On a cloudy yet warm morning, Chibiusa was staring out of her window in her room, looking at the sky, lost in her own thoughts. She was reminiscing about her last meeting with Helios, most notably when he kissed her in his human form and how kind he was.

"That was the last time I saw Helios…"

And the more she thought of him, the more she felt her heart race and longed to see him. But as she poked the Crystal Carillon next to her, making it rattle, he didn't appear.

"I wonder why I haven't seen him for a while? And was the beautiful boy I saw his true form? If it is, why does he turn into a pegasus?"

Then, she heard Usagi.

"Hey, Chibiusa. Mom's made Snack for us," she said. "Are you gonna come down?"

"I'm trying to process something right now," replied Chibiusa, not even bothering to look back. "I'm hungry."

Usagi was shocked when she heard that. "What?!" she exclaimed. "But Mom's made her famous chocolate cake today! Are you sure you don't want any?"

Upon hearing that, hunger snapped Chibiusa out of her lovesick daze. "Well, I'm not hungry, but I'll still eat it!" she hastily conceded as she leaped out of bed and followed Usagi downstairs.

As she came down, she noticed that Usagi was already dressed, putting on her sandals and getting ready to leave.

"Hey, Usagi. Are you going somewhere?" asked Chibiusa.

"Mamo's still really sick. He's even been missing his university classes," Usagi explained. "So I figured he would like some company. You wanna come with?"

Chibiusa then suddenly remembered Helios, which caused her to grow slightly flustered, but she shook her head in reply. "Nah. I'm OK. You go ahead."

Usagi was surprised again. "That's unusual. Normally, you would jump at the chance to see him," she said. "But suit yourself. I'll be off then."

And while Chibiusa waved goodbye, Usagi left. But as soon as she was gone, she couldn't help but notice that her heart was racing again, much to her confusion.

"What's wrong with me?" the little pink ordango girl thought. "Since Helios kissed me, I can't stop thinking about him. I want to see him so badly so I can help him."

After her snack, Chibiusa went outside with Diana, hoping some fresh air would help get her mind off things. However, it would prove rather fruitless as she still thought about Helios.

"I wish there was someone I could talk to about this," she sighed. "Then again, I can't bring this up to Momo or Kyuusuke. Ami would probably tell me to focus on the Dead Moon Circus. Minako and Rei would probably want to know all the details. Maybe I should talk to Mako or Uncle Sunny. It makes me a little jealous that Usagi has so many friends she can talk to about this. It's not fair."

"Now, Lady. You shouldn't compare yourself to Usagi so much," Diana pointed out. "You're still a guardian in training, and Usagi's friends are your friends, too."

"I know, I know," Chibiusa mumbled. "And you don't have to call made Lady anymore since I'm not one now. Small Lady is fine."

But Chibiusa still couldn't help but picture herself being a strong and confident guardian with a squad of friends just like her mother.

"Someday, I'll be a great Sailor Guardian with my own team of friends fighting by my side. And I hope that day comes soon."

Back at his apartment, Mamoru was resting in his bed, still in pain and agony. He had been laden in bed for several days since his trip to the hospital and still hadn't gotten any better.

As he lay there, he started coughing for the umpteenth time. When he did, he felt something come out of his mouth and into his hand. Much to his worry, as he looked, he saw his hand stained with blood, but instead of being red, it was in an ominous shade of black, which wasn't normal.

Then, he heard the doorbell ring. Not wanting anyone to see, he hastily hid his hand just in time for Usagi to walk in.

"Hey, Mamo," she greeted. "How are you feeling today?"

"U-Usa," Mamoru spoke. "I… wasn't expecting you."

Usagi then went to the kitchen and set some things on the table. "I was worried you might not be eating enough, so I asked my mom to help me make you a bento," she said. "I also brought you some drinks if you were feeling thirsty."

Mamoru felt grateful, but being who he was, he didn't want Usagi to worry about him, especially with his current state.

