Meanwhile, back on Earth, Spector, Artemis, and Diana sat on top of the roof of the Tsukino house, watching the chaos from afar. They could see that the darkness in the distance had grown even more black, and even from where they were, they could feel the air grow hotter and more humid. Spector had just finished explaining the situation to them.
"This is bad," Artemis spoke with worry. "If what you're saying is true, then the Earth will get swallowed up by darkness entirely at this rate."
Luna then came up.
"I've tried contacting the guardians, but none of them are responding!" she spoke urgently. "And that's not the only thing! The entire Earth is being covered by darkness! I'm not sure how long it'll hold out!"
This made Diana start fearing the worst as she stared into the distance, worry and guilt filling her heart.
"No… Could everyone have been defeated by the Dead Moon?!" the gray kitten thought. "Oh, Small Lady! I never should have left your side!"
And because of her feelings, Diana couldn't stand it anymore and decided to go where the guardians were.
"I'm going to the Dead Moon Circus!"
But as she was about to dash away, Spector gently grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, stopping her.
"Hold on there, little missy. I know what you're planning to do, and I do commend your courage, but trust me when I say that's not the best idea."
"But I…!" Diana began to protest.
"Diana, I hate to say it, but Spector is right," Luna spoke firmly. "Now isn't the time to panic and make impulsive decisions. We should stand by here and see what happens."
"Besides, we know the guardians, and they would never fall to the enemy that easily," Artemis spoke confidently. "I still have faith that they will pull through!"
Diana still felt unsure as Spector set her down.
"You know they're right. After all, your mother and father know best as they say," said Spector. "The Guardians will always pull through even when things look bleak. They always have and will. So have faith in them. Including Small Lady."
Diana's worries lessened, but she still couldn't help but worry, wishing that she could do something, anything, to help her friends.
In the wreckage of the Dead Moon Circus's tent, the other guardians stood vigil over where Solaris, Mamoru, and Usagi had disappeared, still wondering and fretting where they had gone.
But then, the area began to shine in brilliant white light, and from it, Super Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and Solaris reemerged.
"Sailor Moon! Tuxedo Mask! Solaris!" the guardians gasped with relief.
"Looks like we made it back," said Solaris. "That's a relief."
Super Sailor Moon then noticed that two of the guardians weren't accounted for. "Hey, where's Saturn and Chibi Moon?" she asked with concern.
The other guardians suddenly remembered.
"They're not here," said Sailor Uranus. "We haven't seen them since they went after the quartet."
"Then, what are we doing standing here?!" said Solaris. "Let's go give them some backup! They might need help!"
But before they could take any action, a thick, dark, and toxic fog blanketed the entire area, making the air grow hot and humid. Upon inhalation, the guardians all began to cough as they began to fall ill.
"It's… It's so hot," gasped Sailor Mercury.
"My lungs…" Sailor Jupiter wheezed. "I can't breathe!"
Then, one by one, the guardians all collapsed, succumbing to the effects of the fog.
Solaris also began to cough, but before he also blacked out, he pressed a button on the side of his helmet, which made his mouthguard appear, blocking out the fog and saving himself. But while he was able to breathe again, the others fell unconscious, save Tuxedo Mask and Super Sailor Moon.
"Everyone!" Solaris cried as he rushed over to them. "Hang in there!"
"No…! I can't fall here! Not yet!" Super Sailor Moon willed herself as she endured. "I have to save everyone! But… it hurts so much!"
"Damn it! What can I do?!" Solaris fretted in his thoughts. "I'm able to breathe, but what about everyone else?! At this rate…!"
Back on Elysion, while lying there in pain, barely clinging to what strength he had left in his cage, Helios could sense that both his prince and the princess were in need of help.
"Prince! Princess!"
Without a moment's hesitation, his projection as his human self reappeared while his pegasus form, along with the area around him, began to shine in white light. The human projection of himself took a knee as he made one more prayer.
"O, Elysion, I beseech thee, please! With your divine power, release every last bit of it and send it to the Earth's surface! Of all the divine prayers I've made, please answer this one!"
At his words, while heeding his call, a giant pillar of white light erupted from the entire temple, shooting high up above and straight towards the surface of the Earth.
Super Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask continued to suffer from the mist while Solaris contemplated on what to do.
Then, suddenly, a vast blanket of crystals covered the area from the ground to the buildings. As they grew, the dark mist and its effects also began to fade until it evaporated completely. Upon seeing the crystals, while able to breathe again, Super Sailor Moon, Solaris, and Tuxedo Mask recognized them.
"Hold on a second. These crystals…" murmured Super Sailor Moon.
"They had to have come from Elysion," said Tuxedo Mask. "Which means…"
Not long after that, the other guardians soon woke up.
"What's going on?" murmured Sailor Mars. "I blacked out for a minute."
"That fog almost took you guys out," said Solaris as he uncovered his mouthguard. "But it looks like these crystals have purified it."
Then, they all heard a voice via telepathy.
"My prince…"
It was Helios, whose voice had now grown more frail than before.
"Helios!" cried Tuxedo Mask. "Did you send the purifying crystals from Elysion to us?!"
"Yes… I did," Helios replied. "They may not last for very long, but they will at least give you all a fighting chance. But sadly… I'm afraid I've exhausted what little strength I have left. And so… I leave the rest to you and the guardians."
Everyone's hearts froze at the implication of his statement.
"No, Helios!" Tuxedo Mask cried out again. "Just hang on!"
"My prince… I'm glad I was able to meet you…" Helios then confessed, his voice growing into a whisper. "And I'm also glad… I got to meet the little maiden from before…"
And it was then that everything became silent as everyone sensed the last of Helios's strength had vanished. Tuxedo Mask's eyes welled up with tears as he shouted in despair.
