One late morning, Harusuke had just returned from a run around the neighborhood. It was already starting to get warm, and he was sweaty and tired.
"Geez. Why does it always have to be so hot in the summer?" he complained. "As soon as I get inside, I'm going to take a nice good shower and probably drink a whole gallon of water."
He had just entered the house and headed for the kitchen to get some water when he saw Ikuko. She was busy at work, slicing some watermelon and putting some slices on a plate.
"Oh, Harusuke. You're just in time," said Ikuko. "I had just sliced some watermelon for you and the others. Want one?"
"Sure. I'll take one," said Harusuke.
He then took a slice and started munching, the sweet taste gracing his taste buds. "Wow! This is great," he murmured. "It's the perfect amount of sweet and cold!"
"I know, right? I got it from the store," smiled Ikuko. "They just have gotten a new shipment of watermelon that just went on sale, and I just had to get one. Speaking of which, I take it that Usagi and Chibisa have both gone to see Mamoru again. I heard that he hasn't been feeling well as of late, and it's been a few days since then. I do hope that he's all right. I'm sure whatever bug he's caught must be a nasty one."
Harusuke didn't say a word as he finished his watermelon and got up to leave.
"Perhaps I should send him a little get-well package to help lift his spirits," Ikuko wondered to herself. "Maybe some soup or some tea?"
"I'm sure that Mamoru would be grateful for whatever you send him, Mom," said Harusuke. "It's the thought that counts, right?"
Ikuko then smiled. "You may be right. No need to overthink."
"I'm going to take a cold shower now," Harusuke said. "Thanks for the watermelon, Mom."
Harusuke then left the kitchen, walked up to the restroom, stripped down, and stepped into the shower, turning on the water. The icy water felt chilly, but gradually, he relaxed, letting his body adjust to the temperature.
But as the water rained down on his form, he couldn't help but start thinking about Mamoru. He could still remember how much agony Mamoru looked as he coughed out black blood and how Helios explained that whatever pain the Earth was feeling, Mamoru and himself could feel it, too, due to the mysterious queen of the Dead Moon, Nehelenia.
"I just wish there's something I can do to help ease their pain," Harusuke thought to himself. "Even with my powers as Solais, I feel so helpless. And I'm sure Usagi and Chibiusa are even more worried about him than I am. And what's more, the only cure to the curse is this golden crystal. And we don't even know where that is either. If only we had some sort of clue."
After taking some time in the shower, Harusuke started back to his room. But as he did, he noticed the door to Usagi's room was open a crack. Feeling curious as to how his sister was doing, he carefully peeked inside.
Usagi was napping peacefully on the bed, snoring a bit as she cuddled with her pillow.
Luna then approached. "She and Chibiusa just got back from seeing Mamoru," she reported quietly. "From what I heard, he's still hanging in there, but it seems like he's been getting worse."
"And let me guess, you still don't have any new info about the Golden Crystal, right?" asked Harusuke, his eyes never leaving his sister.
Luna shook her head.
Harusuke sighed. "Well, I figured as much," he said. "But then again, it shouldn't come as no surprise. If the Golden Crystal was that easy to find, we would have found it a long time ago."
"Now that you mention it, with the enemy relentlessly pursuing Helios in his Pegasus form, it makes me wonder if they're searching for the Golden Crystal, too," said Luna. "And they intended to capture him for that information. But then again, even Helios doesn't know where it is. He said so himself."
"Yeah, I know," said Harusuke. "But we know this much; whoever possesses that thing is either sealed inside somewhere in this very town or maybe…"
Harusuke's voice then trailed away as he started thinking about something.
"Do you think you have some sort of idea?" asked Luna.
Harusuke looked at the black cat. "Yeah. I think I may have," he said.
In the Dead Moon Circus Tent, Tenebris was training, slashing, and swinging his sword in the air while imagining himself fighting with Solaris.
As he did, the Amazon Quartet watched him as they took a break from practicing their circus acts.
"Geez. He's been at it for a while," remarked CereCere. "Doesn't he ever take a break?"
"Apparently not," JunJun said, nodding while smiling knowingly. "But you gotta hand it to him. He's driven, and all for the sake of beating his rival, Solaris. Now that's a true fighter." She then frowned thoughtfully. "But I can't help but wonder if it's because Solaris is his copy."
"PallaPalla thinks it's because Solaris just wants to fight," PallaPalla said. "And it's his own way of having fun."