"Say, Usa. Could you please leave me alone for now?" he said quietly. "I was about to get some sleep. I could use some more rest."

"O-Oh, sure. No problem," Usagi replied. "Sorry if I came barging in so suddenly. Make sure you get some rest. See you."

She then politely left.

"I can't let her find out about this," Mamoru thought. "I can't keep being a burden on her."

He then remembered what the doctor said about finding a shadow in his lungs. Just as he did, he started coughing again.

"What's wrong with me?! What's happening to my body?!"

Meanwhile, in Downtown Juuban, Harusuke had just left the gym after working out for a couple of hours and was taking a walk to cool down. As he strolled, he saw the streets were filled with many people and some clowns advertising the Dead Moon Circus. However, the trash cans were overflowing, making the place look dirty.

"Geez. I wish some people would be a bit more clean around here," Harusuke muttered. "Especially since there's a circus in town."

Then, he heard someone call him.

"Yo! Harusuke!"

Harusuke looked back and saw Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako, the four soon approaching him.

"Heya, girls," he greeted. "How goes it?"

"Well, we just got back from another show from the Dead Moon Circus," said Minako. "Everything seemed normal, but I couldn't help but feel a bit dizzy for some reason."

"I'm not sure what it is, but they're using some kind of strange waves," said Ami. "It's probably we've been feeling strange."

"What about the people?" asked Harusuke.

"They appear to be acting normally," said Rei. "But one can't be too sure or complacent. After all, they are pretending to be a normal circus."

"But just you wait, we'll get them!" Minako spoke with a determined scowl. "That Dead Moon Circus won't know what hit them once we get to the bottom of their plans!"

"Now that you mention it, they haven't taken any action for a while now," said Harusuke. "They haven't even made an attack since Rei defeated Tiger's Eye on their opening day."

"It feels like it's the calm before the storm," said Rei. "But hopefully, we'll be able to detect it before it comes."

The girls then noticed the current state of the streets.

"Good grief. It's everywhere," commented Makoto. "The circus has come to town and taken over Juuban, as they say. Makes me wonder if they'll ever leave."

"And ever since they came here, Juuban's become dirtier," said Rei with a frown.

"It's to be expected," said Ami. "After all, circuses do attract a lot of crowds, and as much as I hate to say, it'll probably get worse from here on."

"All the more reason we got to fix this," said Harusuke. "Especially since it's in the middle of summer. Until then, all we do is stay alert."

From there, the group went their separate ways. However, Harusuke and Makoto stayed together and were walking when Chibiusa approached them.

"Uncle Sunny! Mako!"

"Hey there, Chibiusa," greeted Harusuke.

"What brings you to this part of town?" asked Makoto.

"Actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you two about," Chibiusa said to them a bit nervously. "Is that OK with you?"

Makoto smiled. "Of course. You know you can talk to me about anything. No need to be nervous," she said. Then she slyly winked. "So what's up? Is it a boy by chance?"

Immediately, Chibiusa's face went bright red as her heart skipped a beat.

Harusuke was quick to join in. "Oh wow. Guess she hit the nail on the head, didn't she?" he chuckled. "So who is it? Is it someone from your school?"

Before Chibiusa could respond, her stomach loudly grumbled, making her redder.

"Sounds like the rumbling tummy has spoken," said Makoto. "So, I'm making you dinner. And you can come, too, Harusuke."

"Yay!" cheered Chibiusa.

"It's been a while since I've had some of your cooking," said Harusuke. "It sounds pretty good right now. How's about we head for the grocery store and get some ingredients?"

They were just about to set off when Makoto smelled something. It was the aroma of something earthy, exotic, and also comforting. Wondering what it was, Makoto followed the scent, and Harusuke and Chibiusa followed, wondering about it also.

Soon, they came across the source, a herbal shop. When they went inside, they were amazed. They saw that the shop had jars filled with spices and herbs lining the shelves, each having a unique and exotic scent that filled the atmosphere with a welcoming vibe.