"HELIOS!"
But their mourning was promptly cut short as a powerful gust of wind blasted through the area while everyone sensed an overwhelming and ominous power coming from above. When they looked up, they were welcomed to the sight of a sight that made them gasp and shudder.
A gigantified Zirconia now filled the sky, her body radiating with dark power as the face in the center of her cloak began gathering power into its mouth. Then, before anyone could react, the face unleashed two mighty beams of light, each one piercing through both Super Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask.
"PRINCE! PRINCESS!" the guardians all cried.
"SAILOR MOON! TUXEDO MASK!" Solaris cried.
They all rushed over to them, but as Sailor Venus picked up Super Sailor Moon in her arms and Solaris picked up Tuxedo Mask, their bodies suddenly began to decompose until eventually becoming dust flying away with the wind. Upon seeing this happen, Sailor Venus let out a shriek of horror while everyone else was just as horrified.
"N-No! It can't be!" murmured Solaris. "This… this can't be real!"
"This is… a nightmare!" Sailor Mercury cried, her voice wavering on the verge of tears.
But as soon as she said this, Sailor Uranus started thinking, the words Sailor Mercury had just spoken making her wonder.
"A nightmare?"
Super Sailor Moon stood alone in a pitch-black void. She looked around, feeling as confused as she was tentative.
"Wh-What happened just now?" the guardian wondered aloud to herself. "Where am I?"
Then, as she turned around, her eyes fell upon a horrible sight. On the ground were all of her friends, lying there bathed in dark energy, appearing lifeless. Even Super Sailor Chibi Moon and Saturn were there.
She was about to rush over to them to check if they were all right, but as she did, they all began to decompose, their skins turning gray until they all turned to dust, scattering away in a gale of wind.
Super Sailor Moon's skin went pale as she gasped. "Everyone! M-Mamo!"
But the horror would only continue as the guardian's hands also began to decay and crumble, which also spread throughout the rest of her body.
"N-No! Please! This can't be real!" Super Sailor Moon screamed. "This has to be a nightmare!"
As Super Sailor Moon began breaking down in a panic, a voice that was a mix of Zirconia's and Neheleia's rang throughout the space, laughing mockingly at her suffering.
"That's right! This planet belongs to the Dead Moon, now and forever!" the voice boomed. "You weak and feeble protectors will wander in the darkness of the new moon for eternity, unable to escape from it!"
"Usa! Wake up!"
Super Sailor Moon was suddenly brought back to reality by Tuxedo Mask, who slapped her across the cheek. As she held her cheek in surprise, she could see that the other guardians were holding their cheeks, meaning that he slapped them, too.
"I still can't believe it," Sailor Uranus thought in amazement. "The prince broke free from the nightmare on his own. But how did he do it?"
"I knew Mamoru was something special before," Solaris thought. "But he really saved our butts that time."
"Mamo? Wh-What happened?" Super Sailor Moon murmured. "Is this a dream, too?"
"No, this is real," said Tuxedo Mask. "The enemy's been feeding us nightmares. Take a look!"
Tuxedo Mask then pointed toward the sky where Zirconia stood hovering. Powerful gusts of wind were blasting forth from the face on her cloak while she remained motionless.
"Listen to me, Usa!" Tuxedo Mask continued bravely. "Have heart and stay strong! We'll never surrender this planet to them! In order to protect it and realize our dream, we have to defeat them!"
Super Sailor Moon stared at Tuxedo Mask before matching his determination with a nod as she stood up.
"That's right. You and I promised that we would protect this planet together and forever, along with everyone's happiness," the ordango guardian spoke out. "And it's not just a dream. Protecting this planet has always been our truth, our purpose, so giving up isn't an option for us." She turned to face her fellow guardians, wearing a smile brimming with confidence. "We are the Guardians. No one can beat us."
The others returned her smile with their own, feeling motivated as much as she was.
Solaris approached the two. "That was a pretty good speech, Sis," he said with a wink. "You'd make a mother proud."
"That's right, princess," thought Sailor Uranus. "Hope and despair. Life and death. Even dreams and wishes. Our everything. They've all existed in the brilliant light that's you."
Sailor Uranus then stepped forward. "Prince! Princess! Solaris! We swear to you, no matter what happens to us, we will protect you!"
The other guardians then got into a circle and held out their hands in the middle, their bodies radiating with their powers and building up energy. Then, as their powers reached their peak…
"SAILOR PLANET POWER…!"
"URANUS!"
"NEPTUNE!"
"PLUTO!"
"MERCURY!"
"MARS!"
"JUPITER!"
"VENUS!"
"MEDITATION!"
At all of the planetary guardians' calls, a powerful burst of rainbow energy erupted forth and blasted straight into Zirconia's middle. The evil old hag howled in agony as the attack inflicted damage, causing her to shrink as she grimaced.
Seeing this, Solaris brandished his sword. "Hey, nice work, girls! But don't hog all the fun for yourselves! I want in on this, too! And since we're going for rainbow-themed attacks and even more power…!"
He coiled his legs and leaped into the air, and his body began to radiate with rainbow light as his chest glowed and his symbol appeared on his forehead.
"SOLARIS SUPER EVOLUTION!"
In a brilliant burst of light, his armor became slim and changed from gold to silver as a pair of white wings sprung forth from his back, and his eyes changed into the same silver luster.
"Silver Paladin Mode!"
While shouting out the name of his form, Solaris shot straight toward Zirconia, gripping his sword as its blade was engulfed with a rainbow glow. As the evil witch looked up in horror, Solaris raised his sword and then unleashed his own attack.
"SOLARIS RAINBOW EXCALIBUR!"
