Amberite sat on her throne, staring into space. Her mouth was graced by a faint trace of a smile, and she rested her head on her hands. She seemed to be lost in thought.

"Uh, Queen Amberite…" Opal began. Amberite's head snapped around like an angry snake.

"Opal!" Amberite hissed. "What have I told you about disturbing my thoughts?!"

"Well, Merciful Queen, you told me to leave you alone. But I'm curious about something: what will we do now?"

"Now that Sailor Moon is helpless, you mean? Well, it wouldn't be any fun if we didn't subject the girl who is Sailor Moon to the torment of not being able to transform, would it?"

Opal smiled maliciously. "I guess not."

"My point exactly. Now, get Jadeite and choose a Negamon. Let’s set a little trap for the Sailor Senshi. I can’t wait to see their expression when the most powerful of them is unable to transform!"

"Yes, Queen Amberite." Opal said, bowing gracefully. She snapped her fingers and disappeared.

"My plans are progressing nicely." Amberite said, smiling to herself.

ELSEWHERE:

"Come back here with that, you thieving birds!" Flora yelled at the top of her lungs as she chased a trio of seagulls down the street. One of them managed to carry a small purse as it flew, and the other two gulls were trying to steal it from the first. It was Flora’s purse that had been stolen. Suddenly, the first seagull slowed down, eyes glowing faintly green, then landed. It dropped the purse, and then all three flew away. Sauro picked up his sister’s purse.

"Those seagulls actually thought this tacky thing was edible…" He muttered to himself.

"Sauro-kun!" Flora came running by so fast that she almost fell on her face as she tried to brake. She ran up to him, and took her purse back.

"How’d you get it?"

"I made the gulls drop your purse. They were foolish enough to think that this was food."

"Thanks. Bye!" Flora said. The words were barely out of her mouth when she dashed off down the street.

A LITTLE LATER:

Opal stood on top of a building, laughing maniacally. Below her, the Negamon Nightfang dashed this way and that, lunging at and draining various people. Half bat and half lizard, Nightfang was terrifying. Then Opal saw something out of the corner of her eye, on the corner of a building. She looked up, and sighed. Her trap had been sprung, but she had caught the wrong mouse!

"In the name of the Earth, I, Sailor Gaia, will punish you!"

Opal growled to herself, then drew her whip and leapt at Sailor Gaia. The two fought for a brief time, and then Opal used her secret weapon. Lashing quickly with her whip, she wrapped it around Sailor Gaia’s body, pinning her arms to her sides.

"This is my special power, Sailor girl. It’s too bad you’re not Sailor Moon, I’d like to see what the Opal Circuit would do to her. But if she was here, I wouldn’t need to do a thing." Opal said. As she spoke, she cackled insidiously. Then her eyes started to glow, and green energy coursed down the whip. Sailor Gaia futilely struggled to break free. The energy hit her, radiating through her body. It hurt, like being burnt. Sailor Gaia screamed, once. A shadow fell over Opal. She smiled.

"You got here quicker than I thought you would, lizard. Oh, well, you can try to save your orange-haired companion, but it will do you about as much good as a heater in Hell once the Queen gets through with you. She’s been waiting to meet you again, Dinozore."

Dinozore said nothing, merely leaping to the ground and folding his wings around his body. He held up a transformation stick.

"Raptor Tuxedo Power!"

Finding herself in a one-on-one battle against the being even Queen Amberite was leery of, she lost her nerve. "Nightfang, sic em!"

Nightfang charged Tuxedo Raptor. He merely jumped backwards and delivered a stunning blow to Nightfang with the hilt of the Razor Fang. He turned towards Opal, and without a word swung his sword. The pain that Sailor Gaia felt was consuming her disappeared, and she looked at Opal. She was pale. She backed away, still holding about half of her whip. Tuxedo Raptor picked up the other half of Opal’s whip on the tip of his sword, and tossed it to Opal.

