Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Chibi Moon, and Solaris were shocked as the Holy Grail continued to glow in Sailor Moon's hands, as it began to spread throughout her body, too.
"The Holy Grail is shining!" gasped Tuxedo Mask.
"And so is Sailor Moon!" Sailor Chibi Moon also gasped.
"What's... going on here?" Solaris spoke. "Is that... Chibiusa's art project - or is that the real thing?"
Then, the Holy Grail released a wave of sparkles that spread to where the Guardians were fighting. The spell that blinded them immediately broke when it did, returning them to normal. At the same time, Sailor Moon's tiara disappeared on her forehead, revealing a glowing Moon emblem in its place.
"Everyone! Let's all unite our hearts and fight as one!" Sailor Moon spoke telepathically. "It's what makes us Guardians!"
"Sailor Moon's calling us!" Sailor Venus spoke out.
"She needs us! All of us!" said Sailor Uranus.
Suddenly, all three of the outer guardians' talismans started to glow simultaneously, shining as brightly as the Holy Grail.
"My Deep Aqua Mirror... It's resonating!" Sailor Neptune gasped.
"My Space Sword is starting to resonate too!" Sailor Uranus murmured in amazement.
"And even my Garnet Orb is resonating!" Sailor Pluto spoke. "It's as if... our talismans are answering Sailor Moon's call!"
The Outer Guardians looked at each other and knew what to do. Their bodies began to radiate with aura as they held their talismans up high.
"We give you our power, Sailor Moon!" the three shouted together.
The Inner Guardians followed suit, all of them raising their hands as they began to radiate with aura too.
"Sailor Moon!" the four yelled out.
Even Sailor Chibi Moon raised her hand as she too began to radiate with energy.
"Sailor Moon! Use my power too!" the little guardian called out.
Cyprine and Ptilol couldn't believe their eyes as their auras shone brighter by the second, forcing them to shield their eyes.
"What the hell is going on?!" cried Cyprine. "Where is that light coming from?!"
Solaris then struggled to get up one knee, trying to stand up.
"Solaris! Take it easy!" said Tuxedo Mask. "You're too badly hurt!"
"Don't worry... I'm fine!" Solaris grunted as he pushed himself to his feet. "Besides, I can't afford... to be lying on the job! My sister needs me!" His body began to radiate as well as he held his hand up high. "Now, take my power too, Sailor Moon!"
Their auras left their bodies shooting high into the air turning into spheres. Then, the lid of the Holy Grail in Sailor Moon's hands opened, and the spheres of aura shrunk down in size and shot towards it, disappearing inside of it. Finally, the lid closed as Sailor Moon held the Holy Grail up high and shouted these words.
"MOON CRISIS, MAKE UP!"
Transformation Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon holds up the Holy Grail, and the lid opens, overflowing and spilling with golden light, enveloping her and forming a cocoon shape. The cocoon bursts open as rainbow butterflies made of energy flutter out from it as Sailor Moon emerges from them with new changes to her form as she elegant spins around from the feet up. Her boots were bright red, her skirt white with yellow and blue borders blending, and her bow at the back now billowed in length also a radiant cotton pink color with a yellow belt around her waist with a brooch similar to the one on her chest in the middle. The stripes on her collar were now yellow, her shoulder pads were more extended, translucent, and pink, her choker was yellow with a red heart in the middle, and her earrings no longer dangled, now fixed to her ears. The rainbow butterflies swarm past as Sailor Moon opens her eyes, a gold tiara appearing on her forehead, and a pair of wing-like barrettes appear on top of her hair. She then strikes her final pose as a pair of pink butterfly-like wings appear behind against a starry background.
Everyone could not believe their eyes as Sailor Moon stood in a new form, the moon shining brightly upon her as if it was her acting spotlight, while she radiated with power. Even Cyprine and Ptilol froze with shock. At the same time, the center of the Guardians brooches began to glow and, one by one, changed into the shape of a heart.
"Our brooches..." murmured Sailor Mercury.
"They've all become heart-shaped," said Sailor Venus with wonder.
"And Sailor Moon... she's transformed just like when I use my Unison Fusion! But, is that - her?" asked Solaris in bewilderment. "No... she's become something else entirely."
