small Lady!" Solaris said crossly. "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Chibiusa held her ears once more, trying not to listen. "But I didn't do anything! I didn't make it disappear!" she wailed, on the brink of tears. "All I did was touch the Silver Crystal! It's not my fault!"

"It's all your fault!" all of the Guardians said in unison as they pointed. "You're the one to blame!"

The illusions then faded away, but Chibiusa could still hear their voices echoing in her mind as she sunk to her knees, overwhelmed with despair.

"No! Stop it! Stop it, please!" Chibiusa wailed. "I didn't do anything!"

"That's right, Rabbit. It's not your fault," the Wiseman spoke as he stopped using his crystal ball. "I believe you're telling the truth."

Chibiusa looked up at the Wiseman, not expecting those words to come out of his mouth. "You do?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course I do," the Wiseman spoke kindly. "And don't let those so-called friends tell you differently. I also believe that you can become a splendid and elegant lady, despite everyone's words. I can help you with that dream if that is what you truly desire."

"You can?" Chibiusa asked again, with hopeful eyes.

The Wiseman then extended a hand towards Chibiusa. "Yes. If you join me, I can help you become the Lady you desire to be. You will become the most beautiful, elegant, and powerful Lady; the world has ever seen. Everyone will bow before your supremacy and beauty, and no one will ever defy you or be cross at you again. All you have to do is take my hand."

Chibiusa looked at the Wiseman and then at his hand. Then after thinking it over for a few seconds, she took the Wiseman's hand in earnest, squeezing it tightly.

Back on Nemesis, the Malefic Black Crystal was shining brightly and wildly once again as its energy readings spoked like the last time.

"My, My. It seems that the Malefic Black Crystal reactor is brimming with energy," observed Esmeraude. "I don't think I've ever seen it act this way before."

"It's as if we're carrying a bomb here in Nemesis," Saphir spoke grimly. "My brother doesn't realize how dangerous the full power of the Malefic Black Crystal can be. Not to mention that he still follows that dubious sorcerer Wiseman blindly. So I fear that we may be taking the wrong path by using the reactor this way."

Esmeraude frowned. Now, she had her doubts about the Wiseman, but in her heart, she believed that Prince Demande was none the wiser to Wiseman's trickery, despite the circumstances.

Just then, a projection of Prince Demande appeared before them. "Saphir, is the reactor ready yet?"

Saphir was just about to respond when Esmeraude quickly cut in.

"Prince Demande, there's no reason to use the Malefic Black Crystal on a mission like this," Esmeraude said. "Allow me to handle this mission instead."

Prince Demande looked across at Esmeraude, and without saying another word, his projection disappeared much to her disbelief.

Saphir sighed. "My brother's letting his emotions get the better of him. If he hadn't fallen in love with Neo Queen Serenity, this new mission wouldn't be necessary, and we would have killed Sailor Moon by now."

Esmeraude didn't answer as she began to seethe with fury, even more so than before. She was so angry that she broke her fan in half and threw it to the ground as she stormed off by herself, her face flushed with jealousy.

Esmeraude retreated to her little space, still fuming with rage and envy as she paced around.

"How could Prince Demande ever love someone like that witch?!" Esmeraude hissed angrily. "That Neo Queen Serenity has stolen my true love, and I will not stand for it! I will go to Crystal Tokyo myself and kill that brat Sailor Moon and all the other guardians in that miserable palace myself!"

At that moment, the sound of creepy laughter echoed throughout Esmeraude's space, which snapped her out of her rage in surprise.

"Who's there?!" demanded Esmeraude. "Show yourself! There shouldn't be any droid at this place!"

Then, a familiar voice came.

"In the words of the ancients, anger emerges from within to give power. But it is a double-edged sword that confuses the mind and the ears."

Esmeraude then turned around, and in a beacon of light, the Wiseman emerged much to her displeasure.

"Wiseman, what do you want?" the green-haired woman demanded. "Can't you see that I'm busy planning? I will attack the Crystal Palace myself and destroy it once and for all!"

"Are you doing this on the Prince's orders?" Wiseman asked.

"That is none of your business," Esmeraude coldly rebutted. "All you need to know is that I intend to make sure that the Crystal Palace falls and that wench Sailor Moon will fall by my hand!"

"Are you sure that is wise?" Wiseman asked. "You're going against your beloved Prince Demande, and if he finds out, he will be displeased with you."

"I don't care! All that Prince Demande cares about is that wench, Neo Queen Serenity!" Esmeraude snapped. "I'm more than half the woman she is! I'll prove to Prince Demande that I'm the only woman worthy of his affections, and I'll finally get rid of that miserable Sailor Moon and her little band of brats! That will show him how much of a woman I am!

