Minako sighed as she leaned back on the park bench, waiting. As she leaned back, she raised one arm over her head and glanced upward toward the midday sun. “Isn’t there anything that can be done about this heat?” she grumbled as she dropped her arm and settled back against the bench again.
While she waited, her gaze idly swept over the numerous couples sitting closely together around the fountain in front of her. “I can’t understand why they stick to each other in this heat!” she muttered contemptuously and leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and her head resting on one of her hands. “Hurry up and get here, everyone!”
“Minako-chan!”
Minako glanced up to see Makoto running toward her. The tall brunette slowed to a stop just before reaching the bench and bent over with her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. “Sorry, sorry!”
“Mako-chan, you’re late,” she said flatly.
“Oh, you’re mad,” she noticed sheepishly. She sat down on the bench and leaned back lazily. “Don’t get so grouchy just because I’m a little late.”
“I’m not grouchy!”
Makoto shot a sly, insinuating look at her. “Then, are you jealous of those couples in the park?”
“No, I’m not!” she retorted, turning away indignantly.
“I’m just kidding!” Makoto laughed. “Minako-chan, you’re so cute!”
She yawned slightly as she stretched her arms over her head and kicked her legs out. “Ami-chan can’t come after all. Cram school, as usual.”
“Rei-chan, too,” Minako added, leaning back against the bench as well. “She has to work at the shrine. What about Ryo-kun? Wasn’t he supposed to be coming?”
Makoto shook her head. “Sugiyama-sensei got sick yesterday, so Ryo-chan’s teaching her music classes for her until she gets better.” She leaned forward with her head on one hand and sighed. “I thought it’d be nice to go shopping with everyone for once.” She turned toward Minako. “So? What about Usagi-chan?”
“Do you really expect Usagi-chan to show up on time?” she replied with a grin.
Both girls broke out into laughter. “You’re right!” Makoto agreed in mid-laugh.
And just as sudden as they broke out into laughter, both girls stopped and sighed once more.
Half an hour later….
“Usagi-chan is so late…,” Makoto sighed.
“That girl is just hopeless,” Minako also sighed, then blinked as something caught her attention. “Oh?”
“Hm?” Makoto said as she leaned forward, noticing the same thing that caught Minako’s attention.
In front of them, Chibiusa was indignantly leading a procession of two little boys while doing her best to ignore their presence behind her. Finally, one of the boys ran forward and jumped out in front of her, halting her forward progress.
“Chibiusa, where are you going, looking all snobby?” he asked mockingly.
The other, taller boy joined his friend. “Hey, where are you going, dumpling?”
“Are you trying to hit on me?” Chibiusa asked derisively. “You guys are so immature. That’s why all the girls in class make fun of you guys!”
The smaller boy’s face twisted slightly in anger. “Eh?!? What did you say?” he demanded, clutching his hands into fists.
The taller boy reached forward and grabbed Chibiusa under her arms, then lifted her off of her feet, while smirking at her. “I’m gonna make you cry.”
Chibiusa sweated nervously. He might be kinda scary.…
“Hey!”
All three looked up to see Minako and Makoto towering over them while scowling.
“What are you doing with her?” Minako asked flatly.
The two boys laughed nervously as the taller boy put Chibiusa down, then ran off. “Excuse us!”
“Bullying a transfer student is really low,” Makoto snorted as they watched the boys run off.
Minako unfolded her arms and knelt down in front of Chibiusa. “Don’t let it bother you,” she said with a cheery smile. “Little boys always tease the girls they really like.”
“Like, of all things?” Makoto said with a slightly skeptical laugh. “Those kids were just bullies. Minako-chan, you’re such a romantic.”
“Is that so?” Minako retorted crossly. “What about you, Mako-chan? I think you’re too defensive toward boys.”
Makoto’s eyebrow twitched slightly as one corner of her mouth curved into a frown. “Me? How come?”
“You’re always falling for someone who looks like your lost senpai,” she said as she stood up with her back toward her. “I don’t think you’re looking for true love!” she exclaimed as she turned toward the other girl.
“I’m always serious!” Makoto retorted heatedly.
