Nephrite was back inside his mansion as he gazed into the projection of the Earth and its stars, formulating a way to defeat his enemies.

"The stars see all; the stars know all," he said. "Hear me, Regulus, ruler of the southern skies! Oh Leo, Vast constellation of the lion with your powerful legs. Please show me a weakness. Show me a weakness to eliminate my loathsome enemies, the Sailor Guardians for good."

The projection of the Earth began to glow and then shot a beam of light hitting Nephrite on his forehead. In his mind, Nephrite started to see previous battles when Sailor Moon and the other guardians fought his monsters, including when they fought Tesuni and even Petasos. Both of those battles had something in common. That thing was Tuxedo Mask. Then Nephrite realized.

"So that's her weakness," he said, chuckling darkly. "Tuxedo Mask, is it? Very well then. If that's what her weakness is, then that's what I"ll use to crush her."

Just then, in a blizzard of petals, Zoisite appeared.

"Well, hello there, Nephrite," he said brightly. "I don't know if you're aware, but Queen Beryl's been looking for you. She wishes to have a word with you."

Nephrite scowled at Zoisite, but he knew that he could not disobey his Queen, so he went with him.

Nephrite and Zoisite stood before Queen Beryl, who sat on her throne. She looked very impatient.

"Nephrite, I'm told that you're having trouble gathering energy for our Great Ruler," she said. "Is this true?"

"The universe wasn't built in a day, my queen," said Nephrite coldly.

Queen Beryl wouldn't have it. She was so angry that her hair stood on end.

"Silence! You will watch your tongue!" she boomed. "Mark my words if you cannot defeat those Guardians or if you disobey my orders again, you'll find yourself in the Sentence of Eternal Sleep just like Jadeite!"

Everyone in the room trembled in fear from Queen Beryl's rage. Even Nephrite felt a drop of sweat trickle down his forehead.

Zoisite, however, was more pleased rather than scared. "My, my. That's quite the terrifying punishment," he said. "It's a sentence worse than death itself. You should accept my help now, Nephrite."

"Bite your tongue Zoisite!" snapped Nephrite. "I am Nephrite, one of the proud members of the Dark Kingdom's Four Kings of Heaven! I do not need you to tell me to find a way to beat those guardians, and I will succeed with my mission without any help from you! I know just how to deal with Sailor Moon!"

"Sounds a lot like the same thing Jadeite said," scoffed Zoisite. "What's your plan this time?"

Nephrite gave Zoisite a quick glare before turning his attention to Queen Beryl. "My queen, I promise you that this time, I vow to lure out Sailor Moon, and she will be dealt with and eliminated."

Queen Beryl's angry snarl changed into an amused smile resting her head on her hand. "Very well then," she said. "Proceed."

Nephrite then turned to Zoisite, smirking victoriously. "And to answer your question, I have a plan," he said. "I'm going to crush Sailor Moon with her love for Tuxedo Mask!"

He then let out a laugh of triumph as he set off to fulfill his mission.

At the Tsukino residence, Usagi and Harusuke had got home from school. As they reached the gates, Harusuke noticed something in the mailbox that caught his eye, a pink letter in a pink envelope that said: "To Miss Usagi Tsukino."

"Hey, Usagi. It seems that you got some mail here," said Harusuke as she took out the letter and gave it to Usagi.

"I do? I wonder who it's from?" wonder Usagi.

She took the letter and then inspected the back to see the sender's name. The moment she did, her cheeks flushed bright red, and she let out a squeal of delight, surprising Harusuke.

"Oh my gosh! No way! No way! No way!" she cried.

"What?! What is it?!" asked Harusuke. "Who's it from?!"

"It's from Tuxedo Mask!" Usagi cried excitedly.

Harusuke's eyes widened in surprise. "What?! Tuxedo Mask?! Are you sure?"

Usagi grinned and showed Harusuke the letter. "It's true! See for yourself!"

Harusuke then looked at the back of the letter, and sure enough, on the back of the letter, it read: "From Tuxedo Mask."

"No way... you gotta be kidding!" he said.

"I know, right?! I can't believe it!" said Usagi. "I'm gonna go open it and read it right now!"

Usagi, Harusuke, and Luna were now all in Usagi's room. Usagi had just opened the letter and started reading what the letter said aloud.