"Well, that may be fine and all, but personally, I think he might be going a bit overboard," said VesVes. "I have no qualms as long as he helps us crush those Guardians. But he better not burn himself out something."
Then, Zirconia appeared along with Zircon.
"Amazon Quartet! Tenebris! Come forward!" she boomed. "I have another target for you!"
The five in question did so.
"Hey, Granny Zirconia. The target better not be a bad lead this time!" said JunJun. "That last one Zircon picked left a bad taste in my mouth."
"No kidding," said VesVes. "In fact, you should seriously get its eye checked. It may be an eye with wings, but clearly, it's blind as a bat."
"And I told you that there's nothing wrong with Zircon!" Zirconia barked. "And for the last time, stop calling me Granny!"
The Amazon Quartet rolled their eyes, paying no mind while Tenebris stood quietly, not saying a word.
Zircon then conjured a photo into Zirconia's hand, and the old hag threw it towards the girls. Then, as the girls inspected it, all four of them gasped.
The photo was of Harusuke, who was out for his morning run.
"Whoa! Check out this guy!" marveled JunJun. "He's quite a looker!"
"PallaPalla thinks so, too!" she agreed.
"Even I have to agree, he is quite handsome," CereCere murmured.
VesVes was also smitten. "Well then, since this guy's such a cutie, I'll take this one!" she chirped.
"Hold on a second, why do you get to go?" objected JunJun. "If anyone should go, it should be me!"
"No, I should go!" PallaPalla interjected.
The four girls glared grimly at each other, all of them gearing up to start arguing, but Zirconia promptly interrupted.
"I don't care who goes or not!" she snapped crossly. "Just hurry up and go already!"
"Well, then, there's only one way we can settle this, girls," said CereCere. "The usual?"
The girls nodded in agreement as they drew back their hands and settled the only way they knew how.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors!"
They threw out their hands, making their respective signs with their hands. PallaPalla, JunJun, and CereCere all held out their open hands, making the sign for paper. However, VesVes made the sign for scissors, keeping her index and middle fingers pointed.
"Ha! I win!" VesVes cheered. "That means the target's all mine! Come on, Tenebris!"
"As you wish, VesVes," said the warrior.
The other girls pouted sulkily as VesVes and Tenebris went away.
"Lucky little jerk," they all muttered.
At the Hikawa Shrine, Usagi and the gang gathered for another meeting per Harusuke's insistence. When Harusuke told the others what he had to say, they couldn't help but be surprised.
"Hold on, you mean to say you have an idea as to where the Golden Crystal is?!" exclaimed Chibiusa.
"It's just a theory I came up with the other day," said Harusuke. "I'm not even sure if this is actually true, but…"
"Well, don't keep us in suspense," urged Makoto. "Tell us! We'll take any kind of clue we can get right now!"
"And if the theory does have some sound to it," said Ami. "Then I say it should be worth taking."
Harusuke paused for a pregnant moment before speaking again.
"Well, based on our experiences, we all know that the golden crystal is some kind of ancient artifact, right?" he said. "So that leads me to believe that either the crystal is sealed inside of something or someone. Obviously, we know that it's more likely the former rather than the latter, but I think I may know who the one person hosting the golden crystal could be," He then pointed at himself. "And I think that it's me."
"WHAT?!" everyone else exclaimed.
"But why would the golden crystal be inside of you?!" exclaimed Usagi.
"Just hear me out on this one," said Harusuke. "Do you guys remember when we were fighting Queen Beryl and Usagi first awakened as Serenity? Well, what I had in mind is that there's a chance the golden crystal could be hidden somewhere inside someone who was reincarnated from the era of the Moon Kingdom. Not only that, but I'm the only one who hasn't been targeted yet."
"That's… actually a pretty good theory," said Rei thoughtfully.
"Not only that, but Harusuke as Solaris's entire theme is gold," said Minako. "I mean, it would be surprising if the golden crystal wouldn't be inside him."
"But if that's true, then you're not planning on pulling a Minako on us, are you?!" Usagi cried worriedly. "If you are, I absolutely forbid it!"
"What are you guys talking about?" asked Chibiusa.
"Basically, back when we were fighting the Death Busters before you came, someone got a little bit jealous for not being targeted," explained Artemis. "So, in typical Minako fashion, she did all sorts of unnecessary things that were considered "good deeds" all for the sake of proving her heart was pure enough to be stolen and ended up being targeted after all. And let's just say things didn't go very well after that."
