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In the hidden space of the circus tent, Zirconia once again stood alone before the mirror as Zircon showed her a replay of the recent battle between Super Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon and the lion. As she did, a dark and feminine voice came speaking to her.
"Intriguing. Without a doubt, that's the power of the Silver Crystal. And it would also appear that those of the White Kingdom have reincarnated. So what will you do now, Zirconia?"
"Do not be concerned, my queen," the old hag reassured. "I'm well aware of who they are now, nor have I forgotten about the White Kingdom. I know that they're our hated enemies, and I will make sure that we will succeed in eliminating them and achieve our goal."
"Good," the voice said. "Turn then all into the prey of nightmares and bring me Pegasus, and while you're at it, the Silver Crystal. I must have them both. I need them both. Is that understood?"
"As you wish," said Zirconia as she gave one last bow before leaving.
Over at the Hikawa Shrine, Usagi and Chibiusa were showing off their brooches with pride to the other girls while telling them what had happened with the lion.
"Man, it's just one thing after another with us," sighed Minako. "First, the eclipse, and now this?"
"And that lion from before must have been from the Dead Moon Circus," said Rei. "Now I'm even more suspicious of them."
"But, on the plus side, both Usagi and Chibiusa's power-ups couldn't have come at a better time," said Artemis. "With them being able to use their super forms, we should have the edge over our enemies."
"But that just means that the rest of us will have to get stronger too," said Makoto. "It does suck, though. We can't let them do all the work, right?"
"I'm just happy that I got a new brooch," smiled Usagi as she showed it off. "Look how sparkly and new it is!"
"I'm excited I'm finally a full-fledged Sailor Guardian," said Chibiusa. "and not just a trainee."
Usagi grinned teasingly. "You still have a ways to go, kiddo. About ten years at most."
Chibiusa sulkily pouted while everyone else laughed a bit.
"By the way, where's Harusuke?" Makoto asked the Tsukino girls. "Shouldn't he be with you guys?"
"He's over at the gym," replied Chibiusa. "He said that he had to get his daily reps in and would talk to us later."
"You mean he's working out again?" said Rei. "Now that I think about it, he does work out a lot. Probably keeping up his strength, I suppose."
"Say, Usagi? He hasn't been overdoing it with working out, has he?" Ami asked.
"I don't think so," replied Usagi. "Why do you ask that?"
"I'm just a bit concerned," said Ami. "If you remember our past instances with that blonde guy, Harusuke was beaten rather soundly in our last battles."
"Yeah. No kidding," Minako spoke with a frown. "Despite looking tacky, he was strong enough to beat him even when he used one of the new forms he got from Haruka and the others."
"And knowing him, he's probably training to the bone to get payback," Makoto said. "I honestly don't blame him. I can remember feeling the same way. So let's just hope he's not pushing himself too hard."
"I'm sure that there's nothing to worry about," said Usagi. "After all, Harusuke learned the hard way about what happens if you work out too much. Besides, Harusuke is a boy, after all. Sometimes a boy's gotta go and let off some steam once in a while."
Suddenly, Usagi then gasped, realizing something.
"Oh, no! I just remembered! Mamoru was coming over to our house to study today!" she cried. "Come on, Chibiusa! Let's get going!"
"Right!" said Chibiusa. "We'll see you later, everyone!"
The two ordangos took off as fast as their legs could carry them.
"But, wait! What about Harusuke?!" called out Minako.
"Don't worry! We'll check on him when we get home!" Usagi called back.
And the two continued on their way, leaving the other girls behind, baffled and exasperated.
Meanwhile, Harusuke was busy practicing on a punching bag in the gym, furiously punching and kicking in swift strikes. As he did, a couple of other members in the gym were watching him, their faces filled with bafflement.
"Whoa, you see that guy?" asked a male. "He's been at it for almost an hour and is still going strong!"
"Wish I had that kind of stamina," said a girl. "He's super strong."
Harusuke then gave one more hard punch before finally running out of stamina. After that, he grabbed a towel, used it to wipe his brow, and sat down to take a break.
As he took a moment to catch his breath, he started thinking about his previous battles with Tiger's Eye.
"I still can't believe how strong that blonde guy and those Lemures things are," he thought. "I couldn't do anything. And my Uranus form didn't work; then it's likely that my other forms won't be enough."
He also recalled when Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon obtained their Super forms enabling them to defeat the circus lion.
"I know that I shouldn't be worried about Usagi and Chibiusa, especially now that they're grown stronger, but I can't let them do all the work. Eventually, there will come a time when they'll need backup. And since my forms aren't going to be much help, and I still haven't fully mastered Silver Paladin yet, that leaves only the Unison Fusion, and I'm not even sure if that'll be enough."
He took a deep breath and sighed.
"I suppose the only thing I can do right now is to be prepared, and if all else fails, if I encounter that blonde guy again, I'll make sure to beat him. Until then..."
He got back up and had a swig of water. Then, he went over to the locker rooms to get dressed.
At the Tsukino house, Usagi and Chibiusa met up with Mamo, and he was soon busy going over the two ordango's summer homework. While they focused on studying, they also enjoyed each other's company.
Just then, Luna and Artemis came into the room. The black cat looked elated yet teasing, while Artemis seemed somewhat flustered.