With a mighty swing, Solaris released a powerful shockwave of energy right in between the eyes of Zirconia, blasting and slicing her. The witch howled even further in pain upon contact and shrunk even further until she was the size of a normal human, and her dark aura dissipated.
"H-How dare you?!" Zirconia snarled while wincing. "Damn you all to hell!"
With a wave of her staff, the old witch changed into a puff of dark energy and fled into the recesses of the circus tent.
"She's getting away!" shouted Solaris as he landed on the ground.
"After her!" shouted Sailor Pluto.
The Guardians all gave chase, charging straight to the circus tent and going inside it. But as they entered, they found themselves in the same jungle-like scenery from before. However, knowing fully well that this was another illusion, Sailors Mars and Venus stepped up as they summoned forth their talismans.
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"
"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"
With a fiery arrow and an orange-yellow heart laced with the love-me-chain, the illusion of the jungle was burned and blasted away, incinerating the nightmare lemures in the process.
Sailor Mercury then activated her visor, scanning the place, and soon saw Zirconia through the curtains approaching the mirror that she used to commune with Nehelenia. "There she is!" she shouted while pointing. "Over there!"
Both Super Sailor Moon and Solaris charged ahead, not wasting any time. They swept the curtains aside and were just in time to see Zirconia walk into the mirror and disappear into it. Not wanting to let her get away, both Super Sailor Moon and Solaris followed, also stepping into the mirror.
The other guardians also tried to follow, but as Sailor Venus tried getting through, she was repelled, bouncing off the mirror's glass surface, much to her and the other guardians' surprise.
As he ran ahead, Solaris tried to keep up with Super Sailor Moon. But as he did, he began to lose sight of Sailor Moon as she seemed to get further away from him.
"Sailor Moon! Slow down!" Solaris called out. "You're getting too far ahead!"
As he tried to catch up, he didn't see that a large dark hole suddenly opened up from below him, and before the guardian could react, he fell right into it. He continued to fall into the darkness until he spread his wings, managing to save himself from plummeting further. He glanced upward just in time to see the hole close up, leaving him in darkness.
"Damn it. Guess I fell into a trap," Solaris cursed as he looked around. "I've got to find a way to get out of here."
Then, a low and ominous chuckle was heard, followed by a familiar voice.
"Unfortunately for you, you won't be going anywhere."
Solaris then saw a familiar enemy as he turned around. Standing there a few feet away from him was Tenebris. His aura appeared more sinister than ever and filled with even more potent darkness, represented by a malevolent ebony flame. He also found himself in the middle of the same space as Zirconia's little hideaway.
Upon seeing him, Solaris scowled as he landed on the ground. "You got to be kidding me. Not this crap again."
"Well, well. It seems you've gained some more power since we've last crossed," said Tenebris. "And apparently, another costume change."
"So glad you noticed," Solaris quipped. "I could say the same about you, minus that last part."
"Queen Nehelenia has bestowed me more power after the Amazoness Quartet failed," said Tenebris. "And I plan to use every last bit of to crush my enemies."
"And let me guess, I'm on top of the list?" said Solaris as he stanced up. "I'm not sure if you hate me or just obsessed. Either way, I should probably put a restraining order on you."
"You've got a sharp tongue," said Tenebris. "But no amount of talking will stop me from eliminating you, and with my new strength, nothing can save you. Especially since you're fighting to save such pathetic weaklings like those of the Silver Millennium."
"You and I both know that words are cheap, and actions speak louder than words," Solaris snarled. "So how about we skip the trash talk and get down to the butt-kicking?!"
Solaris then lunged for Tenerbis, swinging his blade, only for Tenebris to bring up his sword and block it with ease. The two then engaged, slashing at each other, their swords clanging and ringing as they collided.
Solaris then swung his leg with a kick, attempting to hit him in the chest. However, Tenebris blocked his foot with his blade and pushed him away, and while Solaris staggered, he thrust his sword forward with blinding precision and strength, aiming right for his hip. Reacting quickly, Solaris moved his body to the right just as Tenebris's blade stabbed through the stone pillar just behind him. But not one to finish his assault, Tenebris, with a mighty roar, swung his blade, slicing through the stone like butter in an attempt to cut Solaris again, forcing the guardian to jump out of the way to gain distance. The pillar soon collapsed, falling to the ground with a mighty crash, causing dust to fly everywhere.
"Damn, he has really gotten stronger!" Solaris thought. "He would have killed me for sure if I hadn't moved!"
Tenebris then exploded forth from the smoke as he let out another roar and attacked with a series of swings and slices while Solaris parried, dodged, and countered with some of his own. The two appeared to be dead even, each matching the other in strength and ability, but as two entered a sword-lock, Solaris, using his strength, pushed against Tenebris while charging forward, forcing Tenebris back, the evil counterpart's feet skidding across the floor as he tried holding his ground. But Solaris soon knocked away his sword and struck it with a kick to the stomach, forcing him to recoil as he grunted in pain.
Taking advantage of the opening, Solaris swung his blade rapidly, landing multiple swings and cuts with his sword, each one causing the foe's armor to crack while dark wisps of energy oozed out from them. Then, he finished his assault by expertly swinging his sword and slamming the hilt of it right into Tenebris's midsection hard. The impact sent him flying and slamming back first into another stone pillar.
Seizing his opportunity to finish the battle, Solaris raised his sword as it once again was swathed in rainbow light.
"This ends now, Tenebris!" Solaris shouted. "SOLARIS RAINBOW EXCALIBUR!"
With another mighty swing of his sword, Solaris released another mighty shockwave of energy, which shot in Tenebris's direction, mowing across the ground and obliterating the pillar into rubble.
Feeling sure that he had triumphed over his foe, Solaris let out a sigh of relief as he relaxed. "And that takes care of that," he said with satisfaction. "Guess that's another victory for me."
But Solaris would be wrong.