"My heart yearns for you. I love you more than anyone else," the ordango read. "Please come meet me at the MS mall in Shinjuku tomorrow night." Usagi then sighed as she hugged the letter in her chest and lied on her bed, giggling madly.

"Well... I suppose that's nice and all," said Luna. "But why would Tuxedo Mask send a love letter to you?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's because he's in love with me!" said Usagi giddily.

"You can't be serious, Usagi," said Harusuke. "I mean, this is totally out of character for Tuxedo Mask. Something is off about this."

"I agree with Harusuke," said Luna. "Something about this seems wrong. Like - let's say that your delusions are real. How does Tuxedo Mask know that you're Sailor Moon?"

"It's because love conquers all!" said Usagi raising her fist in the air. "That's just how powerful his love for me is! His heart can see right into mine and right through all of my secrets. There's nothing but truth between true loves."

"Usagi, just because Tuxedo Mask's always helping us out doesn't mean that we should trust him," pointed out Luna.

"I agree with Luna," Harusuke concurred. "We still don't even know if he's friend or foe. So we need to be cautious about this."

Usagi wasn't listening. She was busy parading around the room with her letter kissing it repeatedly. Luna and Harusuke could only look at each other worriedly, unsure of what to think about this.

The next day at school, Usagi and Harusuke had just arrived in class when they made another startling discovery. It turns out Usagi wasn't the only one who had received a love letter from Tuxedo Mask.

"No way! You all have to be lying! I don't believe it!" shrieked Usagi.

"Nope. It's true, Usagi," said Naru as she showed the letter she received. "I also got a love letter from this Tuxedo Mask guy."

"I got one too!" said another girl.

"Same here!" said a second.

"You gotta be kidding," murmured Harusuke. "This has to be some kind of prank."

"By the way, who exactly is Tuxedo Mask?" wondered Naru.

"No clue," said all the girls.

Naru then gazed lovingly at the letter. As she did, she began thinking about Nephrite under his human persona as Masato Sanjouin. "I wish I knew who this was from," she said to herself. "It would be nice if it was from him."

Then Ms. Haruna came into the classroom.

"Alright, class! Listen up!" she said. "I've heard all about the love letter prank, and I want you girls to remember that distractions like that are enemy number one when it comes to learning. Also, since we don't know who sent these letters, I'd like you to avoid going out alone at night and stay away from the MS mall in Shinjuku. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Ms. Haruna," said all the girls.

"Good answer," smiled Ms. Haruna as she began the lesson.

Meanwhile, Ami met up with Luna during gym class, and Luna told her about the letters.

"There's something very suspicious going on about this love letter business," said Luna. "Don't you agree, Ami?"

"You're right," agreed Ami. "We should try to talk to Rei and see what she thinks about this."

At the Game Center, the news had spread, and even Motoki and Mamoru were talking about it.

"A love letter from Tuxedo Mask?" puzzled Mamoru. "What's that about?"

"Don't know," said Motoki. "But he sent one out to every girl in town.

"You think it's some kind of advertising?" asked Mamoru.

"It could be," said Motoki thoughtfully. "But who knows what's going on?"

Then the doors opened, and Usagi and Harusuke walked in. Usagi let out a depressed sigh looking miserable.

"Hey, Usagi! Hey Harusuke!" said Motoki cheerfully. "What's up?"

Harusuke answered with a wave, but Usagi didn't even reply, letting out another sad sigh.

"So... what's up, Usagi? You seem bummed out," said Motoki.

"I bet I know what's going on," said Mamoru. "The other girls got a mysterious love letter, but you. Doesn't that sound about right? Yup, I bet that's gotta sting a little."

Harusuke was about to reply, but then Usagi had snapped out of her depressed state and was now cross.

"No! That's not it at all!" she snapped. "For your information, I got one too, you jerk!"

Motoki and Mamoru were surprised.

"Then, if that's true, then why are you so sad?" asked Motoki.

"Long story short, she's sad because she thinks that Tuxedo Mask is two-timing her," said Harusuke.

"It's... just so cruel," said Usagi. "All this time, Tuxedo Mask's been cheating behind my back, and now he's sending love letters to other girls... I thought I was the only one..."

Usagi's eyes began to well up in tears, and Harusuke immediately covered his ears.

"And here come the waterworks," he muttered.

Usagi then began to cry loudly, her eyes streaming with tears. All Harusuke, Motoki, and Mamoru could only sigh and try to endure Usagi's wailing with Harusuke trying to comfort her.