"It's Super Sailor Moon!" Sailor Chibi Moon cried out.
Everyone looked over at the mini guardian in surprise. "Super Sailor Moon?" they repeated.
Back at the laboratory, Tomoe rushed to the window, noticing the commotion. While he was at a lower level, he could see a massive pillar of pink light emanating from the building above with the guardian in the middle.
"What an incredible amount of energy!" he exclaimed. "How in the world can that girl be in the middle of it all and not suffer damage from it?! It's absurd! Sailor Moon, what is your secret to this power?"
Hotaru was suffering through another attack back in her room. She held her forehead in agony while she writhed on the floor.
"It hurts! It hurts so much!" she agonized in her thoughts. "It feels like... something inside of me, and whatever it is, it's trying to break out!"
"But... I won't let you!" Hotaru spoke aloud. "Stay in! Stay inside!"
At that moment, an evil voice boomed in her mind.
"What a massive vortex of light! Such an incredible aura! I see a large pillar of energy piercing the heavens!"
It was Pharoh 90.
"Even when the Taiyron Crystal was at its peak back on our home planet, its energy was nothing like this. It's tens of thousands stronger!" the voice continued. "What is this?! What is it that gives power over everything?!"
Hotaru's heart began to pound rapidly as she desperately tried to keep herself together, breathing and wheezing rapidly. But then, she stopped, and her eyes snapped open, now filled with a glint of malice as a throaty and evil chuckle escaped her throat.
"I can answer that, Master Pharoh 90," Hotaru spoke with a mischievous demeanor. "It's the Legendary Silver Crystal."
Super Sailor Moon took the skies and set her sights on Cyprine and Ptilol.
"I will no longer be confused!" she declared with conviction. "I will never hesitate ever again!"
Cyprine and Ptilol then crossed their wands again, the two of them conjuring energy ribbons that congealed into a large sphere.
"Don't start getting high and mighty because your clothes changed!" Cyprine snapped.
"It doesn't matter how strong you are; you're nothing compared to us!" Ptilol also snapped.
"NOW TAKE THIS! RIBBON BUSTER!" both of them yelled as they released the sphere of their power.
But Super Sailor Moon raised her hand, blocking the attack, and deflected it effortlessly away, completely unharmed much to the shock of the Death Busters and the Guardians who were watching. The guardian of the moon then raised her hand, summoning forth her Spiral Heart Moon rod, flipping and twirling it around her body as she spun around until she struck a pose. She then turned around like a top as she called out the name of her new attack.
"RAINBOW MOON HEARTACHE!"
She came to a stop holding up her rod, and it exploded with serval energy ribbons of hearts at her enemy. Cyprine and Ptilol tried to counterattack, but it was already too late as they hit their mark, obliterating them into dust.
Back in the spatial room, Kaolinite had been watching the fight the entire time, and needless to say, she was livid. So much so that she threw her wand to the ground.
"I don't believe this!" Kaolinite snarled. "Damn that Sailor Moon! Not only did she power herself up, but she also bested Cyprine and Ptilol! Those two were the last and most powerful members of the Witches 5! A defeat such as this should have been impossible! I was supposed to remove those anomalies and become the master's partner! Then together, we were going to remake this planet into our new world!"
While Kaolinite continued to fume, someone watched her through a small window through another place, cackling maliciously.
"A feeble Magus like her as a worthy partner for our master?" the interloper spoke in a feminine voice. "Honestly, you must be out of your mind, Kaolinite."
Super Sailor Moon floated gently back towards the roof where the other guardians were waiting for her.
"So, our talismans gave the power to Sailor Moon?" puzzled Sailor Uranus as she looked at her Space Sword.
"It would make sense," said Sailor Neptune. "They've resonated in a way I've never seen before."
"I didn't even know the talismans could do this," added Sailor Pluto.
"But, this doesn't make sense," Sailor Uranus spoke up. "Aren't these talismans the keys to awakening-"
"Uranus!" interrupted Sailor Neptune. "Don't say anything more!"
Then, there was the sound of a weak groan and the sound of someone falling to the floor. Those came from Solaris, who was now on his fours, his arms and legs wobbling slightly. Everyone quickly rushed over to the guardian, worried about his current state.
