It was a peaceful morning at the Aino residence. Minako was still fast asleep, unaware of the morning sun shining through their window. Minako was having a pleasant dream of her old crush, Alan, and as she dreamt, she hugged a sleeping Artemis tightly. Artemis let out a yowl of surprise and pain-causing Minako to wake up with a start. She sleepily sat up now, half-awake holding up Artemis by the scruff of his neck. She also realized that Artemis was holding her alarm clock, which showed that it was eight-ten. When she saw the time, she wasn't half-asleep anymore, her eyes going wide as she let out a scream that was enough to shatter a window.

"I'm late!" Minako shrieked, now in a total panic. "Why does this always happen to me?!"

She hurriedly got out of bed and practically ripped her clothes off, trying to get dressed as quickly as she could, while Artemis watched her get ready, sighing with exasperation.

"Man, I'm going to be late again, Artemis! I told you a thousand times, stop turning off my alarm clock!" Minako cried as she put on her skirt. Then, she noticed the white feline watching her and threw her pajamas at him. "And what're you looking at, you pervert?!"

Artemis sighed as he popped his head out of Minako's pajamas. "Well, looks like it's going to be another one of those mornings," he said to himself. "I know that Usagi's the queen of tardiness, but Minako can be a little bit more dependable."

Minako soon got dressed, and Artemis ran as fast as they could, hoping that Minako would make it on time for school. But then, Minako saw a wall and got an idea.

"A shortcut!" Minako cried. "This should save a little time!"

And with a hop, skip, and a jump, they went over the wall. However, Minako landed on her bum right on top of Artemis.

"Whew! That was a close one," Minako panted. "I think I should be able to get there on time now."

Artemis groaned as he pulled himself out from under the girl. "Geez! You're heavy!" he complained.

Minako felt insulted and was about to yell at the white cat, but then she heard a voice coming from nearby.

"Let me through!" it demanded. "I'm not going to give you my badge!"

Minako then got up and raced around the corner and saw where the voice came from, skidding to a stop. A little girl with two older boys was a few feet away, just between a mailbox and a telephone pole. The girl was small, appearing to be a kindergartener having brown hair styled in pigtails, while the boys were big, one wearing a green shirt with brown shorts and the other wearing blue pants with an orange jacket.

"Come on, you loser. Hand over your badge right now," said the green-shirted kid.

"No, I won't!" said the little girl. "Go away and let me through!"

"Give it now!" scowled the orange jacket kid. "Hand over the badge now or else!"

"Hey! What do you two think you're doing?!" Minako yelled as she charged straight for them. "Leave her alone, you bullies!"

The two boys feeling frightened, took off running as Minako ran up to the girl who was now crying.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Minako asked, consoling her. "It's alright."

The girl then looked up, revealing to have not been crying at all, smiling as she laughed a bit. "Yeah. I know that, but thank you for your help," she said.

Minako was surprised and even a little impressed. "W-Wow. Those were fake tears?" asked Minako. "That's pretty good acting, kid."

"Thank you, Miss," smiled the girl. "Say, since you're here, can I ask you to walk with me over to the bus stop?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't have the time," apologized Minako. "I'm already going to be late for school."

"Nope. Take me now," insisted the girl.

"But I just told you that I couldn't," Minako spoke, trying to be polite. "I'm sorry."

At that moment, the girl turned on the crocodile tears as she began to wail. "This lady is bullying me!" she cried.

Minako then sighed, now not having a choice or a way out of this situation. She then scooped up the little girl in her arms and took off running as fast as she could until she eventually made it to the bus that was en route to Shiba Kindergarten. The bus driver thanked Minako, and it drove away with the little girl waving goodbye from the back window. Minako was happy to help, but she felt exhausted.

"Man, kids these days sure are different," Minako panted.

"Minako, I don't know if you'll be able to make it on time now," said Artemis worriedly. "Do you still want to try anyway?"

"Yeah. We might as well," said Minako. "Let's hurry."

The two then went on their way, sprinting down the sidewalk, hoping it wasn't too late. Then as Minako ran, she caught sight of a certain odango blonde who was also running late just up ahead of her. She soon caught up with her.

