Everyone stared in shock at the newly transformed Sailor Moon, now Princess Serenity feeling awestruck by her sudden transformation. Solaris especially couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Is... is this some kind of dream?" he murmured. "If it is... some, please wake me up."

Then Luna's crescent moon mark started to blow brightly for a few seconds until it died down. She then gasped as if she suddenly remembered.

"Yes... it's her. Princess Serenity..." she murmured.

Everyone looked at Luna, surprised that she knew the princess' name.

"Luna... do you know who this is?" asked Sailor Jupiter. "And is she the Moon Princess that we've been looking for all this time?"

"And not only that... Tuxedo Mask was Mamoru?" asked Sailor Mercury.

"And my hunch about Sailor Venus was right!" thought Solaris. "She wasn't the Moon Princess like I thought!"

He then looked at Sailor Venus, seeing that the crescent moon mark on her forehead was her tiara. The moment the two made eye contact, Sailor Venus instinctively glanced away from him, not wanting to face him. The only one who seemed frozen in shock and heartbreak was Sailor Mars, who just stood there silently, not saying a word as the princess then sat before Mamoru, gently placing his head on her lap, cradling him.

No longer shocked by the princess' appearance, Zoisite saw this as an opportunity and prepared to strike.

"So the princess has awakened, has she?" he thought. "Fine! First, I'll get rid of her and then take the Silver Crystal!"

Solaris heard Zoisite and immediately shot between them, protecting the princess and Mamoru.

"Not so fast, Zoisite!" he growled. "If you wanna get to them, you gotta get by me first!"

"Fine with me!" roared Zoisite as he fired a powerful blast of black energy.

Solaris crossed his arms and braced himself for the incoming attack. But then, the Moon Stich with the Silver Crystal attached to it floated over the princess, and she grasped it in her hand. The Silver Crystal immediately unleashed a powerful bright pink light shining all over the area. Before Zoisite had a chance to react, he got sent flying into one of the stalagmites slamming into it hard. He then fell onto the floor, completely unconscious. Solaris then looked back at the princess, completely bewildered.

"Incredible... she sent him flying with just one attack..." he thought. "Just how strong she?"

The princess then set down her Moon Stick, and a single tear fell on Mamoru's cheek as she began to cry.

"Tuxedo Mask... Mamoru, I'm so sorry," she quietly wept. "You got hurt because of me..."

Then Mamoru began to stir until his eyes slowly opened as he looked up at the princess. Princess Serenity gasped and immediately held his hand, grasping it with relief.

"Princess... Serenity, I - I remember..." he gasped. "I remember who I am now. I - am Endymion, the Prince of Earth."

Serenity's eyes widened upon hearing that name. At that moment, memories began to bubble forth in her mind.

She saw herself and Endymion overlooking an ancient castle of sorts. The two then looked at each other, gazing into each other's eyes. Then Princess Serenity held out a locket. The same locket that Mamoru had with him before it ended up in Usagi's hands. Endymion opened it, and the locket began to play its lovely music. The two then braced each other lovingly, embracing each other's warmth.

She saw herself going to Earth to see Endymion in another memory. She was hiding behind a tree, watching him from afar. Endymion then took notice, and Usagi quickly hid, not wanting to be seen and thinking that Mamoru would be cross. But Mamoru just smiled. That smile made Usagi come out of hiding and was the day the flower that was her love for him blossomed.

Then she saw another memory - a horrible one at that. The ancient palace was ablaze with the fires of war, and Mamoru had his sword drawn at the ready determined to protect her. Princess Serenity could only watch as her prince leaped into the fires of battle, leaving her all alone. Then she saw Queen Beryl, who was cackling in triumph as Serenity's and Mamoru's lifeless bodies floated about in the air after just receiving the death blow from Queen Metallia.

She then came back to reality, now fully aware of who she was and her relationship with Endymion.

"Endymion... You're him - Endymion, my one true love," she spoke.

Then at that moment, Serenity was enveloped in a bright pink light once more and, in a few seconds, changed back to Sailor Moon, who then fell into Mamoru's chest passing out. Solaris, the guardians, Luna, and Artemis immediately rushed to their aid.

"Sailor Moon!" Solaris cried. "Are you alright?! Say something!"

Sailor Mercury then placed Sailor Moon's head on her lap, and Sailor Venus quickly checked her pulse. She then sighed with relief.

"Don't worry, she just passed out," she said.

"Thank goodness," sighed Sailor Mercury.

"It must have been her memories of being the princess rushing back to her mind and overloading it," said Artemis.