No sooner than when the smoke cleared up from where he struck, he saw that Tenberis stood amongst the rubble, miraculously still alive. His body was heavily cracked, while pieces of his armor were missing, and even more darkness leaked out of his body.
Solaris couldn't help but be shocked while Tenebris maliciously chuckled.
"Did you think you would finish me off that easily?" Tenebris sneered. "I'll admit, that attack was potent, but I told you I've grown in strength."
Then, the damage from Tenebris's body slowly began to fade away, his armor repairing itself while the cracks disappeared. In a matter of seconds, he was as good as new, with not even a scratch on him.
"Y-You're kidding me!" Solaris spoke in disbelief. "Regeneration?!"
"That's right, Solaris," confirmed Tenebris. "Thanks to Zirconia and the darkness of the Dead Moon, I can recover from any wound you inflict upon me. Or, to put it simply, you won't win this time around."
"Well, that's nothing short of unfair," Solaris huffed. "But even so, that ain't going to stop me from trying."
"Oh, by all means, go ahead and try," Tenebris spoke, a malicious twinkle shining in his eyes. "It'll be worth seeing that confidence turn to hopelessness as I defeat you!"
And while brandishing his sword once more, Tenebris shot towards Solaris, resuming their fight while the guardian of the sun braced himself, a slight nervous bead of sweat running down his brow.
Super Sailor Moon continued to run ahead, determined to find Zirconia and defeat her for good, until she found herself inside Zirconia's hidden space. In addition to that, she discovered that Solaris was no longer with her.
"Solaris? Where are you?" Super Sailor Moon called out. "Can you hear me?"
But all she could hear were the echoes of her own voice. Then, as she ventured forward further, she saw someone just ahead of her.
Sitting on a throne, wearing a condescending smile as she stared at her, was Nehelenia herself.
Upon seeing her, Super Sailor Moon was on guard. "Who are you?" she demanded.
"Well, well. You managed to enter my domain," Nehelenia spoke with interest. "You must possess a great deal of power. But I'm afraid you're already too late." She then stood up. "For finally, the power of Earth will belong to me, Queen Nehelenia."
Super Sailor Moon felt a chill, not expecting this. "H-Hold on. You're Queen Nehelenia?" she murmured.
But just then, she sensed something, multiple powers that were in the same room as herself and her enemy, and they were very similar to hers.
"I can feel it," Super Sailor Moon murmured as she looked around. "The powers of those who protect the Earth. But from where?"
At that moment, her eyes fell upon six objects that lay on the ground just beside Nehelenia. Four of them were the stones in which the Amazoness Quartet was sealed, and the other two were the shards in which Super Sailor Chibi Moon and Sailor Saturn were sealed.
"Those shards and stones! That's where they're coming from!" Super Sailor Moon gasped. "And I can sense Chibi Moon and Saturn among them!"
Super Sailor Moon then made to rescue them, but Nehelenia held up a hand, making the two shards of glass levitate from the floor. The two split into several, while every piece pointed in the ordango guardian's direction and shot toward her like a swarm of arrows. But instead of piercing her, they surrounded her and encased her in a dome, trapping her. Inside it, Super Sailor Moon saw multiple reflections of Nehelenia in the shards, all mockingly laughing at her.
But while this briefly intimidated her, Super Sailor Moon summoned forth her Moon Kaleido Scope, not backing down.
"MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!"
In a mighty blast of rainbow shards, she shattered the dome. Not only that but both Super Sailor Chibi Moon and Sailor Saturn were also set free, the two guardians emerging from the shards of the dome.
"Chibi Moon! Saturn!" Super Sailor Moon spoke thankfully. "Are you both OK?"
"We're fine," reassured Super Sailor Chibi Moon. "Thanks for saving us."
But Nehelenia was incensed. "Damn you!" she roared as she used her power to fire more shards in their direction.
But both Super Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon fired back with their version of a shard-based attack.
"MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!"
Their combined attack was able to overpower Nehelenia, but as the attack struck her, the evil witch didn't appear to be fazed, and she smugly chuckled. Then, her body disappeared in a puff of smoke while a mysterious glass screen shattered.
"An illusion?!" gasped Super Sailor Chibi Moon.
In response, several more illusions appeared all around the three, every one of them snidely laughing as they closed in on them.
Solaris and Tenebris were still locked in their intense battle, but as it progressed, Solaris began to lose his ground. He had taken several hits and was growing weary, while Tenebris appeared to be untouched thanks to his regeneration.
"If this is the best you can do with your power, then you're not as formidable as I thought," said Tenebris. "Even with that form, you're still weak."
"Yeah, yeah. Keep on talking, bud," Solaris coughed. "But this fight ain't over!"
He swiped and swung his sword, clashing with Tenebris's three times, but as he sliced a fourth time, Tenebris gave him a swift cut right across the hip, causing him to yell out in pain from the damage. Tenebris kept up the pressure by closing in, slicing with swing after swing of his sword, forcing Solaris to defend as he backed away until they locked swords again.
"I'm impressed you're still holding your ground," grunted Tenebris. "But now it's time I finish this battle! Consider this a repayment for your last attack!"
He pushed Solaris' sword away and gave him a powerful slice right on his chest, sparks flying while his armor cracked as he cried out in pain. Then, with a turn and a swing of his leg, he gave him a mighty roundhouse kick to the gut, sending him flying and slamming into another pillar, which made Solaris let out a gurgled gasp as the air escaped his lungs.
Finally, the blade of Tenebris's sword was engulfed in a mix of black and violet flames as it charged, extending as he raised it high, similar to Solaris. Then, he swung it around before bringing it to his side as he roared out the name of his attack.
"TENEBRIS DARKNESS MORGAN STRIKE!"
