“Please, Ami-chan,” Usagi begged, “I only want you to tell me what questions you expect to be on the exam. Please? Take pity on this poor lost sheep.” She had already given up begging Ryoku after he gave her a quieting glare and a curt ‘no’.
Ami finally turned to Usagi with a tired, yet disapproving, look on her face. “Even if I tell you, there’s no point to it if you don’t understand. It won’t do you any good in the long run.”
“But, we have to take exams the day after tomorrow,” Usagi continued desperately. “You know I always fail exams! A drowning man will clutch at a rope….”
“That’s a straw, Usagi-chan,” Ryoku corrected dryly.
“Just give it up, Usagi-chan,” Makoto said, putting a consoling hand on her friend’s shoulder.
“And just why did you come to see Ami-chan, Mako-chan?” Usagi retorted, staring up at her tall friend’s face.
“Well…,” Makoto replied sheepishly. “I came to ask her some questions about the exam, too. My brother wasn’t going to give me any answers, either.”
“You need to study as well, you know,” Ryoku replied nonchalantly. “I can’t be telling you everything you need to know. Shortcuts aren’t always the best way.”
Usagi turned her glance to him and frowned. “That’s easy for you to say,” she said blandly. “You don’t have problems with tests.”
“Usagi-chan, Mako-chan, we’ll be the oldest students in junior high next year,” Ami chided. “Don’t you think you think we ought to work a bit harder?”
“Next year is next year,” Usagi replied indifferently. “We don’t need to worry about it yet.”
“You’d be surprised how much a little precaution can help,” Ryoku said quietly. “One of these days, you should give it a try.”
A frightened scream suddenly caught their attention. “It came from over there,” Makoto said and hurried toward the scream, quickly followed by everyone else.
They didn’t have far to go when they spotted the creature at the park. It was a pinkish lion-creature with a large white mane. Its tail thrashed about irritably as it stared down its victim, who was uneasily watching it for any sign of its next attack. Overhead, unnoticed by everyone, a dark wheel started to slowly turn. At the same time, the creature began to roar, the wheel spun faster as it turned into a transparent outline, while the energy was quickly drained from the guy. One look at him made sparks of recognition go off in both Ryoku’s and Makoto’s minds.
“Isn’t that…?” Ryoku began.
“Shinozaki-kun!!!” Makoto shouted and rushed forward. The creature broke off its attack and began growling again.
“No, Mako-chan!” Shinozaki shouted at Makoto when she hurried toward his side. “Get back!”
“Shinozaki-kun?” she repeated in a slightly confused tone. “Why…?”
“Look out!” Ryoku shouted as he realized that the creature was about to pounce. He ran forward, but he knew he would be too late.
“Mako-chan, watch out!” Shinozaki yelled as he noticed that the creature’s target was Makoto. He quickly leaped at her and pushed her out of the way, as the lion-creature flew past. Makoto hit the ground hard, but Shinozaki’s momentum carried him further. Nearby, there was a stairway leading down to a lower level of the park, but he was nowhere near it and, unfortunately, there was no railing to stop him from going over the side and hitting the ground below.
“Shinozaki-kun!” Makoto shouted as her brother raced by and leaped off the side, landing on the ground next to him.
Above, the creature roared again as it prepared to attack Makoto again. Before it could leap, it noticed Ami and Usagi watching from a higher level. It stopped and growled again, then faded into a small blue light, which shot back into the transparent wheel and vanished.
“Shinozaki-kun!” Makoto yelled over the side. “Are you all right?”
“Have someone call an ambulance!” Ryoku shouted back. “He’s not moving and there’s lots of blood!”
“Oh no…,” Makoto murmured fearfully. She glanced upward to her friends. “Call the hospital! Hurry!!!”
Ami nodded and hurried off to find a phone, while Usagi went with her. Makoto slowly got to her feet and tried to hurry to where her brother was kneeling down near her friend. When Ryoku saw her kneel down next to him, worry obvious in her eyes he placed a consoling arm around her shoulders.
“It’s not good,” he said quietly. “He’s lost quite a bit of blood from the fall. I may not know a lot about the medical profession, but even I can tell that he won’t last long unless help arrives soon.”
“Ami-chan went to call the hospital,” Makoto said without taking her eyes off Shinozaki. “You idiot!” she murmured sadly. “Why’d you have to go and do something like that? I would’ve been okay….” She trailed off into silence as they waited.
Seconds turned into minutes that felt like hours passed until the loud whine of an ambulance’s siren could be heard. Usagi and Ami quickly led them down to where they were waiting.