Sailor Mars then went over to Mamoru. "Mamoru! Can you hear me? Please say something!" she begged as she gently shook him.

Mamoru could only respond with a grunt of pain.

"He's in pretty bad shape," said Sailor Jupiter. "He's conscious, but I don't know how much longer he'll last."

Then Zoisite started to regain consciousness as he struggled to get to his feet.

"I... won't let you get away..." he groaned. "This... is nothing..."

At that moment, Kunzite then appeared, catching the staggering Zoisite before he fell. Zoisite was relieved to see him.

"Kunzite... I found her. It - it was her all along," he said weakly. "Sailor Moon was the Moon Princess."

"So it would appear," said Kunzite. "Her awakening explains why the Rainbow Crystals suddenly flew away from me. They got drawn to her."

The Guardians then stood up bravely, with Mercury standing guard over Sailor Moon. Kunzite's eyes then narrowed as he, too, braced for battle. Then suddenly, a dark portal opened up behind them, causing everyone to look towards it in surprise. Then from that portal, a lone figure stepped forth. When the figure stepped out, Zoisite and Kunzite's eyes widened as their hearts skipped beats, immediately knowing who it was. It was none other than Queen Beryl.

The moment she appeared, the Guardians immediately sensed danger, as did the cats.

"Wh-who the heck is that?!" gasped Sailor Mars. "I've... I've never sensed something this evil before!"

"I don't know, but she's way more powerful than us," Sailor Venus spoke nervously. "Way more powerful than anything we've ever faced before!"

"It's her! The queen of the Dark Kingdom herself!" hissed Luna, her fur immediately standing up on end.

Solaris' eyes widened in shock upon hearing that name. At the same time, he remembered his visions back when he had them when the Sailor Guardians had awakened. The part about the warrior battling an evil woman with a staff struck a chord in him. He then realized. Queen Beryl was the woman he saw in his vision. At that moment, something began to overtake him. A flurry of emotions quickly seized him, mostly anger and revenge.

"Q-Queen Beryl?!" stammered Zoisite.

"What... are you doing here, my queen?!" asked Kunzite in a slightly baffled tone.

"Get the Moon Crystal now!" Queen Beryl boomed, ignoring their questions. "Seize the Moon Crystal now for the glory of the Dark Kingdom!"

The two Dark Generals were still puzzled, but they didn't dare disobey their queen.

"At once!" they both replied as they shot straight towards the guardians.

Sailor Jupiter, Venus, and Mars immediately barred their way and attacked.

"JUPITER SUPREME THUNDER!"

Sailor Jupiter then unleashed a stream of lightning at them, but the two dodged with ease. Then from where she was sitting, Sailor Mercury unleashed her signature attack.

"MERCURY BUBBLE SPRAY!"

Thick fog blanketed the area, blinding both Zoisite and Kunzite. Seizing the opportunity to attack, Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus attacked.

"MARS FIRE SOUL!"

"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM!"

Sailor Mars' Fire Soul nailed Kunzite on his left arm while Venus' attack hit Zoisite on the right side. The two screamed in pain as they fell to the ground reeling in agony. Queen Beryl glared as her magic power flared in anger.

"How annoying," she spat. "I'll just have to destroy you all myself then!"

She was just about to attack when a rage-filled voice screamed out.

"BERYL!"

And before anyone could react, Solaris had jumped ahead of the guardians charging straight at Queen Beryl, his eyes in a piercing and rage-filled glare.

"Solaris, what are you doing?!" cried Sailor Venus.

"Stay away from her!" yelled Artemis. "She's way too strong for you to handle on your own!"

Solaris didn't listen. He kept on charging straight at the evil queen; his fist clenched while jumping into the air. Then, a giant ball of energy materialized in his hand. He aimed and then punched the ball of energy with all of his might.

"SUNSHINE METEOR!"

Solaris' attack shot out with a velocity and speed no one had seen before, going straight towards Queen Beryl. It then exploded with a mighty boom shaking the entire area and creating a cloud of smoke. Solaris landed back on the ground, thinking he had hit his target. But he couldn't have been more wrong. But Queen Beryl was still standing utterly unscathed when the smoke cleared by the attack.

"No way! His attack didn't even phase her!" gasped Sailor Mercury.

Solaris growled as he charged again,l preparing to unleash another Sunshine Meteor. This time Queen Beryl raised her staff.

"Annoying insect," she scoffed. "Begone!"

A powerful bolt of black lightning erupted from her staff, nailing Solaris in the midsection and shocking his entire body. Solaris screamed in pain as he flew into a stone stalagmite hard. He was stuck there for a few seconds; then, he fell face down on the floor in a heap.