"Hey, Usagi!" Minako greeted.

"Oh, hey, Minako!" Usagi greeted back. "I guess you overslept too, huh?"

"Yeah, I did," Minako spoke sheepishly. "It's as they say, "In spring, no sheep's a sheep that mows no lawn." "

"Minako. It's "In spring one sleeps a sleep that knows no dawn"!" corrected Artemis as he ran.

"Well, I guess you could say that too," Minako spoke, feeling a bit silly. She then saw that the sidewalk went in two separate directions. Anyway, my school's the other way, so I'll see you later, Usagi!"

"Okay, bye!" said Usagi.

And so, Usagi kept running straight ahead while Minako hurriedly went to the right.

Soon enough, Minako had finally reached her school. However, she was already too late. The front gates were closed, and the bell was already ringing.

"Aw man," Minako groaned.

"Well, it was worth a try," Artemis sighed in defeat. "And this is one of your better days."

At Juuban Junior High School, Minako wasn't the only one who ended up being late. Usagi ended up late too and was now standing in the hallway as punishment while holding a pail filled with water and a sign hung around her neck that read: I am always late for school. She felt miserable.

"It sucks having to stand here the whole time until recess," Usagi groaned as she looked out the window. "Although, I wonder if Minako made it to school on time?"

Just then, Seijuuro appeared radiating with his usual suave and confidence. "Usagi, the sadness in your eyes as well as your melancholy face only makes you all the more beautiful," he said.

"O-Oh, Seijuuro," Usagi spoke, her cheeks tinged with pink. "Thank you for saying so... I guess."

Seijuuro then held out his hands, closing his eyes as he went on. "Now, I want us to feel the depth of our love!" he spoke with passion. "Come into my arms, dear Usagi! Let me hold you so that we can exchange our love!"

However, Usagi did not come to Seijuuro, for right then, Natsumi now stood right in front of him, scowling daggers at him. Seijuuro then opened one eye and saw her instinctively gulping.

"And just what the heck do you think you're doing, Brother?" Natsumi asked, her voice as cold as ice.

Thinking quickly, Seijuuro started doing some side stretches. "I'm just exercising!" he said as he continued. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven!"

He then walked away, counting as he pretended that he was doing stretch exercises. Natsumi and Usagi watched him leave and looked at each other. Usagi gave Natsumi an awkward smile trying to be friendly, but Natsumi turned away in a huff, not having it at all.

"Those two are the weirdest brother and sister ever," Usagi thought to herself.

A little later, Seijuuro and Natsumi met up on the rooftops at the school to discuss their scheme.

"Alright then, let's talk about our next plan to gather energy," said Seijuuro.

But Natsumi was still angry. "Don't change the subject!" she snapped. "What did you think you were doing flirting with that girl?! You have got to stop going after her like that!"

"Don't get the wrong idea," Seijuuro spoke innocently. "It's all a part of my plan."

"And just what plan would that be?" Natsumi asked, raising a brow. "Anyway, you'll be interested to know that this time, we're going after a much younger, fresher source of energy."

Seijuuro smirked with interest. "Fresher energy, eh? Interesting."

Later that evening, after school, Minako and Artemis were walking back home. They were looking forward to getting some rest after the tiresome day they had just had. Then as they walked on reaching the intersection of the sideway, they saw someone not too far away from them also walking home. It was Harusuke.

"Hey! Harusuke!" Minako called waving.

Harusuke looked up and saw the two and waited for them to catch up. "Well, if it isn't Minako and Artemis," he said, greeting back. "What's up, you guys?"

"We were just on our way back home," said Minako. "You by yourself?"

"Yep. As usual, Usagi's got detention for being late," Harusuke said. "So I was just on my home."

"Guess Minako wasn't the only one who was late," Artemis said. "Although, I'm not surprised that Usagi's late, though."

Harusuke was a bit surprised to hear this. "Minako? You were late for class too?" he asked. "I didn't think you'd be the type of girl to be late for school."

"Hey, give me a break. Nobody's perfect," Minako spoke. "Besides, somebody turned off my alarm clock even though I specifically told him not to."

Artemis sighed, not saying another word.