"Luna, I'm telling you, you've got it all wrong!" Artemis insisted.
But she didn't listen. "Hey, everyone, get this," she said. "Artemis seems to have found himself a girlfriend."
"Oh, really?!" Chibiusa gushed excitedly. "Who is it?!"
"What's she like?!" Usagi asked eagerly.
"We were walking past Juuban Church when we came across this pretty young nun in front," explained Luna. "And almost immediately, he couldn't help but stop and stare at her with a big dreamy look on his face."
"I'm telling you, you've got it all wrong!" Artemis protested. "It wasn't anything like that!"
"So, Artemis is in love, eh?" Usagi grinned cheekily. "How exciting!"
"Even I got to say, you got good taste, Artemis," said Mamoru. "I've seen that nun myself, and she's quite a beauty."
Usagi and Chibiusa immediately glared at him, making him go silent.
Meanwhile, over at the lake in Juuban Park, everything was quiet and peaceful, just as it always has been. Then, suddenly, the sky grew dark and a mysterious explosion shattered through the silent atmosphere. Then, in a puff of pink smoke, a tiny object fell from the sky, shot through the trees, and crash-landed into the bushes.
"Ouch, that hurt!" the tiny object complained. "I've got to work on my landings!"
Not long after they finished their study session, Mamoru got ready to leave while taking Artemis with him to drop him off at Minako's house. The white cat was now depressed for not getting a chance to explain himself fully about what happened at the church.
"All right, you two, we're off," said Mamoru. "Now, I expect you two to complete five pages of your workbooks done by tomorrow, got that?"
"Okay!" Usagi and Chibiusa said. "Bye, Mamo! Bye, Artemis."
Mamoru waved goodbye, but Artemis didn't say a word as they went away.
"Boy, Artemis sure looked depressed, didn't he?" Chibiusa said to Usagi.
"Well, can you honestly blame him?" said Usagi. "Luna, the love of his life, totally misunderstood him."
Luna's heart skipped a beat as she got a little flustered. "Now, just a minute, you two! All I did was...!"
But she was quickly interrupted.
"You know that Artemis loves you, Luna," chided Usagi. "I get that you like to tease him, but sometimes you can be a bit cold."
"Yeah, and you should especially be careful considering that Artemis is the emotional and sensitive type," warned Chibiusa. "If you accidentally break his heart or something, he might run away forever."
"Oh, poor Artemis," Usagi sighed, letting her imagination go wild. "He's probably binge eating out of a trash can right now after the way he got treated."
Luna knew that the two girls were being dramatic, but all the same, she also felt worried that she may have gone too far.
As Mamoru and Artemis went on their way, the white feline still felt depressed.
"Come on, Artemis. Cheer up," soothed Mamoru. "It's going to be all right."
"But it's not fair," sighed Artemis. "I can't believe Luna was acting that way. It's all a big fat misunderstanding."
"Well, you honestly can't blame her," said Mamoru. "You know better than to stare at another woman in front of the one you like."
"You're misunderstanding too, Mamoru!" complained Artemis. "I swear it wasn't like that!"
Then, the two heard an unfamiliar voice.
"Father!"
Mamoru then stopped as he and Artemis looked up.
A tiny gray kitten jumped out from on top of a hedge, landing in front of the two. It also had small pink eyes and a yellow crescent moon mark on her forehead.
Both Mamoru and Artemis were surprised.
"Did... that voice come from that kitten?" Mamoru asked.
"Yes. I think it did," said Artemis.
Sure enough, the gray kitten did speak as her eyes sparkled when she saw Artemis. "Father, I'm so glad that I found you!" she said happily. "It's me, your daughter!"
Mamoru and Artemis were now even more surprised.
"D-Did that kitten just call you, Father?!" Mamoru asked Artemis incredulously.
The white cat then jumped down on the ground. "I'm very sorry, but I think you got the wrong cat," said Artemis. "I don't recall ever seeing you before and am not even married."
The gray kitten then went over to Artemis and nuzzled against him affectionately, not listening. "Thank goodness! Mother warned me not to get picked up by any strangers even if they seem nice once I got here," she said. "And I know that it's you. Who else would it be?"
Artemis couldn't help but cringe in bewilderment, now more confused, but there was worse to come. Luna arrived, having heard and seen everything, and she was livid. So much so that she looked like she would burst into flames.
"Artemis! It's bad enough that you gawk at beautiful women like that nun," Luna shrieked angrily. "But now I find out that you had a kitten I didn't know about, you two-timing loser tomcat!"
"Luna, please! It has to be a mistake!" cried Artemis. "I've never seen or heard anything about this kitten before! This kitten isn't mine, honest!"
"Mistake my paw!" Luna snapped. "Not only can she talk, but she's also got the same crescent moon mark as we do! Those little coincidences prove that she's your child! I'm so done with you!"
And before Artemis could react, Luna brandished her claws and gave him a wicked slap right across his cheek, knocking him to the ground. The black cat then dashed away, leaving Artemis, Mamoru, and the gray kitten bewildered and stunned.
At the Dead Moon Circus tent, Tiger's Eye, Hawk's Eye, and Fish's Eye were practicing their acts in the center of the ring with the other Lemures as their audience.