Wiseman stared at Esmeraude in silence as he waved his hands over his Crystal Ball, using his psychic powers once more. "Esmeraude, I foresee that if you go through with this plan of yours, another queen will reign over the future," he said. "And that queen is the most powerful of them all."

Esmeraude looked at the Wiseman, a bit surprised but still skeptical. "And what? Are you trying to tell me that I am that queen?" she spoke, trying to be snooty.

"The victor of your battle will decide the fate of Crystal Tokyo as well as the Black Moon Clan," Wiseman said. "Whether you believe it or not is up to you, but my predictions are never wrong. If you're going to go through with this plan, you're going to need power, and I can give that power if that is what you desire."

Then, a strange tiara emerged from his crystal ball, colored black, and had the small green gem in the middle.

"That tiara contains the full energy of the Malefic Black Crystal," Wiseman explained. "Right now, Neo Queen Serenity possesses more power than you, but if you take in the energy from that tiara, you can become a queen with even greater power."

Esmeraude stared at Wiseman and then looked at the tiara that hovered before her. She would be lying if she said that Wiseman's offer didn't tempt her. However, she also knew that this could be a ploy, so she was also suspicious, but if Esmeraude could gain more power than Neo Queen Serenity, she would have the ability to not only kill her but also win Prince Demande's heart. Then after a few seconds of thinking, she took the tiara into her hands.

"I don't know what you hope to gain by giving me this, and I also don't believe that little prediction yours," Esmeraude said. "But I'll take great pleasure into killing Sailor Moon for stealing my Demande. If it means I can win his heart by getting rid of her, I'll do whatever it takes! Then, Prince Demande will be mine, and we shall rule the world together!"

And while letting out a fit of her noblewoman's laughter, Esmeraude disappeared, taking the tiara with her leaving Wiseman by himself. As he sat there, he chuckled to himself, sounding pleased.

"Such a pathetic fool."

Tuxedo Mask and Solaris were still looking for Chibiusa outside the Crystal Palace. They looked all around the palace grounds and even inside the Crystal Palace, but they couldn't find her anywhere.

"Where could Chibiusa be?!" Tuxedo Mask wondered worriedly. "We haven't been able to find her anywhere!"

"Don't worry. We'll find Chibiusa, Tuxedo Mask," Solaris reassured. "We just have to keep looking. Hopefully, she hasn't gone far. If all else fails, we'll get everyone else to join in the search."

Then suddenly, there was a familiar sound of a noble woman's laughter that came from above, causing the two to look up. There floating above them was Esmeraude.

"Oh, great. Just what we need today," Solaris groaned.

"Hello there, Solaris," Esmeraude cackled. "Fancy seeing you and your tuxedo friend out and about like this."

"What do you want, Esmeraude?" Solaris asked, not amused. "In case you haven't noticed, we're a little busy at the moment."

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to finally settle the score with you and the rest of your meddlesome friends!" Esmeraude spoke, pointing a finger. "And I'll start with you and your masked friend!"

Esmeraude then took out her tiara and held it before her for a few seconds, seeming hesitant before putting it on. Then, she placed the tiara on her head. When she did, the tiara began to glow as she let out a scream as power surged through her body, while Solaris and Tuxedo Mask shielded their eyes.

Esmeraude also began to undergo a startling transformation. She grew larger, her skin turned into a green color, her eyes turned yellow, the pupils turning invisible, and her long flowing green hair went up, spiking a bit. She also wore a purple dress and had black armor on her skirt and shoulders. Esmeraude marveled at her new form when she finished her transformation, while Solaris and Tuxedo Mask's eyes went wide with shock.

"I feel power overflowing through me!" Esmeraude crowed in a demonic voice. "With this new strength, no one in the entire world can stop me! Not even Wiseman!"

Esmeraude then looked down at her two enemies and held up her hand, unleashing a powerful blast of black lightning at them. Reacting quickly, Solaris and Tuxedo Mask leaped out of the way to dodge as the attack ripped the ground apart from where they stood, sending rubble flying.

"OK, this is new!" Solaris gulped as he landed on the ground. "I've heard of upgrades, but this one takes the cake!"

"She's way more powerful than she was before!" Tuxedo Mask said. "We might be in trouble here!"

Esmeraude let out another one of her noblewoman's laughs as she continued her assault on the two boys, intent on killing both of them using her new powers.

Back inside the palace, the tremors of Esmeraude's attack caused it to shake and tremble, causing the Guardians to rush over to the console room where King Endymion was waiting for them.

"What's going on, King Endymion?!" Sailor Moon squeaked. "What's causing that shaking?!"

King Endymion pressed a few buttons on the console, and the screen showed everyone the cause of it all. When they saw who it was, they were surprised.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sailor Jupiter cried. "Is that Esmeraude?!"

