Searing pain greeted Sailor Moon as she returned to consciousness. Her muscles ached, her head hurt, but it was the throbbing in her shoulder that overshadowed all other pain.

  He stabbed me!

  She pulled herself up to her knees. The room spun violently. She noticed the footsteps that approached her.

  “Awake again, Sailor Moon? Sorry to keep you waiting. I had to dispose of your meddlesome guardian, Sailor Jupiter. Not so tough without her powers.”

  What?

  Sailor Moon searched the floor, desperate for her harp sword. Her blurred vision made the task impossible. She could hear Rubeus pick up his crystal katana.

  “It’s too late, Serenity. Time to die.”

  This was it. She had failed. Sailor Moon braced herself for the killing blow.

  Suddenly, a voice rang out through the lobby, loud and confident.

  “Mercury Aqua Mist!”

  Water exploded all around them and soaked them in seconds. Rubeus looked around for the source of the voice, distracted.

  Sailor Moon’s vision cleared.

  There!

  Her hand closed around her harp sword. She didn’t hesitate.

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  “Moon! Light! Slash!”

  Rubeus turned back toward her and into the arc of light that burst forth from Sailor Moon’s blade. It collided with his face and sent him reeling backward. Unlike the creature she had fought, Rubeus did not fall to dust. Instead, he howled in pain, an inhuman sound that made her skin crawl.

  He dropped his katana, covered his face with both hands and fled Crown Karaoke. His screams echoed in the distance.

  Usagi stood, unsteady. Suddenly, Ami was by her side.

  “Usagi! I came as fast as I could!”

  They embraced. When they separated, Usagi realized it was Ami, not Sailor Mercury, that had come to her rescue.

  “But…I thought…”

  For a moment, Usagi had believed that Ami’s powers had returned, but she now realized it had been just a ruse to distract Rubeus. The stream of water that continued to rain down on them came from Crown’s sprinkler system.

  “Ami! Rubeus said he disposed of Makoto!”

  Ami grew pale. Usagi knew they had to find their friend. Fast. They fanned out to search the lobby.

  ***

  Ami came across Makoto lying on the ground, and her heart sank. She was unconscious. Her body looked beaten and broken. Ami fell to her knees next to her friend and felt for a pulse.

  Please be alive…please be alive…

  For a long moment, she couldn’t find a pulse. Tears filled the corners of her eyes.

  Wait! There it is!

  Her pulse was weak, but Makoto was alive.

  “Usagi! She’s hurt! Call an ambulance!”

  Ami looked at Makoto’s face, battered and bruised. She would do everything she could to heal her, but…it wasn’t enough. Not anymore. A steely resolve came over her.

  She was tired of seeing her friends beaten, tired of Berthier’s mystery act, tired of this Black Moon Clan coming after Chibiusa. Above all, she was tired of fearing her own death. It was time to fight back.

  Then and there, Ami made a solemn vow to reclaim her powers. No matter the cost.

  Next Time on Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Black Moon

  “Punish Sailor Moon for me! I want her to bleed!” - Crimson Rubeus

  “You have caused nothing but pain for my friends since you came along, Chibiusa!” - Usagi Tsukino

  “If I want to protect my family, I need powers.” - Mamoru Chiba

  “I refuse to let a thing like ‘destiny’ tell me how to live my life!” - Rei Hino

  “This is the end, Mercury. Today you die.” - Berthier

  “Mercury Light Power! Make up!” - Ami Mizuno