Tiger's Eye commanded three tigers with his whip, having them perform various tricks. Hawk's Eye was performing fire-eating tricks, putting torches into his mouth and then releasing a massive torrent of flames with a single exhale. And Fish's Eye stood on top of a giant beachball, dancing while flipping onto his hands as he rolled along.
All of the Lemures were amazed and applauded. Even the four girls of Amazon Quartet were impressed. But then, Zirconia's voice came, booming throughout the tent.
"Tiger's Eye! Fish's Eye! Hawk's Eye!"
The Amazon Trio stopped as a big puff of purple smoke billowed forth, and from the end of the jade statue, Zirconia appeared along with her pet Zircon.
"You three seem to have a lot of time practicing your tricks at a time like this," Zirconia scowled. "What about capturing Pegasus?"
"Don't you worry, Madame Zirconia, we haven't been neglecting our duties," said Hawk's Eye. "We're just honing our skills, is all."
"Well, they need it," huffed Zirconia. "But I'm warning you three, I expect results, so make sure you find Pegasus soon!"
"Come on, Granny. Give them a break," said VesVes. "At least they're doing their best to find Pegasus. And the only reason why they're having trouble is because of those Guardians."
"Be that as is may, I hate being disappointed," said Zirconia. "So, it'd be wise for them to be careful, and the same goes for you and the girls, VesVes."
"Understood," the Amazon Trio all spoke as they bowed.
"Yeah, Yeah. Whatever," sighed VesVes.
Over at the bar, the boys of Amazon Trio were having drinks while trying to select another target.
"Man, we got scolded again by Zirconia!" complained Tiger's Eye. "I hope you two are happy!"
"How is it our fault?" Hawk's Eye huffed. "You're the one who keeps failing the most, and we've never got a chance to shine ourselves!"
"Yeah, so how about you cool it for a minute before you start blaming others," added Fish's Eye as he looked through the photos. "Then again, we haven't had any luck lately, and these targets aren't even that good."
"No kidding," agreed Hawk's Eye. "Aren't there any pure, innocent, and still attractive women anywhere in this town?"
Tiger's Eye eyes then fell upon one particular photo of a woman who was the nun over at Juuban Church. She had fair skin, a youthful face with green eyes, and wore the traditional clothes of a full-fledged nun of black and white.
"Well, now. I think I've found one," the blonde spoke with a sly grin. "And from what I can see, this cutie is the purest girl I've ever seen."
Hawk's Eye and Fish's Eye came over to inspect.
"Wow! You're right!" Fish's Eye spoke with interest. "Not bad!"
"But isn't she a bit out of your league, Tiger's Eye?" Hawk's Eye asked snootily.
"I don't think so," Tiger's Eye spoke confidently. "As they say, the higher the mountain, the better the view. And that feeling of conquering such a summit makes it the more satisfying with a woman like this one."
After searching for Luna yet unable to find her, Artemis went home to Minako's house, hoping to find some solace with Minako.
"Minako, I'm home!" he called out while entering the girl's room.
He soon found Minako standing in front of a window with her back turned. Usually, she would greet him back, but this time, she remained silent.
"Mina, is something wrong?" asked Artemis.
"Tell me something, Artemis," Minako spoke quietly. "Who is your owner?"
Artemis chuckled. "Come on, Minako. What do you mean by "owner"? You and I are partners who have been in a neverending battle to protect justice and peace," he said. "You and I have fought side-by-side for a long time now."
" "Partners," you say?" Minako spoke curtly. "If that's so, then do partners keep secrets from each other?"
Artemis was puzzled, wondering what Minako meant by secrets, then he realized, believing he knew the reason. "Oops, sorry. I'll admit that I was the one that ate the last piece of pie," he said. "But I wouldn't call that a secret per se."
Minako then slapped her window frame hard, making Artemis jump as she clenched her hand into a fist. "I wasn't talking about the pie," she spoke hotly. "I haven't even realized that."
Artemis then thought about other things he kept hidden. "Then, is it about your favorite cup I accidentally broke?" he asked. "Or was it about yanking down your ribbon on the clothesline and spoiling it? Or could it be about your favorite sweater lying next to my litter box when I accidentally-!"
"STOP!" interrupted Minako, trembling and seething in anger while remaining composed. "I wasn't talking about those things either, although now I can stop wondering how all that happened."
Artemis could see that Minako wasn't acting like her usual self. But then, he saw that her phone was off of her receiver and immediately knew the cause.
"Oh, no! Don't tell me this is about-!"
Minako slowly turned around, wearing an eerily anger-fueled smile with a twitching eyebrow as she held up the phone. "I just got an interesting call from Chibiusa with surprising news," she said. "It seems that you've become a father, Artemis, and you didn't even bother to tell me."
"Now, hold on just a minute! That's not true!" Artemis cried out. "It's all a misunderstanding!"
At that moment, Minako exploded. "LIAR!" she shouted as she took a stomp forward, making her whole room tremble and Artemis jump with fright.
"It's the truth, Mina!" Artemis cried. "I swear I don't know anything about this! I'm innocent!"
"So, you're going to pretend you don't even know this kitten you brought into the world!?" Minako continued in her rant while pointing an accusing finger. "Don't give me that, you deadbeat dad! You need to be a man and take responsibility!"
