Screwing up her eyes and thrusting her rod-filled hand into the air with all the courage she could muster, Makoto cried out the hitherto forgotten magic words, “Jupiter Crystal Pow—argh!”

She had taken too long. A green flash like the ones she had witnessed earlier filled the room and she was overcome with pain. From its fallen position, the Youma had fired an energy ray into Rei’s room. It struck Makoto in the back, causing her to yell out and drop her crystal. She fell to her knees as her enemy rose.

“Your actions did not compute,” the Youma chided, entering the room again.

Makoto could sense it standing over her, but she had spotted her crystal. It had rolled under Rei’s bed. She stretched out her arm to reach it as the monster continued, “Why would you attack an opponent who is obviously—would you desist?”

The Youma had turned to Rei, who was screaming louder and with more fury than ever.

“What’s going on in there, Datadump?” the deep voice from before called out. The Youma’s ally was approaching. If Makoto could just reach her crystal

“Just a human that won’t shut up,” said Datadump.

“Then shut it up!” its unseen ally instructed.

It was no use. Makoto’s Crystal Change Rod was out of her reach and the Youma was moving toward Rei. As its screen began to glow ominously, Makoto abandoned her attempt, launched herself upward, and dove in front of Rei. She took the force of a second energy Ray to the back and collapsed on the screaming girl.

Rei fell silent, her bulging eyes transfixed on Makoto, who whispered, “I'm sorry Rei. Forgive me...” before passing out.

Those words. Those same words—Usagi’s last words—triggered something in Rei, and the memories of that day flashed before her eyes.

***

“Burning Mandala!” cried Sailor Mars, her red collar and waist-length black hair rippling behind her as she released a spread of eight fireballs at the alien insurgents. Each fiery globe found a target and exploded on impact. However, more of the yellow creatures soon replaced them.

“There’s more coming!” cried Sailor Mercury. “They’re flowing out of the queen’s body!”

Mars took a moment to scan the distance. New enemies were indeed pouring out of a gelatinous being four times the size of the others. It was producing new warriors as fast as the Sailor Soldiers could defeat them. Could the queen produce them indefinitely? If so, taking out her minions wasn’t going to get them anywhere.

Across the battlefield, Rei’s comrades were engaged in battle. Even the outer planet soldiers, with their stronger powers, were having trouble holding back the oncoming horde. She knew it was up to her. She had the best long-distance attack, after all. If she could take out the Queen it might put an end to the fight.

First, Mars had to take care of the next wave of gooey lifeforms slopping their way toward her and Sailor Moon. Bringing her hands together with her index fingers extended, she created a focal point for her energy. Then, when a spark of flame appeared, she thrusted outward as if holding a gun, and cried, “Blazing Soul!”

A jet of fire burst forth from Mars’ fingertips and consumed a mass of enemies. Mars turned around momentarily, distracted by a muffled gasping noise. Behind her, Sailor Moon’s wore an agonized expression as she watched the mouthless aliens silently drowning in the sea of fire.

Mars tutted in annoyance. Who did Usagi think they were fighting for? It was the Sailor Soldiers’ job to protect her, the Moon Princess, their future queen. Just because these aliens had spun some sob story about losing their planet—if they were even telling the truth—didn’t mean they could just invade Earth.

Even if they were friendly, their needs—maybe even their biology—might not be compatible with humans. They could have talked things through, but instead, their queen chose violence. She was responsible for their losses, not the Sailors.

Taking advantage of the opening she had created, Sailor Mars extended her right hand, and commanded, “Mars!” Red energy in the form of her planetary symbol appeared briefly before morphing into an arrow. She pulled the end of the arrow back with her left hand, balancing the tip with her right, and a flaming bow appeared. “Flame Sniper!”

The crimson arrow soared across the battlefield, over the enemies and on course with the enemy queen. Mars smiled, knowing her aim was true. However, at the last moment before impact, one of the queen's warriors extended its malleable body upward to intercept the attack. The arrow reduced the sacrificial soldier to ash.

“Okay. Let’s see you defend against this one,” Mars muttered to herself, changing tack. “Blazing Firebird!”

Another spark of flame ignited at her fingertips. However, this time, the fire that was released had form. It flapped a set of fiery wings and rose high over the battlefield. While not as fast as her projectile attack, Mars could control the firebird’s movements. As she continued battling the invaders, she kept one eye on the bird’s progress.

When in-range of the queen, she had the firebird fold in its wings and descend at speed. As expected, several aliens stretched into the air to block the attack, but Rei deftly controlled the bird’s descent, flying around each of them with ease. A second before striking the queen, a mass of the lifeforms combined to form a wall, and the bird of fire immolated them, instead.

In response, the queen flailed as if in a rage. Suddenly, the number of warriors she birthed increased significantly.

“Tch. She’s too well defended. If this continues, we’ll be overrun,” Mars surmised. “Sailor Moon, you’re going to have to use the Silver Crystal. Take them all out at once, the queen included!”

“B-but Rei, they’re not evil. Their home was destroyed. They’re just trying to survive,” Sailor Moon replied uncertainly.

“They’re the ones who attacked us! Who knows how many of those things that monster can create. If they get past us, they could take over the planet!”

“But they’re not monsters,” Moon asserted, “they’re just different from us.”