Minako glared. "Hey! I thought we agreed to not talk about that!"
"Take it easy, you guys. I've got no intention of doing that," said Harusuke. "I'm just saying that there's a chance I might get targeted because I could have the golden crystal in me is all. I mean, I'd have to be pretty crazy to put myself on a silver platter for the Dead Moon Circus."
"That could be true," said Ami. "However, there's a significantly big flaw to that theory."
"What's that?" wondered Luna.
"Well, if you also recall, Harusuke had also awakened a while back as Taiyou. Remember?" said Ami. "So if he did have the golden crystal inside of him, don't you think that it would have been revealed at the time of the said awakening?"
There was a long silence.
"You know, when she puts it like that, Ami does have a point," said Luna.
Harusuke then hung his head defeatedly. "Aw, dang. Why didn't I think of that?" he moaned. "Nobody can argue with that logic."
"Well, it was a good idea, if that's something," soothed Rei.
"Sorry about that, guys," apologized Harusuke. "I don't know what I was thinking."
"Well, we appreciate you trying, bro," said Usagi.
"In any event, all we can do is try and find another way to find the golden crystal," said Luna. "And hopefully, we'll eventually be able to find it."
Harusuke could only frown with worry.
After that, the Tsukinos went for a walk in Downtown Juuban to get some crepes. But as they walked, Harusuke was still deep in thought about Mamoru.
"There's no need to worry, Uncle Sunny," said Chibiusa. "I'm sure Mamo's going to be OK."
"I know," sighed Harusuke. "But I just still can't help but feel bad. I thought for sure my theory would be sound, but I suppose if it were that simple, it wouldn't be so mysterious and hard to find. Plus, I hate to have him and Helios suffer the way they are."
"We know," said Usagi. "And I do, too, but worrying isn't going to get anywhere. Trust me, I know. We'll find the golden crystal, and we'll save Mamo and Helios."
"I know," said Harusuke. "Thanks, Sis. I'll try not to."
"You know, you had me worried back there when you told us about you being the carrier of the golden crystal," Usagi then admonished. "I seriously thought you were going to set yourself up as bait to lure the enemy into exposing your dream mirror."
"Come on, Usagi. I said I wasn't going to do that," said Harusuke. "Besides, the Dead Moon Circus is after Helios anyway, and if he was in my dreams, I would more than likely know about it."
"Speaking of dreams, I'm curious about something," said Chibiusa. "Do you have a dream, too, Uncle Sunny?"
"My dream?" repeated Harusuke.
"Now that I think about it, the others had some pretty big dreams of their own," said Usagi. "Ami's going to follow her mom's footsteps and be a doctor, Minako's is being a superstar idol, Makoto wants to open a flower shop and raise a family, and Rei's got a bunch of 'em. A singer, songwriter, model, voice actress, and a housewife."
The ordango blonde then started giggling while flushing giddily.
"Naturally, I'm going to get married to Mamo and live happily ever after," she added.
"How ambitious of you," said Luna flatly. "Nobody would have seen that one coming."
"So, what about you, Harusuke?" asked Diana. "Do you have a dream, too?"
Harusuke hummed thoughtfully. "Let's see… My dream? Well, outside from being a great guardian and protecting my friends and loved ones… I'm not sure if I have one yet."
This made both Usagi and Chibiusa stop walking as they gawked at Harusuke in surprise.
"What?! You don't have one?!" they exclaimed.
"Is… that a problem?" inquired Harusuke.
"Well, it's just that we thought that you already had a dream," said Usagi. "I mean, you're usually the kind of guy that already has stuff figured out."
"I suppose this might come off as a bit of a surprise," said Harusuke. "So I guess I can't blame you."
"So, how come you don't have a dream yet?" asked Chibiusa. "Are you having trouble finding one?"
"Not really," replied Harusuke. "I guess I just haven't found the right one to go for yet."
"But what about that modeling agency you were introduced to?" wondered Luna. "Didn't Michiru's photographer give you a business card?"
Usagi flinched.
"Yeah, but I don't know if I'll go for that," said Harusuke. "Being a model does sound interesting, and I might try it, but…" Then, he stopped realizing something. "Hey, hold on a second. How did you know about that, Luna? I haven't told anyone about that yet."
Luna then covered her mouth while Usagi hastily scooped her up.