"BUT I'M INNOCENT!" wailed Artemis, his voice echoing throughout the house.
Back at the Hikawa Shrine, and like with Minako, Usagi told Ami, Rei, and Makoto about the situation, and needless to say, they were surprised and appalled. Hoping to comfort Luna, the girls met up in Rei's room, bringing snacks and treats for the feline.
"Wow! You guys brought animal cookies!" Usagi drooled hungrily.
"And Choco-pi, too!" Chibiusa also spoke hungrily.
But Rei was quick to stop them by lightly bopping their heads. "That's enough, you two!" she scolded. "Those are for Luna!" She spoke kindly to the black cat. "Now, go on and eat up, Luna. After all, they say that food's the best remedy for a broken heart."
"Yeah, and there's plenty of other fish in the sea," added Makoto. "Or this case, plenty of other cats in the alley."
"But are there any other cats that can speak?" wondered Ami.
Makoto then gave Ami a nudge wanting her to hush, but Luna smiled.
"Don't worry, girls, nothing is going on between Artemis and me," she reassured. "Besides, I have an important mission to train and raise Usagi to become a proper queen. Artemis has his life, and I have mine."
But Usagi was puzzled. "So, does this mean something happened between you and Artemis, Luna?" she asked.
"Come on, Usagi! I know you can be dumb sometimes, but wake up!" sighed Rei. "The fact that Artemis had a child with another cat could only mean one thing!"
"And that's a clear way of saying that he and Luna are over," said Makoto.
"But I didn't even know that Artemis and Luna were a couple," said Usagi.
Luna then groaned. "Sometimes, I wonder if my mission's impossible, and I'm just wasting my breath."
"By the way, Usagi, where's Harusuke?" asked Ami. "I'm surprised that he isn't here."
"I'm assuming that he's still out and about working out," said Usagi. "I've tried calling him on the communicator, but he hasn't responded."
Makoto then gasped. "Oh, man! I just realized! If we were angry enough with Artemis after discovering what happened, imagine how angry Harusuke would be!"
Everyone then gasped.
"Oh my gosh! Mako's right! Harusuke's going to burn him to a pile of ashes!" Usagi squeaked fearfully. "Or maybe turn him into a trophy pelt for his room!"
The girls then gasped as they began to imagine Harusuke as Solaris looming over Artemis, enraged while blasting Artemis with his powers and swinging his sword.
"Hey, don't even say things like that, Usagi!" Luna snapped.
"That's right. Harusuke may be a bit short-tempered, but there's no way he would go as far as to hurt Artemis in any way," Ami added. Then, she hesitated. "Right?"
Everyone looked across at each other, unsure how to respond.
Meanwhile, Harusuke was walking home. As he did, he suddenly let out a sneeze.
"Well, that was a big one," he spoke, slightly sniffling. "Hopefully, I'm not catching a cold or something."
Then, he saw a particular white cat walking sadly with his head hung low, prompting him to catch up with him.
"Yo, Artemis!" he greeted. "What's the matter with you? You look like someone stole your favorite limited edition food or something."
Artemis sadly looked up. "Oh, Harusuke, it's you," he said in a feeble voice. "I bet you're gonna yell at me too, huh?"
"Why would I do something like that?" wondered Harusuke. "Did something happen?"
Artemis shook his head. "No, maybe it'll be best not to tell you," he sighed. "After all, I'm just a hopeless deadbeat."
Harusuke could see that Artemis was miserable. "All right, Artemis. Tell me what's wrong," he said. "You can talk to me."
"But if I tell you, you're going to misunderstand too," Artemis moaned. "At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if anyone were to believe me."
"Come on, Artemis. Just tell me what's wrong," Harusuke insisted kindly. "You're a friend, and I'd feel bad if I just left you all by your lonesome. I promise I'll listen to what you have to say."
Artemis looked up with a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes, then told Harusuke everything that had happened.
When he finished, Harusuke remained silent at first. Then, he burst out laughing hysterically.
"Hey, you don't need to laugh!" huffed Artemis indignantly. "I fail to see what's so funny about my suffering!"
"I'm sorry, Artemis, but it's so ridiculous that I couldn't help it," said Harusuke as he calmed down a little. "That has to be the craziest thing I've ever heard! You? Cheating on Luna with another cat and having a kitten? Come on!"
Artemis stared at Harusuke in surprise. "Wait, does that mean... you believe me?" he asked in amazement.
"Of course, I believe you," Harusuke smiled. "I mean, sure, you're a bit rough around the edges, and you inadvertently stared at a girl in the wrong place and time, but there's no way that you would do anything as silly as that. Why would you even bother since you're a talking cat?"
The white cat's blue eyes filled with tears as he jumped into Harusuke and started sobbing comically. "Harusuke! You're the only one who understands me!" he wailed happily.
"Whoa, easy with waterworks there, Usagi II," Harusuke said as he pulled him away. "But this does pose a problem, considering that this looks pretty bad from your position. We've got to find a way to clear your name, but we can't do that without proof. So the question is, where are we going to find it?"
He then took a few seconds to think, thoughtfully humming as he tapped his chin while Artemis waited. Then, Harusuke got an idea.
"Hold on. Artemis, could you tell me what this kitten looked like?" he asked.