With a mighty upward slice, he unleashed a powerful shockwave of energy made of darkness. In a mighty explosion of black, Solaris took the full brunt of the attack, howling in agony as it swallowed him whole.
Back outside of the mirror, the other guardians and Tuxedo Mask were still trying to get through the mirror. But as they did, they heard a familiar voice screaming out from it that made them jump while recognizing it.
"That scream just now!" gasped Sailor Pluto. "That was Solaris!"
"And it sounded like he was in pain!" said Sailor Neptune. "Whatever's going on inside there, it can't be good!"
Sailor Mars then tried ramming her way through the mirror's surface again, but to no avail. "Come on! Let me through, damn it!" she cried in frustration.
Sailor Jupiter then pulled her back. "Mars, you have to calm down!" she said. "If you're not careful, you'll end up breaking it, which might put both Super Sailor Moon and Solaris at risk!"
"I know that!" Sailor Mars snapped as she pounded her fist on the mirror. "But they need help in there! There has to be something we can do to get to them!"
Then, Sailor Venus had an idea. "Wait, what about the Guardian Teleport?" she suggested. "We can use that to teleport right to them!"
"That is a good idea, but we've never used it to teleport to a different dimension before," said Sailor Mercury. "It's nothing short of risky, especially since we have no idea where either of them are in there."
"Even so, it's worth trying," said Sailor Jupiter. "Besides, if that's what you're worried about, then we've got nothing to worry about. After all, we're connected with Solaris through the Unison Fusion, remember? All we have to do is focus on that, and we should be able to teleport right to him."
"Good thinking, Jupiter!" said Sailor Mars.
"Then, in that case, the four of you will use Guardian Teleport while the rest of us stay out here," said Tuxedo Mask. "That way, if something happens, we can support you from the outside."
"Just make sure to be careful, Inner Guardians," warned Sailor Pluto. "Make sure you come back to us safe and sound."
"All right, everyone!" said Sailor Venus. "Let's hurry!"
Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus then got into a circle, held hands, and closed their eyes in concentration. Their bodies radiated with their energies as they focused on their connection with Solaris.
"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!"
"MARS CRYSTAL POWER!"
"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!"
"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!"
"SAILOR TELEPORT!"
And in a brilliant flash, the Inner Guardians disappeared.
Solaris lay on his back, wincing in agony while his sword stuck to the ground a few feet away. His armor had lost all of its silver color, Tenbris's last attack depowering him to his standard form from the damage.
Tenebris, like a lion stalking its prey, slowly approached. "It would seem that you've lost whatever power you have left, Solaris, along with your silver luster," he sneered. "And now it's time for you to meet your end."
Solaris opened an eye and tried to get up, only for Tenebris to stomp his foot right on his stomach, making him cough out a glob of spit and let out a gacking sound.
"There's no point in resisting any further," Tenebris continued. "No matter how much you struggle, you will fall here by my hand, and the rest of those fools from the Silver Millennium will follow afterward."
"S-Says you," Solaris weakly croaked as he gripped his foot. "This… ain't over yet."
"Why bother resisting? You know it's pointless," Tenebris scowled. "You're fighting a battle that you could never hope to win. And don't think your little friends will come and save you because Queen Nehelenia made it so that no one else can interfere from the outside. Not that it would make a difference if they could.
He ground his foot, making Solaris squirm and grimace as he glared defiantly.
"Y-You and I both know that even if I fall here, the others will stop you!" Solaris spoke with gritted teeth. "The other guardians will keep fighting no matter what you do to me!"
"Well, well. You seem to have a lot of faith in those friends of yours," said Tenebris. "It would be a shame to find out that sort of trust is greatly misplaced."
"What do you mean by that?" Solaris demanded.
"You should know precisely what I mean," said Tenebris. "Humans are selfish and weak creatures. They may act loyal, but when their backs are against the wall, they'll do anything to survive, even betray the friends they've sworn to protect. You and those girls are no exception. Trust can be quite powerful, I'll admit, but it can also be so easily broken. All it takes is a little lie, a single misconception, or even a small glimmer of doubt, and all that trust can be obliterated in an instant."
At this, Solaris remembered what Helios said before, which made his willpower slightly wane.
"And it's because of that foolish trust that you and I differ, Solaris," Tenebris continued. "No matter how much strength you have, that foolish trust is why you're about to die here. All alone without your precious friends saving you."
"Y-You're wrong!" Solaris snarled as he clawed at his foot. "I'll admit what you said is true about trust being easily broken, but it can also be just as resilient, and I trust my guardians with my life! They would never lie to me!"
"Well, you can believe what you want, but I think I'm done talking to you," said Tenebris. "It's time to say goodbye, Solaris!"
He raised his sword, intending to impale the tip right into Solaris's neck, but as he was about to do so, a voice then shouted.
"JUPITER SUPREME THUNDER!"
A powerful lightning bolt shot forth and shocked Tenebris's hand, causing him to grunt in pain and leap back. Solaris looked up just in time to see the Inner Sailor Guardians come to his rescue.
"Girls!" Solaris exclaimed.
Sailor Mars, with her two fingers pointed, aimed at Tenebris's direction. "Get away from him!" she snarled. "MARS SNAKE FIRE!"
She unleashed a torrent of flame in the snake of a serpent that struck Tenebris right in the chest, making him grunt as he was forced back.
The Inner Guardians then rushed over to Solaris's side.
"Solaris, are you all right?" asked Sailor Venus. "Sorry, it took us so long to get here."
"More or less," Solaris grunted with a smirk. "But how? I was told Nehelenia sealed the mirror."
"We used Guardian Teleport while focusing on your bond with us through Unison Fusion," replied Sailor Mercury. "It was a bit of a gamble, but it worked out in the end."