Chibiusa stared blankly between the two, wondering how in the hell this started.
“How about you, Minako-chan?” Makoto countered. “When are you ever going to stop pining for your old boyfriend?” She gave her a condescending look. “How sad and lonely!”
“I’m completely over him!” Minako shot back.
“Is that so?”
“Hey, hey!” Chibiusa said as she stepped in between the two. They blinked in surprise as they glanced down at the girl they had almost forgotten about. “I don’t care about those two,” she continued, smiling. “Because, I’m going to marry Mamo-chan!”
“What did you say?!?” Usagi roared as she shook her fist at Chibiusa, while Luna hung from her other shoulder. “I dare you to say that again!”
Chibiusa was unimpressed. “Like I said, I’m going to be Mamo-chan’s bride–” She was cut off as Usagi rushed at the little girl, pushing her a short distance away from Makoto and Minako, and leaving the two girls staring after her in astonishment.
“Don’t call him ‘Mamo-chan’ like you’re close to him!” Usagi snapped.
“You’re the one who got dumped,” Chibiusa retorted.
“Hey, stop it! Shut up!”
“I will not! It’s the truth!”
“A kid like you would never understand!”
“Why is it always like this?” Minako sighed as she and Makoto sweatdropped.
“Anyway, Minako-chan, I want you to take back what you just said,” Makoto said.
“Then, you’re going to forget your lost senpai?”
“Hey, it’s you who can’t forget her old boyfriend, Minako-chan!”
“You, Mako-chan!”
“Minako-chan!”
“Mako-chan!”
Both Usagi and Chibiusa – who was pulling on Usagi’s twin ponytails – stopped when they noticed that they weren’t the only ones arguing. Chibiusa used Usagi’s distraction to yank on Usagi’s hair and pull her down to the ground as she shot past the older girl.
“If you can’t get over being dumped, you three must really be getting old!” she said cheerily.
“Uncute…,” all three muttered irritably.
Prisma sighed as she stared at the image of the city of Tokyo displayed before her as she folded her arms irritably. “How long do we have to stay in this primitive world?” she griped as the image faded from the mirror in front of her. “They can’t even control this weather. It’s always too hot.”
“Stop complaining, Prisma-oneesama,” her brown-haired younger sister said with a smirk. “Even if you went back to the future, you don’t have anyone waiting for you anyway.”
“Avery…,” Prisma said coldly.
“Ah, here we go again,” Bertie said with a giggle. “Two old maids bickering with each other.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m not saying that you don’t have any luck with men,” Avery said, turning with her hands planted on her hips where her red skirt met with her yellow top. “I would never mention anything about getting dumped by men. It’s not my fault you have bad luck with them, right?” she added as her smirk widened.
“What?” she growled, scowling fiercely. “A man, of all things?”
At that moment, Rubeus appeared from one of the mirrors and leaped down to the floor, his jacket over his shoulder, as usual. “What are you doing?”
“Rubeus-sama,” both sisters said at once as they turned toward him.
“How long we stay in this world depends on how well you perform,” he told them. “I found another Crystal Point.”
From the center of the floor, a projection of a magic charms store called “Fancy Omazinai House.”
“What is this?” Prisma asked as the image shifted to inside the store. There were several girls looking at various charms and gems, as well as crystal balls on display.
“Ah! Jewelry!” Bertie exclaimed excitedly.
“Hmph. They look cheap,” Avery scoffed, uninterested. “I wouldn’t call those jewels.”
“Human females think that their wishes will come true if they put a charm on these,” Rubeus explained as the image faded.
“Hmph. Absurd,” Avery scoffed again. “What a primitive superstition.”
“Avery. This assignment is for you,” Rubeus said as he turned his gaze toward her. “Replace the store’s Crystal Power with Dark Power.”
“Rubeus-sama, I have no interest in fake jewelry,” she replied.
“Avery!” Prisma chided.
“Please find someone else for this mission,” she said as she glared at Prisma and disappeared.
“Wait, Avery!” Prisma shouted, but failed to stop her younger sister.