At the Hikawa Shrine, Ami had arrived to find that Rei was in bed sick with a cold.

"I'm so sorry, Rei," said Ami. "I didn't know that you were sick."

"It's alright," said Rei hoarsely. "I just woke this morning with a fever and a sore throat and have been in bed ever since."

Ami then looked at the table and saw a pink letter. "Hold on, you got a love letter from Tuxedo Mask too?" she asked.

"Yes, but I don't think I'm in any shape of going out, even if it's for Tuxedo Mask," coughed Rei. "I don't think I'm up for Guardian business either."

Ami kindly smiled as she placed a reassuring hand on Rei's forehead.

"There's no need to apologize, Rei," she said. "I'll take care of you until you are well."

Rei smiled at her friend. "Thanks, Ami..." she said. "You're the best."

Meanwhile, at the Shinjuku MS Department Store, Nephrite, under his human disguise, was walking around getting everything in place.

"Everything is going according to plan," he said to himself. "Sailor Moon's love for Tuxedo Mask will force her to show up here tonight. And when she does, it will be her end, and this place will become her grave."

"Mr. Sanjoin!"

A female voice caused Nephrite to turn around, wondering who it was. To his surprise, it was Naru who was happy to see him.

"H-hello there. You probably don't remember me, but I'm Naru Osaka," she said shyly, blushing.

Nephrite smiled. "Sure, I remember you," he said. "You were one of the girls from the Juuban Middle School tennis team. Are you shopping?"

"Yes... I am," said Naru. "Say... this is going to sound weird, but may I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Well... you see... Mr. Sanjoin, I was wondering if you're Tuxedo Mask."

"W-what?!"

Nephrite was surprised that Naru would ask such a thing, but he quickly calmed down. "No. Of course not," he said. "Why would you ask me something like that?"

"N-no reason," said Naru as she blushed more. "I... just thought that... it would be nice if you were Tuxedo Mask."

Now Nephrite was feeling a little tense. "Does she know that I've was the one who's been writing the letters?!" he thought. "Impossible! But why else would she ask that?" Then he noticed how Naru was acting, and he began to suspect himself. "Could it be... is it possible that this girl is Sailor Moon?"

"J-just forget I ever said anything," said Naru quickly. "I'm not usually this nervous. Sorry for asking you such a weird question."

She was just about to walk away when Nephrite blocked her path with his arm flashing her a suave smile.

"Naru. Has anyone ever told you that you're the cutest girl in school?" he asked.

Now Naru was blushing so much; her face was as red as a tomato. "R-really?"

"Of course. I mean it," said Nephrite. "I've been drawn to you since the first time we met. Hope to see you tonight."

He gave Naru a slight wink and then walked away, leaving Naru spellbound. Her eyes widened as she took out the love letter that she had received. She mainly looked at the words "Tomorrow Night" and "From Tuxedo Mask."

"I was right!" she thought to herself. "It has to be Mr. Saijoin!" She then remembered what Nephrite said about being cute and being drawn to her since the first time they met. She then hugged her letter close to her chest smiling and blushing head over heels in love. "Yes... I feel the same way too, Mr. Sanjoin..."

Back at the Tsukino's, Usagi was still feeling depressed as she looked at the love letter she had received for the umpteenth time. "I still can't believe it. It doesn't make sense," she whimpered. "Why would Tuxedo Mask send love to a whole bunch of other girls and not just me? I don't get it." She then stood up. "Well, I guess the only way to figure this out is to go to the mall and ask Tuxedo Mask myself!"

Usagi then got dressed, put on some lipstick, sprayed some perfume, and even brushed her teeth. She soon was ready to go. As she finished getting ready, she began to imagine herself about kiss Tuxedo Mask. The mere thought made her blush bright red and her mouth hanging open, drooling a little.

"Oh, who am I kidding?!" she said giddily. "As if something like that would happen! But wait! What if it does?! Oh my gosh!"

"Usagi? What are you doing?"

Usagi then snapped out of her fantasy and snapped her head around to see Harusuke standing there.

"Um... uh... nothing!" she said. "Just getting dressed looking nice! Hehe."

Harusuke stared at his sister suspiciously.

Then Usagi raced right past him. "Sorry, Harusuke! Gotta go!"

"Hey! Usagi!"