"Anyway, you want to walk home together?" asked Minako. "Both of our houses go this way anyway."

"Sure thing," smiled Harusuke. "I could use some company anyway."

The three then went on their way together. As they did, they talked about their day at school. Just then, as they walked past a playground, they heard some voices belonging to some children.

"Is too! Sailor Moon is real!"

"Is not!"

"If she's real, then where does she live?"

"I don't know, but she does exist! There is a Sailor Moon!"

"You've never even seen her, so how would you know?!"

Harusuke, Minako, and Artemis looked, and they saw the same little girl that Minako and Artemis encountered this morning with three other boys.

"Hey, it's that girl again," gasped Minako.

"And it looks like she's getting bullied again, too," said Artemis.

"Wait, you two met her before?" wondered Harusuke. "When was this?"

"I'll explain later," said Minako. "Right now, let's go help her."

Harusuke and Minako then rushed over to the girl's side.

"Hey, stop that, right now," scolded Minako. "Didn't anyone teach you how to be nice?"

"This is a kid's argument only!" said one of the boys. "So stay out of this, old lady!"

Minako now felt insulted. "Old lady?" she repeated her eyebrow twitching.

"Yeah, don't you have better things to do, like finding a boyfriend, Old lady?" mocked the second boy.

"I guess she can't with that face, huh?" laughed a third.

The three boys then laughed, and Minako grew all the angrier, her face in a smirking rage-filled expression. "Who are you calling old?!" she growled menacingly.

But then Harusuke calmly placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Now, now, Minako. Just calm down a minute," he said calmly. "Let me handle this."

Harusuke then hunched down to be at eye level with the boys and spoke calmly but firmly. "Now listen here, boys. I don't appreciate how you've been talking to my friend, and I don't like how you've been bullying this girl. So I'd appreciate it if you all would stop being so rude. Because if you don't..." He then gave them a frightening glare while flashing a slasher-like smile. "I might have to find a way to punish you, boys. Got that~?"

The boys' faces turned white as sheets, and not wasting another second, hurried away. Minako and Artemis were surprised as well as impressed.

"Wow, Harusuke. How'd you do that?" asked Minako.

"Let's just say I learned a couple of things from my Mom," Harusuke replied.

"But seriously though, what is it with kids these days?" Minako said, now grumbling. "Calling me an old maid, no respect at all."

"It's because you talk and act that makes you seem like an old maid," Harusuke and Artemis thought.

"Thanks a lot, you guys," the little girl spoke gratefully. She turned to Minako. "And it's nice to see you again too, Miss."

"No problem," smiled Minako. "But what were you and those boys arguing about uh..."

"My name's Mie," said the little girl. "I'm in the Tulip class at Shiba Kindergarten."

"Nice to meet, Mie. My name's Minako," the blonde girl said, picking up her white cat. "And this is Artemis, and this guy's my friend, Harusuke."

Artemis meowed in greeting, and Harusuke gave a friendly wave.

"It's nice to meet you, Artemis. Harusuke," Mie said, smiling.

Then Minako noticed something on Mie's shirt, as did Harusuke. Pinned on top of it was a small badge to Sailor Moon's likeness.

"I see that you like Sailor Moon, Mie," said Minako. "Then, does that mean that you like Sailor Venus, too?"

"I do like Sailor Moon," Mie said. "But I've never heard of Sailor Venus, though."

Minako and Artemis then hung their heads with disappointment.

"Yeah, I figured as much," sighed Minako.

Harusuke felt a bit bad for Minako, so he pointed to a bench nearby. "Let's go sit over that bench of there," he said. "Maybe you can tell us why those boys were bullying you."

So they went over to the bench and sat down. Mie then spoke up.

"Can I ask you both something?" she asked. "There is a Sailor Moon, isn't there?"

Harusuke and Minako looked at each other and hummed deep in thought.

"Well, that's a hard question to answer," said Harusuke.

"So... I guess what you're saying is, she's doesn't exist, after all," Mie spoke sadly.

"No, actually, it's the opposite," Minako said. "You believe that she exists, right, Mie?"

Mie nodded in response.

