Mamoru sat next to Usagi. He was having a difficult time getting through this. He was the one who had the Golden Crystal. He was the only one who could save his Princess. How could he risk millions of lives just to save hers? She wouldn't let him, he new that. She risked her life to save millions everyday. He would have to do the same and not hand over the Golden Crystal.
*Who is this man? He has to be someone I know. Someone I knew, but who?*
After five minutes of contemplating this, Mamoru fell asleep. He dreamed...
*
"Endymion! It is good to see you! Remember me... niisan?"
"Nani?"
"Aw, you have to remember me, I am your brother, Muriko. I was the first Prince of the Earth. The one who should have been heir and the keeper of the Golden Crystal. But no, mother and father chose you!"
"Muriko... Gomen ne, if I had known you wanted to be the heir, I would have let you!"
Muriko's face contorted. "Ha! You make me laugh! If you weren't the heir, you wouldn't have been engaged to Princess Serenity!"
"Serenity! Muriko, you're the one who's looking for the Golden Crystal!" Muriko laughed. "Why are you attacking the Senshi? They have done nothing to you. You know they don't have it!"
"I have my motives... Tell your Senshi to watch out... And if the Golden Crystal isn't given to me by the end of the month, your Princess will die!"
*
Mamoru woke up with a start. "Usako!" Looking at her, he saw that she was still in a coma. He sighed. "Usako, aishiteru..."
***************
"I am Youma Hino!"
"I am Youma Kino!"
"And I am Youma no Toki!"
"We'll take the crystals of your planets, Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto!" the youma shouted.
"Like hell you will!" Jupiter shouted back. "Supreme Thunder!"
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
"Dead Scream!"
Each youma screamed in pain, but Youma Hino wasn't phased. "Fires of the Earth, reveal to me the Crystal of Mars!"
"Iie!" Mars watched in disbelief as her ruby crystal was extracted from her body.
"Kuso!" Youma Hino cried. He sent the crystal back to her and turned her into stone.
Jupiter saw what the youma had done and decided to kill it. "Jupiter, Oak Evolution!" Gathering enough power, she not only killed Youma Hino, but Youma Kino as well.
"Fog of Death, reveal to me the Crystal of Pluto!"
"Setsuna-san!"
"Iie, don't worry about me, Sailor Jupiter. I'll be fine..." Pluto was silent as she was turned to stone.
"World Shaking!"
"Uranus!" Jupiter said, turning around.
"Baka! Why did you let that youma turn her into stone! We're going to need all the help we can get. First Michiru, then Rei-chan, now Setsuna-san! What is wrong with you!"
"Gomen, but she didn't want me to save her. I respected her wishes, you would have done the same!"
Saturn and Venus had arrived to the scene just as Jupiter stormed off. "Haruka-papa..." Hotaru began. She gasped when she saw Pluto. "Setsuna-mama!"
"Kami..." Venus whispered. "How can we--" Before she could say anything more, the two Senshi disappeared. "What happened?"
"One of Setsuna's friends, most likely," Uranus explained, heading back to the beach house.
**************
Mamoru, Chibiusa, Haruka, Hotaru, Makoto, Ami, and Minako ate a quiet dinner. No one spoke much. Things were not going too well. Haruka broke the silence by banging her hand on the table. "Kuso! There has to be something we can do to figure out who this monster is!"
"I know who it is..." All eyes turned to Mamoru. "I haven't said anything until now because I've been trying to wrap my brain around it all."
"Who, Mamoru-san?" Ami asked.
"It's my brother, Muriko, from the Silver Millennium."
"Your brother?" Chibiusa asked. She would have returned to the 30th Century, but the Time Portal closed when Sailor Pluto had been turned to stone.
"Hai," he replied, and explained about Muriko and his plans.
Minako sighed. "So that's it. He wants the Golden Crystal and to rule over the Earth. Well, we can't let that happen!"
"But what about Usagi-san?" Hotaru asked in a whisper.
Haruka looked down at the young girl. "Hotaru... she would want it this way. But, I propose we find some way first to keep the Golden Crystal out of Muriko's hands and Usagi with us! Who's with me!"
"I am!" Everyone chorused.
****************
Coming up, part 8! Muriko is not a happy camper...
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