"She was female, had a crescent moon mark like Luna and me, and gray fur," answered the white cat.
A grin then tugged on Harusuke's lips. "Then, I think I may know who that kitten might be," he said. "But we'll have to find her first. She's the only one who can provide the proof we need."
At Juuban Church, the nun was busily at work putting up decorations of flowers, including a wreath on the door for a wedding happening later. When she finished, she closed her eyes while putting her hands together as she said a prayer.
"Dear Lord, bless the happy couple who will be wed here today."
"How lovely," said a voice that came from behind her. "Such loveliness is almost ethereal."
The nun turned around only to meet the eyes of Tiger's Eye, who had taken his usual human appearance.
However, believing that he was talking about the decorations, the nun smiled. "It is nice, isn't it?" she said. "These were thanks to nature's bounty, thoughtfulness growing into the flowers, and the love of the person who made this wreath. All of which are blessings from the Lord."
"Must be a loving guy," Tiger's Eye smiled. "Do you love the Lord?"
The nun's eyes sparkled. "Yes, I do," she replied. "He loves us all with love that surpasses our understanding."
Tiger's Eye then looked at the nun pleadingly. "Then, is it possible for me to be loved, too?" he asked innocently.
"Almost definitely," said the nun. "He loves everyone, including you. So trust in his love and give yourself to him."
The blonde then pretended to grow weak as he fell to his knees, making the nun concerned.
"Is something the matter?" the nun asked.
"I think... I heard His voice," Tiger's Eye said. "It said Love thy neighbor. And love them even if they're sinners."
"How wonderful. That's exactly right," the nun happily spoke as she started praying again. "Thank you, Lord, for shining your light on this wonderful day."
Tiger's Eye then stood up, his demeanor changing into a predatory one. "Then, I guess I am worthy of love," he said while closing in on the nun. "Because you see, I'm truly a sinner."
And before the nun could react, Tiger's Eye quickly changed into his proper form with a snap of his finger while using his powers, much to her bewilderment and fright.
"This time, I know you're the one," smirked Tiger's Eye. "I can't think of a better place for Pegasus to hide than inside of your dreams, fair sister."
The nun trembled with fright as she held up her cross. "Please, Heavenly Father, please save this humble servant! Help me defeat this enemy with your righteousness."
Tiger's Eye couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry, honey! But that only works in movies!" he growled as he lunged for his prey.
At that time, Artemis and Harusuke were still looking around for the gray kitten close by.
"Geez, where is that kitten anyway?" complained Harusuke. "You'd think that something like that would be easier to find."
"She's got to be around here somewhere," said Artemis. "Hopefully, she hasn't gone far."
Then, suddenly, the two heard a terrified shriek.
"That sounded like it came from the church!" cried Artemis.
The two ran towards the front gates and gasped. They saw Tiger's Eye standing before the nun, now trapped on a red slab with her Dream Mirror out in front of her chest.
"It's that blonde guy again!" Harusuke cried.
"And he's after the nun's Dream Mirror!" gasped Artemis. "Harusuke! Transform!"
The boy answered while holding his bracelet up high.
"SOLAR CRYSTAL POWER SHINE ON!"
Transformation Sequence: Harusuke (Post Crystal)
Harusuke's hand waves over the Sunstone Crystal, and it begins to pulse with light until it shines brightly. Harusuke, now shrouded in light, holds his hand with the Sunstone Crystal up high and throws his fist to the floor, and his symbol appears beneath him. Light encases his legs up to his hips, and in a burst of light, his boots, belt, and additional armor on his thighs materialize. Then his right encompasses his right arm from hand to shoulder, and his gloves, along with some armor, appear, and the same happens to his left hand. Harusuke then punches his fists together, creating a spark of light, and crosses his arms as his chest gets wrapped in light. Harusuke then throws his arms out, and his chest plate appears, the symbol in the middle glowing brightly. Finally, his helmet appears on his head, covering up his entire head, leaving his face exposed. Harusuke opens his eyes smiling with confidence, his transformation now complete, and assumes his signature pose, with the sun appearing in the background while his symbol overlaps it.
Tiger's Eye maliciously chuckled as he walked over to the nun. "It seems that your pleas have fallen on deaf ears," he mocked. "Or maybe your savior's busy doing something else."
At that moment, Artemis came jumping in with a yowl slashing at Tiger Eye's face with a paw. The strawberry blonde did manage to dodge, but he got flustered.
"Hey, are you insane! You could have scratched my flawless face!" Tiger's Eye yelled crossly. "Someone oughta put you in a cage!"
A voice then came from the front gates. "Then, I suggest you get ready for a beating because you'll be getting a lot more than just a scratch!"
Tiger's Eye whipped his head and saw Solaris standing there with his arms crossed. "Damn! Not this guy again!" he cursed.
"That's right! You've got a lot of nerve defiling the sanctity of a church with your evil!" the gold guardian scolded. "And while the Lord may be all-loving and forgiving, I, for one, will not be as such! I am the Guardian with the brilliance of the Sun and courage of a warrior who fights for love and justice! I am Solaris! And now, in the name of Sun with my blinding rays, I'll scorch you!"
"Oh, please! You don't know when to give up, do you?" huffed Tiger's Eye. "Why don't all of you country bumpkins start showing up?"