Then, they were approached by a male with wild, short pink hair. He wore feminine clothes: a purple dress with grey tights, black pumps, two black bands on each of his biceps, and silver steel earrings and necklace.

"Hello there!" he greeted cheerfully. "Welcome!"

"Um, excuse me," said Makoto. "Has this shop been open for long? This is the first time I've seen it."

"Not very long," replied the male. "Today is actually my grand opening."

"You certainly have a wide variety," said Harusuke as he and Chibiusa inspected the jars. "You even have some that I've never even heard of."

"Naturally," the male spoke with pride. "I have every single herb you can imagine." He then stared off into space wistfully. "You know, it's always been my dream to own a shop like this since I was little."

"That's awesome!" Makoto congratulated. "So your dream came true then!"

The male smiled. "Yes, but I'm not done yet," he said. "I plan to travel all over the world and open more shops. I guess you could say that it's my second dream."

Makoto then grew a bit shy. "I… actually have the same dream as you," she confessed nervously. "I'd like to open a shop of my own one day. Like a little flower or cake shop."

"That sounds wonderful!" the male said happily. "I know that you'll make it come true! Work hard, and keep going until you reach it!"

Makoto was surprised but filled with admiration.

Then, the male went behind the counter and produced two small pouches, giving them to Makoto and Chibiusa. Wondering what was inside, the two opened them and found they all contained a steel ring with a green gem.

"How beautiful!" Makoto marveled in wonder.

"To commemorate you three for being my first patrons, here's a little present from me," said the male. "It's a charm to help ward off evil spirits and can help make your other dream come true." Then he whispered to Makoto. "And just for the record, that guy you're with is a real winner."

Makoto's cheeks immediately turned pink as she looked at Harusuke before waving her arms in denial. "O-Oh, no! It's not like that! He's just a friend!"

The male could only teasingly wink.

After leaving the herbal shop and buying some ingredients, the three went to Makoto's apartment and started making dinner. Makoto cooked the pasta, Harusuke made the sauce, and Chibiusa cut some vegetables for the salad.

They soon finished cooking and were eating happily at the table.

"Mako, you're the best cook ever!" Chibiusa marveled. "And Uncle Sunny, too!"

"Well, I can't take all the credit," said Harusuke. "I did have a good teacher. But I appreciate the praise."

Makoto smiled, appreciating the compliment, too.

After eating, Harusuke and Chibiusa thanked their Makoto and left for home. When they left, Makoto washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. As she did, she couldn't help but think about the man from the herbal shop. She was also wearing the ring he gave her on her right hand.

"A charm to make your other dream come true, huh? That shopkeeper was so kind and caring and is even going as far as to achieve more, despite having realized his dream."

She then looked back at a picture of her deceased parents resting on a shelf.

"My parents died when I was pretty young, and I've lived alone for a while. That's why I want to get married early and start a family. Eventually, I'll open a flower or cake shop, too."

She paused before her eyes fell upon a little hand mirror and stared at her reflection. As she did, she started remembering Haruka and Michiru.

"But deep down, I want more. I want to be a woman as beautiful as Michiru and strong like Haruka. I've got a lot of dreams, but… have I put in enough effort to realize any of them?"

Then, she started thinking about Harusuke. She thought about all the times she spent with him and even the practice dates she had with him. Then, she began picturing herself starting a family with him and running a shop together.

Immediately, she felt her face grow hot and quickly splashed it with cold water.

"No! Why am I thinking like that?!" she couldn't help but squeak. "Harusuke and I are just friends! Nothing more but normal comrades! Besides, I'm only helping him get used to dating so he can find someone he likes, and there's no way he could fall for someone like me! At least… I don't think."

The next day, Chibiusa and Diana were over in Mamoru's place for a visit, and Chibiusa was sharing her news about the day she had yesterday.

"And Mako made us a yummy dinner using the herbs she bought at that store."

"That sounds nice," Mamoru smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

Chibiusa then remembered as she dug into her pockets and handed Mamoru the ring she had gotten.