"Uh, it was just a lucky guess!" Usagi hastily stammered. "You know, Luna has the power to guess previous events that already happened with her luck!"
Harusuke glared suspiciously. "I don't recall Luna ever having such a power," he said dubiously. "But I am starting to realize that she, along with a certain nosy sister of mine, were spying on me back when I went out with Michiru the other day, which explains why you showed up as quick as you did and why you know that!"
Usagi nervously gulped. "W-Well, uh… "
She tried to think of an excuse but couldn't think of one. So, she did the only thing she could do. She turned on her heel and took off running as quick as she could.
"Hey! Get back here, Usagi!" Harusuke snapped angrily. "I'm not done with you!"
"Sorry! I just remembered I have something to do!" Usagi called back. "See you!"
And she ran until she was out of sight.
Harusuke then sighed. "Seriously. Sometimes I wonder if she'll end up a private investigator with all the spying she's been doing," he complained. "I'm definitely giving her such a talking-to when we get home. Chibiusa, I know she's your mom in the future, but please make sure you don't pick up her bad habits."
Chibiusa said nothing.
That night, Chibiusa was getting ready for bed. As they did, the pink ordango was still thinking about what Harusuke said. The thought of him not having a dream puzzled her.
Then, as she headed upstairs to her room, Kenji happened to walk by.
"Hey there, Chibiusa," Kenji greeted. "Something wrong? You look like you're thinking hard about something."
"Daddy Kenji, can I ask you something?" said Chibiusa. "Have you ever heard of someone not having a lifelong dream?"
Kenji took a minute to think. "Why, yes. I have."
"You do?" said Chibiusa. "Well, can you tell me why they didn't have a dream in the first place? And is not having a dream a bad thing?"
"Well, for the first question, it depends," said Kenji. "There could be a lot of reasons why, but I think the reason was because they honestly didn't know what they wanted to do and have been taking their time trying to figure out what that was. As for the second, I don't see it as a bad thing at all. If anything, I think those who haven't found their dream yet are very fortunate because they get to go through the experience of discovering who they are and what they want. Sure, it'll take time, but I'm sure it'll be quite an adventure."
Chibiusa was filled with admiration. "I never thought about it that way," she said. "Thanks, Daddy Kenji."
Kenji gave Chibiusa an affectionate tussle of her hair. "Anytime, kiddo," he smiled. "Have a good night's sleep."
He then went away, and as he left, Chibiusa couldn't help but smile, feeling a bit better.
"An adventure, huh?" she murmured to herself. "It has a nice ring to it."
The next day, Harusuke was over at the gym working out.
He was busy punching and kicking at a large punching bag furiously, working up a sweat. While he did, most of the other gym lookers were all watching in awe.
"Do you see that guy?" whispered a male. "He's been at that thing for almost an hour, and he's still going."
"I know," said another. "I wish I had that kind of stamina and strength."
Harusuke slugged a series of punches and swung a flurry of kicks, grunting and snarling like an animal, intensifying each blow until, with one more final roar, he swung his leg and kicked it with all his might with a resounding bang. He then stopped, let out a deep breath, and walked over to his towel to wipe the sweat off. As he did, there was an audible tearing sound as the punching bag fell apart into ribbons, spilling sand everywhere.
The gymgoers became all the more shocked as Harusuke walked past.
As he wiped the sweat with the towel, Harusuke sat down on a bench, drinking some water.
He was then approached by an old man, who, despite his age, was quite beefy yet also fit.
"Hey there, Harusuke," he greeted. "Looks like you've gone and destroyed another punching bag again."
Harusuke wryly sighed. "Sorry, Boss," he apologized. "I guess I went and gone overboard again."
The old man heartily chuckled as he smiled. "No need to worry about it, kid," he said. "I keep more of them in the back. I'm just amazed that despite being a teen, you're quite the strong lad. I remember back when I was your age, I wasn't even close to being that strong."
"Well, I appreciate the compliment, Boss," said Harusuke shyly. "I guess I've been working out for so long, I never really noticed."
While he was talking to the old man, VesVes was watching from outside, lurking close by.
"So, that guy likes working out, huh?" she hummed in her thoughts. "I'm sure he and JunJun will get along well. It's almost a pity that I have to take his dream mirror. But as they say, if you want to make an omelet, you have to break a few eggs. And I got me a big one to crack."
"Anyway, I got to go. Take care of yourself, Boss," Harusuke then said. "I'll see you again soon."