"No! Solaris!" the sailors cried.

Solaris grunted as he struggled to get back on his feet, looking a bit shaky. However, he wasn't down yet, glaring, and still determined to put the evil queen down for some unknown reason.

Queen Beryl then looked at the Sailor Guardians and saw that the Moon Stick along with the Silver Crystal in Sailor Moon's possession. She then aimed with her staff, preparing to attack.

"That Silver Crystal will be mine!" she yelled. "And I'll destroy anyone who gets in my way!"

She then unleashed the same black lightning attack once more, only with more power. The Sailor Guardians stood before Sailor Moon, preparing to protect her from the incoming attack, but Solaris rushed on over and brought his hands together.

"I SUMMON FORTH THE POWER OF THE STARS! LEND ME YOUR POWER!" he yelled as a white ball of light formed in his hands. "STARLIGHT ATTACK!"

He then unleashed a powerful blast to counter Queen Beryl's; the two attacks collided, making bright lights spark and wind blow throughout the area like a storm. The Guardians had no choice but to shield their eyes, unable to see, while Solaris tried his best to push the blast back using every ounce of his power. However, Queen Beryl had the upper hand in strength as her attack forced Solaris' back, causing the evil queen to smirk triumphantly.

"You pathetic fool," she cackled. "Did you honestly think that you stood a chance against me? Now, perish!"

Then as she gazed into the eyes of her enemies, reveling in being the one to cause their destruction, Queen Beryl just so happened to catch a glimpse at Solaris. As soon as she looked at his eyes, her eyes widened. Instead of being blue like usual, they were now a bright shade of silver. At that moment, a memory flashed into the evil queen's mind. A memory of her battling warrior having the same eye color as Solaris did. Upon seeing that memory, she immediately felt a flash of pain go through her body, mostly in her chest area, causing the evil queen to lose her focus, making her attack weaker.

"No... my chest... it's burning!" Queen Beryl thought to herself. "But... why...?!"

At the moment, the two attacks they were unleashing couldn't take much more. They both exploded, causing dust and smoke to billow everywhere and making everything difficult to see. Soon enough, the smoke cleared the guardians could see again. However, it didn't take long to realize that someone was missing from their group. That, someone, was Mamoru.

"Where's Mamoru?!" wondered Sailor Mars. "Where'd he go?!"

Then Sailor Venus cried out. "Look! Over there!"

She then pointed towards Queen Beryl's direction, and there standing beside and carrying Zoisite on his shoulder, was Kunzite. Next to him was Mamoru, now floating beside the three encased with a purple barrier. Before the guardians could react, Mamoru immediately disappeared into thin air.

"No! Mamoru!" Sailor Mars cried. "What did you do to him?!"

"Nothing that concerns you, guardians," said Queen Beryl. "Until then, I'll let you live a little while longer."

"You're running away?!" roared Solaris. "Get back here and face us, you cowards!"

But it was no use. Queen Beryl and her followers entered the portal as it closed, disappearing from view.

"No! They got away!" said Sailor Jupiter in frustration.

"Where is it they could have taken him?" wondered Sailor Mars worriedly.

No one replied, not sure what to say, nor did they know. At that moment, Solaris then slumped to his knees, groaning in agony while holding his head. Sailor Venus quickly rushed over to him along with Luna and Artemis.

"Solaris? Are you alright?!" Sailor Venus asked.

"That was reckless!" scolded Luna. "You could have gotten yourself killed doing a crazy thing like that!"

Solaris looked up, his eyes now back to normal. "What... what do you mean?" he asked, looking confused. "What did...I do?"

"Don't you remember? You just attacked Queen Beryl right out of the blue," said Artemis. "You even fought her to a stalemate."

"I... I did?" wondered Solaris feeling his head. "I... I don't remember doing that."

"What do you mean? You went nuts when you saw that Queen Beryl lady," said Sailor Jupiter. "You practically took her on even though it was a one-sided fight."

"You're kidding..." said Solaris as he felt his head. "I... I don't remember. I remember looking at her, and when Artemis and Luna said her name - I blanked out."

The cats and the other sailors could only look at the sun warrior as he continued to sit there puzzled and confused.

Queen Beryl once more sat on her throne in the Dark Kingdom with Kunzite and Zoisite before her.

"You have our thanks, Queen Beryl," said Kunzite. "I do not know what we would have done without you being there to save us."