“Please clear the way!” one of them shouted. A female, Ryoku noticed. They were both female. He silently pulled his sister back so the medics could attend to the one that needed them. A stretcher was rolled out from the back and brought to Shinozaki’s side. Quickly and with professional efficiency, they carefully lifted him onto the stretcher and took him into the ambulance. Makoto quietly followed, wanting to stay by his side, with Ryoku close behind. He glanced at Usagi and Ami, who both had concerned looks on their faces, and nodded for them to come with him. When all three had climbed in after Makoto, the doors were closed and they were rushed to the hospital.
“We need some type-O blood!” one of the medics stated as they ran with the stretcher down the hallway.
“We don’t have enough!” the other reported.
“Try to get some more immediately!”
“My blood is type-O,” Makoto told them. “Please use mine.” Ryoku was about to open his mouth to say that his was type-O as well and that they could use his, too, but a look from his sister told him that she didn’t want him to offer.
“Why not?” he whispered questioningly to her so that only they could hear.
“He was injured trying to save me,” she told him pointedly. “I owe him this.”
“I see,” he replied. “Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Thank you,” she replied with a small smile.
“We appreciate your offer,” the medic replied. “Thank you very much.”
The others continued to follow until one of the medics asked them to remain outside, saying that they would only get in the way. Ryoku gave Shinozaki one last concerned look, then nodded and headed for the waiting room with Usagi and Ami following.
The playing of a flute filled the chamber as the Cardian hung motionless, suspended in the starry mosaic surrounding the huge withering tree. Behind it, the transparent outline of a wheel spun, vapor-like energy issuing forth from it and flowing into and around the tree.
Ail continued to play as he and Ann sat on the huge roots of the tree, oblivious to whatever was happening, while she watched. As the energy seeped into the tree, through bark and leaves, slowly it began to rejuvenate itself. The shriveled, light pink leaves slowly returned to a healthy, full red as she watched. She leaned back and tilted her head backwards, letting herself listen to the music and feel the tree renewing its strength. When the last of the energy was drained from the Cardian, Ail ceased playing and the creature reverted into the card it came from, then flew back into his hand and vanished.
“We were able to take enough energy today,” Ail said in a satisfied tone as he turned toward Ann.
“This is the easiest way, isn’t it?” Ann asked uncertainly.
“We can’t be at ease yet,” he replied, avoiding an answer. “There are still those five beautiful female – and one male – Sailor Warriors.”
Ann’s eyebrow made an arch. “Beautiful?” she asked questioningly.
Ail pretended to cough as he realized what he had said. “Well… I mean tough fighters who are trying to stop our project.”
“We must be very careful, Ail.”
“We cannot let them know our identities.”
“I trust no one but you,” Ann said as she held out her hand to Ail.
“And I, you,” Ail said as he took her hand.
It seemed like forever until they were allowed into the room where Makoto and Shinozaki were. Ryoku was leaning against the wall – he felt uncomfortable sitting in circumstances like this – and staring emotionlessly at the wall opposite to him. Usagi tried to talk to him in order to cheer him up a little, but he never responded nor even seemed to notice she was there although she was standing right in front of his eyes. Ami just shook her head and waited patiently. Usagi soon gave up and sat next to Ami.
When a nurse told them that they could visit for a short while, Ryoku blinked and turned to follow her without a word to her or them. It was a measure of how worried he was for him to almost completely forget that they were there. Usagi and Ami exchanged a glance, then followed.
Makoto was the only one awake; Shinozaki was completely unconscious. The sleeve of the left arm of her school uniform was rolled up and a tube was sticking out of her arm and a small strip of bandage was covering the connection. The other end was stuck into Shinozaki’s right arm with a bandage covering the connection there as well. His school uniform was removed so his blood could be cleaned of it and a bandage was wrapped around his head. It was most likely just replaced, as there was practically no blood visible on the bandage. A blanket covered him all the way up to his chest under his arms, where Makoto’s only went to her waist. The soft, steady sound of beeping was the only sound other than silence.
Ryoku quietly walked into the room and moved the chair sitting next to the head of the bed to just next to his sister’s shoulder. Makoto turned her head to watch her brother as he sat. For a short time, the two siblings just stared at each other, their expressions speaking more than words could accurately express. He silently placed his left hand on her left shoulder and gave her a small, loving half-smile. She smiled back at him as she laid her head against his hand, her cheek resting against the back of his hand.
From the foot of the bed, Usagi and Ami watched the exchange between the two. It was plainly obvious that he was proud of his sister for volunteering to donate her blood to save Shinozaki’s life. It was also plainly obvious to see how much the two cared for each other. Ryoku had told them once that he and his sister were the only family that they had and, as such, their family bond was very strong – stronger than most brother/sister bonds. The tableau they were seeing was enough to see what he meant.