But it was too late. Usagi was already gone. Harusuke then knew where Usagi was going and what she was doing.

"Oh, brother. That girl is going to be the death of me," he thought. I better go after her and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."

He then got dressed and went after her.

Soon enough, Usagi was getting close to the store. She felt more and more excited, but then she thought of Harusuke and Ami and Rei.

"I wonder if maybe I should have told the others where I was going tonight," she said to herself.

Then she heard a beeping in her purse. It was her communicator. Usagi dug into her bag, pulled it out, and pressed the button. Ami's face then appeared on the screen.

"Usagi. Where are you?" she asked.

"Hey Ami," smiled Usagi. "Sorry, but I'm in Shinjuku right now.

Then she heard Rei on the other end of the communicator.

"She's in what?! Why that little sneak!" she snapped. "She's trying to go on a date with Tuxedo Mask before me! Not 'gonna happen!"

"Wait a minute, Rei!" cried Ami. "You need to rest!"

Then suddenly, the screen went blank, and Usagi became a little worried.

"Oh, man... Rei sounded pretty mad," she said. "I better get going before she gets here and ruins everything."

Meanwhile, back at Rei's room, Ami was trying her best to stop a sick Rei from standing up.

"Rei! Please listen to reason!" begged Ami. "You need to rest!"

"No way! Sick or not, I'm going!" said Rei stubbornly. "There's no way... I'm 'gonna let Usagi get the better of me!"

Rei then coughed, covering her mouth. Ami was just about to try and reason with her again, but then Ami's communicator began to beep, causing the girls to stop. Ami pressed the button, and Harusuke's face appeared on the screen.

"Ami. Are you there?" he asked.

Before Ami could answer, Rei snatched her communicator from her hands and yelled hoarsely at it.

"Harusuke! You have to stop your idiot sister!" she coughed. "Don't let her go on that date... with Tuxedo Mask!"

"I'm already aware of the situation," said Harusuke. "I'm tailing Usagi as we speak."

Ami then took her communicator back and spoke with Harusuke.

"Wait a sec. Does that mean you're in Shinjuku, too?" she asked.

"Yes I am," said Harusuke. "I've been getting a bad feeling about this, so I want you two to be ready for anything. If there's trouble, I'll contact you guys as soon as possible."

At the store, it was already nightfall, and the store's doors were already closed as Naru arrived. Naru wasn't sure what to do, so she stood by the door, leaning against thinking she should wait. But then the door mysteriously rose, causing the girl to be surprised. However, despite feeling nervous but brave, she walked inside into the darkness.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" she called out. "Tuxedo Mask? It's me, Naru. Are you here? Or should I call you Mr. Sanjoin?"

Then suddenly, the lights came on, and Naru heard a voice.

"Here I am!"

Naru turned around and looked up towards an escalator. There standing here was Nephrite dressed up just like Tuxedo Mask. Naru gasped and gushed with wonder as Nephrite descended from the escalator.

"I'm so glad you came, Naru," he said.

"That voice... I knew it!" Naru cried happily. "It was you all along, Mr. Sanjoin!"

Nephrite then scowled. "So... you recognized my voice did you?" he asked.

"Yes. I know your voice anywhere," said Naru lovingly. "And no hat or mask can hide your beautiful voice or long hair!"

"Tell me, do you love Misato Sanjoin that much?" asked Nephrite.

"Yes! Ever since this afternoon after hearing your words, all I could think of is you," said Naru. "I'm madly in love with you, Mr. Sanjoin."

Nephrite then jumped off the escalator, landed right in front of Naru, and pointed an accusing finger right in the middle of Naru's chest.

"Enough of this charade!" he snapped. "Cut the acting and show your true identity! I know who you are, Naru, and you're Sailor Moon!"

Naru was now surprised as she was confused. "Mr. Sanjoin...? What's wrong with you?"

"Spare me your lies!" said Nephrite. "Just transform into Sailor Moon already!"

"What... are you talking about?" asked Naru. "I don't get what you're saying."

Now it was Nephrite who was confused. "But... aren't you Sailor Moon?!" he wondered. "You have to be! Why else would you have come to meet me?!"

"Because... I love you," said Naru.

Then Nephrite took advantage by pointing his finger in the middle of Naru's forehead. Then he began to drain Naru's energy. As he did, a giant white orb of Naru's energy took shape in the palm of his hand. He was surprised but at the same time pleased.