"Now, witch, away with you!"

Opal started to snap her fingers, but Tuxedo Raptor spoke again. Pointing at the stunned Negamon, he spoke. "Take that creature with you."

Opal opened a portal underneath Nightfang, and the bat-lizard sunk into it and disappeared. Opal herself was gone not a second later.

"Are you okay, Flora-chan? What happened?"

"Well, I heard people screaming, so I transformed and faced down Opal. Before she attacked me, she seemed disappointed that it was me and not Usagi-chan that appeared. She almost seemed to want an encounter with Eternal Sailor Moon."

"Well, I was right about her survival, obviously. That’s good- or bad- depending on how you look at it." Tuxedo Raptor said.

"I think that Opal has something big going on." Sailor Gaia said. "Something evil."

Tuxedo Raptor swatted her lightly. "Of course she does. She is evil!"

"Right."

"Let’s go home."

"I have to go to Mako-chan’s place. The girls are- oops! I can’t tell you!" Flora said, giggling.

"I have ways of getting the information. I could ask Squawky, or I could just get those seagulls to steal your purse again."

"No! Don’t ask Squawky, whatever you do! He knows, but I’ll tell you first. The girls, well all except for HAruka and them, are having a sleepover at Mako-chan’s. No one could tell you because we didn’t want you there, and if you couldn’t get in you’d crash the party. You won’t, will you?"

Tuxedo Raptor’s face contorted into a sinister smile for a moment, but then he shook his head quickly. Resuming his indifferent manner, he answered. "No, I won’t. I swear it by the First Step Upon the Land."

"Okay, then. I have to get back home to get some things."

AT HOME:

As Sauro walked into the house, a very excited Squawky fluttered up. "Sauro, Flora and the girls-"

"I know, Squawky. They have a sleepover."

The bird obviously seemed disappointed to not be able to tell what he thought was a secret, and started to preen.

Flora quickly gathered up her things. Sauro noticed that her transformation stick was among them.

"Anticipating trouble, sister?"

"No, but I can’t not take it again. I’m just lucky I brought it with me earlier."

"Flora, shouldn’t you be going?"

"I’m going now, Mom. Sauro’s going to take me to Mako-chan’s."

"Okay. Be careful now, Flora, and you too, Sauro."

"Yes, Mom." They chorused.

AT MAKOTO’S APARTMENT:

Flora knocked on the door. Makoto opened it.

"Good. Then everybody is here." Then Makoto noticed Sauro.

"I thought you weren’t supposed to tell him."

"Flora-chan, can’t you keep a secret?!" Rei hissed from behind Makoto.

"He swore by the… the…"

"The First Step Upon the Land. That is the most sincere promise I can make. Besides, I’m leaving now. I just brought Holly here, that’s all. Bye, Same-chan."

Sauro blew Makoto a kiss, then turned and walked away down the hall.

"And watch Usagi, would you? Opal’s got something up her sleeve, and Usagi’s in the middle of it."

"What’s going on?" Makoto asked Flora. "What’s Opal up to?"

"I’ll tell all of you later." Flora said, gathering up her sleeping bag. Once inside, she set it down. No sooner had she done so than Squawky forced his way out of the middle of it.

"Now I know what it feels like to be inside a burrito!" the disheveled macaw complained.

"Why did you come with me?!" Flora snarled venomously.

"What, and miss the fun I could have crashing this? No way!" Squawky crowed.

"Did Sauro-kun put you up to this?!"

"No, he didn’t."

Flora started to fume, but Makoto intervened. "Squawky, do this again and we’ll pluck you. Just go over where Io is and stay there. Flora-chan, calm down."

Both girl and macaw were caught off-guard, and complied.

Outside, Opal was contemplating the apartment building.

"This looks like there are a lot of people living here. A perfect target to draw Sailor Moon here. But first…"

Opal unwound the bisected whip from her waist, and examined it.

"I have to fix this. That damn lizard just about ruined it."