"Then she exists," smiled Minako. "Believing is the most important thing that you can do."

Mie smiled, feeling much happier. "Thanks, you two! I will," she said. "Say, Minako, Harusuke, have you two ever seen Sailor Moon?"

"We've not only seen her, but we've met her too," Minako replied proudly. "I also know that Sailor Moon's also got a partner named Solaris looking out for her."

Mie's eyes went wide with wonder and astonishment while Harusuke and Artemis gulped nervously.

"That's amazing!" Mie gasped, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "Then, could you two come to show-and-tell at my kindergarten tomorrow and tell all the boys that? No seems to believe me."

Harusuke was about to object, but Minako cut him off.

"Sure. We'll be there," Minako said with determination. "We'll teach those big-mouthed kids to believe in something and how to be innocent again!"

"Say what?!" Harusuke and Artemis internally screamed.

Mie was excited, now feeling as determined as Minako. "Yeah! If they don't start believing now, they're going to regret it when they grow up and yearn for their lost innocence, right?"

Minako, Harusuke, and even Artemis all looked at Mie, not expecting those kinds of words to come out of her mouth.

"Is it just me, or is this girl more mature than we expected?" Harusuke whispered to Minako.

"Yeah, but that's what makes her cute," Minako whispered back, smiling.

Back with the Makai Tree, An and Ail were checking on it to see if it was staying alive. But, unfortunately, the tree once again began to wither, its leaves drying up and crumbling.

"The situation's looking bad," said Ail. "We seem to be running low on energy again." He looked at An. "So, what energy source are you going to target this time?" he asked her.

Above them, several pictures of children playing in the playground appeared, as An explained.

"The fresh, juicy energy of children," said An. "They have so much innocence and enthusiasm, which makes their energy ripe for the picking."

"How interesting," smiled Ail as he once again held up a hand of six cardian cards. "It's time to choose now, An. Pick a Cardian that's just right for the job."

An flicked her finger and made the fourth card shoot upwards, hovering in the air, growing to a large size, and revealing the Cardian for their mission. She had spiky orange hair, yellow skin, and a pair of large white wings and wore a battle-styled toga outfit. Ail then readied his flute, putting it to his lips.

"Now, come forth! Cardian Gigaros!" commanded Ail as he began to play his beautiful melody.

The card began to glow as the card's image suddenly sprang to life. The card then morphed and changed into the Cardian they chose for their mission, ready to steal energy.

Outside in the real world, a bus was making its way home, the destination being Kari Kindergarten. The kids inside were singing a merry tune as they waited for their stop home, unaware of the incoming danger coming for them. As the bus entered the tunnel, there was suddenly an explosion on the bus's roof, immediately blowing a hole on it, causing the bus to come to a screeching halt as something came through the hole.

That something was Gigaros.

The kids cried and screamed in terror as the Cardian set to work, draining every single child of their energy.

The Makai tree suddenly sprang to life, unleashing a white glow as it absorbed the energy that Gigaros had stolen, much to Ail and An's amazement.

"This is wonderful!" Ail spoke, smirking. "What incredible energy! Even more so than I expected!"

The next day, Usagi, Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Luna were all at the Hikawa Shrine. Usagi was reading manga while the others were reading a newspaper article about what had happened to the kids of Kari Kindergarten.

"They've struck again!" Luna said grimly. "This time, the enemy's now draining the energy from children!"

"This is just awful!" Rei gasped, appalled. "Targeting little children like that!"

"I'll say! It's unforgivable!" Makoto agreed crossly.

Ami then began to type on her little mini-computer, calculating their next move. "Luna, I've analyzed which kindergarten they're most likely to strike next."

"And which kindergarten do you think it is?" asked Luna.

"There's a sixty-seven percent probability that it will be at Shiba Kindergarten," Ami replied.

"Then here's what we'll do," said Luna. "One of you is going to have to go to the school undercover, help protect those kids at the kindergarten."

Then a hysterical fit of laughter rudely interrupted Luna, causing her to groan in exasperation and everyone else to look up. Usagi was having the time of her life reading her manga and utterly oblivious to what everyone else was discussing.