Solaris smiled, but it didn't last long as he refocused his attention on Tenebris, who managed to shake off Mars' attack while regenerating from the damage.
"I'm impressed, but increasing your numbers won't help you," the dark warrior snarled. "All that means is that I can get to eliminate all five of you at once!"
"What's going on?!" gasped Sailor Mars. "My last attack should have done some damage!"
"It did, but he can regenerate from his wounds now," said Solaris. "No matter how much we keep attacking, he's just going to keep coming back. Trust me, I tried, as you can see in the current state I'm in."
"Then how are we supposed to beat him if he's just going to keep regenerating from the damage?" wondered Sailor Jupiter.
Then, an idea popped into Sailor Mercury's mind. "Hold on, you said that he has regeneration now, correct?"
"Do you have an idea, Mercury?" asked Mars.
"More like a hunch," said Sailor Mercury. "Tenebris may have regeneration, but he can still take damage, so it's not like he can nullify the attacks, which means there must be a limit to what he can take. So I think if we can inflict enough damage faster than his regeneration can keep up, we can beat him."
"That sounds like a good plan," said Solaris. "But I don't think our usual attacks will be enough for that. My Silver Paladin Mode wasn't even enough."
"Then we'll just have to hit him with something a bit stronger than that," said Sailor Venus. "And I think we've got just the trump card." She paused impressively as she looked at Solaris and smiled with confidence. "The Unison Fusion."
Solaris blinked in surprise. "That does seem to be our only option," he said. "But will it be enough, though? We haven't used that since our fight against the Death Busters."
"Well, this isn't like you, Solaris," said Sailor Mars. "You could at least be a bit more confident."
"It will be. Have a little faith," said Sailor Jupiter. "Besides, now is a good time as any to debut our new fusion names."
"Yeah. Plus, it'll give us a chance to show Tenebris what we're made of," said Sailor Venus. "As the saying goes, nothing gained or something ventured."
Solaris stared, but he also grew confident as he got back on his feet and chuckled. "Well, when you put it like that, how can I not be reassured," he said. "It's what we got right now, so let's do it."
Tenebris then interrupted. "Are you finished with your little strategy session? It doesn't matter what you plan or do! You're all going to perish by my hand either way!"
He lunged straight at them, his sword raised while it began generating power. But as he did, Sailor Mercury quickly stepped in front, barring his way.
"MERCURY BUBBLE SPRAY!"
While unleashing a flurry of bubbles, she created a fog that spread throughout the entire area, blinding him while giving themselves enough time to spread out.
"Solaris! Now's you're chance!" Sailor Mercury shouted.
"Right!" Solaris called back. "Sailor Mars! You're first! You ready?!"
"Yes!" acknowledged Sailor Mars.
The two held each other's hands, interlocking their fingers while closing their eyes in concentration. Upon contact, their hands crackled and sparked in red and gold, and then their bodies began to glow in their respective colors, power surging through them. Then, when their energies reached their peak, they shouted together.
"UNISON FUSION! PLANETARY ALIGNMENT!"
The two guardians then exploded in red and gold light, the two colors swirling and mixing together. As they did, Tenebris blew away the fog just in time to see the phenomenon happening. Then, as the light vanished, the Mars fusion stood in its place. However, as she emerged, Sailors Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus saw that she was different in appearance.
Her attire was a mix of Solaris' and Sailor Mars' like before. However, there were some noticeable changes. She wore additional armor, her hair was a brilliant shade of crimson with gold tips, and her eyes were a mix of violet and blue. It was as if the fusion they were seeing now was more complete.
They couldn't help but be amazed.
Tenebris was also caught off guard. "Wh-What is this?!" he demanded. "Who are you?!"
The fusion spoke in a voice belonging to another woman instead of being a mix of Solaris and Mars.
"Protected by Mars, the planet of fire, and the shining star that is the Sun, guardian of war, radiating with brilliance and courage! I am Sailor Garnet! And in the name of Mars and the Sun, I'll scorch and chastise you!"
Tenebris growled as he brandished his sword again, unimpressed. "I don't know what trick you just did, but it won't save you!" he snarled.
He charged forward and swung his blade multiple times at Sailor Garnet, only for her to dodge and avoid the attacks while gaining distance. Then, while launching herself forward and as Tenebris sliced again, she ducked to avoid it before slugging at him with a punch right in the gut that was packed with incredible strength. Tenebris staggered, grunting from the impact as he skidded backward.
Sailor Garnet's fist then ignited in a burst of flames as she brought it back, aiming in Tenebris's direction.
"GARNET BLAZING PHOENIX SHOT!"
While punching in the air, she unleashed a powerful blast of fire, which changed into the form of a bird that shrieked as it headed for its target. Tenebris saw the attack coming and, just before it struck, jumped out of the way, avoiding it.
"Nice try! But you just left yourself wide open!" Tenebris roared as he raised his sword to attack.
Sailor Garnet flashed a smile. "I wouldn't be so sure," she said as she made a sign with her hand and flicked her fingers.
Then, from the center of Tenebris's chest, a ofuda appeared and glowed bright red. When it did, the bird made of fire changed direction and shot toward Tenebris again, and before the dark warrior could react, the bird struck him, leaving a fiery explosion in its wake.
"What just happened?!" exclaimed Sailor Jupiter.
"She placed an ofuda when she punched him earlier," Sailor Mercury confirmed in amazement. "And then she used it as a kind of tracking device to direct the attack to him even if she missed."
"I didn't know they could do that!" Sailor Venus said.
Sailor Garnet then separated into her respective components, and Sailor Mars looked back.
"Venus! Tag in!" Sailor Mars called out. "You're up next!"
The Guardian in question nodded as she came over. But as she did, Tenebris reemerged from the explosion, his armor singed and smoking while he was incensed.