She rewound the two halves around her waist, and looked up at the building again.

Sauro left the building and started home. As he did, he noticed the green-haired woman examining at the building. Sauro stopped to look at her for a moment.

Io!

The eagle looked around in puzzlement for a second before realizing who was addressing him, and answered.

<What?>

There’s a suspicious woman out here. Take a look. She has green hair, and I think it might be Opal. Don’t let her see you, if she is Opal, she’d recognize you.

Io hopped out onto the balcony, and looked down. He saw the woman, and she did look like Opal.

"Io, get back in here." Makoto said. Io squawked and then strolled clumsily inside.

Sauro stepped back inside the building, out of the woman’s sight.

"Raptor Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Dinozore slunk out of the doorway, skulking along in the shadows, until he was only a few feet from that woman. He flapped his wings. The woman stumbled backwards, with an expression of surprise and… disappointment? She snapped her fingers, and became Opal.

"Damn you, Dinozore! What are you doing here?!" Opal spat.

"I could ask the same of you." Dinozore said calmly. Opal clenched her fists and glared venomously at him.

"How did you know I was going to be here?" she demanded.

"Lucky guess?"

Opal didn’t say another word. She disappeared in a flash of green.

Dinozore spread his wings and lifted off. He hovered outside of Makoto’s apartment for a moment, to inform Io of Opal’s presence.

Io, that was Opal. I suggest you watch out. If you need help, just call me. Dinozore thought. Then he back-winged and flew away.

IN THE NEO-DARK KINGDOM:

"OPAL!" Amberite shouted. Opal lost no time in answering.

"Yes, Queen?"

"Jadeite tells me that you not only got your whip sliced in two today, but you also ran from Dinozore?!"

"Well, Merciful One, this has been a bad day for me."

Amberite placed the globe at the end of her staff under Opal’s chin, and lifted her up to her own eye level.

"If you fail to get energy for me again, this day will be YOUR LAST! Understand?" Amberite hissed. Opal, who was on tiptoes trying to stay upright, nodded as best she could. Amberite jabbed forward with her staff, hitting Opal under the chin and causing her to crash to the floor.

"Now, you found a building that has enough people in it to serve as bait for the Sailor Senshi, and give me energy too?"

Opal nodded, breathing in gasps. "Yes… Queen Amberite."

"Well, then, get Jadeite and that Negamon and let’s go!"

"Are you going?"

Amberite laughed, a sound that Opal could never get used to. "Of course! I want to see this in person. Besides, Dinozore and I have a little catching up to do." The large globe of amber on the end her staff started to glow. Black lightning wrapped around her body, obscuring her, when it cleared, she was gone. Opal quickly ran to get Jadeite and Nightfang for what could well be Sailor Moon’s last day of existence!

ELSEWHERE:

Sauro sat on his bed, reading a book (in English) about unknown animals.

"Hey, most of these exist! I can-" Sauro’s eyes started to glow radiantly green for a few minutes before the color faded. "I can see through the eyes of most of them, and a few they don’t know about as well."

Suddenly, Sauro froze. He shivered.

"Something bad is going to happen, I know it. I’ve got to go to the girls. They’re in trouble!"

Sauro opened his window and jumped down to the grass below.

"Mom and Dad are asleep, they won’t miss me. Now, Raptor Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Dinozore took flight as silently as he could and then flew like an arrow towards Makoto’s apartment building.

THERE:

Opal and Jadeite stood by the main entrance to the building. Nightfang smashed down through the roof, and was rampaging inside, draining the energy of anyone and everyone he could catch.

Flora, Makoto, Ami, Rei, Minako, and Usagi were staying inside Makoto’s apartment. Flora was hiding behind a pair of large plants, which actually bent their leaves and stems to hide her. Makoto was standing just inside the door, brandishing a frying pan.

"Just let them try to get me!"

"Why don’t we transform?" Usagi asked.