"Silence! I wouldn't have had to if you hadn't messed up!" Queen Beryl boomed. "You not only let the princess awaken, but you also allowed the Silver Crystal to slip through your fingers."

"Yes, my queen. I have no excuses," apologized Kunzite. "Fortunately, the princess has just awakened and doesn't have full control of the Silver Crystal. So all I ask is that you give me a little more time."

"Very well. I'll leave it to you then," said Queen Beryl. "Do not fail me." Then she turned to Zoisite and glared daggers at him. "As for you, Zoisite, I presume that you're ready for your punishment?"

Zoisite's face immediately paled. "Please, my queen! Give me another chance!"

Queen Beryl's glare grew, and the crystal ball began to glow in black and pink light.

"You disobeyed my orders and tried to kill Tuxedo Mask, didn't you?!" she spoke angrily. "Did you think you could fool me with your lies?!"

"I'll take responsibility for that!" interjected Kunzite. "Please, Queen Beryl! Have mercy!"

But the evil queen refused to listen, preparing to finish Zoisite, but then suddenly, she felt a shot of pain go through her chest once again, causing her to stop and clutch it. Zoisite and Kunzite looked at her queen, feeling a bit worried.

"My queen... is something the matter?" asked Kunzite tentatively.

Queen Beryl didn't respond as she tried to calm down and ease the pain by taking deep breaths, but her chest continued to hurt.

"What... what is happening?!" she thought. "Why is this happening again?! Why does my chest hurt me so much?!"

Then Queen Beryl remembered, back when she looked in Solaris' silver eyes.

"It must be because of him..." she thought. "And there could be only one reason why... It would seem that Princess Serenity wasn't the only one reincarnated into this era."

Queen Beryl then stood up. "Zoisite... I'll deal with you later," she said. "For now, I must go speak to Queen Metallia. Be grateful."

And then she disappeared, leaving Kunzite and Zoisite completely confused.

"What was that all about?" wondered Zoisite.

"I don't know, but be grateful that Queen Beryl spared you at the last moment," said Kunzite. "She was just about ready to kill after what you just did."

Zoisite then clung to Kunzite, his body trembling in fear. "I'm scared, Kunzite... I'm scared. What's Queen Beryl going to do to me?! What am I going to do?!"

Kunzite then took Zoisite's hand and turned his cheek towards him.

"It will be alright, my love," he said quietly. "I will try my best to convince Queen Beryl into giving you a second chance. Hopefully, she'll listen to reason. But, in the meantime, rest for now."

"You'd do that for me? Thank you, Kunzite," said Zoisite gratefully. "You are the only person I can count on in this world."

Kunzite kindly smiled as he gave Zoisite a light peck on his cheek.

In the room where Queen Metalia sat inside her cocoon, Queen Beryl now kneeled before it and as she presented Mamoru's unconscious body before it.

"Oh Great Ruler, Queen Metalia, I call upon you to awaken now!" she commanded.

The cocoon stirred until it brightly lit up as Queen Metalia once again awoke from her slumber. Now aware of Mamoru being in the room, the cocoon of Queen Metallia seemed to rumble in delight.

"Oh, Endymion... how I have missed you so..." she spoke with joy. "Is it him, Queen Beryl?"

"Yes, it is," Queen Beryl spoke. "I must admit, we've never imagined that the former prince of Earth would get reincarnated in this era."

"How very fortuitous," spoke Queen Metalia. "But he's frail. How did he get so wounded?"

"It was because of Zoisite," spoke Queen Beryl bitterly. "He disobeyed my orders and tried to kill him. But do not worry. I intend to punish him with death- AHH!"

Then Queen Beryl cried out in pain as her chest burned again.

"Queen Beryl? What's the matter with you?" the cocoon demanded. "Why are you in pain?"

"It's because... of him," Queen Beryl winced. "He has been reincarnated into this timeline as well. The one with the silver eyes..."

The cocoon suddenly flashed as Queen Metalia seemed to gasp. "No... it can't be! Not him! He got reincarnated, too?!"

"I'm afraid so, my queen," said Queen Beryl. "I've seen him for myself. He's the guardian of the sun, known as Solaris. At first, I thought it was a trick, but my scar has been burning ever since I saw his eyes.

There was a long pause as Queen Metalia seemed to hum in thought, trying to think about what to do. Then, after a few seconds, she spoke once again. "It doesn't matter now. We'll worry about that later," she said. "For now, you must heal Endymion with the power of darkness immediately!"

"Yes, my queen," said Queen Beryl.

"And as for Zoisite, it would be wise to keep him alive for the time being," added Queen Metalia. "We'll need his strength."