"Incredible..." he murmured. "Look at all of this energy...!"

Being unable to stand anymore, Naru fell backward, fainting from having her energy drained, but Nephrite managed to catch her with one arm while he drained her energy. At that time, Usagi happened to walk in. Then she saw Nephrite and Naru, and her eyes widened in shock.

"It's Naru! And Tuxedo Mask?!" she cried as she quickly hid behind the corner of the wall. "But... why would Tuxedo Mask do this to her?!" She looked back at the terrible scene unfolding and looked closer at Tuxedo Mask, draining Naru's energy. She then realized. "Hold on! That's not the real Tuxedo Mask! He's a fake!"

She then clenched her hand into a fist. "Hang on, Naru! I'm coming to help you!" She then raised her arm and transformed.

"MOON PRISM POWER MAKE UP!"

Transformation Sequence: Usagi

Usagi's body shone with rainbow-colored light as she seemed to spin around. Then from her brooch, it flashed pink and pink ribbons shot out, wrapping her upper torso and midsection and became a white leotard with a red bow in the center and a collar that was blue with white stripes. Next, Usagi crosses her arms, and more pink ribbons wrap around them, turning into long white gloves. The pink ribbon then wraps around Usagi's legs and turns into a pair of red thigh-high boots. Then a blue skirt appears around Usagi's waist with a red bow in the back. Then a tiny gem starts glowing in the middle of Usagi's forehead, and a gold tiara with a red gem, a pair of dangling crescent moon earrings, a red choker with a moon on it appear along with red circular accents in her hair buns. Usagi then strikes her signature pose as the Moon shines behind her in the background.

Nephrite had now finished draining the energy from Naru and was carrying her in his arms.

"This girl didn't turn out to be Sailor Moon," he said. "But the energy that I took from her was incredible."

"Get your hands off of Naru!" said a voice.

Nephrite quickly looked up. "Who's there?!" he demanded.

Then he saw her. Sailor Moon stood before Nephrite in front of the door, ready for a fight.

"How dare you dress in a tux to toy with an innocent girl's feelings?!" she snapped crossly. "I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice! I am Sailor Moon! And in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

"So you're finally here," said Nephrite. "Tell me. How were you able to tell that I wasn't the real Tuxedo Mask?"

"A girl can always recognize her true love!" said Sailor Moon as she ran right for him, jumped up, and attacked with a kick. "SAILOR MOON KICK!"

Nephrite ducked out of the making Sailor Moon knock his hat right off his head. "So you wanna play rough, huh?!" he growled. "Fine then!"

He then threw Naru right at Sailor Moon. Luckily she was able to catch her, saving her from harm. Nephrite then jumped up and took off his disguise revealing his true identity. Upon seeing Nephrite's face, Sailor Moon immediately recognized him.

"Wait a minute! You're Misato Sanjoin!" she cried.

"Not exactly. I am Nephrite!" the man proclaimed. "One of the Dark Kingdom's Four Kings of Heaven! I only posed as Tuxedo Mask to lure you out, and now that you're here, I can destroy you!"

With a wave of his hand, the whole room changed into a strange illusion of stars. Then, it became dark, and Nephrite split into several transparent copies of himself, causing Sailor Moon to be confused.

"Hear me now, Regulus of the Leo Constellation, the brightest of the southern skies," the copies said. "Give me your strength!"

The copies of Nephrite then vanished, and in a brilliant flash of light, a large projection of a constellation appeared before Sailor Moon, Leo, the lion. At first, it was nothing but lines of stars, but then the lines transformed, and Sailor Moon found herself staring at a large green lion which made her scream in fright.

"Devour this girl Leo!" commanded Nephrite. "Shred her to pieces!"

The lion roared as it began to chase Sailor Moon, who was running for her life, desperate to get away from it.

Outside of the mall, Harusuke was running as fast as he could. Soon he could see the mall, and not only that, he could sense trouble. Then he heard a familiar frightened scream. He immediately knew what that was.

"Oh no! That was Usagi!" he cried. "He's definitely in trouble!"

Harusuke immediately pressed a button on his bracelet and contacted Ami as he ran.

"Ami! We got trouble in the Shinjuku Mall! Usagi's in trouble! Contact Luna and get here as soon as you can!" he said.

"Don't worry! We're on our way!" said Ami.

As he ran, Harusuke made sure he was alone, then he held up his bracelet.