"And at that same herbal shop, the store owner gave me this," she said. "He told me it helps ward off evil spirits, but I thought it could also help you get well."

"That's sweet of you, Chibiusa," smiled Mamoru. "Thank you so much."

With the gift received, Chibiusa decided it was time for her to go so that Mamoru could rest. "I'm going to go now," she told him. "Please take care of yourself. And make sure to eat and drink plenty, okay?"

"I'll do that," Mamoru promised cheerfully. "Cross my heart."

"Okay. Bye."

And with a last farewell, Chibiusa left with Diana.

However, no sooner than she left, Mamoru started coughing a fit while feeling pain inside his chest.

Chibiusa soon returned outside the complex, where Usagi and Harusuke were waiting for her at the front.

"So, how is he?" asked Harusuke.

"He's promised to take care of himself, but he didn't look well," Chibiusa replied worriedly.

"I see," said Usagi. "Well, thank you for checking up on him, Chibiusa. And sorry for asking you to do that."

"Aren't you going to go see him, Sis?" Harusuke asked. "You must be worried about him."

"No. Not today," replied Usagi quietly.

Harusuke and Chibiusa were surprised but didn't say anything.

"I'm scared that if I try, he'll reject me again," the ordango blonde thought. "My guess is that something must have happened. But… you'll tell me when you're ready, won't you, Mamo?"

Back at the herbal shop, the male was busily dusting the shelves and ensuring they were perfect. Then, the door opened with a chime, and as the male looked up, he was happy to see that Makoto had returned.

"Well, hello again," he greeted. "You're that girl from the other day, right?"

"Yes," Makoto said shyly. "Do you mind if I take a look around some more?"

"Of course you can," smiled the male. "I'm also making some tea if you want to try some."

Makoto obliged as she sat at the table while the male served the tea for himself and her. The male could see that Makoto was looking doubtful.

"Is something the matter?" he asked. "You look like something's troubling you, my dear. Are you having trouble working toward your dreams?"

Makoto squeezed her hands in her lap as she vented.

"Not exactly," she said quietly. "It's something I can't even bring up to my friends."

As she continued to talk, Makoto didn't know that the tea the male had made was emitting a strange scent. A scent made her lose focus as she continued talking about her insecurities. In addition, the gem on the ring on her finger had changed from green to an ominous glowing purple.

"You see, I've got many different dreams, and I can't help but feel… confused and worried. What if as long as I'm a Guardian and fight so much, I'll never be able to realize my dreams? I'm afraid that the path I'm currently on isn't the right one."

It was at that moment a flicker of Makoto's reason returned.

"Wait, what am I saying?!"

The male, who had been listening quietly, gave Makoto an eerie smile.

"If that's how you feel, why don't you quit? Don't be a Guardian anymore."

It was then that Makoto fully awoke from her daze. When she did, she was shocked that the male turned out to be Hawk's Eye. She immediately shot to her feet in alarm, but as she did, multiple nightmare lemures erupted from her ring, catching her off guard. She tried pulling it off her finger, but it wouldn't budge.

"If you recall, those are Nightmare Lemures, the embodiment of nightmares," Hawk's Eye spoke coolly as he watched her. "And they're craving for you because you're about to burst full of dreams." He then smirked darkly. "Oh, here's an idea. Why don't you join the Dead Moon Circus? It'll be fun. We'll sell nightmares all over the world!"

Makoto tried fighting back, but the ring began releasing a strange dark vapor that immediately surrounded her body, binding her and causing her to fall to the floor, unable to move. The nightmare lemures then surrounded her, and with their miasma, they began sapping her of her strength and will.

"My strength…"

As she fell unconscious, the Amazon Quartet appeared.

"Nice work, Hawk's Eye," complimented PallaPalla. "You managed to catch a guardian."

"I aim to please," winked Hawk's Eye.

VesVes then approached Makoto and mockingly stomped on her head with her foot, grinding it to the floor. "That was too easy," she sniggered.