Makoto turned her gaze to the others as she lifted her head from his hand. “Are you two just going to stand over there?” Makoto asked weakly. “I thought you were here to see how I was doing.”
Usagi and Ami moved to her bedside, beside Ryoku, both with concerned looks on their faces.
“Are you feeling okay, Mako-chan?” Ami asked.
“If not, we could take your place,” Usagi added.
“Thanks,” Makoto replied, “but you’d better go home and study for the exam tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Ami replied. “I don’t have to study like mad for an exam, because I study a little every day.”
“As for me,” Usagi added, “I’ve given up already anyway, so….” Ami and Ryoku both gave her sidelong glances and sighed inwardly.
“It’s nice to know that you’re not worried,” Ryoku replied blandly.
Ami turned her gaze from Makoto over to the boy lying unconscious on the next bed as a curious expression slowly crossed her face. “Mako-chan,” she asked inquisitively, “what’s the relationship between you and that boy?” Usagi blinked, her expression suddenly very interested, while Ryoku gave Ami a blank stare, as if he thought she was missing the obvious.
“He’s my special friend,” Makoto replied as she gave Shinozaki a fond glance.
“Special…,” Usagi repeated uncertainly.
“…friend?” Ami finished just as uncertainly.
Ryoku shook his head slowly at their incomprehension. He glanced at his sister, who nodded at him, and proceeded to explain.
“Shinozaki-kun has been a close friend to the both of us for a very long time,” he began slowly. “Even before we lost our parents. In fact, he was there with us when we said our last goodbyes to our mother and father. Ever since, we’ve been in contact no matter where Mako-chan and I have been transferred to. We’d occasionally go to visit him, or he’d visit us.” He paused for a moment as a small half-grin caught the corner of his mouth. “For some reason, he’s always been closer to Mako-chan than to me. Maybe it’s because of how I’ve changed so much over the past five years, I guess,” he said with a shrug. “Not that it matters in the least. He’s been a close friend to me, but he’s Mako-chan’s special.”
“He’s always on my side,” Makoto continued when her brother paused. “Once, when I last saw my long-lost senpai….”
A rainy day is relaxing for some: a reason to stay indoors and lie comfortably on one’s bed, listening to the soft tapping against roofs and windows; watching the droplets glide down the window pane. For others, it was a hindrance: puddles splashing, making both shoes and socks wet and soggy; drenched clothing and hair; drops of cold water falling on faces, maybe making some susceptible to colds and the like. For Makoto, it was a pleasant atmosphere, made especially for romantic walks for two under umbrellas.
She was standing under a small gazebo in Sankaku Park with her senpai, whom she had been dating for a very long time, staring out at the falling rain with a wondrous smile on her face. She was totally unaware of the hard expression on his face as her back was to him at the time. Without warning, her pleasant day was about to come crashing down all around her in just two words.
“It’s over.”
Shock and disbelief was now apparent on Makoto’s face as the one she loved told her that he no longer loved her. The umbrella slipped from her numbed grip and fell to the floor with a soft, wet clatter. Tears slowly began to well up in her eyes as he told her that he didn’t want to see her anymore. She half-turned toward him and saw it in his eyes: apathy. The love she once saw there was no more.
She reached out to him and took his hand in both of hers as she looked into his eyes, or rather, tried to as he turned away from her. She asked him why; was it something she did or said? If it was, she was sorry. She wanted to know, needed to know, why.
He glanced at her for a split second and wrenched his hand free as he brought his umbrella up and opened it. He said three words and ran away from her, leaving her behind in the rain as she forlornly chased after him for a short distance; those last three words he said to her echoing in her mind as the cold, hard rain mercilessly pelted her, making her outside feel as cold as she felt inside.
“It doesn’t matter.”
For what seemed like an eternity, she stood there in the rain, paralyzed by heartbreak as she continued to stare in the direction her now-ex had fled in. She remained oblivious to the rain until she suddenly felt its absence. Above her head, there was the sound of raindrops hitting taut waterproof fabric. A glance to her right told her who it was: Shinozaki. How he knew she was where she was puzzled her until she noticed the umbrella he was holding. The familiar nicks on the handle told her that he learned where she was from her brother. She didn’t have to look behind her to know that somewhere, probably hiding somewhere in the distance, her brother was looking out for her, as always. She could just picture him standing somewhere, watching without his umbrella, because Shinozaki had it and was holding it over her head.
Shinozaki took one look at her face and said nothing as he just stood beside her, keeping the umbrella over her head and keeping her company. He remained by her side until she finally recovered enough from her shock to retrieve her umbrella from where she had dropped it. Shinozaki walked her all the way home, where her rain-soaked brother was waiting outside for her at the door.