"Hold on, Usagi! I'm coming!" he thought.

Sailor Moon was still trying her best to run away from the lion, but the beast was growing closer and closer. Then, Sailor Moon stumbled and fell flat on her face onto the floor. The lion pounced, going for the kill, but then a single rose shot out and pierced the beast right on its forehead. The beast roared in pain, shaking its head, trying to shake off the pain.

"Who did that?!" demanded Nephrite.

Sailor Moon looked towards where the rose came from, and standing by the elevator holding open the door was the real Tuxedo Mask.

"Did you think that you could get away with using my name on all those phony lover letters just to draw out Sailor Moon?" he asked with a hint of anger. "Not a chance! I won't stand for it!"

"Wow, it's the real Tuxedo Mask!" cried Sailor Moon dreamily. "He's just as dreamy as ever!"

"Damn it..." seethed Nephrite. "So you've come here too, Tuxedo Mask!"

Tuxedo Mask then stood between Nephrite and his foul beast and Sailor Moon protecting her from harm. "Sailor Moon, I'll handle these guys," he said. "You hurry up and run!"

"Right! There's nothing I won't do for the real you!" smiled Sailor Moon as she took off.

"You're both fools," smirked Nephrite cockily. "Does she think that you can save her from me?"

Tuxedo Mask answered by whipping out his cane, pointing it like a sword, and Nephrite, with a wave of his hand, commanded his lion to attack as it pounced right at the tuxedo-wearing masked hero. At that moment, Sailor Moon, who was running, stopped and gasped in horror.

"What am I doing?! I can't leave him all alone!" she cried as she took off her tiara and transformed it into a glowing white disk. "MOON TIARA ACTION!"

As she flung her disc at the beast, it hit right on the mark on the forehead sending it flying into the air, but unlike before, it didn't disintegrate. Instead, it landed on its feet, now looking angrier than before.

"No way! It didn't work!" exclaimed Sailor Moon.

"Sailor Moon! Quick! Get into the elevator!" yelled Tuxedo Mask.

"Right!"

The lion followed them in hot pursuit as the two raced into the elevator. When the two heroes made it inside, they looked back, worried that the lion would reach them, but then suddenly, the lion disappeared and the elevator doors shut behind them. Tuxedo Mask tried to open the doors, but they wouldn't budge.

"What's the matter, Tuxedo Mask?" asked Sailor Moon worriedly.

"I should've known!" the masked man cursed. "It was nothing more but a trap!"

Then the two heard Nephrite's voice coming from the loudspeaker.

"That's right! It was as exactly as Tuxedo Mask said," he said. "Now, let me ask you, what do you suppose is going to happen when this elevator reaches the top floor?"

"Will you just tell us already?!" snapped Sailor Moon.

Just then, the elevator whirred and gave a jolt as it began to go upwards.

"Very well then. Since you insist," said Nephrite. "The elevator cable will soon snap, and then you'll both be pulverized after plummeting to the basement of this building!"

Sailor Moon's eyes widened in terror, and she began to sob like a child. "No! I'm too young to be pulverized!" But that terror quickly vanished when she realized who was with her. "Well... as long as we're alone..."

On the other hand, Tuxedo Mask was busy looking around the elevator. "We need to find a way out of here," he said. Then he noticed Sailor Moon acting giddy. "What are you doing, Sailor Moon?!" he asked. "We need to focus here!"

Sailor Moon snapped out of her daze and quickly nodded. "Oh! R-right!"

Then Tuxedo Mask saw their escape. Above their heads on the ceiling was a door leading to the elevator shaft. Using his cane, he opened the door and then jumped through it. Then he pulled Sailor Moon up.

"Get ready," he said. "We've nearly reached the top floor! Get ready to jump!"

Sailor Moon nodded and prepared herself to do so. Soon, the elevator stopped, and the two jumped. Tuxedo Mask managed to grab onto a beam, but Sailor Moon wasn't so lucky. She missed and was about to fall, but luckily Tuxedo Mask managed to grab hold of her hand as the elevator quickly fell, dropping at an incredible speed disappeared into the darkness below.

Nephrite was watching the elevator lights smirking with triumph outside of the elevator. Then suddenly, he heard a resounding boom causing the building to tremble from the impact. Nephrite then cackled with glee.

"At last! I finally did it!" he crowed. "I destroyed Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask! Now, no one can stop me!"