"Poor girl," scoffed JunJun as she looked at Makoto's form. "Hard to believe that she's one of those guardians giving us trouble. But no one's going to save her now."

"Indeed," concurred CereCere. "It's finally the end of this little guardian. And it won't be long before the others will follow suit."

Darkness was all Makoto could see as she slumbered in a dark and lonely space. Then, a voice called out to her.

"Jupiter! Jupiter!"

Makoto's eyes fluttered open as she surveyed her surroundings. "Wh-What? Where am I?" she wondered.

But then, a mysterious being appeared in front of her face. It was a mini version of herself only as Sailor Jupiter.

"You're inside your conscious!" the mini Sailor Jupiter snapped. "Wake up already!"

She then slapped Makoto across her cheek, which, despite being tiny, hurt.

"Ow!" exclaimed Makoto while holding her cheek.

"What's the matter with you?! Snap out of it! You can't just lie there, showing your weakness to the enemy like that!" the mini Sailor Jupiter scolded as she poked her finger on her nose. "Or did you forget that you have a duty, a responsibility?! You're Superstrength Jupiter! Without you, who will protect your friends when they need you most?! Mercury, Mars, Venus, Princess Serenity, Prince Taiyou, and even the people in this town?!"

While holding her cheek, Makoto stared as the memories of her friends fueled her with resolve.

"That's right. I'm Superstrength Jupiter, and I have many dreams," she said. "But right now, my most important dream is to become the strongest guardian I can to protect those I love! It's not just a dream; it's my duty! And I refuse to lose to myself or my fears!"

The mini Sailor Jupiter smiled with pride. "That's more like it," she said. "You're Sailor Jupiter, and never forget that. Or should I say, Princess Jupiter?"

Then, Makoto's body radiated with an emerald-green glow as a heart-shaped crystal matching in color appeared in front of her and into her hands.

"That's your Jupiter Crystal," explained the mini guardian. "Once you use it, your power will grow even further."

"But… who are you exactly?" puzzled Makoto.

"Well, to put it simply, I'm your other self," replied the entity. "I'll always be watching over you. Until then, fight on and go get 'em, Princess Jupiter!"

Makoto's eyes snapped open as she woke up, her body suddenly glowing green, much to the surprise of her foes. The glow alone was enough to break the ring off her finger, breaking the spell.

With her newly found power and courage, Makoto shouted her phrase to transform.

"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"

Transformation Sequence: Makoto

The planet Jupiter and its symbol appear as Makoto puts her hand up, fingernails sparkling in bright green. Next, her body becomes silhouetted in emerald green as a bolt of lightning strikes her, shrouding her before forming several rings like an atom. The atom of lightning explodes, revealing herself in her sailor uniform, looking the same but with some changes. Her collar only bore one white stripe, her choker now had a yellow star with a green gemstone in the center, her shoulder pads became like Super Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon's, and the back waist bow was enlarged and lengthened.

The symbol of Jupiter briefly flashed in the middle of Makoto's forehead before her tiara materialized. Her transformation finished; she jumped back and assumed her final pose, her sign and a wreath of leaves appearing in the background against a green background filled with leaves.

"Protected by Jupiter, the planet of thunder, Guardian of Protection! I am Sailor Jupiter!" she proclaimed. "I'll make you feel so much regret; it'll leave you numb! And I'm sending you Dead Moon Circus freaks out of here, no matter what it takes! So bring it on!"

Sailor Jupiter's power, in the form of wind, whipped and blasted throughout the shop, forcing her enemies to shield their faces.

Then, on top of Sailor Jupiter's head, a laurel wreath appeared, with an orb in the center, much to her surprise and wonder.

"Oak leaves! The Emblem of Lightning and Thunder!"

She also heard the voice from her other self.

"Those are the Leaves of Oak! They will give you the power of lightning but also nature!"

With those words, a column of leaves appeared around the guardian, and as she spun around, Sailor Jupiter unleashed a brand new attack.