<Because you don’t want Nightfang to see you transform. He’s right outside.>

As if on cue, a gigantic winged hand threw open the door and Nightfang charged in. Makoto hit him over the head with the frying pan, temporarily stunning the Negamon.

"Now!" Squawky screeched. "Go transform! We’ll hold this ugly thing off and buy you some time."

Most of the girls didn’t hesitate to listen, but Flora still cowered behind the plants.

Makoto grabbed Flora and dragged her past Nightfang, whose eye opened as they past. He tried to lunge after them, but Io landed on his tail and shocked him with a Thunder Eagle Blast. Nightfang roared in pain and charged out of the apartment and off the balcony in pursuit of Io.

Flora got an unexplainable surge of courage, and dashed ahead. She ducked into a tiny alcove on the ground floor. Makoto followed her, as did the others.

"Gaia Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Venus Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Mercury Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Usagi held up her brooch and prepared to transform.

"Moon Eternal, Make Up!"

Everyone froze for a moment. Nothing happened! Then sparks of black electricity erupted from the brooch. Usagi collapsed.

"Well, so you are Sailor Moon!" A voice hissed from nearby. Opal strode calmly out into the open, right up to the Sailor Senshi. She smiled with such venom… (and triumph?) that Sailor Gaia gasped. "Imagine that. I didn’t have to lure you here. You were already here. I guess that explains that eagle chasing Nightfang around."

Sailor Mercury helped Usagi to her feet.

"Wait! This was why you wanted Sailor Moon to show up before, but you got me instead!" Sailor Gaia exclaimed.

Opal placed her hands on her hips and smiled. "You’re observant. That reminds me though..."

Opal unwound her now-repaired whip from around her waist and lifted it into the air to strike. "Since Dinozore isn’t around, I’ll make you pay for the damage to my whip!"

"OPAL!"

Opal flinched. "I’ll get you later. Now, go outside or I will kill the blonde girl!"

Sailor Gaia stood up and started for the exit. Sailor Jupiter immediately grabbed her by the arm.

"You’re going to listen to that maniac?!"

Sailor Gaia looked back and spoke, too quietly for Opal to hear.

"It’s not like we have a choice."

OUTSIDE:

Opal escorted them into the most open area she could find, the street.

"Opal, what did you find?"

Jadeite floated down, landing across from Opal.

"I found Sailor Moon."

"That blonde girl?"

"Yes."

"Well then. Nightfang! Get back here! We sprang the trap already!" Jadeite bellowed. The Negamon soared down, completely ignoring Io, who, deciding not to push his luck any further, had perched in a tree.

Jadeite drew his sword, but as he prepared to strike, something hit him. Dinozore walked around the fallen Jadeite and up to the Sailor Senshi.

"Why hasn’t Usagi transformed?"

"I… I can’t."

Dinozore’s eyes widened, and an expression of unease crossed his face. "Can’t?"

"I tried, but…"

"She short circuited, or something." Sailor Gaia volunteered. "Dinozore? Are you listening?"

Dinozore lifted his head and sniffed the air. Then, without knowing exactly what was wrong, he snarled.

"Greetings, Sailor Senshi!"

A smooth, melodious voice drifted from the shadows of a nearby rooftop. Dinozore hissed.

"It can’t be! You’re dead!" he snarled.

A shadow detached itself from the building and slithered down to the ground. Slowly, it began to take a female shape. The woman that coalesced was Amberite! Her amber eyes sparkled with anger, and her hair swayed slightly in the breeze. She gripped a staff with the biggest piece of amber Dinozore had ever seen affixed to it, and she was older and taller, but it couldn’t be anyone else.

"Well, Dinozore, it’s a pleasure to meet you again." Amberite said, her voice dripping with sarcasm and repressed anger.

"Amberite, why didn’t you just go to Hell where you belong?!" Dinozore snarled.

Opal cracked her whip a few inches from Dinozore’s face.