"Guess again!" yelled a voice.

Nephrite wasn't laughing anymore, for another hero stood before him right then. There standing by a pillar, was Solaris.

"So... it's you, Solaris," said Nephrite. "How nice of you to join me."

"Who are you?" asked Solaris. "And what did you do with Sailor Moon?"

Nephrite smirked. "Well... since you came all this way and I have to destroy you as well, I might as well answer you. I am Nephrite, one of the Dark Kingdom's Four Kings of Heaven. And for Sailor Moon, she's dead. I made sure of that."

Solaris' eyes widened in shock. "You lie! You have to be!"

"Yes. Didn't you feel it?" smirked Nephrite. "I've taken the liberty of sending Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask to their doom in a steel coffin!

Solaris clenched his fists in anger, trying to keep his cool. "No... it can't be..." he murmured. "Sailor Moon... Tuxedo Mask..."

"There's no need to worry," said Nephrite. "For you'll be joining them soon enough!"

"Think again!" shouted Solaris. "I'll make you sorry for what you did! For I am Solaris! The knight with the brilliance of the sun and the courage of a warrior who also fights for love and justice! And in the name of the sun, with my blinding rays, I'll scorch you!"

"Just you try it!" yelled Nephrite.

The two men glared at each other, daring for one to make a move. Then Solaris went on the attack with a mighty yell throwing a punch, only for Nephrite to catch it.

"Is that all you've got, Solaris?" he asked.

Solaris answered by jumping and landing a kick on Nephrite's chest, causing the man to stumble and let go. However, Solaris didn't let up, and he came in with another leg. However, Nephrite countered with a kick of his own, blocking him. The two then clashed repeatedly with various punches and blows, but it was apparent who had the upper hand, Nephrite. The two stood against each other with Solaris panting while Nephrite was hardly breaking a sweat.

"This is insane!" thought Solaris. "He's stronger than every enemy I've met before. He's probably even stronger than Jadeite! How am I supposed to beat him?!"

"I must admit, you have persistence Solaris," chuckled Nephrite. "And may even be somewhat skilled, but sadly you don't stand a chance against me. But let's have some more fun, shall we?"

Tuxedo Mask struggled to hold onto the ledge and Sailor Moon back in the elevator shaft. He had a good grip on both, but the question remained: how long?

"I... can't hang on!" cried Sailor Moon as she felt her grip slipping.

Tek

"OK then," said Sailor Moon as she tried to think about something to ask Tuxedo Mask. She soon came up with a question. "Tell me. Why do you always come to my rescue?"

"To be honest, I don't know," replied the masked man. "But something inside of me tells me too." He then searched around with his foot until he felt another ledge. He made sure to get his footing and then looked back at Sailor Moon. "I've managed to get a footing," he said. "Climb up onto my back, Sailor Moon."

Sailor Moon did so. She pulled herself up using his arm and climbed onto his back. She then picked up where she left off when she asked him her question.

"Well... I think I know why," she said. "I think that you're in love with me, but you're not ready to tell me yet." She then blushed bright pink. "Wait! Ah! Sorry! I'm just talking nonsense!"

Then she thought of something that quickly made her curious as Tuxedo Mask tried to pull himself up on the ledge.

"So... who exactly are you under that mask?" she wondered. Then she became excited. "Wait! Don't tell me! You're Motoki, aren't you?!" However, once again, she quickly corrected herself. "Oh! There I go repeating weird things!"

Then Tuxedo Mask spoke. "Sailor Moon... It's strange, but I have the feeling that there was some connection between us somewhere in the past. It's right there in the corner of my mind, but I can't remember what that was..."

Then there was trouble. Tuxedo Mask tried to push himself up, the ledge he was using as his footing broke off, causing him to hang by the ridge again.

"Oh no! We're going to fall!" cried Sailor Moon.

She tried to think about something else to keep her calm, but Tuxedo Mask's hands were beginning to slip. Then, just when Tuxedo Mask was about to lose his grip, the doors above them opened, and three saviors stood above them. Sailor Mercury, a sick Sailor Mars, wearing a mask covering her mouth, and Luna. The two sailors quickly grabbed onto Tuxedo Mask's hands and pulled him and Sailor Moon to safety.

"Sailor Moon! You know better than to go out on a mission without telling us!" scolded Sailor Mercury.