"Damn you to hell!" he roared. "Take this!"
He raised his sword and slammed it to the ground, discharging a powerful shockwave of dark energy at them. Thinking quickly, the guardians scattered to avoid it as the attack obliterated another pillar. While in the air, Solaris and Sailor Venus managed to get close enough to touch hands, both briefly sparking in yellow before their bodies exploded in light.
"UNISON FUSION! PLANETARY ALIGNMENT!"
As they were enveloped in their light, they swirled and mixed together until another guardian emerged, landing on the ground just behind Tenebris. She was also different than how she was before, wearing more armor, her hair color being marigold with gold tips, and their eyes a brilliant shade of blue.
"Protected by Venus, the planet of beauty, and the shining star that is the Sun, guardian of love, radiating with brilliance and courage! I am Sailor Topaz! And in the name of Venus and the Sun, I'll scorch and punish you with love!"
"So that's it," Tenebris growled as he looked back. "You fused yourselves together. Quite the interesting trick."
Tenebris then started regenerating from his wounds, his armor self-repairing.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Sailor Topaz said as she charged toward him. "I won't let you regenerate!"
She swung with a kick, forcing Tenebris to block it with his sword and try to push her away. But Sailor Topaz held her ground and continued to attack, punching and kicking him with rapid strikes until she knocked his sword away with another kick, sending it flying and piercing the ground. With her enemy weaponless, she then elegantly spun while flipping onto her hands and gave him a powerful spinning kick, planting her foot right into Tenebris's face, blowing him back some feet before he landed on the ground, skipping a few times before stopping.
Sailor Topaz's body then radiated in orange-yellow light as her eyes gleamed. The light shrouded her body and briefly took the appearance of a snarling tiger. Then, her hands and feet became clad in light, taking the forms of claws as she got on her fours like a cat, while her eyes became cat-like.
"TOPAZ TIGER CLAW RUSH!"
As Tenebris got up, she shot forward at blinding speed. Then, she delivered a rapid combo of scratches and blows, each one chipping away at Tenebris' armor and inflicting further damage before finishing with a powerful double palm strike right in his middle. Tenebris let out a groan and a yell from the assault as he was sent slamming into a pillar, the force from the impact breaking it in two and collapsing. Rock and rubble flew everywhere.
But amongst the rubble, Tenebris reemerged, darkness billowing out from his wounds while his armor was crumbling. His face visor was also cracked, and some bits of glass were falling off it. Still determined to fight, he roared in anger while charging at the two, and his body tried its best to regenerate.
Sailor Topaz then separated back to Solaris and Sailor Venus just as he swung his blade at them.
"It's working!" Solaris said. "The damage is starting to accumulate!"
"But we can't let up!" said Sailor Venus. "We have to keep up the pressure! Jupiter!"
The guardian in question came flying in from above, landing next to Solaris. "Looks like it's my turn now."
"I don't think so!" Tenebris snarled as he defiantly lunged at them with a fist imbued with dark power.
However, he was already too late. Solaris and Sailor Jupiter held hands and were enveloped in a mix of swirling green and gold light as he heard their voices.
"UNISON FUSION! PLANETARY ALIGNMENT!"
While showing no fear, Tenebris continued his charge, intending to break them apart to stop the fusion. But as he swung his fist, a hand emerged from the light, catching it. Then, the Jupiter fusion was revealed as the light dispersed, having the same changes as the previous, but her hair was longer, a brilliant shade of emerald green with gold tips, and her eyes were a mix of green and blue.
"Protected by Jupiter, the planet of thunder, and the shining star that is the Sun, guardian of protection, radiating with brilliance and courage! I am Sailor Feroza! And I'll make you feel so much regret; it'll leave you scorched and numb!"
Sailor Feroza squeezed Tenebris's fist tightly, preventing him from pulling back, and with a great heave, she launched him high into the air, the evil warrior spinning wildly. Then, as he fell and was close enough, she gave him a powerful slug to the stomach that was strong enough to shatter his armor, sending him bouncing and tumbling across the floor before coming to a stop, flat on his face.
Sailor Feroza then brought her hands in front of her, generating power that caused them both to crackle and spark with green electricity until a sphere forced them apart.
"FEROZA RYUJIN FLASH BOLT!"
With a shout, she threw her hands out in a double-palm thrust, and a powerful bolt of green lightning in the shape of a dragon shot forth, letting out a roar before turning back into a bolt. As Tenebris got up, the bolt struck him, making him scream in agony as his body convulsed. He soon fell to one knee, now feeling weaker than before. His center armor was utterly obliterated, his spandex was torn and ripped, and his face mask was broken.
"C-Curse you!" Tenebris groaned in agony as he held his hand over his face. "This isn't over!"
He then tried regenerating from the damage.
Sailor Feroza then separated back into Sailor Jupiter and Solaris.
"We're almost there!" said Sailor Jupiter. "All we need is one more attack!"
Sailor Mercury then approached. "Then let's finish this with one more fusion!" she said.
"Let's do it, Mercury!" said Solaris.
The two held hands, and in a spark of blue, they were engulfed in blue and gold light that blended together.
"UNISON FUSION! PLANETARY ALIGNMENT!"
In seconds, the fourth fusion stepped forth from the light, and similar to the others, she looked more complete while sporting blue hair with gold tips and sapphire blue eyes.
"Protected by Mercury, the planet of water, and the shining star that is the Sun, guardian of wisdom, radiating with brilliance and courage! I am Sailor Agate! Now, douse yourself in water and repent as I scorch you!"