"It has to be!" said Sailor Mercury. "But she looks completely different now! Not to mention that she's way more powerful!"

"How are we supposed to fight her when she's like that?!" Sailor Mars asked.

"Don't panic. I think I can find a weakness," said King Endymion. "Just give me a moment."

The king then fiddled around with the console some more, and the display showed a screen of Esmeraude's body analyzing it. Then, after a few seconds, they could see a screen of Esmeraude's head, blipping particularly at the tiara on her head.

"If my readings are correct," said King Endymion. "To defeat her, you must destroy the tiara on top of her head. It seems to be fueling her with power while at the same time making her go berserk."

Then as the display went back to Normal view, Luna saw something that made her gasp as Esmeraude continued to attack.

"Look! Over there!" the black cat cried.

Sure enough, the display zoomed in on the ground, and everyone was startled to see two people running for their lives while avoiding Esmeraude's attacks. Those two were Solaris and Tuxedo Mask.

"It's the boys!" cried Sailor Mars. "They're in trouble!"

"We've got to get out there and help them!" Sailor Jupiter also cried. "And we've got to do whatever we can to bring Esmeraude down!"

"Oh, man, I knew you would say that," Sailor Moon groaned.

"Come on, Sailor Moon. The main reason we came to the future in the first place was to help," said Sailor Mars. "And that's just what we're going to do! Besides, you don't want Tuxedo Mask and your brother to die, do you?"

That made Sailor Moon's fear immediately fly out the window. "You're right! Let's hurry and save them!" She turned to King Endymion. "Take care of Chibiusa- I mean, Small Lady!"

Sailor Moon and the rest of the Guardians then raced away to the rescue while King Endymion, Luna, and Artemis watched them leave.

"Take care, Guardians," King Endymion spoke quietly. "I'm counting on you."

Then at that moment, something caught King Endymion's eye in the corner of the room. Rolling out from behind a curtain was Luna-P with Chibiusa nowhere around. The moment he saw Luna-P, a bad feeling began to sink into his chest as he grew worried.

Solaris and Tuxedo Mask were both trying their best to fend off Esmeraude's attacks while avoiding getting struck by their attacks. But every attack Esmeraude launched seemed to be getting stronger and closer to them, leaving them no way to counter-attack.

Then Sailor Moon and the other Guardians arrived.

"Girls! Thank goodness, you're all here!" Solaris gasped.

"Whoa! Esmeraude's humongous up close!" Sailor Moon squeaked fearfully.

"Don't be afraid, Sailor Moon," said Sailor Mercury. "You can do this!"

Esmeraude then looked down and saw Sailor Moon. The moment she did, her eyes glowed with rage as Dark Power crackled through her hands.

"Sailor Moon! How very fortunate of you to show up before me!" she spoke. "Now, I can exact my vengeance! For taking the love of my life, your life is forfeit!"

She then unleashed another blast of Dark Power that was even more powerful than before, and everyone immediately jumped out of the way. But as they dodged the attack, the stream of black lightning hit the barrier that protected Crystal Toyko, causing the ground to tremble from its power. After that, it waned, almost dissipating, but it managed to stay standing.

"Wh-What power!" Solaris gasped.

"If we're not careful, Esmeraude could not only kill us, but she could break through to Crystal Tokyo!" Sailor Mercury cried.

"So, any ideas on how to beat Esmeraude?!" asked Sailor Mars. "It's not like she's going to give us a chance to hit her tiara!"

Sailor Venus looked up at Esmeraude, bravely standing her ground. "I say we go for it!" she cried as a chain of light surrounded her. "VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"

The Love-Me Chain shot forward, going straight for Esmeraude's head, but she quickly held up her hand and swatted it away, blowing Sailor Venus back and making her hit the ground.

"Venus! Are you OK?!" Sailor Moon asked as she rushed over to her friend.

"I'm fine," Sailor Venus winced.

Esmeraude laughed again, growing very overconfident. "Face it, you pathetic Guardians. None of you have a chance in hell for defeating me! Now that I have this power, you're all nothing but the ants beneath my feet just waiting to get crushed!"

She raised her hand as her nails extended into claws. Then she made them stretch as they shot straight towards Sailor Moon, but Tuxedo Mask dove towards her and carried her out of the way just in time. Then taking advantage of the opening she saw, Sailor Jupiter attacked, running up Esmeradue's arm.

"JUPITER SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"

She threw a disc of lightning, aiming straight for Esmeraude's stomach. The attack connected, shocking Esmeraude's body with lightning making her shriek in pain and agony. She stumbled backward, and because she lost her balance, she fell to the ground flat on her back in an earth-shaking thud.

"Nice shot, Sailor Jupiter!" cheered Sailor Moon. "I knew you could do it!"

"But is she down?" wondered Sailor Jupiter.