Harusuke then went to the locker room to change into his regular clothing and left the gym.
"Now, then. I think it's time I go for a little treat," Harusuke said to himself. "I could go for some frozen yogurt."
Then, he heard a voice call out to him to his right.
"Looks to me that you've been working hard."
Harusuke looked up, and he saw VesVes standing to the side, disguised in a pair of gym tights and a tank top.
"Um, I'm sorry, but can I help you?" Harusuke asked.
"Just another fellow gymgoer like you," replied VesVes. "You know, I've seen the way you destroyed that punching bag earlier, and you sure are strong and dedicated. It makes one wonder why you're pushing yourself so hard."
"Well, I guess I can take that as a compliment," Harusuke said. "And let's just say I have my reasons, mostly trying to be the best person I can be."
"You sure that's just the reason, or could it be something else?" asked VesVes as she approached him. "Like maybe you're trying to build up muscle to protect someone? Or perhaps you're trying to look attractive to get that… special someone. You know, like a personal goal or a dream."
Harusuke raised a brow in confusion. "I apologize if this seems rude, but I don't think that's any business of yours," he said politely. "It's pretty random to just ask a stranger something personal like that."
VesVes felt insulted but kept calm. "W-Well, I was just a bit curious, is all," she said. "After all, you do keep destroying all those punching bags, and I can't help but wonder if you got some… pent-up aggression going on in you. Maybe you're having trouble in your personal life? Maybe achieving a dream?"
"That's oddly specific," said Harusuke. "It's still none of your business. But if you must know, I don't really have a dream, at least not yet, so sorry to disappoint you."
VesVes was surprised. "Hold on a minute! You don't have a dream?!" she exclaimed. "That can't be true! Everyone has at least some sort of a dream! If you don't, then that makes you nothing but a loser!"
"What's with this girl?" Harusuke wondered in his thoughts. "She's acting pretty pushy over something so minimal."
"Look, I don't know what to tell you, but I don't have a dream, and even if I did, I still wouldn't tell you," Harusuke told her firmly. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to get going. I would prefer not to get involved with someone as nosy and discourteous as you are."
Now, VesVes was mad at that comment. "Oh, yeah? Then how's about we find out if you're lying by looking at your dream mirror, you little punk!"
She then ripped off her disguise, revealing herself, much to the surprise of Harusuke, who was quick to take a defensive stance.
"Crap! She's one of the Amazoness Quartet, girls!" he thought.
VesVes conjured up her stone and pole and took aim at Harusuke. "Now, "TAMA-TSUKI!"
With a sharp thrust, she launched her stone. Harusuke quickly ducked out of the way to avoid it, causing the stone to rebound and bounce all over the area until it shot straight toward him from the back. VesVes smirked, believing that she had him, but then, Harusuke looked back and saw the stone and bent out of the way to avoid it just in time, making it fly in VesVes' direction.
VesVes' smirk vanished as she hastily caught her stone in her hands. "No way! He dodged it?!" she exclaimed.
"That was close!" Harusuke thought. "If I hadn't sensed it coming, I would have been a goner!"
"It looks like he's different than the other targets," VesVes thought. "No one's been able to dodge my Orb Shot before. It must have been a fluke. I'll just try again!"
She aimed her stone again, and Harusuke got ready to dodge, but then he heard a familiar voice.
"Uncle Sunny!"
Harusuke looked to the side, and much to his horror, he saw Usagi and Chibiusa, unaware of what was going on as they waved to him.
"We figured we'd surprise you today by picking you up!" Usagi also called out.
"Usagi! Chibiusa! Stay back!" Harusuke yelled in alarm. "Run away!"
Unfortunately, VesVes saw them, too, and upon noticing Harusuke was distracted, she fired her stone again, forcing him to dodge again. The stone bounced and ricocheted all over the area until it shot straight toward Usagi and Chibiusa.
"No!"
Harusuke quickly ran straight toward the two and jumped in the line of fire just as the stone slammed straight into his stomach, knocking his dream mirror out of his body through his back.
"Harusuke!" Usagi cried in horror.
VesVes smirked, pleased with herself, but as Harusuke's dream mirror emerged, she noticed it was different from the others. Instead of being pink with a blue ribbon like it was supposed to be, it was a shade of white with a silver ribbon.
"That's weird," she murmured as she inspected it. "I've never seen a mirror in this color before. Maybe that means this guy's the one carrying Pegasus! Have I struck gold?!"