“Ever since I was small, there have been times when he comforted me when I was feeling low,” Makoto concluded. “Especially when Ryo-chan was either not around, or also emotionally involved, like during the deaths of our parents.
“He tried to help me tonight as well, but…,” she trailed off as she glanced at Shinozaki again.
“Really?” Usagi asked, a large grin spreading across her face. “You both love each other a lot, huh?”
“Usagi-chan…,” Ami began chidingly, but stopped when she saw Makoto shaking her head.
“No, but he might be more important than a boyfriend,” she told them with a small smile.
“Mako-chan…,” Ami said quietly with small surprise as a contemplative expression slowly appeared on her face.
Ryoku stood when he spotted a nurse walking into the room. “How long?” was all he asked.
“She won’t need to be here all that long,” the nurse informed him. “She can go in a few hours.”
He nodded solemnly and turned to the others. “I’ll be staying here until she’s ready to go. You two should go home now. We have exams after tomorrow. Study, then get some sleep.”
“I don’t mind staying, Ryo-kun,” Usagi insisted. “I’m not worried about….”
“Please don’t argue with me,” he interjected quietly. “You especially need to study.”
“But….”
“I have to be here,” he said sternly, cutting her off again. “You don’t. Please, go home and study, Usagi-chan.”
Usagi glanced from Ryoku to Makoto and back again, then sighed. “Oh, all right,” she acquiesced reluctantly.
“Thank you,” he said gratefully and turned to go sit back down beside his sister. Ami and Usagi gave them one last glance and quietly headed out of the room. The nurse did a quick check on all the instruments, and on Shinozaki and Makoto, then left without a word.
“You didn’t have to chase them out, you know,” Makoto said quietly after the nurse left.
“I know, but if I didn’t, Usagi-chan would never get around to studying for the exams,” Ryoku explained. “If I just told her and not Ami-chan, she’d start complaining about being singled out. Besides, it is getting late. They’ll need their sleep… especially for tomorrow.”
“That youma?”
“Exactly,” he replied, nodding. “They may have forgotten in light of this emergency, but I haven’t. If we’re to fight tomorrow, we’ll need some rest. Now, as for you,” he continued, giving his sister a fond half-smile, “you should get some sleep while you can. It might be hard with that in your arm, but I think you can manage. You’ll be weak enough with all that blood you’re giving.”
“Don’t fuss over me…,” she began complainingly.
“Don’t complain,” he rebuked chidingly. “Save your energy; you’ll need it. When I get you home, I’ll make a quick dinner for you and I’ll even cut it up into small bites….”
Makoto groaned as he continued. When he started talking about spoon-feeding her, she was ready to smack him with her pillow, regardless of whether he was right about her needing to save her strength. She knew he was teasing, but spoon-feeding? Treating her like an invalid? She was giving blood, not donating a kidney! After watching his half-smile grow a little larger, she began thinking of ways to get even with his brotherly ribbing.
Back at home, Usagi was hard at work. After changing into her usual pink pajamas, she grabbed some papers and some pencils and sat at her table and wordlessly went to work. Luna watched her working and smiled to herself, happy that Usagi was taking studying seriously for a change. After a short time, Luna got up from her seat and padded over to her.
“Usagi-chan, I’m sorry to interrupt your work, but I must tell you that we’re going to have a meeting about the incident that happened earlier….” She trailed off when she realized that she was still working away. “Are you listening to me?” she asked as she hopped up onto the table… and sweatdropped as she saw what she was working on.
“Pictures?!?” Luna exclaimed incredulously. “Unbelievable! Do you want to fail the exam again?”
Usagi paused in her drawing and look up worriedly. I hope that Shinozaki-san will get better soon… for Mako-chan’s sake.
The next day, everyone gathered at the shrine, except for Usagi, who was late… again.
“It’s clear that they’re after human life energy,” Luna began.
“I don’t think they have anything to do with the Dark Kingdom,” Artemis added.
“They’re totally different from the old enemies,” Rei added.
Ryoku nodded agreement. “Besides, the Dark Kingdom was totally wiped out. I doubt any remnants of that evil force exist any longer.” He paused for a moment, in thought. “They certainly look different from the denizens of the Dark Kingdom; green skin and weird-colored hair….”
“They caused that strange light we saw a couple of weeks ago, I guess,” Ami added.
Makoto smashed a clenched fist into one of the legs of the shrine they were standing under, causing the shrine to tremble a little. “I don’t care where they come from!” she growled fiercely. “I just wanna beat them!”