Her answer came sooner than expected as Esmeraude sat up from where she lay, now even angrier than before.

"Damn you, witches!" Esmeraude hissed. "I'll kill every last one of you! You'll pay for actions and for taking my Prince Demande! I'll kill all of you!"

She got back up on her feet and glared at the Guardians as her hands began to crackle and spark, generating an incredible amount of power.

"Oh, no! Now she's furious at us!" Sailor Moon cried.

"At this rate, we'll never be able to beat her!" complained Sailor Mars. "We'll be at this until Esmeraude gets us!"

"Then what can we do?" asked Sailor Mercury. "Are we helpless to stop her?"

"Don't give up now!" Tuxedo Mask said. "Just because things look bleak doesn't mean we should just quit!"

"That's right! We've got justice on our side, and King Endymion's counting on us!" shouted Solaris. "We just need one clean hit, and I know how to get it!" He looked towards his comrades. "Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon, be ready to follow up! Sailor Mercury, I need you to use your Bubble Spray for cover! Then, Sailor Mars, Jupiter, and Venus will attack Esmeraude at the same time!"

"You got it, Solaris!" said Sailor Moon.

Solaris then took to the air flying straight towards Esmeraude, and began to taunt her.

"Hey, Esmeraude! You talk a big game about being more powerful, but all you are is a self-centered little old granny that's desperate!"

Esmeraude scowled. "What did you say to me?!"

"You heard me!" Solaris continued as he spanked his butt. "Come on! What are you going to do about it, huh?! Send another droid like you always do?! And I don't know who this Prince Demande is, but he must have pretty low standards if he would want someone like you as his queen!"

Esmeraude's face went red with fury as he let out a shriek filled with rage as she swiped at Solaris with her claws wanting to kill him more than anything, but Solaris dodged by flying out of the way while mocking her. Sailor Mercury then took her turn by unleashing her signature attack.

"MERCURY BUBBLE SPRAY!"

The Guardian of water unleashed a flurry of bubbles that made a thick fog blanket the area, going up to Esmeraude's waist. Solaris dove straight down and disappeared into the fog as soon as this happened, much to Esmeraude's irritation. She fired blasts of Dark Power into the mist, hoping that she would hit at least one Guardian, but she didn't hit anything. Then an array of fire rings and a stream of water blasted out of the fog and hit Esmeraude on her right side. As Esmeraude looked to the right, two more attacks came out from the mist, a stream of lightning from the back, and a beam of light from the left, both of them connecting. Esmeraude grunted as she staggered from the attack and grew all the angrier.

"You cowards! Come out and face me!" the Black Moon Clan general shrieked. "Stop hiding like the scum you are and face me!"

Then from the fog, Solaris and Tuxedo Mask leaped out. Before Esmeraude could react, Tuxedo Mask threw his signature rose at Esmeraude, making it pierce directly into the gem on the tiara, causing it to crack slightly from the impact. Solaris followed up with an Arrow of Sol that caused it to grow, spreading throughout the entire tiara. It began to crackle and spark, which in turn made Esmeraude great pain as she shrieked in agony while holding her head. Then, unable to take any more, the tiara finally broke, shattering into a million pieces.

When that happened, Esmeraude's body began to release black smoke as she began to shrink, growing smaller. Finally, Esmeraude was back to her original size when the smoke cleared, much to her shock. Then she looked up, only to find Sailor Moon and the other Guardians standing before her. Esmeraude was now feeling weak and had no power left, but she refused to back down as she bravely stood up to fight.

"You won't defeat me!" Esmeraude weakly spoke as she lunged towards Sailor Moon. "I will not lose to the one who stole my Prince Demande! I will kill you, Sailor Moon! For stealing my lover's heart!"

"Sailor Moon! Finish her off now!" yelled Tuxedo Mask.

Sailor Moon answered with a nod, aimed her Cutie Moon Rod at Esmeraude, and prepared to deal the finishing blow.

"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"

The Moon Rod unleashed a powerful stream of light and sparkles at Esmeraude, the attack connecting and bathing her with them. Esmeraude let out one final shriek as her body was reduced to a pile of ashes, finally put down and defeated.

Meanwhile, in the Black Monolith not too far away, Wiseman sat alone in the lower levels, waving his hands over his crystal ball as it showed him an image of Sailor Moon and the others celebrating their victory. He had seen everything.

"So Esmeraude has met her demise, has she?" Wiseman said to himself. "Well, it was inevitable, anyway. After all, my true objective is not to help the Black Moon Clan to victory. And eventually, Prince Demande, as well as Saphir, will follow the same fate as hers. And the true power that I seek is already in my possession."

The strange malevolent specter then began to laugh, and as he did, someone else laughed with him, sounding just as amused and pleased as he was.