Now Queen Beryl was surprised. "But my queen, Zoisite almost killed Endymion! Surely you realize that he cannot be allowed to live!"

"That is true, but we'll have to overlook it for now," Queen Metalia said. "If you what you said is true, then there's a strong possibility that it has awakened as well, and we'll need the strength of all four of the Kings of Heaven as well as Endymion. In the meantime, if Zoisite stirs up trouble again, tell him that he'll answer to me. Is that understood?"

"Yes, my queen," acknowledged Queen Beryl.

Back inside Starlight Tower, the Guardians were making their way through the rubble of the tower, trying to find an exit with Sailor Mercury leading the way using her visor and her computer. Solaris was carrying Sailor Moon on his back while the rest of the Guardians walked.

"Are you sure that this is the right way, Mercury?" asked Sailor Venus worriedly.

"I'm pretty sure, according to the sensors," said Sailor Mercury. "However... we do have some sort of a problem."

"What kind of problem?" wondered Luna.

"This appears to be completely sealed projective space," explained Sailor Mercury. "Theoretically, it's not connected to our three-dimensional space. It's more like a two-dimensional space. You see, the polarity of this tunnel is in an inverse phase, and it's connected to the other space through a zero dimension."

Everyone stared at Sailor Mercury feeling completely confused. Even Luna and Artemis were a bit puzzled.

"Hold on a sec, Mercury. We can't understand what you're saying," complained Sailor Jupiter. "You're using too many big words."

"I think what she's trying to say is that the space that Zoisite and Kunzite created has become somewhat unstable and no longer connecting to our world," said Solaris. "And instead of walking to the exit like we normally would, we've instead walked into another dimension. That make sense?"

Sailor Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Luna, and Artemis stared dumbly at Solaris while Sailor Mercury smiled.

"Yes. Exactly," Sailor Mercury said brightly.

"How on Earth were you able to translate that?!" wondered Sailor Mars.

"When you study with Ami for a long time, you learn a couple of things," replied Solaris.

Luna sighed. "It's a good thing we have Sailor Mercury for these kinds of situations... and Solaris for that matter."

"Never mind that. The important thing is that we gotta move!" said Sailor Jupiter. "If we stick around here, those guys are sure to find us."

"By the way, Solaris, are you OK carrying Sailor Moon?" asked Sailor Venus.

"Don't worry. I'm fine," replied Solaris. "After all, she is my sister, so this should be a piece of cake."

Just then, Sailor Moon stirred, and her eyes began to flutter open.

"Hey you guys, she's waking up!" said Sailor Mercury.

Sailor Moon was now fully awake as she looked around. Then she suddenly remembered also realizing that someone was missing, and immediately got off Solaris' back and on her feet.

"Tuxedo Mask! Tuxedo Mask, where is he?!" she asked. "He's not dead, is he?!"

Sailor Mars then spoke up. "No. He's still alive. But he was taken away by the enemy. We have no idea where he is right now."

Sailor Moon, now crestfallen, looked towards the ground. She was relieved that Mamoru was still alive, but she was also sad that her beloved got taken.

Then Artemis spoke up. "Listen up, everyone. Now that the princess has awakened, I think it's time that you know the whole story." He then turned to Luna. "Luna, when the Princess finally woke up, did all of your memories return?"

"Yes, very clearly," replied Luna.

"Wait... what are you talking about?" puzzled Sailor Jupiter.

"He's talking about our previous lives," explained Sailor Venus. "Our previous lives in the Moon Kingdom, Silver Millennium."

"Hold on a second," said Solaris raising his hand. "Before we get into any of that, there's something I want to confirm first."

All the guardians then looked at Solaris as he looked at Sailor Venus.

"As we already know, Usagi aka Sailor Moon is the Moon Princess, not Sailor Venus," he said. "You could have told us about that sooner, but you didn't. So what I wanna know is why did you lie to us about being the princess, Sailor Venus?"

Sailor Venus frowned, not looking Solaris in the eye. "I'm sorry... I - I had no intention to lie. There was a good reason that I did what I did."

"She's right. It was all to protect the Princess as well as the Silver Crystal," said Artemis. "Please don't blame Sailor Venus. I was the one who told her to disguise herself as the princess."

Solaris stared at Sailor Venus. Then he sighed.

"I'm still a bit mad. I mean, I thought that you two were the enemy, for Pete's sake. However - I suppose I can let it slide," he said. "But, if we're supposed to be a team, there can be no more lies. No more secrets. Understand?"

