“Enough pomp and circumstance,” said Morgan, banging the bottom of her jewel-topped staff on the stone floor and sweeping her voluminous red curls over her shoulder dramatically. “It’s obvious why you’ve called us here, Vardas. Zarg has failed, hasn’t he?”

Vardas scowled, but replied, “Yes. It would appear so. His energy signature disappeared, and we’ve been unable to contact him. However, there is more to discuss.”

“I’ll save you the trouble,” King Tanzan interjected, puffing up his chest. “I sent Alexandri to observe Zarg’s efforts—”

“You admit it?” the lizard-man snapped. “That was not part of our agreed plan, Tanzan!”

“Can he enlighten us about Zarg’s demise at least?” said Morgan insensitively.

“If he recovers—” the king started.

“If?” Morgan shrieked with derisive laughter. “You mean you defied our decision only for your man to screw up?”

“Alexandri must have interfered with Zarg’s mission! That’s the only explanation for my finest warrior’s defeat,” Vardas added. “Explain yourself, Tanzan!”

“I do not answer to you, lizard!” Tanzan spat disdainfully, getting to his feet at the same time as Vardas.

“You answer to all of us!” Morgan retorted, also standing up. “That was the agreement made when we decided to combine our efforts to secure the Legendary Silver Crystal!”

Desperre, the hooded leader of the Umbris clan, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, interrupted at this point. “Enough,” he said simply in a deep, otherworldly voice.

Tanzan gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to attack the Raptillian commander, and the three leaders returned to their seats.

“Perhaps I shouldn’t have sent him,” Tanzan stated, “but he wouldn’t have hindered Zarg. As you say, Morgan, we have a shared goal, after all. The defeat of both Alexandri and Zarg is a great loss to the Blood Moon Alliance and does not bode well for our endeavors.”

“Agreed,” said Vardas.

“Still, we have learned something,” Tanzan asserted.

“Oh?” said Morgan.

“It would have taken great power to defeat two of our lieutenants. It seems we can safely assume that our information about the crystal and its new protector has been accurate.”

“This is true,” Vardas offered, licking his scaly mouth. “Before Zarg’s energy signature vanished, a separate source of enormous power was detected. We haven’t seen anything like it before.”

“So, we know for sure that Sailor Venus has the crystal and can use it,” Morgan summarized testily. “What’s our next step?”

“For now, we halt our pursuit of the crystal,” Tanzan concluded bitterly. “If Alexandri does recover, he will surely have valuable information to share with us about the crystal’s protector.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Morgan questioned.

Tanzan did not reply to this. The ensuing silence was broken by Desperre, who uttered a single word, “Energy.”

“Yes,” Vardas responded. “We need to replenish our reserves. Alexandri’s treatment will use up what we have, and we need more to feed the Umbris anyway. We also need to stockpile for the other part of our plan, should it become necessary.”

“So, we all agree to suspend our attempts to take the crystal for now?” Morgan proposed.

“Agreed,” said each of the other leaders.

“Fine. I will focus on gathering the energy we need from the humans,” she continued.

“It will need to be done covertly, lest we be discovered,” Vardas reminded her.

Morgan grinned. “Don’t worry. Jadeite has a wealth of experience in this area, don’t you Jadeite?” she said.

“Yes, mistress,” the blonde man confirmed with a wicked smile.

***

The vivid memories played in sequence as they always did. The party. The meteor. The invaders. The battle. Fighting to get to Sailor Moon’s side. Being restrained. The blood. Then, the anger, and the violence that followed.

Minako woke with a start. She’d had the dream again. The same dream she experienced every time she slept. Something was different, though. She was dizzy and achy, and this was not her bed. Minako pulled her arms up from under the thick blanket that was draped over her. They were red and bruised, and a long, narrow tube was inserted into the left arm.

It took Minako a few moments to remember why that might be. She recalled the fight and how she had been forced to use her full—and unstable—powers, which explained the redness of her skin. Then, there was the bandaging on her shoulder and the stitches on her forehead, which she touched lightly wither fingertips. It had been a close call. Too close. She had overexerted herself to the point of exhaustion. In fact, she didn’t understand how she had survived the fall after her last, desperate act.

Minako sat up with some effort and surveyed her foreign surroundings. She was flanked by an IV and other medical equipment, and her clothes had been folded neatly and placed on a nearby chair, along with her Crystal Change Rod. Understanding settled in as she spotted the blue-haired girl’s head lying on a large desk. She tutted. The idea that Ami had saved her was vexing. She didn’t like feeling indebted to anybody but supposed she owed her old friend one now.

