Episode 116
Calm After the Storm! A Friendship Devoted to Hotaru.

Somewhere in the city, Chibi Usa, Mamoru, and Usagi shop for a new bag for a picnic Chibi Usa will soon go on. Hotaru happens to walk by the story and notices the family spending time together. It reminds her of happier times when her mother was still alive. She sadly turns her head away but Chibi Usa catches sight of her. She calls out to her, but Hotaru walks away, still afraid that she will somehow hurt Chibi Usa. The pink-haired girl runs after her, saying, "Don't run away. We're friends, right?" Hotaru stops for a moment, conflicted, but she quickly runs away. Mamoru suggests that there must be a reason behind Hotaru's behavior and Usagi mentions Haruka's warning, but insists that Hotaru is not a bad girl. Mamoru agrees and Chibi Usa continues to stare off into the direct Hotaru had just run.

In the mysterious chamber, dark Hotaru sits, demanding that the Professor release her powers. Their conversation is interrupted when Chibi Usa rings the doorbell. Kaolinite answers the door and Chibi Usa hands her the bunny bag with a note, asking her to give it to Hotaru. Kaori closes the door and finds Hotaru standing there. Hotaru takes the bag and reads the note, which is an invitation to a picnic the next day. Although Hotaru is touched by the offer, Kaolinite calls Chibi Usa selfish, inviting a frail girl on a picnic. Professor Tomoe over hears and thinks the picnic is a good idea, since he is unable to spend much time with Hotaru.

The next day, as Mamoru and Usagi pack the car with a huge picnic basket, Chibi Usa waits, worried that Hotaru will not show up. When Usagi and Mamoru finally get the trunk of the car closed, Luna notices Hotaru leaning against a light post. Chibi Usa runs to her, embracing her with a friendly hug. Hotaru takes out the bunny bag to show Chibi Usa that she brought it with her. The five of them go to a beautiful place which consisted of an outside garden and a huge greenhouse. Chibi Usa runs through the grass and Hotaru and Usagi follow close behind, leaving Mamoru to carry the basket and Luna. As the girls play, Mamoru takes pictures of them--Chibi Usa gleefully jumping into the air, Usagi clumsily falling on her face, and Hotaru gracefully sitting among the flowers.

Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna watch them from a distance. Haruka is clearly displeased that they continue to associate with Hotaru in spite of her warnings. Setsuna wonders if Hotaru really has something to do with their enemy, The Death Busters, and, while she cannot confirm this, Haruka claims to have a bad feeling about it. She says, "I feel the presence of something tremendously evil.”But it looks fun,' Michiru replies.

Usagi bends down so Hotaru can leap over her. While the leap is successful, she clutches her chest in pain and collapses to the ground. Mamoru runs over to her, asking if she is all right and helps her to her feet. Chibi Usa also tries to leap over Usagi, but her jump is less successful and the pair of them fall to the ground in a pile. As Usagi chases Chibi Usa, Mamoru explains to Hotaru and Luna that the botanist who works there is an alumni of Mamoru's school. His research topic is roses. Naturally, this botanist is the Death Busters' next target.

The group enters the greenhouse and everyone is impressed by the variety of beautiful plants, from giant tress to delicate flowers. The botanist greets Mamoru and his group of beautiful women, when a group of children appear carrying his lunch. Apparently, he has a lot of children. The botanist and the picnicking group sit down to enjoy a nice lunch in the grass. Usagi encourages Hotaru and everybody else to eat up. Hotaru giggles as Chibi Usa makes a funny face when Usagi forces her to eat bell peppers. Then Hotaru turns away, a sad expression on her face. Chibi Usa worries that Hotaru doesn't like the food, but she insists that is not the case. She says, "I was just thinking how I haven't eaten like this with Papa in quite a while." The botanist sets down his lunch and places his hand on Hotaru's shoulder. He tells her that it is more fun to enjoy time with her friends than to complain about not spending time with her father. He gives her a playful push and she falls over on top of Chibi Usa. The entire group laughs.

After lunch, the botanist takes the group into the area where he kept all of his roses. He talks about his experiments to improve them, to which Hotaru responds, "It would be better to jut let it go free, and let it bloom wherever it wanted to bloom..." The botanist offers to take them to the room with the tropical plants, but Hotaru decides to stay behind, alone with her thoughts. Although Chibi Usa goes on with her family, she soon decides that her place is with Hotaru, so she runs back to find her. As Hotaru starts to leave the greenhouse, a huge storm suddenly hits, sending all the people outside running. The storm gets worse as hail pours out of the sky, smashing the glass of the greenhouse. The lights go out and Chibi Usa finds herself alone in the dark.

The botanist stands on a ladder, struggling to hold up a piece of lumber as he tries to repair a part of the damaged greenhouse. Suddenly, an extra pair of hands appear, as Hotaru holds up the lumber freeing him to pound in some nails. He thanks her, saying that he wants to save the particular saplings which the hail has endangered because they have been specially designed to fight against illness. "Improvements aren't just about making it more beautiful!" This thought seems to resonate with Hotaru.

They are interrupted when Mimete throws a tool at them, knocking the ladder over and causing them to fall to the ground. She summons a daimon to attack the botanist and take his pure heart crystal. Hotaru is knocked out by the fall. Sailormoon, Sailorchibimoon, and Tuxedo Kamen battle against the daimon, but she powers up, causing giant roots to grow out of the ground trapping them. The red aura once again appears around Hotaru and she grabs a root, draining the Daimon of its power. In its weakened state, Sailormoon breaks free and uses the chalice to destroy it. Pluto, Uranus, and Neptune stand just outside the door watching. They sensed a great power, something Uranus called "an eerie pulse of darkness." Pluto whispers, "Please be careful, Small Lady..."

The storm has cleared and sunlight streams through the windows. Mamoru, Usagi, and Chibi Usagi surround Hotaru as she tries to regain her strength. In spite of the unpleasant intrusion made by the storm, Chibi Usa whispers to Hotaru that she wants to come back again and Hotaru agrees. Overhead, they see a beautiful rainbow.