Everybody except Ryoku stared wide-eyed in surprise at Makoto. She must’ve been extremely angry for the force of her enraged punch to cause a large structure to tremble as it did. Ryoku shook his head slightly and placed a calming hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Calm down,” he murmured softly. “You’ll get your chance.”
“I can understand your feelings, Mako-chan,” Rei said with a slight nervousness, “but, please don’t break my shrine.”
“How’s Shinozaki-san’s condition?” Ami asked concernedly.
“He’s still in bed,” Makoto replied sadly.
All discussion paused for a short time as they remembered that a friend of Makoto’s, and of Ryoku’s, was in the hospital from the last attack.
“Usagi-chan’s very late,” Luna observed, breaking the quiet silence.
“She may be studying at home…,” Minako began, but stopped as she thought about it. “…though, I could be wrong.”
Luna vigorously shook her head, knowing that studying and Usagi were two things that never seemed to go together. “No way!”
“I can’t believe I’ve forgotten about the meeting!” Usagi exclaimed as she darted down the street. “I’m so stupid! Now I’m really gonna be late!!!” She held her the pictures she had drawn the night before, should she run into a certain someone… who she had just now spotted not too far down the same street she was on. Unfortunately, he wasn’t alone.
“It’s them!” she said as she sped up a bit. “She’s after Mamoru-san again!” She could barely hear the conversation the two were having, but it was getting clearer as she got closer.
“…not a trendy place these days,” Mamoru finished as she came into hearing range in mid-sentence. She grinned to herself at the abashment on Natsumi’s face.
“Well, what about karaoke?” she asked. “I’m pretty good at singing.”
Oh, great, Usagi thought to herself. Now she’s gonna sing! I’ve gotta stop this.…
“That’s enough!” she growled as she came to a stop between Mamoru and Natsumi.
“Meatball-head!” Mamoru exclaimed in an almost relieved tone. “What’s the matter with you? You look so angry.”
“Mamoru-san!” she said, turning toward him. “Please remember!” She flipped over her drawings so that they were facing him and proceeded to tell him about their past as the Earth Prince and the Moon Princess. Just as she was getting to the part where she began to tell him about Tuxedo Kamen, Natsumi snatched the pictures away.
“Idiot!” she snapped in annoyance.
“What?” Usagi demanded, whirling to face her and taking back her pictures.
“You are so childish!” Natsumi replied. “I can’t believe you’d believe in such a stupid fairy tale! Don’t you think so, Mamoru-sama?” she asked, turning to face him… and finding him gone. “Mamoru-sama?” She glanced around, looking for him, and spotted him hurrying away. He obviously took the girls’ arguing as an opportunity to escape. “Wait, please!” Natsumi shouted, chasing after him.
Usagi stood staring after Mamoru’s retreating back, hints of tears beginning to glisten at the corners of her eyes. “You still can’t remember me, Mamoru-san?” she said quietly. Natsumi is very pretty, she thought worriedly to herself. I can’t do anything if he ends up falling in love with her instead of me.…
A red rose was suddenly held out in front of her face. She blinked in surprise as she turned toward the person who held it out to her, hoping it was Tuxedo Kamen. When she saw him, she realized that it wasn’t him.
“Usagi-san,” Seijuro said, still holding out the rose, “You’re too beautiful to cry. I came to see you about something I want to tell you.”
“Something you… wanna tell me?” she murmured, blushing slightly.
“I love you, Usagi-san,” he told her, holding a bouquet of roses similar to the one he was holding out in his other hand. “Come on. Take the flowers.” He held them out to her, urging her to take them.
Her blush deepened. “Seijuro-san…,” she murmured, her hand slowly rising toward the bouquet.
“Our love is forever, like the universe,” he continued, urging her more with his words. “Let’s go beyond the stars. Come with me!”
Her hand stretched out to take the bouquet, allowing the pictures to fall face down onto the ground. As if that were a signal, Usagi suddenly snapped out of her trance-like state. One look down at the drawings lying on the ground told her what she had almost done.
“I’m sorry,” she said nervously as she quickly gathered up her drawings. “I have to go.” With that, she ran away, heading the same way she was going before she had first stopped. Seijuro stared after her and grinned to himself.
“The more you turn me down, the more my heart burns for you. It only heightens my desire. Usagi-san, you’ll soon be mine.”
Rei sat in front of the sacred flame with both hands in front of her, concentrating. Behind her, the others sat, waiting patiently. Both Ami and Minako watched calmly – Ami to the far right and Minako to the far left – with Luna and Artemis standing next to them, respectively. Makoto, on Ami’s left, had an impatient look to her face, as she was eager to find the monster and destroy it. Ryoku, sitting between Makoto and Minako, sat quietly with his eyes closed, almost mirroring Rei, except his hands were placed on his knees. He concentrated, too, focusing his mind in preparation.