Avery reappeared floating in a dark chamber with nothing but stone-like columns standing haphazardly around the room at several odd angles making it hard to discern in which direction was down. She sighed as she leaned back in a reclining position and rested her head on her hand.
“Even if it’s not worth doing, it would still be bad to make Rubeus-sama angry,” she said regretfully. With her free hand, she raised it in front of her where a wineglass filled with a dark violet fluid appeared. “Jamanen.”
The fluid in her wineglass rushed forth, rapidly increasing in mass as it flew upward until it took on a feminine humanoid form. Its skin was of the same texture as the liquid from which it came, and its eyes were the same yellow color as the small bowtie that was around her neck.
“Please excuse me,” Jamanen said as she bowed respectfully.
“Jamanen, please tell Rubeus-sama that I will accept this assignment.”
“You’re too late, Oneesama.”
“Bertie?” she said as she glanced toward the frost-haired woman floating sideways a short distance away.
“Prisma-oneesama has already gone on that assignment,” she told her as she flipped right-side up.
“What?!?” she exclaimed. “That Prisma! I will not allow it. Come, Jamanen!” With that, both she and the Droid disappeared.
“See you later!” Bertie said with a cheery laugh as she waved.
“You two, make up, okay?” Usagi pleaded as she walked backward ahead of the two who were doing their best to ignore the other. “It’s not the right mood for shopping!”
“I’m not upset about anything,” Makoto replied tersely.
“Neither am I,” Minako added succinctly.
“You look upset enough,” Luna remarked as Usagi merely sweatdropped.
Usagi suddenly fell flat of her face as she was knocked forward. “Hey! Watch where you’re–“ She cut off as she noticed what it was she ran into.
“Your wishes will come perfectly true,” she read from the advertising sign. “Omazinai House?”
“Oh yeah, I’ve heard about this place,” Makoto mentioned. “They sell gems that make your wishes come true.”
“Wishes?” Minako repeated curiously.
Usagi was already on her feet and halfway into the store. “Everyone, come on!” she said as she waved at the others.
“Oh, Usagi-chan!” Minako said exasperatedly, then turned to Makoto. “Shall we go?”
“Yeah,” Makoto agreed, just as the two girls realized that they were supposed to be mad at each other. The two irritably tossed their heads before strolling toward the entrance.
Chibiusa poked her head around the corner of the building as the two went inside. “Gems that make your wishes come true?” she said meditatively. “The Silver Crystal?”
In the storage room at the back of the Omazinai House store, the door opened, allowing light to stream into the otherwise darkened room. As the light from the overhead lamps of the next room crept inside, they played across the strands of gel that held the previous occupants of the Omazinai House suspended and unclothed in the air like insects in a spider’s web.
Jamanen stared unemotionally at her captives for a few moments before closing the door.
“If it’s for a wholehearted love, then amethysts. Diamonds are for love and courage,” Avery explained to the two girls examining the display of various gems, jewels, and charms.
“Their prices have been significantly discounted,” Prisma added with a genial smile. “It’s hard to choose isn’t it?”
“Wow, it’s so pretty,” the first girl said as she held up an amethyst and stared it, then held it close to her heart hopefully. “I wish he would fall in love with me.”
The other girl did the same. “Let him love me more than ever.”
The gems in their hands suddenly flashed in their hands as a dark scowl spread across their faces. Prisma smirked as she watched the power of the gems take effect.
“I…. I hate him!” the second girl seethed furiously.
“Love? I don’t believe in it!” the first girl growled as they turned and stalked out of the room.
“Foolish girls,” Prisma scoffed after they left. “Made to oppose their own true wishes and with greater intensity.”
“And when this place is filled with Dark Power, it will no longer function as a barrier for Crystal Tokyo,” Avery added.
“Wow! Look, look! Mako-chan! Minako-chan!”
The two sisters glanced in the direction of the gleeful shout, then smirked. Another customer.
“They have charms for good luck,” Usagi observed as she flitted back and forth between the various displays. “Wow! They also have one for good grades!” Zip. “A charm to make you more beautiful?”
