Rini finally managed to stop bouncing on the trampoline of grass, and she began walking (and, of course, falling down on the springy surface every few yards) towards the lake. There was a loud crack from above, and Rini saw that the cloudless sky was starting to rain. The droplets of water were cold and sharp against her bare arms. Despite the amusing nature of the ground, the young girl was far from amused; she was beginning to wonder if Serena would ever come to her rescue. Finding Amy had been a blessing, she had thought, but the blue-haired Sailor Scout had been just as unhelpful as Serena had been. Unfortunately, it seemed impossible to get anyone else to follow a conversation or to understand the danger she knew she was in. A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, and everything went black for a split-second.

The Negamoon was getting closer.

Rini alternatingly crawled and ran, repeatedly losing her footing on the unbalanced ground. But when she got to the edge of the lake, she realized that the edge of the lake was actually fifty feet higher than she was; it was surrounded by a wall of rock. Rini glanced nervously back at the tree she had come from. Jumping, she realized that the grassy floor no longer bounced back. Her only option was to continue into the dark hole in the wall. It was either the unknown dark hole or the known-to-be-evil dark clouds that seemed to be chasing her. Rini quickly ducked into the dry opening.

A small strip of bright electricity shot out of one of the doors. It slowed down and reformed into the shape of a small dragon. Sailor Jupiter smiled. "I told you he'd help."

Sailor Venus stifled another giggle.

The serpent extended a bright yellow wing and beckoned the girls to follow it, which they did. The dragon moved so quickly, however, that it had to double-back and find the Scouts periodically. Eventually they got to the same round room that Raye had ended up in. The charred pieces of pillow were lying on the ground still.

"I think Raye was here," commented Sailor Venus.

"Thank you," Sailor Jupiter said to the dragon, who nodded and disappeared in a bright flash. In that instantaneous pulse of light, they both saw a pink streak fly out of the floor and into the sky.

"Was that... Rini?" Sailor Venus looked at Jupiter for confirmation.

"I think so, but she seemed to run out of the floor and then disappear again."

"I experienced the weird dimensional thing with Raye back with all those stairs, so I guess it makes sense that Rini's floor could be our wall," Mina pointed out. "But that would mean our floor would be her wall, so that you mean she walked through a wall."

"She obviously wasn't really here, though," Sailor Jupiter insisted. She rapped on the hard floor. "It's solid. And she's nowhere in sight."

"Well, I think we should see what's under--"

Darien came crashing down on Sailor Venus from above, still clad in a white robe. He slowly stood up, revealing yellowish spots on the robe.

"You smell like puke," Lita stated matter-of-factly.

"And you landed on me. That hurt." Sailor Venus pushed herself back up and slapped Darien. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to fall on girls?"

"Uh, Mina..." Sailor Jupiter stepped in between the Scout and the guilty male. "Now's not the time to be silly. Okay, Darien... why do you smell like puke?"

Darien slowly shook his head and ran his hand through his short black hair. "There was something up there. It made me sick. It was like being surrounded by evil itself. We have to get out of here. It's advancing. It's moving toward us right now." He gripped Sailor Jupiter by the shoulders. "We have to find Serena. We have to find Rini. She's in danger! I know you may have forgotten--"

"Yes. We know." Jupiter pushed Darien's hands down. "We need Tuxedo Mask. You need to transform."

"But it happens when Serena transforms," he protested. "You know that."

Sailor Jupiter looked him directly in the eyes (after all, she was the only Sailor Scout tall enough to do so). "Our communicators aren't working. We have no way of contacting Sailor Moon, not can we be sure that her transformation will even trigger your own in this place. You have to do it on your own."

The cave was cold and, except for the periodic trickle of water droplets, silent. Rini crept through the cavern, whose walls were illuminated by an unknown source. When she had first arrived in this place, it had been easy to travel between relatively pleasant and fun locations, like playgrounds, parks, and even a place similar to her bedroom back home. But lately things had been getting darker and scarier. She no longer had much control over her surroundings. The pink-haired tyke had called out to Serena, and her present-day protector had appeared at her dinner table, stuffing food into her mouth. She had tried to explain that she needed help, but Serena simply didn't understand her. Just as Amy hadn't understood her either.

Rini felt tears swelling up in her eyes. She sniffed and rubbed her eyes on her arms. I have to stay strong. I have to, she told herself. She kept trudging through the cave until she came to a dead end. "No, I'm trapped! I can't be trapped! I have to get out of here! I have to find Serena!" Rini shouted, her tears finally beginning to flow. She was doomed, and she knew it. There was nothing left she could do but cry.

"Tuxedo Mask's job is to protect Sailor Moon. Without a Sailor Moon, there's no need for a Tuxedo Mask. I can prevent myself from transforming, but I can't force myself to become Tuxedo Mask. It's beyond my control." Just like the future, he added silently.

"It's simple. You just grab your transformation pen," Jupiter explained, "and will yourself to be Tuxedo Mask, like flipping a light switch--"

"I don't have one."

Sailor Venus tapped her foot. "We need to go after Rini."

"Just a minute!" Sailor Jupiter snapped. She turned back to Darien. "Okay, um, imagine that you're holding a rose."

Darien leaned against the rounded wall. "Then what?"

"You're not imagining. Focus."

He sighed and began to stare at his hand. He pictured a long-stemmed red rose in his right palm. He gripped the thornless leg of the flower tightly.

Sailor Jupiter smiled as she saw Darien holding tightly to nothing. "Now allow yourself to become Tuxedo Mask. Let the power build up in the rose. Then say something and let it surround you."

The room started to get brighter. Sailor Venus looked up and saw a light shining on Darien's forehead.

"The future..." Darien whispered. The light erupted, surrounding Darien in a flaring column of energy. Crimson red petals whipped around the pillar of light for several seconds. Once it died down, Tuxedo Mask looked at Jupiter and said, "Thank you."

"I knew you could do it." She smiled. "Venus?"

"Right! Venus, Crescent Beam, Smash!!" Sailor Venus threw a beam of light at the floor, and pieces of concrete and rock flew up. "Let's go." Sailor Venus jumped into the hole she had created.