"Speak respectfully, lizard! That is Queen Amberite, ruler of the Neo-Dark Kingdom and future Queen of this planet!" she hissed.

Dinozore turned and glared at her.

"Out of my way before I wrap that whip around your neck and hang you with it, Opal!"

"You all seem to recognize this woman, but I don’t. Who is this Amberite?" Sailor Gaia asked.

"Don’t worry. Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn wouldn’t either. She attacked us before you were even Sailor Gaia. After a long and difficult battle, Dinozore killed her… at least we all thought he did." Sailor Mercury said.

"I thought I killed her, too." Dinozore said.

Amberite looked at Usagi, and smiled. "Try to transform, Sailor Moon." She said maliciously. Usagi looked in puzzlement at Amberite, but she complied.

"Moon Eter-" Usagi began, but was cut off before she could even finish. Something on Amberite’s staff began to glow, and Usagi’s brooch erupted in black lightning.

"As you can see, she is unable to transform, thanks to my Anti-Silver Crystal." Amberite gloated.

"Anti-Silver Crystal?" Dinozore said.

"Anti-Silver Crystal!?" The others chorused.

"Yes. As long as I have it, Sailor Moon is nothing more than the sniveling coward she is now. I have succeeded where those who have gone before me have failed!"

"Not quite Amberite!" Dinozore shouted. He leapt at Amberite, extending the Crystal Claw as he did so. Amberite raised her staff to block, and there was a thunderous clash as the two met. Amberite swung her staff, narrowly missing Dinozore. He sliced at her with one of his killing claws, but only hit her staff. However, his claw gouged out a groove on the staff. Then Dinozore made a prodigious leap backwards, landing next to Sailor Gaia. Amberite wiped a few beads of sweat from her forehead.

"You’ve gotten much stronger." Amberite said.

"You have too. I’d have to actually work to defeat you now." Dinozore said with a sly smile.

"Your words mean nothing to me, Dinozore. With Sailor Moon out of commission, I will have this planet before long. Someday soon we will fight again, and then you will see my true powers. Opal, Jadeite, eliminate them all!"

Amberite jumped straight up, then started hovering.

"However, I want Dinozore alive! Killing him is my personal privilege!" Amberite said, before melting into the night sky and disappearing. Opal and Jadeite regarded the Sailor Senshi and Dinozore.

"We can easily finish off those girls. Between the two of us and Nightfang, that should be no problem." Opal said. "Nightfang, kill!"

The bat-lizard charged at Dinozore, who merely stepped aside like a bullfighter. It nearly ran into Sailor Jupiter, then turned around and tried to run away. It was too slow.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

The ball of electricity hit Nightfang. The bat-lizard sunk down onto all fours. After the electricity faded from its body, it rose up and charged Sailor Jupiter, slavering jaws opened wide. Dinozore slammed into it headlong, sending flopping end over end down the street for a short distance. It stood up, then stared at Dinozore for a few minutes, as if wondering what to do next. Then it ran away, and hid behind Opal and Jadeite.

"You craven beast! Attack him!" Opal raved. She and Jadeite teleported a short distance. Nightfang snarled and turned towards the Sailor Senshi. It saw one that, though it radiated great energy, did not seem to be very dangerous. It charged, leaping into the air and diving down towards Usagi. Being Usagi, she sat there, rooted to the spot with fear. Dinozore lunged forward and pulled her out of harm’s way."

"Usagi, stay away from that thing."

"What about the Negamon?" Sailor Venus said. "Sailor Moon… oh, right. I forgot the transformation problems. Who will destroy that thing?"

Without answering, Dinozore jumped into the air. He extended the Crystal Claw into its double sword mode and leapt at Nightfang. He sliced downwards with the Crystal Claw. Nightfang never knew what hit him. The Crystal Claw passed right through him, and he dissolved into energy and dissipated into the air.

"Well, at least it won’t be too easy." Opal said. Dinozore turned and smiled at her.