"Solaris! Are you all right?!" asked Tuxedo Mask.
"Don't worry. I'm ok. More or less," winced Solaris. "Although, this is what I get for trying to fight seven guardians at once."
The Guardians then gasped.
"Wait, did we do that to you?" asked Sailor Venus incredulously.
"We're so sorry!" apologized Sailor Mars. "We weren't in control of our actions!"
"It's not your fault," grunted Solaris as he sat down. "You were just under a spell, is all. Besides, this shows not only you girls have gotten stronger, but I still have a long way to go."
Super Sailor Moon touched the floor; she walked over to Solaris, bending down onto one knee. "Don't worry, Solaris. Let me help you," she said calmly.
She reached out and touched the center of Solaris's chest with her hand. The Guardian of the Moon began to glow, and it slowly transferred over to Solaris until he started to as well. In seconds, his armor slowly repaired itself, and the blood and injuries on his face faded away.
Solaris stood up in amazement as he looked at his hands. "Whoa... I know that the Silver Crystal healed me a while back, but not this quickly!" he murmured. "My armor's even fixed!"
"Is this the power of the legendary Holy Grail?" Tuxedo Mask asked while looking at Sailor Moon from head to foot. "Did it cause this transformation?"
"No. The power came from all of you. It came through the Holy Grail and then poured into me," explained Sailor Moon with a heartfelt smile. "I wished for all of our hearts to unite and become one and that you would lend me your power. Although it was a brief moment, that wish came true, and our hearts did connect. We shared the same feelings. We wanted to help one another and take down our enemies. So it wasn't just any single power, but the power of all of us that summoned the Holy Grail and Super Sailor Moon. And that alone proves that we can work together as a team! Despite being different, we're all Guardians. More than that, we're friends."
Everyone stared at Sailor Moon in amazement, moved by her speech.
Sailor Neptune then started thinking as she looked at her Deep Aqua Mirror. "No matter how hard we resisted, our talismans still responded to Sailor Moon's feelings and readily gave her their power," she thought to herself. "Maybe this is a sign that she should tell her and the others the truth about our ultimate mission."
The Outer Guardians looked at each other and gave each other a nod, wordlessly telling them what they needed to do.
"Everyone, we need you to come with us," said Sailor Uranus. "There's something we have to discuss with you in private. Let's take this to my apartment."
Super Sailor Moon and the others were puzzled, but they wanted to know what the Outer Guardians had to say, so they followed them by floating downwards until they came to the wreckage that was Haruka's apartment. Broken glass lay everywhere, some furniture was scorched or in pieces, and some plants tipped over.
"Wow, it looks like Cyprine did a number on this place, didn't she?" cringed Super Sailor Moon.
"You're telling me," said Solaris as he surveyed the damage. "This takes the meaning of fixer-upper to a new level."
"I'm scared to think how much the repair bills are going to be," Sailor Uranus sighed in exasperation as she counted her fingers. "There's the windows, plus the furniture. It's going to cost a fortune to get it all fixed."
"It looks like a pretty expensive place," said Sailor Venus. "Can't imagine how much the rent must cost."
"Verily, the rent here costs around a million yen a month," said Sailor Uranus. "So, yeah. Expensive is an understatement."
Everyone's eyes went wide as they stared at Uranus, not believing their ears.
"A million yen a month?!" exclaimed Sailor Jupiter. "How the heck can you afford that?!"
Sailor Uranus snootily smirked while flipping the front bangs of her hair. "We've got patrons and sponsors," she explained. "So we don't have to worry about money."
"Haruka!" chided Sailor Neptune.
"What are patrons?" Super Sailor Moon asked curiously.
"They're people who pay a person for something," explained Solaris. "To put it in layman's terms, Haruka's getting paid to race making her filthy stinking rich, and she's subtlely bragging about it."
Sailor Uranus flinched, her face giving an awkward look while Sailor Neptune snickered a bit, but not for long as her face turned serious.