Sailor Venus and Artemis looked at each other and then gave Solaris a nod in agreement.

Solaris then nodded. "Alright then. Artemis, I believe you and Luna were about to tell us your story?"

Artemis and Luna then began telling their tale.

"A long time ago, there was a kingdom on the Moon known as the Silver Millennium," said Luna. "It was a peaceful paradise ruled by our benevolent queen, Queen Serenity, the head of the Royal Family."

"But then one day, something terrible happened. An evil entity took over the Earth!" continued Artemis. "Within a short amount of time, its forces attacked us to steal the Silver Crystal stored inside Silver Millenium. After a fierce battle, the kingdom was destroyed, but we managed to seal away the evil entity with the Silver Crystal's power. And you five are the reincarnations of the Guardians who fought that battle."

"Now, wait just a minute," said Sailor Jupiter. "Are you saying that we're beings from the moon kingdom?"

"Not exactly," said Sailor Venus. "We're normal earthlings, and the mothers and fathers that we know are our true parents."

"That was the wish of the Moon Queen," added Luna. "She wanted the princess and the rest of you all to live happily on this planet as ordinary people. That's why she chose this era to reincarnate you."

"However, it hasn't worked out quite as she hoped," said Artemis grimly. "Someone has released that evil entity into the world."

"And that evil entity is the Dark Kingdom's boss, isn't it?" wondered Sailor Mercury.

"Correct," nodded Luna. "And I'm sorry if it had to come to this. If it weren't for them, you would have lived your lives peacefully as normal people. But if we don't protect the Silver Crystal and defeat the enemy, there can be no peace, and there won't be a future for any of us!"

"It's our mission to fight this battle," added Sailor Venus. "We cannot allow the tragedies of the past repeat themselves. We have to work together and fight! Do you understand?"

"Absolutely!" agreed Sailor Mars.

"You can count me in," added Sailor Jupiter. "Let's beat this enemy together!"

"Yeah. I'm in too," said Solaris punching his hand. "Besides, I won't rest until I beat Zoisite's face into the ground! I owe it to Nephrite!"

Every one of the guardians was determined to fight the Dark Kingdom, but there was one who wasn't as willing. Unfortunately, that one was Sailor Moon.

"I'm sorry... but count me out," she spoke quietly.

Everyone looked at Sailor Moon, clearly surprised.

"Sailor Moon? What do you mean?" asked Sailor Jupiter.

"I'm sorry... but I'm sick of it. I'm sick of fighting," Sailor Moon continued. "I can't do it."

"Are you serious?" Luna asked incredulously.

"I am. I'm sick of it!" Sailor Moon spoke bitterly. "It's all I ever do!"

"How can you even talk that?" Sailor Venus spoke bewildered with shock. "You're the Moon Princess!"

"You say I'm the Princess, but the truth is, I don't feel like one," Sailor Moon said. "I'm not even sure if I want to be one! I'm Usagi Tsukino, not this Princess Serenity!"

"Usagi, don't you understand? You have a mission!" scolded Luna. "When are you ever going to -."

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANY SO-CALLED MISSIONS!" Sailor Moon burst out, jumping to her feet. "I mean, so what if I had a previous life?! It's got nothing to do with me, don't you get it?! I'm tired of risking our lives fighting all the time!" She then looked towards the floor, her eyes filling with tears. "What if... what if all of you end up just like Mamoru? I don't ever want to see that happen! I'm just - tired of being sad!"

Everyone stared at Sailor Moon, surprised at her sudden outburst. Then Sailor Mars walked up to her and gave her a hard slap on her cheek hard.

"How can you talk like that?!" she demanded hotly. "You're a coward, Usagi! A big coward!"

"You're right! I'm not strong like you-"

Sailor Moon looked back at Sailor Mars about to vent her frustrations, but then she saw Sailor Mars' face. She was surprised to see that the guardian of Mars had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You crybaby! Mamoru got hurt trying to protect you, and this is how you pay him back?!" Sailor Mars tearfully snapped. "If that's the way you feel, then Mamoru risked his life for you for nothing!"

Solaris then stepped in, gently pushing them away from each other. "Now, now. Let's calm down a bit," he said gently. "I know tensions are high, and Usagi might be feeling a bit overwhelmed, but I think we need to take a minute, especially with everything that's happened.

"Solaris is right," said Artemis. "Sailor Moon just needs some time to think about this."

"But Artemis-" protested Luna.

"It'll be alright," said Sailor Mercury. "Give her a little space, and I'm sure that the old Usagi will come back. But, until then, let's be patient and watch over her." She then closed her computer. "More importantly, I found the exit."