"Sailor Gaia!" Dinozore said.

"Yes?"

"Attack her, you idiot!" Dinozore hissed. Sailor Gaia held her arms straight out in front of her.

"Flower Beam!"

"We’ll meet again. Until then, lizard!" Opal cackled. She snapped her fingers and disappeared before Sailor Gaia’s attack even hit her. Jadeite did likewise.

"This is it. We’re doomed. We’ve never had to fight without Sailor Moon before." Sailor Gaia moaned.

"Things are looking bad." Sailor Venus said. "But we will win. We have to, right? I mean, we know Crystal Tokyo exists in the future, and Amberite isn’t Queen."

<The future is not set in stone. It can be changed.> Io said.

What can I do? I can’t transform, and I can’t protect anyone. I’m useless. Usagi thought to herself.

<No, you’re not. You’re a bigger influence on Dinozore than he lets on. Trust me.>

But this has never happened before. As long as that crystal is intact…

"Where is Dinozore?" Sailor Mars said suddenly, looking around.

"He was here a minute ago." Sailor Gaia said.

On the roof of a building, Dinozore and Sailor Lacerta gazed at the skyline.

"This is serious. Amberite actually appears to have planned for this. She’s prepared for everything."

"She’s not prepared for Savage Dinozore." Sailor Lacerta offered.

"I told you before, Draca, I don’t know how I transformed into Savage Dinozore and I can’t do it again. I’ve tried."

"You should become the leader of the Sailor Senshi. If it weren’t for Sailor Saturn’s stronger powers, you and I would be the two strongest beings in Tokyo now, and you are still the second most powerful. If you can’t defeat Amberite, no one can. Besides, it’s you she wants revenge on. Why? What happened between you two?"

"She attacked us one day and contaminated Same-chan, Rei-chan, and Usagi with dark energy. I managed to rescue Ami-chan and Minako-chan. After a long, battle-filled few days, and a battle more difficult and furious than any I had ever experienced, I managed to summon up a Sauros Beam Eagle. With the help of the girls, I…thought I killed Amberite, but she survived somehow." Dinozore said.

"This time you can win. You’re as strong now as when you went on the offensive against Galaxia, and you can destroy Amberite. I will be right behind you all the way. I pledged loyalty to you, remember?"

"Why did you do that anyway? Why me and not Sailor Moon?"

"Because you helped me when I asked, even though I had tried to steal your starseed, and you protected me from Galaxia. It was you who retrieved my starseed."

"Sailor Moon would have done so as well."

"Maybe, but in you I sensed someone like myself."

"Draca?"

"What?"

"Are you always following me around?"

Sailor Lacerta blushed. "Well, I… I do sometimes."

Dinozore stood up and spread his wings. "I have to go home now. My parents will be up before long, and I don’t want to not be there if they come looking for me."

IN THE NEO-DARK KINGDOM:

Amberite peered into her amber globe.

"Dinozore, we will meet again, but not yet. I have to make myself stronger. I know that your pride won’t let me survive this next battle. I can’t lose."

"Queen Amberite…"

"What is it, Opal."

The green haired woman bowed to Amberite before answering. "What do we do now?"

Amberite answered the question with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Continue to gather energy for the crystal just as you were doing."

"But, Queen, shouldn’t we kill that girl Usagi? She is Sailor-" Opal’s answer was cut short as a lock of Amberite’s hair wrapped around her neck.

"She’s no danger to me. Kill anyone who interferes with your plans."

"Even Dinozore?"

"We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it." Amberite said. "I’m in too good of a mood to deal with you now. Get out of my sight."

Opal quickly left.

"Amber, isn’t it foolish to let Dinozore live? We both saw his fight against Galaxia, and you are much weaker than she was. With similar effort, he might be able to kill you twice over." Ruby said.

"But he was Savage Dinozore, and he hasn’t become that creature since." Amberite pointed out. "This should be an entertaining game."