"Sorry about that!" said Sailor Moon sheepishly.

"Whew! That was too close for comfort!" said Sailor Mars.

Then suddenly, they heard a loud cry of pain not too far away.

"What was that?!" cried Sailor Moon.

"That was Solaris!" said Luna. "And it sounded like he's in trouble!"

"Come on! We must help him!" said Tuxedo Mask.

The four heroes, along with Luna, then raced around the corner and saw Solaris and Nephrite. The Guardian of the Sun was winded and slightly bruised while Nephrite wasn't even tired. Just when Nephrite was about to inflict more pain, Sailor Moon's voice called out, stopping him.

"Hey, Nephrite! Leave Solaris alone!"

When Nephrite saw Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask alive and well, he was shocked.

"Impossible! How did those two survive?!" he thought. "I thought for sure I killed them! But, as much as I hate to do this, I better retreat. The last thing I want to fight all of them at once."

"You got lucky today, Solaris!" he said aloud. "And I don't know how you and your Tuxedo Mask managed to survive Sailor Moon, but mark my words, the next time we meet, it will be last!"

And with that, Nephrite disappeared. As soon as Nephrite was gone, Solaris fell on one knee groaning in pain. Sailor Moon quickly rushed over to him.

"Solaris! Are you OK?!" she asked worriedly. "You're hurt pretty bad!"

"I'm fine... Don't worry," panted Solaris. "I was more worried about you." He then gave Sailor Moon a soft smile. "I'm happy that you're still alive."

A few minutes later, Sailor Moon and others stood on the mall roof with Sailor Mercury carrying an unconscious Naru on her back.

"Once again, thanks for the rescue, you guys," said Sailor Moon. "You saved us."

"This sucks!" coughed a complaining Sailor Mars. "Here I am stuck with a cold while you get to sneak out and flirt with Tuxedo Mask! It's just not fair!"

"Well... it wasn't exactly like that..." said Sailor Moon sheepishly.

"Come on, Sailor Mars, this isn't exactly the time for this," sighed Sailor Mercury.

"Oh, come on, you're taking her side now?!" grumped Sailor Mars. "You were just as mad as I was before!"

"Yes, but right now, the most important thing is to get Naru to a hospital as soon as possible," said Sailor Mercury. "And we should take Solaris there too."

"Oh brother... can't you girls go for one day without fighting?" sighed Solaris.

"I would have to agree with you on that one, Solaris," said Tuxedo Mask as he jumped on top of the fence surrounding the rooftop. "Please try to get along. Farewell for now!"

And with that, before anyone could stop him, Tuxedo Mask jumped off the fence, disappearing from view.

"Why does he always disappear like that?" wondered Sailor Moon.

"Who knows?" said Solaris. "I guess that's how guys like him are."

Unknown to them, Tuxedo Mask was sitting on a ledge just below them. "Man... if there's one thing I don't like, it's when girls fight," he said to himself. "Makes me wonder how Solaris puts up with them."

At the Dark Kingdom, Nephrite once more stood before Queen Beryl, reporting his recent failure.

"Queen Beryl, as you recall, Nephrite swore that he would get rid of Sailor Moon, yet he failed to do so," said Zoisite. "I would strongly suggest that you sentence him to the Eternal Sleep."

Nephrite growled, expecting the worst, but Queen Beryl wasn't cross. Instead, she was rather pleased.

"That may be true, and I agree," she said. "But the energy Nephrite brought back is potent. Therefore, I won't punish him, at least not this time."

"B-but my queen!" protested Zoisite.

Queen Beryl then glared at Zoisite, her hair standing on end. "Enough! This discussion is over!" she yelled. "Remember your place, Zoisite! You should be less concerned about others and focus on your mission of finding the Silver Crystal!"

"Y-yes, my queen..." said Zoisite timidly.

Nephrite could only smile smugly, satisfied that Zoisite was getting his just deserts.

Nephrite was pleased that his mission went well at his mansion, but he was still thinking about the energy Naru had.

"It's all starting to make sense now..." he said. "Everyone becomes obsessed with something at least once in their lives and focuses all their energy on it, making the energy more powerful. Still, I never expected that girl to produce energy that incredible. She's truly fallen in love with the persona I made, Misato Sanjoin. What a poor, pathetic, and foolish girl - I could use someone like her..."

He then smirked as he let out an chuckle as an image of Naru appeared on the projection.