Minako’s small exclamation of annoyance was enough to rouse Ami from her sleep. “Oh, you’re awake,” she remarked as she adjusted her glasses and checked her watch, then got to her feet and made her way around her desk. She began reviewing the monitors set around Minako and checking her wounds.

“How bad is it?” Minako asked.

“Be quiet,” Ami ordered calmly. “And lie back down. You’re in no condition to be moving.”

Minako complied with a sigh, and responded, “Sure thing, doc.”

“I’m not a doctor!” Ami snapped. “You should know why better than most!” she added enigmatically.

“Sorry,” Minako mumbled, mildly guilty for the thoughtless off-hand comment. She felt inclined to say something kind to Ami in the moment but thought better of it as her nightmare threatened to flash before her eyes once more. “This your office?” Minako asked, changing the subject.

“Yes,” Ami responded, then after a minute of clicking buttons on screens, she added, “I keep this cot here for nights when I don’t make it home. I thought bringing the necessary equipment here and treating you myself would be better than admitting you. The hospital would have asked difficult questions about your condition.”

“Good call,” said Minako.

“You really over did it, you know,” Ami rebuked after finishing her review of the girl’s vitals. “You’ve been out for two days.”

Minako didn’t respond right away. She had been about to point out that somebody had to take care of their enemies. Instead, she replied, “I had no choice. There were two of them. And they weren’t the usual pushovers. I’m guessing you know that already, though?”

“I had my suspicions,” Ami said evasively.

Minako tutted again, shaking her head. “I guess we should swap notes?” she proposed.

“I think that would be wise. What can you tell me about your opponents?”

“One was reptilian in appearance. He was strong, skilled and could regenerate. The other looked human, though. He could Skywalk and make barriers. Despite their differences, it was clear that they were allies.”

“Interesting…”

“Actually, the second one mentioned the name of their organization,” Minako said, furrowing her brow in concentration. “The Red Moon, or something like that. Blood. The Blood Moon Alliance, that was it!”

“Hmm…”

“Does that mean something to you?”

“Blood moons are a rare astrological phenomenon said to symbolize chaos, disruption, and change,” Ami explained in a grave tone.

“Oh, I’m sure these guys are nothing to worry about then,” Minako quipped.

“Well, whoever or whatever this group are, you need to use caution, Minako. You still need a lot of rest, and you certainly can’t be transforming again anytime soon. Your body can’t handle the strain of it, and I’m afraid to say, neither can your crystal,” Ami advised, fetching Minako’s rod.

Minako frowned at the new crack that had formed in the orange orb.

“I just wish we understood what happened to your powers to make them go out of control,” Ami said, frustration in her voice detectable through her cool demeanor.

“I think we know that, don’t we?”

“Yes. Of course. What I meant to say was, I wish I understood the mechanics involved, so I could fix it for you.”

An awkward silence fell on the room.

“So, what information do you have for me?” Minako asked.

Ami cleared her throat and explained, “Well, from what I can gather, the frequency and power of your enemies has been increasing. Gathering energy doesn’t appear to be their sole purpose. I believe the latest attacks have been part of a strategic effort to lure you out. My hypothesis is that you’re being tested. As to why, I’m not sure.”

“Oh, didn’t I mention?” Minako offered. “They’re after the Silver Crystal.”

Ami froze, her mouth agape. “The Silver Crystal?” she repeated in a tone of shock. “But… It’s gone! Why would they think you have it?”

“They mentioned a survivor from… Well, you know when.”

“Of course!” Ami exclaimed. “They’ve mistaken your mysterious power boost for the crystal’s power! This isn’t good, Minako. They’re not going to stop looking for the crystal.”

“It’s fine. If they believe I have the crystal, the threat of it should keep them at bay for a while, especially after I wasted the two from the other night. I can handle anyone they send—” Minako began.

“No!” Ami chastised. “If you keep using that power, it will kill you! That’s if your crystal isn’t destroyed first! We should ask Mako—”

“We’re not involving Makoto!” Minako said flatly.

Ami frowned and opened her mouth to object but was interrupted by the ringing of her desk phone. She answered it, and after a brief monosyllabic exchange, informed Minako, “I have to get to a meeting. I’ll be back in an hour. Get some rest. We can discuss things in more detail later.”

“Fine,” Minako agreed.

With that, Ami left the office. However, when she returned an hour later, Minako was gone.