"Good job, Mercury," smiled Luna. "I do want to discuss this further, but we'd better get out of here while we can."

"I agree. Let's get going," said Sailor Venus.

The group was just about to start walking when they all felt an evil presence just above them. They then looked up, and there above them was Kunzite.

"So you managed to find the exit, eh? Very impressive," he said. "But don't think that you'll be leaving this place alive."

Everyone immediately stepped in front of Sailor Moon, protecting her.

"Luna! Artemis! You two get somewhere safe!" said Sailor Venus urgently.

"OK, we hear you," said Artemis. "But be careful, Venus."

"Good luck, everyone," said Luna.

Then the two cats went for cover under some of the rubble. Sailor Venus then stood bravely before Kunzite, ready to fight.

"Alright. You four protect the princess," she said. "I'll take of this!"

Sailor Jupiter then stood next to her. "Hold on. I'm fighting with you," she said, taking a stance. "Can't let you have all the fun for yourself."

Sailor Venus smiled. "Thanks, Jupiter. Appreciate that."

"You're wasting your time," scoffed Kunzite. "You don't stand a chance before my power."

"Don't underestimate us!" Sailor Jupiter yelled as her signature antenna came out of her tiara sparking with power. "JUPITER SUPREME THUNDER!"

Her signature attack shot forth, but then a black spacial barrier appeared around Kunzite and absorbed the attack making it disappear entirely.

"No way! He completely absorbed my attack!" gasped Sailor Jupiter.

"Then how about this?!" said Sailor Venus as she aimed with her finger. "VENUS CRESCENT BEAM!"

Sailor Venus fired a powerful beam of yellow light, but just like Jupiter's, Kunzite's barrier absorbed her attack, rendering it ineffective.

"It's no use! In this dimension, he can absorb every ounce of energy we throw at him," said Sailor Mercury.

"I think we just established that, Mercury!" Solaris cried.

"Then how are we supposed to do?!" asked Sailor Mars.

"Die!" responded Kunzite as he created a powerful attack in the form of a sparkling energy ball, throwing it at Sailor Venus and Jupiter.

The two Sailors were blasted back by the attack, but they managed to stay on their feet, far from defeated.

"It's gonna take a lot more than that to defeat us!" growled Sailor Jupiter.

"Yeah! Is that the best you got, Kunzite?!" Sailor Venus taunted.

"Far from it!" Kunzite smirked as he created another sparking ball more potent than before and appeared to be a fusion of Jupiter's Supreme Thunder and Venus' Crescent Beam. "Take this!"

He then unleashed the blast hurling it towards the two Sailors.

"Watch out!" Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, and Solaris cried.

But it was too late. Jupiter and Venus were hit full force by the attack knocking them unconscious. Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury then stepped forward.

"Solaris? Take of the Princess for us," said Sailor Mercury.

Sailor Mars then looked at Sailor Moon, who was worried and nervous.

"Listen, Sailor Moon. You need to accept your destiny," she said. "Be strong. You can do this."

"Stop wasting my time," interrupted Kunzite. "Are you ready to die or not?"

Sailor Mercury and Mars then faced Kunzite, and both attacked simultaneously.

"MERCURY BUBBLE SPRAY!"

"MARS FIRE SOUL!"

Mars' fireball and Mercury's stream of bubbles shot out only to be absorbed by Kunzite once again. Then a ball of fire and water formed in Kunzite's hands.

"You fools! Take this!"

Kunzite then unleashed the attack, hitting Sailor Mars and Mercury, knocking the two flat on their backs unconscious. Sailor Moon gasped in horror while Solaris bravely stood before her, ready to protect her from harm. Kunzite then smirked with triumph.

"And now it's your turn, Princess," he said darkly. "You ready to die?"

"She's not! Because I'm here!" said Solaris bravely.

"Don't interfere, Solaris," said Kunzite holding up his hand. "Or I'll make your death a painful one!"

The dark general then blasted the two of them, forcing Solaris back.

"You're quite the stubborn one," murmured Kunzite. "How about this one?!"

He blasted them again, sending the two flying until they landed on the floor. Sailor Moon immediately rushed to her brother's side.

"Solaris! Are you alright?!" she asked worriedly. "Hang in there!"

"I'm fine!" said Solaris as he got to his feet. "It's nothing to worry about."

"But... this is why I don't want to fight anymore!" Sailor Moon cried. "All of my friends getting hurt just to protect me! If you all keep this up, you'll all die!"