"Hey, you guys! You've got to check this out!" Usagi laughed, showing them the page. "It's hilarious!"

Everyone stared just at Usagi, even Luna. The odango blonde wasn't laughing anymore, confused as to why everyone was staring at her. At last, Rei broke the silence.

"Usagi, good luck today," said Rei.

"We're counting on you, Usagi," added Makoto. "Don't let us down."

"Umm... what are you guys talking about?" Usagi asked, feeling puzzled.

"Just make us proud, okay?" said Ami.

"But I still don't get what you're talking about!" Usagi said, feeling panicked.

At the Shiba Kindergarten, Harusuke, Minako, and Artemis had arrived there in time for Mie's show-and-tell. Minako was telling the other kids all about Sailor Moon. Solaris, and Sailor Venus, hoping to convince them that they exist, much to Harusuke's and Artemis' chagrin.

"... and in conclusion, Sailor Moon, Solaris, and Sailor Venus do exist," finished Minako.

The boy, one of Mie's bullies, raised a brow skeptically. "Whatever, I won't believe it until I see them with my own eyes."

The other kids agreed, nodding their heads.

"But what's important is believing that they exist," said Mie.

"If you believe hard enough, then you'll meet them," added Minako.

"Get real. You guys should be more realistic and rational," said the first boy.

"Be honest, are you and your boyfriend going through some tough times, Miss?" asked the second boy.

"What makes you ask that?" asked Minako.

"Because it sounds like you're in denial," said the second boy.

"Yeah. Adults are lucky," said the first boy. "They get to project all their troubles and confusion onto kids and then run off to play in their own imaginary world."

Minako and Mie didn't know what else to say. Minako felt a little bit cross, but she kept her composure.

"I would like to tell those brats a thing or two, but I can't be hard on them," thought Minako. "Now that I think about it, that's what Usagi would do if she were in my place."

"She should have never have gotten involved in this," Artemis sighed internally.

Harusuke, who kept quiet throughout the time, felt sorry for Minako and Mie and wanted to help them. At first, he had no idea how to, but then he got an idea.

"You know, it's honestly too bad that you kids have such a shallow way of thinking," he said. "If you want my opinion, I believe in Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus. I've always had for a long time now, and do you want to know why?"

The children remained quiet, while Mie looked at Harusuke curiously, wanting to know as did Minako and Artemis.

Harusuke then smiled, giving his response. "It's because Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus saved my life."

Mie gasped, as did some of the other children, while Mie's bullies were still skeptical, rolling their eyes. Minako and Artemis looked at Harusuke, wondering what he was up to, but Harusuke smiled as he began his tale.

"You see, it happened not too long ago, a couple of months in fact," continued Harusuke. "I know this may seem hard to believe to you kids, but this is true. I was going about my way as usual in town when suddenly, I got attacked by four monsters that surrounded me. They were all scary and wanted to do nothing more but hurt me, so I ran away, knowing that I couldn't take them on all by myself. So I ran, and I ran until they cornered me. It felt like it was the end for me, but then a pretty guardian in a sailor uniform along with her band of heroes came to my rescue. Sailor Moon used her Moon Tiara Action, and Sailor Venus fired a beam called the Venus Crescent Beam. The four monsters were tough, but the Sailor Guardians were tougher and defeated all the monsters to save my life."

By now, most of the children were deeply immersed in Harusuke's story staring at him in amazement and wonder.

"So? What happened next?" asked Mie.

"Afterwards, I thanked the Sailor Guardians for saving my life, and they told me something that I would never forget for as long as I live," said Harusuke, placing a hand on his chest. "They told me that whenever I was in trouble, they would always be there for me no matter what as long as I believed in them. Ever since that faithful day, I've always believed in the Sailor Guardians, and I always will no matter what. I know I can't force you all into believing in something the way I do, but it's how I feel. You're all free to choose who to believe in or not, but Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus are not delusions. They're heroes who will be there for you whenever you need help. All you need is some belief and a little faith."

When Harusuke finished his story, all the children applauded, cheering, including Mie. Even Mie's bullies, excluding the ring leader, couldn't help but applaud. Harusuke then looked back at Minako, who was staring at him dumbfounded, and gave her a wink. Minako then smiled, blushing a little, and then gave Harusuke a nod as well as a silent thank you.