She was so wrapped up in the mirror that she had forgotten all about Usagi and Chibiusa, the two of which hurried out of sight to transform.
"We have to help, Uncle Sunny!" said Chibiusa.
"Let's hurry!" agreed Usagi.
The mother and daughter ordango duo then held up their broaches and transformed.
"MOON CRISIS MAKE UP!"
Transformation Sequence: Usagi and Chibiusa.
Both Usagi's Crisis Moon Compact and Chibiusa's Chibi Moon Compact open, revealing their crystals inside of them. They both begin to flash until they erupt with pink light. While enveloped in light with their compacts affixed to the middle of their chests, Usagi and Chibiusa stand side by side as pink ribbons made of light burst from their brooches, trailing and flapping in the wind-like capes. First, as she turns around, they wrap around Usagi, forming her leotard, and the same happens to Chibiusa. Next, the two stood back-to-back, bending backward elegantly as their skirt, boots, and ribbons materialized. Then, as they move around face-to-face, Chibiusa kisses Usagi's cheek, and as she pulls away, her tiara and other accessories appear along with Usagi's. The two then open their eyes, and with their transformations completed, they both turn once and strike their signature poses, and a yellow moon with pink roses on the side appears in the background.
VesVes was about to start searching through Harusuke's Dream Mirror for Pegasus when a voice shouted out.
"Hold it right there!"
VesVes looked back as Super Sailor Moon and Super Sailor Chibi Moon arrived on the scene.
"How dare you attack a young man who's trying to keep his dreams a secret from prying eyes?!" scolded Super Sailor Moon. "Haven't you ever heard the saying that some secrets are better staying secrets?! We're the Guardians who fight for love and justice! In the name of the Moon...!"
"We'll punish you!" The two moon guardians finished.
"Don't you guys ever get tired of doing that speech?" VesVes huffed. "Well, the name is VesVes of the Amazoness Quartet, the beast tamer. And it'll be the last name you'll ever know!" She brandished her whip, and while giving it a sharp crack, her shadow extended. "Now, arise, GaoGao, the dream-eating bear!"
From her shadow, a large and lumbering lemures emerged. She was pretty beefy, had blue skin, and wore a pink tutu with ballerina slippers. But she also had bear hands and feet and had a mascot head of a bear with a bow on its head.
Super Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon couldn't help but step back nervously.
"Oh, wow! She's pretty big!" gulped Super Sailor Moon.
"She's even bigger than Mako!" agreed Super Sailor Chibi Moon.
VesVes smirked. "But wait! There's more!" she said haughtily as she snapped her fingers.
At the sound of the snap, a brilliant violet flame burst forth next to her, and Tenebris emerged from it.
"Tenebris! GaoGao! You two keep them busy while I check out that dream mirror," ordered VesVes. "Don't let them get in my way!"
"As you wish, VesVes," said Tenebris as he drew his sword.
GaoGao let out a roar as she lumbered towards them, lunging with her giant paws. The two guardians were forced to split up as they avoided the lemures. However, GaoGao began chasing Super Sailor Chibi Moon as she swiped at her with her paws.
"Get away from me, you overgrown furball!" Super Sailor Chibi Moon cried as she dodged.
GaoGao wasn't listening as she caught Super Sailor Chibi Moon in her paws and started squeezing. Super Sailor Chibi Moon thrashed around, trying to get free, but the lemures held her tight.
Super Sailor Moon tried to jump in and back her up, but she was stopped by Tenebris, who stood in her way.
"I've been wondering how strong you are compared to Solaris," said Tenebris. "Based on what I can see, you don't look like much. But nevertheless, you must be eliminated."
Super Sailor Moon scowled as she summoned her Moon Kaleidoscope. "Don't underestimate me!" she challenged. "I'm just as capable as him!"
Tenebris then charged, and while making her Moon Kaleidoscope extend, Super Sailor Moon also bravely charged. They both clashed with their weapons, slicing and swinging, as well as parrying and blocking.
Seeing that her enemies were occupied, VesVes went over to Harusuke's dream mirror. "Now then, let's see if this mirror has Pegasus inside it," she cackled to herself.
She then inserted her head inside of the mirror, searching inside. However, she was quick to pull her head out, her face filled with dumbfoundment. There wasn't any sign of Pegasus in there, but that wasn't the only thing. There wasn't a trace of a dream anywhere.