"I'm aware of that, and I get it," said Solaris. "But... we have to do this! We have to protect you, Sailor Moon! No matter what!"

"But... why?! I'm nothing! I'm nothing but a weak little girl who can't do anything!" Sailor Moon wailed. "I don't even know what to do anymore!"

Solaris then looked back towards Sailor Moon. "Sailor Moon. Listen to me. You're a strong person, and I'm not just saying that because you're my sister. I know for a fact that you're stronger than you think. The other guardians and I all believe in you! So trust yourself and be brave."

Then with a mighty yell, Solaris leaped towards Kunzite, his fist clenched. But Kunzite then unleashed one more powerful blast, forcing Solaris to the floor hard, making an imprint of his body on the ground.

"No! Solaris!" cried Sailor Moon as she rushed over to him. "Are you alright?!"

Solaris didn't respond, for he, too, fell unconscious, leaving Sailor Moon was on her own. Then she heard the voices of her friends.

"Usagi... don't give up..."

"Believe in yourself..."

"Give it your all..."

"You can do it."

Sailor Moon then stood up, her courage beginning to grow. "Rei. Minako. Ami. Rei. Harusuke."

Then she heard another familiar voice in her mind — the voice of her love, Tuxedo Mask.

"Fight, Sailor Moon! Hold it up - raise the Silver Crystal high and use its power!"

Sailor Moon then raised the Moon Stick high and stood bravely ready to face Kunzite.

"So, you've chosen to plunge into the depths of hell on your own, eh Princess?" he spoke. "That's fine by me! I'll now have my revenge for what you and your pathetic friends did to Zoisite!"

He then raised his hands, and a large, powerful ball of energy formed as he fired it at Sailor Moon. But the guardian of the Moon refused to run as the crystal began to shine on the Moon Stick.

"Please, Silver Crystal!" begged Sailor Moon. "Lend me your power! Give me strength!"

The Silver Crystal shone even brighter and enveloped Usagi in its bright light in response to her call. Then, with a mighty yell, Sailor Moon unleashed a powerful attack, completely overpowering Kunizte's attack and blasting him along with it. At the same time, the light of the Silver Crystal shone throughout the Starlight Tower, enveloping it with its bright glow destroying it and sending Usagi and the others back to the real world.

In the Dark Dimension, Zoisite was resting while waiting for Kunzite to return. At that moment, Kunzite had appeared. He was now holding his side in pain and was slightly charred. Zoisite quickly rushed over to him.

"Kunzite! Are you alright?!" he cried worriedly. "You're hurt!"

"This... is bad," Kunzite grunted. "She's beginning to learn how to use the Silver Crystal.

Zoisite then gasped. "You're talking about Sailor Moon, aren't you?! That witch! It's one thing to hurt me, but no one hurts my dear Kunzite! I'll make them-"

"Zoisite, stop!" ordered Zoisite. "We're in no condition to be fighting the guardians right now. Especially with our current situation. For now, we'll have to fight another day."

Zoisite growled with hate and anger, but he knew Kunzite was right. So he held his lover's hand and stroked it gently, hoping that it would ease the pain.

Back with Queen Beryl, she had just begun the healing process, for Mamoru was now watching over him. Mamoru started to stir, seeming to be dreaming as he slept.

"S-Serenity..."

"Endymion... she still haunts you. You still cannot forget about her," Queen Beryl spoke with a hint of pity. "No matter how much you love Serenity, it is a love that can never be. But fear not. I'll make sure that you forget about her. And then - you will become happier."

Sailor Moon now stared out towards the ocean as she said a silent prayer for her beloved. The sun's morning glow illuminated over the horizon as it slowly peeked up.

"Tuxedo Mask... thank you," she said to herself. "I pray that you're safe."

Now fully awake, the other guardians came up to her, their faces filled with pride.

"You saved us all, Sailor Moon," said Sailor Venus. "Thank you."

"Does this mean that you're still gonna fight with us?" asked Sailor Mars.

Sailor Moon smiled widely and gave a firm nod. "You bet I will."

Solaris then hugged his sister. "That's my sis. I knew you'd come around."

"In that case, that completes stage one," smiled Luna. "Wouldn't you agree, Artemis?"

"Indeed. You were very brave, Usagi!" concurred Artemis.

"And the same could be said for the rest of you too," said Luna. "Remember, if we continue to work together and do our best, we can overcome any obstacle!"

Everyone heartily agreed. Sailor Moon took one last look at the sea, now more determined than before as they headed home.

"I know he's out there somewhere," she thought. "Tuxedo Mask... I won't give up until I find you. I promise."