Suddenly, Rei’s eyes snapped open as the flame roared up. An image of the lion monster appeared in the flames; back arched as if prepared to leap and attack. A gasp issued from the girls behind Rei as they almost leaped to their feet.
“It’s the youma!” Makoto stated. Ryoku opened his eyes, saw the creature, and scowled darkly; his eyes narrowing as he gave a tight nod.
“It stinks of evil,” Rei commented with a frown.
“It is to be expected,” he replied flatly.
“That monster hurt Shinozaki-kun!” Makoto growled furiously.
“It’s looking for its next victim,” Rei told them.
“Then, we mustn’t waste any time,” Ryoku stated, standing and drawing his swords from behind his back.
“Right,” she answered, getting to her feet. “Let’s go.”
Usagi paused to catch her breath as she leaned one hand against the base of the long stairway up to the shrine she was supposed to meet the others at some time ago. Her head drooped down as she breathed heavily, hoping that they wouldn’t get too mad at her tardiness. Sure, she got sidetracked, but it was important! Her thoughts were interrupted as five Sailor Scouts in full uniform began to run down the stairs and past her. She blinked in surprise; she wasn’t expecting this.
“Um… why have you all changed?” she asked as the first three – Mars, Jupiter, and Venus – ran past her.
“Come on, Usagi-chan!” Mercury urged as Knight also ran past Usagi; Mercury pausing to get her to transform as well.
“Where to?” Usagi asked, confused.
“Just hurry!” Mercury urged again and ran after the others.
“Tell me what’s going on!” Usagi pleaded. “I know I was late, but….”
“You’re too slow!” Mars shouted back to her. “Come with us now!”
“You’ll find out when we get there!” Knight added hurriedly.
“Okay…. Moon prism power, make up!” Usagi replied, then transformed. Within moments, she became Sailor Moon. “Wait!” she called out, then ran after the others.
“I can feel it…,” Mars said as she ran. “The wickedness near us….”
“The monster must’ve chosen a dark place to attack people easily from,” Mercury observed.
“Then, we must be prepared for an attack to originate from anywhere,” Knight warned. “It could be hiding; lying in wait for its next victim. Expect an ambush.”
As the others continued to run, Sailor Jupiter suddenly felt a wave of weakness and dizziness wash over her, causing her to slow down and lean wearily against a lamppost.
“Sailor Jupiter!” Sailor Moon exclaimed as she caught up to her; her expression worried. “Are you all right?”
“Just a little out of breath…,” Jupiter replied with a slight unsteadiness as she fought the dizzy feeling in her head. She slowly pushed herself off the post and turned toward Sailor Moon. “I’m fine. Well, let’s go.”
“You’re feeling dizzy because of your blood transfusion to Shinozaki-san,” Sailor Moon observed worriedly. “You shouldn’t fight in this state. You should go home and rest. We’ll take care of this.”
“I’m fine,” Jupiter insisted, frowning slightly at Sailor Moon’s insistence that she stay out of the fight.
“No, you’re not!” Sailor Moon retorted concernedly. “It’s impossible for you to fight tonight. Don’t you see?” Jupiter’s frowned faded a little as she realized that Sailor Moon was very concerned for her sake. “Please go home and rest,” Sailor Moon pleaded. “I know I’m always slow and can’t help very much when we’re fighting, but I’ll try to do my very best tonight for you! So, please go home!”
“Sailor Moon…,” Jupiter murmured wonderingly, amazed at how much she was willing to do for her sake.
“Please, Sailor Jupiter?” Sailor Moon begged again, reaching out and grabbing Jupiter’s arm.
“It’s very kind of you,” she replied with a small grin, which turned into a determined expression. “But, I don’t want that monster to hurt anyone else, like it did to Shinozaki-kun. I need to kill it myself.”
Sailor Moon watched as her friend’s grim expression didn’t change, and let go of her arm. “Okay, I won’t try to stop you anymore,” she yielded reluctantly. “Just promise that you’ll be careful, okay?”
Jupiter gave her a soft smile. “I promise. Now, let’s go!” she said, turning and running after the other Scouts.
Sailor Moon stared after her friend for a short while until she realized that she had been left behind. “Hey! Wait a minute!” she shouted and chased after Jupiter, who had just turned around the corner with Sailor Knight, who had stayed behind in order to show the laggards where the others went.