"No way… Are you kidding me?!" she cried. "He wasn't lying! Not only is Pegasus not in there, but there isn't even a single dream in this thing! Talk about being worthless! Guess it fits a loser like that guy."
"Hey! You're wrong about that! That man is lucky and full of potential!" Super Sailor Chibi Moon shouted, having heard her words. "He may not have a dream yet, but he gets to experience the thrill of finding one and what he's meant to do in life! Therefore, his dream mirror isn't worthless, and he's not a loser!"
"Oh, please. I've had enough of your prattling," scoffed VesVes. "GaoGao! Come here and dispose of this mirror!"
"GaoGao!" replied the lemures as she dropped Super Sailor Chibi Moon and lumbered towards it.
"No! You can't!" shouted Super Sailor Chibi Moon.
"You leave him alone!" yelled Super Sailor Moon as she tried to rush over to stop the lemures.
But Tenebris promptly cut her off. "Eyes on your opponent," he spoke coldly.
And in a swift and quick strike, he knocked Super Sailor Moon's Moon Kaleidoscope out of her hand, making it fall to the ground, and pointed the tip of his blade at the nape of her neck.
Super Sailor Moon scowled. "Hey! That's playing dirty!"
"It's your own fault for letting your guard down," said Tenebris.
The dream mirror was now within GaoGao's sight as a mouth opened up on her stomach, and she was about to eat Harusuke's dream mirror.
Then, suddenly, two familiar voices shouted.
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"
"MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!"
An arrow made of flames mixed with sparkling ribbons of water shot forth and struck the lemures right on the stomach, causing them to stumble backward before falling flat on her back with a thunderous thud.
"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"
"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"
At the shout of another familiar pair of voices, a yellow heart-shaped blast surrounded by green leaf-shaped blasts with lightning came shooting toward Tenebris. At the last second, while seeing it coming, Tenebris brought up his sword, managing to block it, but the power of the two combined attacks forced him back a few feet.
Those voices came from Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, who had arrived just in time.
"Where did those guys come from?!" VesVes exclaimed.
But while she was distracted, both of the moon guardians took their chance, Super Sailor Moon grabbing her Moon Kaleidoscope while Chibi Moon summoned hers. Then, the two set their sights on GaoGao and used their signature move.
"MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!"
With a resounding blast of rainbow shards, the two obliterated the lemures, her colossal body shattering to pieces.
"Dammit!" cursed VesVes. "You'll pay for this!"
And with her stone briefly enlarging and obscuring her body, she was gone, while Tenebris disappeared in a burst of violet flames.
A few seconds later, Harusuke's dream mirror was returned to his body, and it wasn't long before he woke up. After that, the group headed home together.
"You OK, Uncle Sunny?" asked Chibiusa.
"Yeah. I'm good," said Harusuke. "Just a little stunned, is all. Thanks for saving me, girls."
"By the way, Harusuke, is what Usagi and Chibiusa have been saying true?" asked Rei. "That you don't have a dream yet?"
"Yeah, more or less," said Harusuke.
"Well, that's a surprise," said Makoto. "I would have thought that you'd already have that kind of stuff figured out."
"Yeah, but don't worry. I know that it's essential to have a dream, as with any normal human being, but I'm in no rush," said Harusuke as he glanced up toward the sky. "For now, I have all the time in the world to figure it out. And as soon as I find out what that is, you all be the first to know about it."
"I'm willing to bet that whatever your big dream is, it's going to be awesome!" said Chibiusa.
"Yeah! Like being a supermodel!" said Minako. "You got the face and the body for it!"
"I believe he would be great as a teacher," said Ami. "He is intelligent and quite good at teaching. Remember how he taught us how to fly?"
"Hey, yeah! He could also be a great chef, too!" chimed in Makoto. "After all, he's been learning for me and his mom, too, and has gotten great cooking skills!"
"I think he could be a great secretary," said Rei. "After all, he's kind, considerate, and has impeccable foresight, like how he made a copy of my music back at the music festival."
Harusuke's cheeks went pink. "Girls, come on. You're making me blush," he said while scratching his cheek shyly.
"I'm sure that whatever you choose as your dream, I'm sure that it's something that'll make you very happy," said Usagi. "And we'll support whatever one you choose and will always be proud of you."
Harusuke smiled as he tousled Usagi's hair. "Thanks, Sis," he said. "It means a lot coming from you."
Everyone else agreed.