"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"

She then sent multiple leaf-shaped blasts laced with lightning at her targets. The Amazon Quartet quickly fled from the scene, but Hawk's Eye took the full force of the attack, resulting in a powerful explosion that shook the entire shop, and the last of the Amazon Trio was no more.

In addition, the herbal shop also vanished from existence, leaving Sailor Jupiter standing in a vacant lot. Then Usagi, Harusuke, and Chibiusa came rushing out from a corner, having heard the explosion.

"Sailor Jupiter!"

"Usagi! Chibiusa! Harusuke!" said Sailor Jupiter.

"What the heck happened here?" asked Harusuke. "And… wasn't this where the herbal shop used to be?"

"And why are you wearing a wreath?" asked Usagi. "Is that…?"

Sailor Jupiter could only wryly laugh. "Well, it's a bit of a long story," she said. "But basically, that shopkeep was Hawk's Eye, and also…"

Then she sharply looked up, sensing a few presences as did the Tsukinos. Sure enough, when they did, they saw the Amazon Quartet glaring at them from on top of a building. But as quickly as they saw them, they vanished in retreat.

"OK. Anyone else saw that?" asked Harusuke.

"Yeah," confirmed Sailor Jupiter. "Those were our real enemies."

Just then, a familiar tinkling noise came from Chibiusa's pocket. And sure enough, as she took it out, the Crystal Carillon was glowing. Immediately, Chibiusa gasped as she sensed something.

"It's Helios!" she cried. "He's calling me from somewhere! He's warning that someone's in danger!"

Then, Harusuke suddenly remembered. "Wait, Jupiter! Didn't you say that the shopkeeper was Hawk's Eye? Then does that mean that the rings he gave us were…"

"Yes, they had nightmare lemures inside them," said Sailor Jupiter. "They almost did me in, and I couldn't get mine off."

Usagi, Harusuke, and Chibiusa's faces filled with horror as they soon realized.

"Mamo!" cried Usagi. She then turned to her brother and daughter. "Harusuke! Chibusa! Let's hurry!"

Mamoru's apartment was overrun with nightmare lemures while he struggled to stay strong as they drained his energy, and Helios, in his pegasus form, tried his best to protect him.

Then, Super Sailor Moon, Super Sailor Chibi Moon, Sailor Jupiter, and Solaris arrived through the balcony. With the mother and daughter duo wielding their Moon Kaleidoscopes, Solaris wielding his sword, and Jupiter's Leaves of Oak shining brightly, they sprang into action, using their moves to destroy them.

"MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!"

"SOLARIS DAWNING PENTAGRAM SWORD!"

"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"

Thanks to their efforts, all of the nightmare lemures were destroyed. However, Helios collapsed to the floor due to exhaustion, while Mamoru began coughing hard again.

"Helios!" cried Super Sailor Chibi Moon as she and Solaris went over to check on him.

"Mamo!" Super Sailor Moon cried as she and Sailor Jupiter went to his bedside.

But as they did, Mamoru hacked, causing him to spit up some more blood, staining the bedsheets. Upon seeing this, everyone couldn't help but gasp.

"Is that blood?!" exclaimed Solaris.

"D-Don't look!" rasped Mamoru.

But it was already too late as Super Sailor Moon became alarmed.

"Since when have you coughing up blood?!" she exclaimed. "When did this start?!"

Knowing that he had been caught, Mamoru conceded. "I've been having a pain in my chest a little while ago," he confessed. "And also… the doctors noticed something in my lungs." he thought.

"Helios, do you know what's going on?" Super Sailor Chibi Moon asked worriedly. "Does this have something to do with the Dead Moon Circus or you? If you know anything, please tell us so we can help Mamo! Please!"

Helios stared. Then, he stood up on his hooves.

"I suppose the time has come to tell you," he said. "I'll tell you everything."

The winged horse then spread his wings. And, in a flurry of feathers, he transformed into his human form while keeping his wings spread out.