At that moment, another voice came from above.
"Hold it right there!"
Solaris, Artemis, and Tiger's Eye then looked up. Standing on top of the church's roof next to the cross, they saw Sailor Venus, her long blonde hair billowing in the wind.
"When the cat's away, the mice will get caught by a different cat!" Sailor Venus proclaimed.
Solaris and Artemis comically face faulted.
"I can't even begin to tell her how wrong that sounds," Solaris groaned while facepalming.
Tiger's Eye, however, gestured with his hand, shooing her. "Stay out of it, you homely girl," he huffed snootily. "It doesn't concern you."
Sailor Venus was now cross. "What?! It's bad enough that you go prying into the dreams of innocent people, but you have the nerve to call me, the guardian of love and beauty, homely?!" she snapped as she landed on the ground. "In the name of Venus, I'll punish you with the power of love!"
Having enough, Tiger's Eye using his power, made his shadow extend as he summoned forth his Lemures. "Now, come forth, Kigurumiko, the costumed character!"
From his shadow, a small, slender woman-like creature came out whose outfit was reminiscent of a romper, long-sleeved and black that covered her upper body to her head with pink on her shoulders and cleavage, blue tights, and black ballerina shoes. She also had two pink feathers on top of her head, pink cuffs, and maroon diamonds on the sides of her romper and her chest. She also had white skin with makeup in various colors, including orange lips, maroon diamonds on each of her cheeks, a red nose, and a pair of blue dots on the sides of her forehead.
"Oh, great. I hate clowns," Solaris complained.
"Kigurumiko, take care of these pests while I go dream diving!" ordered Tiger's Eye.
He then started toward the nun. Artemis tried to jump in to stop him, but Tiger's Eye swatted him away without even looking, knocking him to the ground.
"Artemis!" cried Sailor Venus.
She and Solaris attempted to help their friend, but Kigurumiko cut them off.
"Tell me, do you two have a favorite character?" the lemures asked them. "Do you two like boxing kangaroos?"
"I-I wouldn't know. I've never seen one," answered Sailor Venus.
"Neither have I," said Solaris.
Kigurumiko grinned. "Then, this should be fun!" she giggled. "Costume change!"
She then exploded in a puff of blue smoke, and when it faded away, she was now wearing a giant pink kangaroo suit with a bell on top of her head and a pair of red boxing gloves. Her make-up had also changed into a blue smile and a red mask.
"Now, you both can't say that you haven't met one!" Kigurumiko cackled. "Now then, let's fight!"
Kigurumiko then shot forward at an incredible speed, attacking with a kick. Sailor Venus and Solaris quickly jumped out of the way as her foot slammed into the ground. As she did, she couldn't help but feel that something was amiss.
"Hmm. Something feels missing," hummed Kigurumiko as she looked at her pouch. "It's just not enough for some reason."
"Oh, man! She's pretty fast as well as powerful!" said Solaris. "But, as they say, two can play that game!" He looked across to Sailor Venus. "Hey, Venus! I think it's time we do a change of our own! You with me?"
Sailor Venus smiled and nodded. "Yeah! Let's do it!"
The two guardians then held each other's hands and closed their eyes, focusing on synchronizing.
Tiger's Eye couldn't help but be puzzled. "What are those bumpkins up to now?" he wondered. "A little weird to be holding hands out of the blue."
Both Solaris and Sailor Venus synchronized, concentrating hard, shouting out together.
"UNISON FUSION! PLANETARY ALIGNMENT!"
But instead of them fusing, there was silence.
An uncomfortable pause passed. Then, Sailor Venus and Solaris looked at each other confused, and tried concentrating again, but nothing happened.
"What's going on here?!" exclaimed Sailor Venus. "Why aren't we fusing?!"
"I don't know!" Solaris spoke, also shocked. "This has never happened before!"
Tiger's Eye sighed. "I do not have time for this," he huffed while grabbing the nun's mirror. "Pardon the intrusion."
He stuck his head inside the mirror while the nun wailed in agony. Solaris and Sailor Venus tried to go over to help her, but Kigurumiko blocked their path by swinging a few punches forcing them on the defensive.
After a few seconds, Tiger's Eye popped his head out, disappointed. "Despite her dream being beautiful, I struck out again," huffed Tiger's Eye. "Now, I must send you to your heavenly rest."
He then summoned his whip and prepared to strike the mirror down.
"No! Stop!" yelled Sailor Venus.
"Leave her alone!" shouted Solaris.
Luckily, a savior pounced and, using his claws, swiped Tiger's Eye right across his hand, making him yelp in pain and drop his whip, that savior being Artemis.
Tiger's Eye was now livid. "How dare you scratch me, you furball!?" he snarled. "That's going to leave a mark! Kigurumiko! Teach this vicious creature a lesson!"
The Lemures then looked at Artemis, and when she did, her eyes sparkled. "That's it! That's the thing I've been missing!" she cried excitedly.
She then shot over to Artemis and scooped him up in her hands, and stuffed him into her pouch. It was then that a kangaroo outfit with boxing gloves materialized around the white cat, much to his surprise, and the two guardians.
"Hey! What the heck is going on here?!" Artemis exclaimed. "Why am I wearing this outfit now?!"