At that moment, the teacher of the kindergarten came up. "All right, everybody, it's time to go home," she called.

"What? That's no fun," complained one girl.

"We want to hear another story about Sailor Moon," said a boy.

"You mustn't give the young man and lady a hard time," said the teacher kindly. "Also, I'm afraid that I won't be able to ride the bus with you today.

The children groaned in disappointment, but then Minako spoke up.

"Teacher, if it's okay with you, we'd be happy to keep them company on the bus today," Minako suggested.

"Well... Are you sure?" asked the teacher. "I don't want to put you both through the trouble."

"It's no trouble at all," smiled Harusuke. "It would be our pleasure."

"Yay! Let's go home together!" cheered Mie. "This will be so much fun!"

"Alright, you two, if you insist," said the leader of Mie's bullies. "Since Teacher can't come, then I guess you'll both have to do."

Minako, Harusuke, as the teacher could only be silent, exasperated by this little snarker.

As everyone got on board the bus, Usagi and Luna happened to be waiting just outside the gate.

"That's the bus, Usagi," said Luna.

"Yeah, sure looks like it," said Usagi. "But... why am I doing this alone again?"

"You're the only one who can use the Transformation Pen," replied Luna. "I would contact Harusuke, but I haven't been able to."

"That may be so, but you and the others didn't have to be mean and give me the cold shoulder!" pouted Usagi. "And what should I do if a monster does attack the school bus?!"

"Just hurry, Usagi!" snapped Luna.

Usagi then took out her Transformation Pen and then set to work.

"MOON POWER! Turn me into a gentle yet glamorous and fashionable kindergarten teacher!"

Usagi's hair was now short up to her shoulders, and she now wore a pink sweater with the sleeves rolled up purple pants and blue sneakers.

The bus had just started to pull away, approaching the gates, when Usagi came up the door waving her hand to stop the driver.

"Hi, sorry, I'm late!" Usagi said. "I'm the new substitute teacher that's supposed to join you today."

Harusuke, Artemis, and Minako looked at Usagi and were surprised to see her, and when Usagi saw them, she was surprised too.

"Usagi, is that you?" Harusuke and Minako said at the same time.

"Harusuke? Minako?" Usagi spoke.

Eventually, the bus got rolling again, with Usagi being its newest passenger. The disguised ordango immediately went over to her friends, relieved.

"Thank goodness the two of you are here," Usagi said. "It's quite a relief."

"So what's up, Usagi?" asked Minako.

"Did something happen?" wondered Artemis.

"Well, yes. But at the same time, it hasn't," said Usagi.

"Is it a Cardian?" asked Harusuke.

"Yes, but we can't be sure of anything just yet," explained Usagi. "Until then, we have to stay on guard."

As the bus rolled on, Minako and Usagi entertained the kids by singing a particular theme song belonging to a Guardian. The kids sang along with them while Harusuke and Artemis sat by themselves, feeling a bit embarrassed as well as awkward.

"Just what the heck are those two doing?" Artemis whispered to Harusuke.

"I don't know," Harusuke whispered back. "Just let them be. At least it can't get any weirder."

The bus started going into the tunnel where the Kari bus went through before being attacked. It drove deeper and deeper into the darkness, with only the headlights shining their way through. Then the driver gasped for something was standing in the middle of the street in front of the bus.

It was Cardian Gigaros once again.

The driver, feeling startled, slammed on the brakes making the bus skid to stop, and Gigaros jumped, smashing through the front window shattering the glass and startling everyone inside. The driver tried to get away feeling frightened, but Gigaros prevented him by grabbing him by the throat and draining his energy until he was unconscious. All the kids immediately ran to the back for cover, feeling scared, while Usagi, Harusuke, Minako, and Artemis stood bravely in front, ready to protect them from harm.

"So you've finally shown yourself, monster!" Usagi spoke bravely. "We've been expecting you!"

Mie went over Minako, clinging to her skirt in fear. "Minako, what's going on?" she whimpered fearfully. "I'm scared."

