Later, a young man was knocking on Darien's apartment door. He seemed to have been expecting to meet Darien earlier and was trying to find out why he hadn't showed up. Darien was inside the apartment but he ignored the knocking. His apartment was filled with mirrors.  The young man left just as Serena arrived. Serena was annoyed that someone she didn't know was knocking on Darien's door. She knocked at the apartment door herself but there was no answer. Serena was not deterred.  She said it was no problem since she had the "ultimate proof of his love". Serena produced a key and unlocked the apartment door.
Serena stumbled around inside Darien's dark apartment and wondered if there had always been so many mirrors. Finally, she found Darien standing in a dark room, staring in an infatuated way at full-length mirror.  Serena saw the strange golden glint in Darien's eye and then a shadowy figure within the mirror. She stepped towards him and trod on a mirror lying on the floor. The noise snapped Darien out of his reverie. Darien said Serena shouldn't have come in. Serena tried to reason with him but Darien was cold and said her visit wasn't needed. He was more concerned about the broken mirror and stroked it tenderly. The broken edge cut his finger. Serena ran to him and took his hand. She tried to kiss his cut but Darien pulled away. Then he suddenly appeared to return to his normal self and apologized, saying he wasn't feeling himself. Darien said he needed to sleep.  Serena agreed that would be for the best. She said she had brought some food and would leave it in the kitchen. She asked Darien to call her when he felt better. Darien agreed.  As Serena left, she looked back and saw Darien again standing in front of the full-length mirror.

At Raye's temple, Serena retold the events from Darien's apartment to the other girls.  Rini said it sounded like the same disease that had been discussed on the TV news. Amy said it wasn't impossible and that they should look into it. Serena wondered if it was possible to cure this disease and Lita said that no cure was known yet. Raye thought back to the mysterious reaction of the temple mirror and the crystal monsters that replicated themselves in a mirror-fashion and wondered if there mustn't be some connection. Lita thought that sounded similar to what Sailor Saturn had said before.

"The white moon is covered by a dark shadow." Hotaru had in fact joined the gathering, escorted by Trista.  Hotaru repeated her prophecy about an evil wish. Rini asked what this meant. Lita said it meant that someone was jealous of Sailor Moon and wanted to get rid of her.  Hotaru said that something would begin and something else would end. She said the world was on a path to destruction...
Hotaru explained that on the night of the shooting stars, all the mirrors had been attacked by an evil woman. She said all mirrors were now possessed with a dark power and that the girls should not look into them or they might be possessed by that power. Serena realized that this explained Darien's strange behaviour and the odd vision she had seen at her bedroom window.  Trista said that the Prince was indeed in danger, and that Amara and Michelle were already headed to his location. All of the girls transformed into Sailor Scout mode and raced off down the city streets.
Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune were outside Darien's apartment building fighting a group of mirror-crystal monsters. Sailor Uranus wielded her sword talisman and used the attack "Space Sword Blaster".
Sailor Neptune used her talisman also and the attack "Submarine Reflection". The mirror-crystal monsters were destroyed but they immediately began to regrow.  Sailor Pluto's "Dead Scream" attack blasted away the new crystal statue-monsters as the remaining Sailor Soldiers joined up with Uranus and Neptune.  Pluto said that the outer planet Sailors would hold off the crystal demons while the inner-planet Sailors went inside to help the prince.
However, when the girls tried to take the elevator they found it was already occupied... by mirror-crystal monsters!  Jupiter used Oak Evolution to retaliate then directed the other girls to the stairs. The girls dashed upwards.
Suddenly Sailor Moon froze. "What is it?" yelled Mini-Moon, "we've got to go help him!"
"The shadow.  I just realized where I've seen that shape before!" exclaimed Sailor Moon. "Nehelenia!"
"Impossible!" said Sailor Mars.
"Nehelenia was sealed into the new moon" protested Sailor Venus.
"But what if the seal has been broken somehow?" said Sailor Mercury.
"Darien!" cried Sailor Moon.

The girls rushed up the stairs and burst into Darien's apartment. "What is this?" they exclaimed. The darkened room was filled with mirrors. Sailor Moon stepped forward, "Darien!  All these mirrors..."

Continue...


1