"It's because our powers are now combined!" said Kigurumiko with a smirk as she faced Sailor Venus and Solaris again. "You wanted a fusion, right? Well, how's this for one?!"
"Let him go, right now!" yelled Sailor Venus as she unleashed one of her moves. "VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"
She released a chain made of light, making it smack the lemures right across the cheek, but at the same time, Artemis yowled in pain as a bright red indent appeared on his cheek.
"A-Artemis! Are you all right?!" Sailor Venus gasped with regret. "I'm so sorry!"
"No way! When you attacked the lemures, Artemis felt the impact, too!" observed Solaris.
Tiger's Eye cackled. "That's right. The two of them have become joined at the pouch. If you hurt Mama Roo, then you'll hurt Baby Roo, too."
"Oh, great. As if things haven't become more complicated and weird," huffed Solaris.
Kigurumiko then recovered and swung a right hook at the two, and much to his surprise, Artemis mimicked the same punch.
"Be careful, you two!" Artemis yelled. "I can't control my body!"
The two quickly jumped out of the way, dodging her quick blows. Then, Kigurumiko gunned for Sailor Venus, throwing a right jab, and Sailor Venus ducked to avoid it but got too close to Artemis, which would be her mistake. Kigurumiko then threw an uppercut purposely missing, and Artemis mimicked the same move clocking Sailor Venus right on the chin and sending her to the ground reeling in pain.
The Lemures then attacked Solaris with a series of jabs and hooks. Solaris did his best to dodge the first couple while trying to avoid Artemis simultaneously. But as Kigurumiko threw a straight, forcing Solaris to move his head to the right, Artemis gave him a punch to the gut where there was a gap in the middle of his armor. Solaris staggered as the wind was knocked out of his lungs, and Kigurumiko gave him a left hook to his cheek, knocking him flat on the ground on his face.
Kigurumiko stood tall with Artemis as her unwilling partner, but a voice came from above.
"You sinners better pray for forgiveness because we're sure won't!"
Tiger's Eye and Kigurumiko looked up on top of the roof were Super Sailor Moon and the other Guardians.
"How dare you defile the sanctity of a church! A place where every girl dreams of getting married! That's unforgivable!" scolded Super Sailor Moon. "We're the Pretty Guardians...!"
"... who fight for love and justice!" Sailor Chibi Moon spoke as she and all the other guardians jumped down to the ground.
"I'm Sailor Moon!" she proclaimed.
"And I'm Sailor Chibi Moon!" she also declared.
"And now, in the name of the Moon, we'll punish you!" the guardians all said together.
Kigurumiko was raring to go, but Tiger's Eye was quick to retreat.
"Kigurumiko, take care of the rest of these bumpkins," ordered Tiger's Eye. "I'm out of here."
And while summoning a wormhole and jumping into it, he was gone, and the nun was also set free.
Kigurumiko then went on the attack using her speed while throwing a punch at the Guardians. While they all managed to avoid her, they noticed Artemis trying to resist while holding on for dear life, much to their surprise.
"What the heck is Artemis doing there?!" exclaimed Sailor Chibi Moon.
"I don't know, but I'll take care of that creature!" said Sailor Jupiter.
She was about to use her Supreme Thunder when Solaris shouted.
"No! Don't attack that thing! If you do, you'll end up hurting Artemis, too!"
"Yeah! Whatever we do to her, Artemis will feel the same pain!" Sailor Venus also yelled.
"Then, what are we supposed to do then?!" Sailor Mars cried.
"Don't worry about me, everyone!" Artemis shouted. "Go on and attack her!"
However, despite the white cat's consent, Kigurumiko was too quick as she threw punches and whipped her tail, knocking out one Guardian after the other.
At that moment, Luna came down from above, landing on the Lemures' back, and started clawing and biting her. Kigurumiko tried to reach behind to get her off, but she couldn't get to the black feline.
"Let Artemis go!" snarled Luna as she continued her assault.
"That's the way, Luna!" encouraged Artemis as he endured the pain. "Get her!"
But Kigurumiko had other ideas. She jumped backward and slammed Luna to the ground while landing on her back, making her let go. And wanting to make Luna pay for her interference, she jumped high into the air and shot toward her with a downwards kick intending to crush her.
"Luna! Look out!" yelled Super Sailor Moon.
Knowing that he had to save her, Artemis quickly took action. "No one's going to hurt my Luna and get away with it!" he snarled. "Take this!"
He took hold of the Lemures' pouch, opened his mouth, and gave it a hard bite. The pain caused Kigurumiko to miss her kick, her foot slamming into the ground, as she let out a loud shriek in surprise and agony. She grabbed Artemis by the neck in retaliation and threw him aside, their bond now being broken, and Artemis back to normal.
"You ungrateful little fuzzball!" Kigurumiko snarled while raising a glove. "I'll teach you to bite the pouch that holds you!"
Suddenly, a rose came shooting down from above, stopping her mid-punch as it pierced into the ground. Then, it exploded, making rose petals fly into her face, blinding her.
From above in a tree stood Tuxedo Mask.
"You depraved, poor soul who stands in the way of a young woman's prayers!" the masked man spoke. "I, Tuxedo Mask, will not forgive you!"