"Super Sailor Moon, Solaris, or Princess and Prince," the guardian of the sea spoke. "About the talismans, as you are well aware, our talismans can be used as powerful weapons, but that's not the only thing that they can do. We've seen them activate once before a long time ago." She paused impressively. "Do you both remember what happened in your previous lives thousands of years ago? The fateful day when the Silver Millennium fell to ruin?"
"Of course. How could we not?" responded Solaris.
"Back then, each of us was assigned to protect a different territory in the far reaches of space, forbidden from leaving our posts," went on Sailor Neptune. "All we could do was watch from afar as our home, the Silver Millennium, fall."
Super Sailor Moon bit her lip in sorrow, remembering. "Please, stop," she pleaded, her cracking to the point of crying. "I don't want to hear anymore. Even now, it still breaks my heart."
Tuxedo Mask hugged Super Sailor Moon in comfort, hoping to ease her pain.
"But amid that tragedy, something happened," Sailor Neptune continued. "Our talismans, the strongest weapons in the Outer Solar System, began to resonate in a way that we've never seen before, bringing the three of us together. At that moment, when our beautifully shining talismans made contact, they summoned the guardian from the forbidden planet, the final guardian who must never be awakened, protected by Saturn, the guardian planet of destruction, the guardian of silence, Sailor Saturn. That was when we knew the end had come. We watched as Sailor Saturn slowly brought down her Silence Glaive in one powerful sweep, and as the strength drained away from us, the Silver Millenium silently fell to ruin." She paused while looking at her mirror. "When all three of the talismans come together, they become the keys to awakening Sailor Saturn, their true function. As Guardians of the outer planets, each of us protects one of these keys."
"When all three of us come together, and our talismans activate, it will cause Sailor Saturn to awaken," said Sailor Uranus grimly.
"And if that were to happen like before, then the world as you know it will cease to exist," finished Sailor Pluto darkly.
Super Sailor Moon and the others could hardly believe their ears as they stared in horror and disbelief.
"So, the three talismans that will bring destruction," gasped Sailor Mars. "This is what the dreams meant!"
"And the silence Sailor Uranus and Neptune were talking about before," spoke Solaris. "It's Sailor Saturn!"
"Our guarding territories are so far apart from each other, so under normal circumstances, we would never meet," continued Sailor Neptune. "But fate decided to bring us together again, reincarnating ourselves as humans here on Earth. However, the same applies for the Guardian of Destruction."
Sailor Neptune held up her mirror as it showed an image of Sailor Saturn. That image changed into a girl with black hair, violet eyes, and pale skin wearing a Mugen schoolgirl's uniform. Everyone couldn't help but gasp, for that girl was someone they all knew, the one known as Hotaru Tomoe.
"N-No way..." Super Sailor Moon murmured with wide eyes.
"It... can't be," Sailor Chibi Moon spoke in a shocked whisper. "You're saying that... Sailor Saturn is..."
"Hotaru Tomoe?!" Solaris finished aghast.
Tuxedo Mask then remembered the dreams and what the voice had said during them. "So, what we heard in our dreams, that was Sailor Saturn's soul calling out for the talismans?" he asked incredulously.
"Correct," said Sailor Neptune. "The time of Sailor Saturn's awakening is fast approaching. Her body is preparing itself, and she's starting to feel it, too."
"And you've all seen the future for yourself, so you know it already exists," said Sailor Pluto.
"Therefore, we can not allow Sailor Saturn to awaken, no matter what," Sailor Uranus spoke firmly.
"And what are you going to do to prevent that?" asked Sailor Venus tentatively.
Sailor Uranus was silent for a brief moment before responding. "We must kill Hotaru and seal away Sailor Saturn's soul away for good," she said darkly.
Super Sailor Moon and the others were horrified.
"Kill her?!" Super Sailor Moon gasped. "You can't be serious!"
"We don't know for sure if the talismans will activate or not!" objected Sailor Mercury.
"You saw how much the talismans resonated," Sailor Uranus grimly spoke as she looked at her Space Sword. "Generating all that energy to summon Super Sailor Moon. I can feel them overflowing power, just like back when Silver Millenium got destroyed. The day the talismans activate and cause Sailor Saturn to awaken on Earth is very close to happening."
"But you're talking about murder! You can't just kill her!" Super Sailor Moon protested. "There has got to be another way!"