Back at the same spot in Sankaku Park where Shinozaki was attacked the night before, the Cardian had cornered a couple against a row of bushes and trees. The man and woman were both cowering in fear as they tried to scoot further away from the monster, but they were impeded by bushes. The lion-creature roared as it reared up on its hind legs and loomed over the couple. Above the lion-creature, the transparent outline of a wheel turned slowly.
“Hold it!” Sailor Mars ordered as she and the others arrived, minus Sailor Moon, who was now hurrying toward them.
“Back off!” Jupiter ordered as she and the other Scouts blocked the lion-creature off from the couple, allowing them to escape. “You aren’t harming anyone else ever again! Supreme….”
Before Jupiter could finish her attack, the Cardian suddenly emitted a blast of energy from its mouth. Jupiter managed to cross her arms in front of her, blocking some of the attack, but it was still enough to knock her off her feet and send her hard onto the ground.
“Sailor Jupiter!” Mercury exclaimed as she and the others rushed to her side.
“You all right?” Knight asked worriedly as he bent down to check on her. She wasn’t moving.
“Sailor Jupiter!” Sailor Moon exclaimed worriedly as she continued to close the distance between them.
“Why you…!” Mars growled furiously as she brought out one of her ofuda and began chanting. “Rin…. Pyou…. Tou…. Sha…. Kai…. Jin…. Retsu…. Sai…. Zen…. Evil spirit, begone!” She then flung the ofuda straight at the Cardian, but the lion-creature managed to shred the anti-evil ward in mid-flight with one massive paw.
“Sailor Jupiter, are you okay?” Sailor Moon asked worriedly as she shook her, trying to rouse her friend.
“Crescent….”
“Earth….”
Before Venus and Knight could finish their attacks, the lion-creature emitted another pulse of dark energy from its mouth, taking out the rest of the Sailor Scouts, except Sailor Moon.
“Sailor Mars! Mercury! Venus! Knight!” she exclaimed as she leaped to her feet, then turned angrily toward the Cardian. “How dare you do that to my friends! On behalf of the Moon, I’ll punish you!”
The lion-creature answered back with a deafening roar and a showing of many fangs and claws. She took one look and gulped nervously. “But, I’m still scared,” she whimpered as she dodged another blast directed at her and took to her heels.
The Cardian fired another blast, stopping her in her tracks. She warily turned toward the lion-creature, seeing it lick its fangs threateningly. Just as it was about to take its first step toward her, something struck the ground directly in front of the Cardian’s front right paw. Her eyes widened in shock once she saw what it was.
A white rose.
“No way!” she murmured to herself, turning toward the direction the rose came from, just as the Cardian looked up as well.
Standing on a branch of the tree behind them was a familiar-looking man dressed in a snowy white Arabic robe and cowl with a white veil covering his face except for the eyes. His equally white cape was draped around him and was held together by a metal disk with a yellow waning crescent moon emblem emblazoned on it.
“The moonlight is very beautiful tonight,” the caped man declared softly. “Far too beautiful for such a disgusting monster to roam free in.”
Sailor Moon stared at the man in bewilderment. “I don’t believe this…,” she whispered to herself. His eyes.… His voice.… “Who are you?”
“I am called the Moonlight Knight,” he replied.
“The Moonlight Knight?” she repeated faintly, a blush creeping across her cheeks. Endymion-sama? she wondered as she stared into his blue-eyed gaze.
With a roar, the Cardian snapped out of its confusion and leaped for Moonlight Knight. “Be careful!” Sailor Moon shouted warningly.
Moonlight Knight flung aside part of his cape, revealing a curved scimitar sheathed at his belt. He leaped straight up and drew his sword in midair. “Begone, monster of evil!” he shouted as he flung the blade at the transparent wheel outline, shattering it. When the wheel was destroyed, the Cardian froze in midair, momentarily paralyzed, then hit the ground with a loud thump.
“Moonlight Knight-sama!” Sailor Moon cheered, clasping her hands together in front of her and smiling. “Thank you!”
“Sailor Moon,” he said, his expression covered by the veil across his face, “we’ll have a chance to talk to each other some day. I’m looking forward to it. Farewell.” With that, he turned and leaped off the tree branch, vanishing in midair.
“Moonlight Knight-sama…,” she murmured dreamily as she continued to stare after him. Unbeknownst to her, the lion-creature was slowly getting back to its feet behind her.
At the same time, Sailor Jupiter was slowly regaining consciousness. “Damn…,” she murmured as she sat up, putting a hand to her head. “What’s happening?”
The Cardian finally got to its feet and was now preparing to pounce on Sailor Moon. Jupiter pushed herself up and reached out a hand toward Sailor Moon, as if she could somehow push Sailor Moon out of the way of the attack. “Look out, Sailor Moon!” she shouted, hoping that she would react in time.