Tenebris uncovered his hand from his hand, showing a pair of glowing violet eyes through the hole that glared in anger as he stood back up, refusing to run away. He ran towards Sailor Agate, jumped up, held up a hand, and fired an array of dark blasts. Seeing the incoming assault, Sailor Agate also leaped into the air towards Tenebris, and the haphazard blasts missed her as she did and then connected with a powerful elbow to the chest, sending Tenebris plummeting to the ground and landing on his feet in a crouch.
Sailor Agate then crossed her arms, and her body began to shine bright blue. A sphere of water appeared in front of her, briefly taking the shape of a Turtle's shell before Sailor Agate dribbed it with her feet like a soccer player before launching it into the air.
"AGATE GENBU HYDRO SHOT!"
She then gave the sphere of water a powerful bicycle kick, shooting it in the direction of the Tenebris. As it did, it grew to a larger size, enough to be four times its original, before slamming into him and exploding in a massive tower of water.
As Sailor Agate separated back to Solaris and Sailor Mercury, they and the rest of the guardians watched, waiting for the mist of the attack to clear. When it did, they saw Tenebris standing there.
"You're kidding me!" Sailor Jupiter exclaimed. "After all that, it still wasn't enough?!"
Solaris then shook his head. "No, it's over," he said.
Right on cue, Tenebris let out a groan as he wobbled where he stood before finally falling forward, exploding in a black and violet burst upon hitting the ground. The five guardians then relaxed, but as they did, they heard a muffled voice that came from behind them.
"Solaris! Are you there? Please respond!"
Solaris and the Inner Guardians, knowing who the voice belonged to, looked back.
"That was Neptune!" Sailor Mercury thought.
Back with Super Sailor Moon, Chibi Moon, and Sailor Saturn, the three were still struggling against the illusions of Nehelenia, destroying one after the other, only for more to appear in their place. It seemed like a never-ending fight until they heard a voice call out from another space.
"Sailor Moon! Can you hear me?"
Recognizing the voice, Super Sailor Moon looked back. "That's Uranus!" she thought.
Back outside the mirror, Sailors Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Tuxedo Mask had been waiting for a while and were starting to grow worried. Thankfully, after Uranus and Neptune called out to them, both Super Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury responded.
"We've found Solaris!" came Sailor Mercury's voice.
"And I rescued Chibi Moon and Saturn!" came Super Sailor Moon's voice. "Now, break the mirror!"
Sailor Uranus then raised her sword and swung it down, striking the surface of the mirror, which made it crack. Then, Sailor Neptune stepped back, generating a sphere of seawater.
"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"
She launched the sphere at the mirror, and when her attack struck it, the glass began to crack and crumble as it began to fall apart.
Around that time, the entire area began to rumble and shake as shards rained down from above. The faces of all the illusions of Nehelenia started to crack and crumble as they screamed in agony before all disappearing. As soon as she was gone, Sailor Saturn rushed over to the stones and picked them up before joining Super Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon in retreat, running back in the direction from where Super Sailor Moon came.
As they left, Zirconia let out a wince as she stumbled, clutching her chest while leaning against her staff as the space around her grew more unstable.
"This isn't over! Not yet!" said Zirconia. "Our beautiful Queen Nehelenia will never die and cannot be defeated! No matter what happens, she will triumph and rule over the entire universe forever!"
The mirror's surface continued to crack and fracture until it exploded, as Super Sailor Moon and all the other guardians were flung out.
"Guardians!" exclaimed Tuxedo Mask as he rushed to Super Sailor Moon. "Are you all OK?!"
"Y-Yeah, we're fine," confirmed Super Sailor Moon.
"Somehow," said Solaris. "Although, I've got a slight dislike of mirrors now."
Then, the tent they were inside suddenly faded away, leaving behind a small ship that was the same one they saw when the Dead Moon Circus first appeared. It hovered for a moment as some plumes leaked out that were a mix of Nightmare Lemures and dark energy. Then, the plumes stopped, and it fell to the ground with a quiet clatter before turning into dust that flew away in the wind.
"Is it over?" asked Sailor Neptune.
"I don't believe so," said Sailor Pluto as she glanced upward. "Take a look. The darkness still surrounds us."
Sure enough, the sky was still as black as night, while the town of Juuban showed no signs of change.
"If that's the case, they might still be lurking around somewhere," said Sailor Uranus. "But where?"
Solaris's eyes narrowed, realizing something. "The only one place where they could have gone," he said grimly.
"Elysion!" both Super Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask thought.
Knowing that place would be in great danger while thinking of her comrades, Super Sailor Moon addressed her fellow guardians.
"Everyone, Mamo and I are going to Elysion!" she said. "The rest of you stay here!"
"Hold on a second," objected Super Sailor Chibi. "If you're going, then we're going too!"
"No, Chibi Moon. You must wait here," Super Sailor Moon said firmly.
"But why?" asked Super Sailor Chibi Moon.
Super Sailor Moon stayed silent, staring sternly at her daughter, but Super Sailor Chibi Moon didn't back down.
"If you're both going, then I am, too," the pink ordango guardian spoke bravely. "Elysion is where Helios is from, and I'm worried about him. I have to know if he's OK."
Super Sailor Moon frowned. She had been trying to keep Super Sailor Chibi Moon from finding out about what had happened to Helios before and was afraid of how she would react.
Solaris then gently patted her shoulder. "Let her go, Sis," he said gently. "Besides, you and I both know that she's not going to stay behind. And the same can be said for all of us. We're going whether you like it or not."
Super Sailor Moon looked at her brother and all of her friends, all of whom gave a nod in confirmation. Tuxedo Mask also held her hand, squeezing it gently, to which she then conceded.
"All right then," said Tuxedo Mask. "Let's all go to Elysion. Together."
Everyone stood in a circle, closed their eyes, and held hands, their bodies radiating with power. Then, in a bright burst of rainbow light, they all teleported away to Elysion towards their final confrontation with their enemy.