"There is no other way," Sailor Uranus said simply. "Besides, even if we don't kill her, she'll die soon enough. Her body won't last much longer." She looked across to Solaris and Sailor Chibi Moon. "Harusuke, Chibiusa, you two have seen her body yourselves, haven't you?"
Solaris and Chibiusa remembered when they saw Hotaru's biomechanical parts and Hotaru's constant attacks. They didn't know what to say, knowing well that they were right.
"When Hotaru was eight years old, she was severely injured in a fire and ended up in a coma," Sailor Uranus continued. "But miraculously, she woke up thanks to her father, the brilliant scientist, Professor Suichi Tomoe. But despite it all, he was kicked out of the academic community. Hotaru was the fruit of his life's work, the fusion of human and machine. He remade her body as a machine like she were a doll for him to play with." She adverted her eyes which now had a sad look in them. "Her tiny body is artificial, and her fragile life is already slipping away."
"Isn't there any way to save her?" asked Sailor Chibi Moon. "Does she have to die?"
"At this point, there's only one way," said Sailor Uranus grimly. "She would have to awaken as Sailor Saturn and become a guardian with power. However, we cannot allow that to happen."
"No! You can't do this!" Super Sailor Moon burst out, her eyes filling with tears. "Can't you see that this is wrong?! You can't kill Hotaru! You just can't! Why can't there be some other way?! There's always the chance she won't wake up! You said it yourselves that the future still exists! The world isn't going to end! We will all live through this and save everything and everyone! I know we can! So, please, don't kill Hotaru! She doesn't have to die!"
"That's just what we thought you'd say," Sailor Pluto spoke sadly. "Which is why we can't work together."
"And why we can't be friends. Regardless of how we might feel," said Sailor Neptune passively. "You can hate us, and if you'd rather think of us as your enemies, then so be it. We have our mission and duty to save this world, and we're going to carry them out."
"And the Death Busters, we'll take them down, too," added Sailor Uranus.
As the three Outer Guardians turned to leave, no one said a word. Then, Solaris took a step forward, shouting out to them.
"Hold on a minute! There's something I want to say to you three."
Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto looked back as Solaris gazed grimly at them.
"You say that there's no other way to save Hotaru without awakening Sailor Saturn, but have you even bothered to look for another way?" he asked.
"We would have found a solution if we could," Sailor Uranus spoke firmly. "There's no other option."
"There's always another option! You just haven't found it yet!" Solaris cut in. "I understand that time is of the essence, but no one has the right to kill Hotaru! Not even you three! Hotaru is my friend, and I'm not about to let her die that way! If you three do this, you'll regret it for the rest of your lives! You already have the guilt from watching Silver Millenium fall! Do you honestly want to add more to your consciences?!"
Sailor Uranus and the other guardians said nothing as they silently walked off, jumping through the window and flying away.
"No! Wait! Uranus! Neptune! Pluto! Come back!" cried Super Sailor Moon.
But the three Outer Guardians had already gone, her words falling upon deaf ears.
Then, Sailor Chibi Moon bolted, scampering away, heading towards the door.
"Chibi Moon!" Tuxedo Mask yelled. "Where are you going?!"
But Sailor Chibi Moon didn't answer as she raced through the door and exited the apartment.
Sailor Chibi Moon jumped and ran across the rooftops as fast as her legs could carry her, heading straight towards Hotaru's house. She still couldn't believe Hotaru's true identity and that Sailor Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto planned to kill her because of it. However, she wasn't about to let her friend die.
"I will save Hotaru!" the little guardian thought to herself, filled with determination. "I have to save her no matter what!"
Soon, she arrived at the Tomoe residence, standing just outside the backyard gates. The little guardian was just about to enter through them when a voice called out to her.
"Sailor Chibi Moon! Wait!"
Sailor Chibi Moon looked back in time for Solaris to touch down on the ground, and believing that he came to hinder her, the pink ordango guardian bravely stood her ground, ready to resist, even if it was her uncle.
"What do you think you're doing coming here?!" demanded Solaris. "Did you even think about how dangerous this is?!"