Minako wrapped her arms around Mie, hugging her. "It's going to be alright," she reassured. "She always comes to the rescue when you need her the most, remember?"

"Wh-who does?" asked Mie.

"You know who, Mie," Harusuke spoke gently. "The person who you believe in the most."

Mie's fear disappeared as a smile spread on her cheeks. "Sailor Moon!"

"That's right!" agreed Usagi. "Sailor Moon, as well as the Guardians, are on their way, and they'll come and save us!"

She looked back towards Gigaros as the Cardian slowly walked towards them, chuckling menacingly.

"Let's do this, Artemis!" cried Usagi. "We have to protect these kids!"

Usagi and Artemis then charged at Gigaros, hoping to buy some time until Usagi could transform. However, Gigaros swatted them away while knocking Usagi out of the bus and Artemis to the floor.

Usagi groaned, wracked with pain as she pulled herself up from the concrete. "Man... it never gets any easier being a superhero, but at least now I have a chance."

Seizing her opportunity, she then took out her brooch. "MOON CRYSTAL POWER MAKE UP!"

Transformation Sequence: Usagi

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

Artemis and Harusuke were trying their best to hold off Gigaros, but the Cardian was too strong for them as they got knocked down to the floor. Gigaros cackled with glee, ready to make everyone on the bus her next victims, but then -.

"Stop right there, you monster!"

Gigaros stopped and looked outside, as did the kids, and they all saw Sailor Moon standing outside, much to their disbelief and Mie's delight.

"Those children represent our dreams for the future! Attacking them and making us worry about who'll take care of us when we retire is unforgivable!" she said crossly. "I am Sailor Moon! And in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

"It's her! It's Sailor Moon!" cried Mie joyfully. "I told you that she's real!"

"I don't believe it!" Mie's bully gasped. "She does exist!"

Sailor Moon looked at the children and gave them a wink while making a peace sign. "Sorry, I'm late, kids," she said. "But don't worry. I'll take care of this monster for you now and send you on your way home."

Gigaros came out of the bus via the broken window and squared off against Sailor Moon.

"Alright, you big winged bully! Let's go!" Sailor Moon spoke, putting up her fists. "Bring it on!"

Gigaros let out a shriek as she spread her wings taking flight into the air. She rapidly flapped those giant wings and unleashed several green tornadoes at Sailor Moon. The Pretty Moon Guardian yelped as she jumped to dodge them, but it was clear she needed help too. While the children were all by the window watching the battle, Harusuke and Minako slipped away so that they could transform too.

"Say, are you sure Sailor Moon's going to be alright?" Mie's bully asked Mie. "She doesn't look that strong to me."

"I don't know," said Mie. "But Sailor Moon needs help!"

Sailor Moon soon found her back against the wall as Gigaros closed in on her. She extended the nails on her hands and prepared to pounce, but at that moment -.

"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM!"

"SUNSHINE METEOR!"

A sphere of sunlight and beam of light shot forth and blasted Gigaros, throwing her backward. Sailor Moon looked up and saw her comrades standing on top of the bus.

"Sailor Venus! Solaris!" she gasped.

The children then looked up and were amazed when they saw the two heroes.

"Those two must be the ones Minako talked about!" Mie gasped with wonder. "Sailor Moon and Solaris!"

"Wow! They both look so cool!" Mie's bully said.

"You okay, Sailor Moon?" asked Sailor Venus as she and Solaris jumped down.

"You bet I am, now that you're both here," said Sailor Moon.

"Come on, you two. What do you say that we send this monster packing?" Solaris spoke, taking a stance.

Sailor Moon and Venus nodded in agreement. Gigaros had now gotten back up on her feet, furious that two more Guardians were impeding on her mission. She went on the attack once again, unleashing a powerful gust of wind from her wings. The three heroes dodged it, and Sailor Venus used her signature attack again.

"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM!"

But this time, Gigaros saw the attack coming and swatted away the Crescent Beam like a fly and a fly swatter.

Sailor Venus was shocked. "No way! My Crescent Beam didn't even faze her!"