The Guardians were happy to see him, but they would soon find out that Tuxedo Mask wasn't alone.
The masked man took off his hat and, like a magician, took out something or, to be specific, someone out from it, causing them to gasp.
It was the little gray kitten.
"What's she doing here?!" exclaimed Artemis.
But then, Super Sailor Chibi Moon's eyes went wide with surprise and joy, knowing who the kitten was. "It's Diana!" she cried.
Everyone looked over at Super Sailor Chibi Moon in surprise. "Who?" they all wondered.
The gray kitten then hopped off Tuxedo Mask's hand, landing on the ground. "Hello, Small Lady," she greeted. "I'm happy to see you, too, but you've got a fight to finish! So hurry and finish that monster!"
Super Sailor Moon and Chibi quickly summoned their Moon Kaleidoscopes, and just as Kigurumiko managed to get the petals off of her face, they unleashed their combined signature move.
"MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!"
And with a mighty blast of rainbow-colored energy shards, Kigurumiko was no more as she was shattered into oblivion and reverted into a shadow that faded away into nothing.
Artemis then quickly rushed over to Luna. "Hey, are you all right, Luna?" he asked worriedly. "You took a pretty nasty hit."
Luna smiled. "Don't worry. I'm all right," she reassured. "You're the one that had me worried."
The white cat could only smile in relief.
After a while, the wedding at the church was a smashing success, but Usagi's group was talking with the gray kitten, who Chibiusa called Diana.
"So, just who are you exactly?" wondered Usagi. "And how do you and Chibiusa know each other?"
Before Chibiusa and Diana could answer, Harusuke cut in.
"I think I have a pretty good guess," he said. "If you'll allow me to, Diana."
Diana nodded. "Yes, you may, Harusuke," she said.
The boy paused for a bit, and then he smiled. "You're Artemis and Luna's daughter from the future, is that right?"
Diana grinned. "That's correct," she said with a giggle. "You're exactly right, Harusuke."
A brief moment of silence passed. Then, everyone let out a giant scream at once.
"WHAT? ! ? ! ? !"
Luna and Artemis were incredibly shocked, their faces going pink with surprise and embarrassment.
"Wait, so you mean to say that I'm truly her father?!" Artemis squawked.
"And I'm her mother?!" Luna cried in disbelief. "You're our daughter?!"
Diana chuckled. "Yes, I am. And I'm sorry if I caused any misunderstandings," she said. "Neo-Queen Serenity gave me permission to come back in time to see and watch over Small Lady."
"We're also best friends in the future," added Chibiusa. "We would always play together all the time."
"Then, if that's the case, then Artemis and Luna do end up together in the future," said Minako. She then looked across to Harusuke. "But how did you know who Diana was?"
"As a famous detective once said, it's elementary, my dear Minako," said Harusuke. "First, unlike you guys, I was willing to give Artemis the benefit of the doubt instead of jumping the gun. Second, their fur colors kind of clued me in."
"Their fur colors?" puzzled Usagi. "What do you mean?"
"Well, there are certain colors that make different ones. Like red and blue make purple, blue and yellow make green, and so on," said Harusuke. "In this instance, black and white make gray, and since they're the cats' colors... Well, I'll leave it up to your imaginations."
Immediately, everyone's cheeks went a bit pink with embarrassment while Usagi remained puzzled.
"Why is everyone blushing?" she wondered. "I don't get it."
"J-Just drop it, Usagi," said Rei hastily. "Have Mamoru explain it to you."
Artemis was also bright red. "Well, I guess there's nothing we can do about it," he said with a shy chuckle. "Right, Luna?"
"W-Well, I don't know about that," Luna huffed while trying to be angry. "Frankly, I have no plans to spend with a cat that gawks at a beautiful nun!"
Artemis stomped his paw standing his ground. "It wasn't her I was looking at!" he said firmly. "I was gawking at the church!" He then shyly played with his paws. "I was thinking about how nice it would be to get married in a church like that. Even with me being a cat."
Luna's cheeks went from pink to red, her heart skipping a beat.
"Oooh~!" Usagi teased. "Romance is blooming over here~!"
"Oh, knock it off, Usagi," sighed Rei.
"And while we're still on that topic, don't you all have something to say to Artemis?" Harusuke spoke, addressing everyone. "Somewhere along the lines of "sorry"?"
Usagi and the other teens along with Luna looked at each other guiltily and gave Artemis a slight bow.
"We're so sorry, Artemis," they all said. "Please forgive us."
"Don't worry about it," the white cat soothed. "I'm just glad that you all finally believe that I'm not a deadbeat dad."
"Anyway, I hope to have a nice long visit with you all, especially Mother and Father," said Diana. She turned to her parents, bowing. "Please look after me well, Mother and Father."
"M-Mother? You called me Mother," Luna spoke, once again blushing with embarrassment.
"I think I'm starting to understand how Mamoru feels now," Artemis chuckled.
"Well, let me say that things will get a bit difficult for you from now on," Mamoru joked. "But that'll give us an excuse to go drinking and compare notes."
Usagi and Chibiusa glared. "Mamo!" they snapped indignantly.
Everyone then laughed as they welcomed Diana into the gang.
But while everyone did, unknown to anyone, Harusuke's Solar Crystal let out another black spark.