"I'll start by telling you who I am," he continued. "My name is Helios, the priest of Elysion."

"I've never heard of Elysion," said Super Sailor Chibi Moon.

"Elysion is a place found deep within Earth," explained Helios. "It's a sacred place that protects the planet, so you can think of it as its heart. My mission as the priest who serves there is to protect it and Earth." He looked at Mamoru. "And even you, Prince Endymion." He then proceeded to kneel before him. "I am also not just a mere priest. I am your guardian priest, my prince."

"Wait, guardian priest?" Mamoru repeated in confusion. "And you know my real name?"

Helios nodded. "Yes, although you likely don't know who I am," he said. "With Elysion, not only does its energy protect this planet, but my life and it are one and the same. Myself and Elysion, the prince and the planet, the four of us are connected in body and soul and were made solely to resonate with each other."

Helios then frowned grimly.

"However, that connection is taking a terrible toll."

The red gem in the middle of his forehead began to glow as it released bright blue light on Mamoru's chest. As it shone there, everyone was surprised to see a black rose right there inside it.

"What's this doing inside of my chest?!" gasped Mamoru.

Then, Helios held his hand over his chest, showing he also had the same black rose. "There is one inside of me, too," he said solemnly. "It is a sign that Elysion is weakening even as we speak, meaning that the prince has been infected with the same curse as me. But I have yet another curse. Who you're seeing right now is nothing but a phantom that wanders the dreamscape while my body has been transformed into a pegasus and is being imprisoned in Elysion. The cause of all this madness is Queen Nehelenia, the ruler of the Dead Moon, a kingdom sealed in the depths of darkness of the new moon."

"Dead Moon?" repeated Super Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter.

"Queen Nehelenia?" Solaris reiterated.

"As you already know, the Silver Millenium, or the White Kingdom, fell to ruin," continued Helios. "Due to its collapse, Nehelenia's seal weakened. Because of her growing power due to her revival, she cursed Elysion, and during the recent total solar eclipse, she came to Earth along with her court. Because of her, Elysion will soon fall, and the Dead Moon's evil spell and nightmares will engulf it and the planet."

Then, his body began to flicker as he began to fade like a candle in the wind while he winced in agony.

"Helios!" Super Sailor Chibi spoke with worry.

"I've reached my limit," Helios gasped. "I have to return to the dreamscape before I fade away. But…"

But the boy looked at the blonde sailor guardian as he spoke bravely.

"Princess Serenity. No, Super Sailor Moon! I know without a doubt you'll use the Silver Crystal to fight this enemy, but that alone won't defeat them and save the Earth and the prince! You must find the Golden Crystal to vanquish the Dead Moon completely!"

"The Golden Crystal?" Super Sailor Moon said. "But how can we find it? We don't even know where it is!"

But then Helios disappeared in a burst of light, but not before leaving some parting words.

"Use the Silver and Golden Crystals to save our existence from this nightmare!"

The room was silent as everyone processed what had occurred. But then, Mamoru began coughing again, wheezing as he clutched his chest.

Super Sailor Moon was about to approach the man, only for him to raise a hand, stopping her.

"N-No! Don't get close to me!" Mamoru spoke. "Now that we know what's wrong with me, you must stay away! Otherwise, you'll get infected too!"

"I won't leave you," Super Sailor Moon spoke firmly. "Just as you feel pain from the planet, your pain is also mine."

Mamoru looked up and saw that Super Sailor Moon was crying but filled with resolution. The super guardian then rushed over and pulled her lover in a tight embrace.

"I promise I'll find a cure for you! Whatever it takes!" she continued while weeping. "I don't care how hard it gets! I'll never leave you! No matter what, I'll save this planet, the man I love, and everyone else!"

As she continued to hug him, Mamoru embraced her back, feeling touched by her words.

Sailor Jupiter, Solaris, and Super Sailor Chibi Moon could only watch the two, now realizing that the stakes in their battle with the Dead Moon Circus had drastically increased.