Venus wasn't an idiot. He knew who they were.

At least, who they were supposed to be.

They were the Inner Sailor Guardians, chosen to protect Princess Serenity and the Legendary Silver Crystal. They were soldiers of love and justice, punishing wrongdoers and those with wicked hearts.

And that wasn't them.

Venus remembered being Minako Aino, a girl with long, blond hair and a passion for the stage. He remembered becoming Sailor V, the temporary Princess and senior soldier of beauty. He remembered becoming Sailor Venus, the shock at discovering he wasn't the princess.

But that wasn't Sammy. Sammy grew up with a talent for music, playing from the time he could talk. Sammy enrolled in a music school as soon as he could, majoring in songwriting. Sammy gave up his career as a musician for Joey Drew Studios. Sammy gave up his mind and his life to Joey Drew and his smiling, cruel cartoon.

Where did Minako end and Sammy begin? Would there even be a Sammy left? Would Sammy Lawrence fade away, forgotten, as Minako Aino wore his face?

Why, oh why, did the Queen choose him? Why didn't she send back her soul instead, took a placeholder and dealt with the Nightmare Kingdom herself?

"I'm Lefty, by the way." Jupiter said. "I didn't introduce myself yet."

Odd name for a bear.

"But if you want to know my real name, it's Charlotte. Charlotte Emily."

Emily. Venus recognized the name, but couldn't quite place where he knew it from.

"Quite nice to meet you." Venus said, purely out of respect.

They kept walking in silence.

Even the noodle bear, Molten Freddy, they had called themself, stayed quiet, clinging to Jupiter's back like a teddy bear they were terrified of losing.

Maybe if Venus had held on that tightly...

"Mercury Power, make up." Molten muttered, transforming into Mercury with a burst of blue bubbles.

No one dared to speak.

Venus gripped the orange ball chain circling his skirt and hips, as if daring the fearsome bear to come out of hiding.

I'll come back, Mily. Venus thought, an image of his new friend flashing through his mind. And we'll watch as many episodes of The Owl House as you like.

He just needed to deal with that damn bear first.

Venus snapped back to attention just in time to hear a low growling sound.

Mercury was on edge, their wires shrinking in underneath their skirt. Jupiter was, too, but she had chosen to fight. She had gotten into a fighting stance, her tiara crackling with green electricity.

"Venus..." Jupiter gasped, her ears lowering back against her head.

Venus turned, his heart stopping at the sight before them.

Nightmare himself had come out to play.

The enormous bear lumbered closer, eyes fixated on the remaining three guardians.

Mercury tapped their blue earring, generating their blue visor. "Venus, wait-"

For those glorious few moments, all Venus saw was red.

Red of the flames that devoured Mars, red of his blindfold, red of the planet itself.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" He lept up off the ground, charging directly at the bear.

"Venus, stop!" Jupiter screamed.

The yellow heart flew directly at Nightmare.

This was it. Venus was going to defeat Nightmare and save them all.

The heart went right through Nightmare.

Venus gasped in horror, staring wide eyed as his own attack destroyed a pillar instead.

He only just dimly registered the beeping sound as he landed on the ground before the world around him went up in a blaze of yellow.

"Venus!!!!" Mercury screamed.

His body was being torn apart. Pain seared through his body, just like the first time he had died.

Was this it?

Bye, guys, was his final thought before his vision went black forever.

It was an illusion.

Jupiter stared at where Venus had once been, now an explosion of thick, black ink.

The only thing that had been left intact was his mask, splattered with ink just like the rest of the area.

Mercury sobbed, wiping their oily tears on the back of Jupiter's uniform. "Veve..."

"I know, Merc." Jupiter struggled to hold back her own tears, stooping to pick up the cardboard mask.

Mind if I take over the piano when we get home, Lefty? A vision of Sammy popped up in her head, grinning like nothing had happened.

When they get home, Jupiter would. Hell, Jupiter would let Sammy live in the pizzaria if he wanted.

Jupiter slipped the mask over her head, hanging it around her neck. Mars's delicate blindfold waved like the old rabbit was still there, too.

First Mars, and now Venus. If Jupiter had to lose Mercury... no. If that happened, nothing would save Nightmare from her wrath.

That is, if she survived.

"This way, Juju." Mercury whimpered, pointing a shaking finger to the right.

"Can you see him?" Jupiter asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"No, but I can see where he is." The wiry bear answered.

If Jupiter had known what would happen, she never would have gotten involved. Never would have gotten Mercury involved.

And then what? Let Mars get killed by that Security Puppet lookalike? Let herself and Mars get eaten by those horrendous doll-creatures?

Maybe someone else would have made a better Necro Sailor Jupiter.

The princess chose them all for a reason, to come and defeat the Nightmare Kingdom.

Right?

"Juju, he's headed this way." Mercury stared, transfixed, down the black hall.

Jupiter's ear twitched, listening for the sounds of heavy footsteps.

She felt them before she heard them. Deep vibrations ran through the hard granite, making their way into her head like a foreboding drum.

Jupiter was in for the fight of her life.