"Don't try and stop me, Solaris!" Sailor Chibi Moon said firmly. "I have to save Hotaru! I don't care what the Outer Guardians say! I'll save her no matter what because she's my friend! And I'm ready to fight for her, even if I have to fight you!"
She then summoned her Pink Moon Rod and took a stance, ready to fight. Solaris stared at her, then he walked up to her, getting down on one knee and touching her head with his hand.
"You got the wrong idea, kiddo," he said gently. "I'm not here because I'm trying to stop you. I'm coming with you."
Sailor Chibi Moon blinked in surprise. "R-Really?"
"Of course. Hotaru's my friend, too," Solaris said with a smile. "It doesn't matter who she was previously or what she looks like or even what her fate is, she's still someone I care about, and I can't stand by while she's in danger. Not to mention, I can't let my niece go to a dangerous situation on her own, so let your uncle help you out, ok?"
Sailor Chibi Moon lowered her rod and nodded with a smile. The two Guardians then entered through the front gates, unaware that three pairs of eyes watched them from a distance on top of a tree. When they did, a shocking sight met their eyes. Hotaru lay on the floor, completely lifeless and not moving. Fearing the worst, the two ran towards her, hoping that she would be alright, but as they did, Hotaru slowly sat up, her face hidden from view. It was then that a cold chill ran through Solaris's back, which warned him of impending danger.
"Sailor Chibi Moon! Stop! Stay away from her!" Solaris yelled.
But as Sailor Chibi Moon looked back wondering what Solaris meant, Hotaru looked towards them, her violet eyes filled with an ominous red glow. Then, a powerful concussive blast of force made the windows explode, causing the glass to fly everywhere, and the wind howl as it shook the treetops. Then, Hotaru began to undergo a startling transformation.
Her child-like body began to age, changing into a fully grown adult; her nightie had become a dress colored violet and black with white beads that touched the floor and had a glowing purple star in the middle of her forehead. She also wore dangling 3-pearled earrings in each ear, had purple lipstick on her lips, and her black hair became incredibly long as it moved and wiggled about like snakes.
One of the tendrils of hair extended from her, turning into a claw, and before Solaris and Sailor Chibi Moon could react, it shot forward and grabbed hold of Sailor Chibi Moon, lifting her high in the air.
"Sailor Chibi Moon!" Solaris cried as he summoned his blade. "Hang on!"
He jumped in the air and swung his blade, attempting to cut the hair to save her, but got met with a forcefield that encased around her, pushing him back. Solaris tried again, but the woman that was once Hotaru sent tendrils of hair towards him, each one wrapping around his arms and legs, squeezing tightly and lifting him as well.
Then, the tendril holding Sailor Chibi Moon began to pull from the center of her chest, making her cry out in agony. At that moment, her transformation began to undo as pink ribbons exploded from her body. Finally, with one more violent tug, the claw ripped something from Sailor Chibi Moon, which in turn caused her to revert to human form. Chibiusa froze for a moment, the light rapidly fading from her eyes, and she fell lifelessly towards the ground.
Solaris's eyes went wide with horror as he helplessly watched. "CHIBIUSA!"
The claw then returned to the mysterious woman and placed two objects in her hand. The first was Chibiusa's brooch and the second was a glowing ball of pink light that hovered over it.
The mysterious woman cackled with triumph. "At last! I finally have it!" she crowed. "I have the Legendary Silver Crystal! Master Pharoh 90, I've finally awakened!"
"You witch! You give that back right now!" Solaris roared as he desperately struggled to get free. "Put that back! Put it back!"
The woman looked across to Solaris and cackled as she made more tendrils of hair turn to claws and directed them towards him. But then, an array of fire rings cut straight through the hair burning straight through them and setting Solaris free. Then, Super Sailor Moon and the rest of the Guardians arrived, but Solaris didn't notice them as he quickly burst free from the burned hair and raced straight over to Chibiusa, scooping her up in his arms.
"Chibiusa! Wake up!" Solaris cried as he shook her. "Come on, kid! Open your eyes!"
But Chibiusa remained as lifeless and a statue. Then, Solaris felt the blood in his skin go cold, feeling his skin grow pale as he realized.
"She's... she's not breathing!" the guardian of the Sun murmured. "Chibiusa's not breathing!"