“Burning Mandala!” Mars commanded, unleashing another volley of explosive fireballs. Frustrated by her blonde friend’s propensity for pacifism. “Whose side are you on, dumpling head? Their queen barely missed a beat before she decided to fight us!”

“I know, but,” Moon started.

“We don’t have time to discuss this!” Mars snapped. “Just get the crystal ready!”

Sailor Moon complied, her expression full of doubt, and drew the Silver Crystal out of the broach affixed to her chest.

Relieved that Usagi had listened to her, Mars took a moment to scan the battlefield. To her left, Sailor Mercury was struggling, and in the distance, Sailor Venus was only keeping up thanks to assistance from Sailors Saturn and Pluto. To her right, Uranus was fighting fiercely with her sword drawn, while backed by Neptune. Jupiter was furthest away but seemed to be doing okay for now, but how long could they keep this up?

“Mercury, fall back!” Mars commanded, knowing that her comrade’s abilities were not suited for a large-scale fight like this one. “Blazing Soul!”

As Mercury retreated a few places, the horde threatening to surround her was engulfed in flames.

“How’s it coming, Sailor Moon?” Rei asked impatiently.

The girl didn’t respond immediately, and Rei didn’t like the nervousness in her voice when she did answer, “I don’t… It’s taking longer than usual.”

Mars turned to see the sparkling gem floating between Sailor Moon’s palms, but barely giving off any light. Just then, a scream of pain, caused her to spin back around. In the distance, Sailor Venus had been captured. Several of the aliens had secured her arms and strung her up by her long. golden hair. She couldn’t break free and Saturn and Pluto were surrounded on all sides, unable to get to her.

“Please, Usagi,” Rei attempted to say in a softer tone than before, though, it still came out a little frantic. “Venus has been captured. There’s too many of them. We need you!”

Sailor Moon looked terrified, the news that one of her friends was in real danger seemed to light a fire under her, as evident by the increasing luster of the crystal. Its pure white light began to shine, but still not up to its usual level.

Mars continued fighting but couldn’t help noticing that the queen had begun to move strangely.

“Release her!” Rei heard Neptune cry to her right. Uranus had been captured too. The yellow bodies of the aliens had wrapped around her like thick ropes. Before Neptune could help, she too was overcome by the enemy numbers and pinned to the floor.

“Usagi! You’ve got to do it now!” Rei yelled, summoning her biggest blast of fire yet against the yellow beings that threatened to overrun them.

“I-I’m trying!” Sailor Moon responded desperately.

Rei didn’t need to look to know that the yells of frustration to her left were those of more allies being restrained. “Usagi?” she called out hopelessly.

“I know!” said Sailor Moon as the crystal shone just a little brighter.

Suddenly, the queen began to approach, her viscous body clawing its way across the battlefield. She climbed over her own warriors, making a beeline for Mars.

“No!” Rei exclaimed, realizing what was happening all too late. “She’s sensed the crystal’s energy… Usagi, you’ve got to release the crystal’s power! You’ve got to do it right now!”

The queen closed the distance between her and Rei in a matter of seconds, her arms stretched out greedily ahead of her.

“If you think you’re going to put your slimy hands on her you’ve got another thing coming!” Rei threatened, then prepared another arrow. “Mars!”

Waiting until the last moment to ensure accuracy, Mars roared, “Flame Sniper!” and fired. Relief washed over her as the arrow left a hole right through the massive creature’s head.

Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that something was wrong. The arrow had not pierced her. It had flown right through her. The queen had intentionally created a hole in her gel-like body.

As if in slow motion, Mars watched the hole reform and the queen draw back one of her long, floppy yellow arms. The arm solidified into a point before being thrust toward her. This was it. She was about to die. Rei closed her eyes tightly and braced for the inevitable impact.

However, when it came, it wasn’t in her chest or abdomen. It was her shoulder that felt it, and it wasn’t the sharp stabbing sensation she had been expecting. As Rei felt herself falling sideways, she opened her eyes. A figure was obstructing her vision. Almost immediately her face was splashed with something wet. Had Ami intervened to save her with a watery attack?

As she hit the floor, Rei instinctively wiped her face and saw that her white glove was now streaked with crimson. Glancing upward, her eyes finally registered the truth.

Usagi was standing over her, the queen’s blood-soaked yellow arm protruding from her back. The queen’s arm was withdrawn as a blood-curdling scream echoed across the battlefield.

Rei barely noticed it, though, nor the shockwave that followed. She didn’t care about anything in that moment except catching Usagi’s crumpling body before it hit the floor. Time seemed to speed up after that.

She was vaguely aware of bright lights and sounds all around her, then of some of the other Sailors appearing. Mercury was yelling at someone, but all Rei could focus on was Usagi. Then, Usagi spoke.

“I’m sorry, Rei,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do it how you wanted. Forgive me.”

A chaotic scene played out following these words, but for Rei, there was only silence. Unending silence.

***

“Oh, that shut her up!” Datadump commented, its pixelated smile returning. “Now for your energy!”

Suddenly, Rei let loose an almighty roar. An unseen force shattered the windows of her room, threw the unconscious Makoto off the bed, and blasted Datadump backwards, who toppled over the now pane-less wall and into the corridor.

On Rei’s forehead, glowing scarlet, the symbol for Mars had appeared.