Sailor Moon turned around just in time to see the lion-creature moments before it tackled her to the ground; its claws puncturing the skin around her shoulders at it roared in her face. She struggled to free herself, but she couldn’t move anything but her head. All her attempts were just make the claws dig in deeper.
“Sailor Moon!” Jupiter shouted as she got to her feet. She took one step and stumbled slightly as her knee almost gave way. She could hear Sailor Moon screaming in fright as the Cardian’s fangs glistened in the moonlight.
Sailor Moon…, she thought as she stood in a fighting stance, her mind displaying the image of her friend gazing worriedly at her, begging her not to fight tonight. Shinozaki-kun.… Her mind displayed the image of her friend lying unconscious on the hospital bed when she last saw him. Rage built up in her emotions as she glared burning hate at the monster that had given her so much grief. “I’ll never forgive you!” she growled as she prepared her attack.
“My guardian planet, Jupiter,” she intoned, “planet of storms, bring forth the thunder! Grant me the power of the storm! Supreme thunder!” She hurled a huge bolt of lightning at the lion-creature, blasting it off Sailor Moon and electrocuting it thoroughly. Since it was weakened by the destruction of the transparent wheel, the attack easily destroyed it. It reverted back into the card from which it came and stuck into the ground on edge; the picture of the Cardian blackening and smoldering as a wisp of smoke issued from the card and was blown away.
Jupiter remained standing for a while longer until she finally collapsed from exhaustion. “Sailor Jupiter!” Sailor Moon exclaimed as she rushed to her side and helped her to sit up.
“Are you okay?” Jupiter asked tiredly. “I’m glad you’re not injured.”
Sailor Moon gave her friend a warm hug. “Sailor Jupiter… thank you.”
The other Scouts finally got to their feet as well. “Looks like we missed all the fun,” Mars commented with a grin mirrored by the others.
“True,” Knight added. “I could’ve done without the beauty nap, though.”
“You sure?” Jupiter asked weakly. “You look like you could use a few more hours to me.”
The other Scouts laughed as Knight’s right eyebrow raised and he half-grinned in amusement. “Oh, I don’t know,” Venus added, going along with the joke. “Maybe not that long. What do you think, everyone?”
“I think I’m going home,” Knight muttered in feigned annoyance as he walked over to his sister and picked her up.
“What’re you doing?” she demanded.
“You’re going home, too,” he replied with a small half-grin that hinted at payback. “You’re in no condition to walk right now, so I’m carrying you home the whole way.”
“What?!?” she exclaimed as the others started laughing again, this time at her. “Not this again! I’ll be fine in a few minutes. You don’t have to…. Hey! Quit it!” she yelled as she tried, and failed, to get out of being carried home. One thing was sure, though: he was really gonna get it later.
The next day, Usagi and Ami came along with Makoto and Ryoku to watch as Shinozaki was allowed out of the hospital. They stood to one side as they watched a woman – his mother, Ryoku told them – walk out of the hospital with him. He still had the bandage wrapped around his head.
“It’s great that he’s recovered his health,” Ami said. “He’s going home now, right?”
“Yeah,” Makoto replied, her gaze following Shinozaki.
Usagi noticed her friend staring after him. “Why don’t you go see him?” she asked.
“Not today,” Makoto replied with a fond grin directed toward Shinozaki. “For now, I’ll watch out for him like he usually does for me.”
That night, Usagi sat on her bed, her knees tucked up to her chest, and stared out at the stars. The events of the day ran through her mind: the exam she took… and failed; watching Makoto as she watched Shinozaki leave the hospital….
I really don’t understand the relationship between Mako-chan and Shinozaki-san, she wondered contemplatively. Is it really possible to be able to care for a guy so much, but still not have any romantic feelings for him? She paused for a moment, her eyebrows narrowing in deep thought. Is it any different from my friendship with Ryo-kun? I don’t know if I care about him as much as Mako-chan cares about Shinozaki, but it might be the same. I wish I knew.…
Anyway, that knight.… He might be Endymion-sama, but if he was, then why didn’t he tell me? She sighed softly to herself. So many questions I don’t have the answers to.…
“Usagi-chan,” Luna called out, holding up a book in front of her face that was turned to a page full of mathematical problems. “Since you have a math exam coming up soon, I’m sure you can answer this question.” Her paw was pointing at a long math problem.
Usagi stared blankly at the problem for a few seconds, her mind overloading at the difficulty of the task set to her. “I don’t understand it at all!” she wailed despairingly. “It’s much, much, much more difficult than relationships between boys and girls!”
To Chapter 46: A Renewed Transformation