Solaris and Sailor Moon then jumped into the fray, hoping that they would somehow find a way to back up their friend, but Gigaros once unleashed her gusts of wind blasting all three of the guardians away knocking them flat on the ground. However, the children did not want to give up on them and began to cheer as Sailor Venus struggled to her feet.

"There's got be a way to beat this thing!" Sailor Venus thought. "But how?!"

Gigaros then shot forward, targeting Sailor Venus and prepared to slash her with her claws, but then a white rose came shooting from out of nowhere, piercing the ground just in front of Gigaros, causing her to stop. Everyone turned towards the side of the bus where the rose came from, and standing there was the Moonlight Knight.

"Once beyond the tunnel of frustration, there is a land of light overflowing with hope," the Moonlight Knight said. "You can overcome any hardship as long as you believe in yourself."

"Believe in myself?" wondered Sailor Venus. "What do you mean?"

The Moonlight Knight then gestured towards Mie and the children, still cheering wildly. "Just take a look. You three have some mighty allies who believe in you," he said with passion. "Don't you see how their belief in you can give you strength?"

The Guardians then looked over at Mie and the others and saw how loudly they were cheering for her and her friends. They were amazed. Sailor Venus then stood up, now filled with motivation and drive.

"These kids taught me a lesson today," the Guardian of Venus spoke. "Believing in yourself is what's important, and that's what I'm going to do to protect them!"

She then let out a mighty yell as her body began to glow in bright yellow light, much to Solaris and Sailor Moon's surprise. Gigaros, not backing down, prepared to strike again, charging straight at her again with her claws, but Sailor Venus bravely stood her ground as she unleashed a powerful attack.

"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SHOWER!"

She then unleashed a powerful beam of light which split into multiple beams at once. Gigaros shrieked in pain and agony as she felt every single beam blast her, severely wounding and weakening her. Seizing her chance, Sailor Moon summoned forth the Cutie Moon Rod and unleashed a powerful burst of light to land the finishing blow.

"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"

The attack bathed Gigaros in its light, and with one more final agonizing scream, she reverted into a card destroyed and no longer a threat. The children cheered, and the Moonlight Knight smiled with pride from beneath his mask.

"Well done, Sailor Venus," he thought. "You've discovered the importance of believing in yourself."

And with a wave of his cape, he vanished from sight.

Sailor Venus stood there, a bit shocked about what she had just done as Solaris, Sailor Moon, and Artemus went up to her.

"Sailor Venus, you were amazing!" Solaris spoke excitedly. "I've never seen you use an attack like that before!"

"Yeah! Where did that attack come from!" asked Sailor Moon. " That was awesome!"

"The Crescent Beam Shower..." murmured Sailor Venus dubiously. "And... I don't know. It just happened."

"I think I can explain," said Artemis, who was smiling with pride. "It's one of your hidden and latent powers that got unlocked." He then looked towards them. "And I think we have them to thank for it."

Sailor Venus then looked towards the children, particularly at Mie, and she could only smile. "Yeah. We won because those kids believed in us," she said. "And we owe them a lot."

Minako and Harusuke were with Mie at the playground again a little while later. Mie had finished her story about her encounter with Sailor Moon and the others.

"Minako. Harusuke. Sailor Moon was cool, wasn't she?" asked Mie eagerly.

"Yeah, she sure was," agreed Minako.

"The coolest superhero you've ever seen," added Harusuke, chuckling.

"And you know what? I think both Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, and Solaris are cool," Mie went on eagerly. "I think I might become a fan of Sailor Venus and Solaris! Those two are so awesome; they should become a couple!"

"A-A couple?!" Minako and Harusuke cried together.

"Yeah! They're so awesome, and they're great when they work together!" went on Mie. "They would make the coolest duo superheroes ever!"

Minako and Harusuke looked at each other briefly; then they looked away, their cheeks turning pink.

"No way. I don't think that's ever going to happen," they both said.

"Geez. Kids today seem a lot more mature than they look," Minako whispered to Harusuke.

"Yeah. No kidding," Harusuke whispered back. "Makes me kinda wonder who are the kids and who are the adults."

Artemis could only chuckle as the three continued to spend their time on the playground, unaware that as they did, Harusuke's bracelet glowed a little, a yellow flash going across it.