Out of the corner of her eye, one of the more conspicuous displays caught her eye. “What is this?” she said as she made her way over to take a closer look. On closer inspection, she found that the display read “Chug Challenge” and mentioned something about love and charmed juice. There was a coin slot on the display’s left side.
“How stupid,” Luna commented dryly from Usagi’s shoulder. “Even little kids wouldn’t fall for that!” Charmed juice?
In response, Usagi held up a 100 yen piece. “Hey, now…,” Luna said as she sweatdropped in disbelief.
“These things are perfect for Usagi-chan,” Makoto said as she glanced over a display of gems. When she turned to call to Usagi, she jerked back in shock and sweatdropped as she watched Usagi raise a large glass bottle one and a half times larger than her head and filled with some indiscernible green liquid to her lips and start drinking.
“Usagi-chan?” Minako said uncertainly as Usagi chugged away unyieldingly.
“You’ll die!” Makoto exclaimed, certain that all that liquid couldn’t possibly fit into her stomach.
However, once again, Usagi’s stomach proved virtually fathomless as she finished off the entire contents of the huge bottle. “Delicious!” she declared happily. Minako and Makoto merely stood there, astonished beyond belief.
“Hey, now…, “ Luna said exasperatedly.
“Usagi-chan, What kind of charm is that?” Minako asked after she recovered from her shock.
“Is it something like, if you drink all that juice, your love will be fulfilled?” Makoto guessed.
Luna nodded while Usagi gave off a slight burp.
“Welcome,” Prisma greeted as she and Avery came out from the back of the store.
“If you’re looking for a love charm, there is a special section for those in the back,” Avery told them as she gestured toward the back of the store. “Please, come this way.”
As the group came into the back of the store, Avery led the girls to the display that held all their gems and charms.
“Wow, amazing!” Usagi exclaimed as she bent over the display and gazed down at all the assorted jewels, gems, and charms.
“These will make your wishes come true,” Prisma stated as she swept her arm over the display case.
“Is there something to get back a boy who has become cold?” Usagi asked.
“Of course!” Prisma said and bent down to retrieve a gem box from the display case. “To get back lost love, this is what you should use,” she said as she placed the box before Usagi.
“Wow!” she said, grinning excitedly. “So this gets back lost love?” She was about to open it when two pairs of hands suddenly grasped the box.
The excited look on her face slowly gave way to one of annoyance. “Mako-chan. Minako-chan.”
The pair realized what they were doing and jerked their hands away from the box while laughing sheepishly.
“Oh, no, no,” Minako said as she waved her hand in denial. “I’m not thinking about my old love at all!”
“Neither am I,” Makoto added as she folded her arms across her chest. However, she failed to realize that she was blushing slightly.
Usagi glanced from Makoto, who was nervously avoiding her gaze, to Minako, who was now laughing uneasily. Somehow, she had the slight suspicion that they weren’t being all that honest. Luna merely sweatdropped in vexation… as usual.
Unnoticed by everyone else, both Avery and Prisma shared a smug smirk between them.
When Usagi, Makoto and Minako went into the back room, Chibiusa got up from her hiding spot and pressed up against the glass window, straining to see into the back room. “I can’t see…. What’s happening?”
“Don’t move,” a voice ordered behind her, causing her to freeze in place. “Put up your hands.”
Tentatively, Chibiusa slowly turned her head to see who was behind her. It was Mamoru, with his right hand held up toward her, forefinger extended, as if he was holding a gun. “Mamo-chan!”
“What are you up to today?” he asked, grinning.
Usagi was laughing as she flitted around the display like a hummingbird on a sugar rush. Luna had hopped off of her shoulder and was sweatdropping in vexation as she sat on the display case. Everyone else was watching as Usagi went from one gem to the next.
“I want this! And this! I don’t have enough money!”
Avery continued to smile, even if it was starting to look a little strained. “Miss, have you made up your mind?”
“Mako-chan,” Minako said as she stared down at the floor, “I think that the senpai who rejected you was bad at judging girls.”
“Hah?” Usagi said, perplexed at the sudden change of subject.
Prisma scowled, reminded of her own situation. “Rejected?”
Makoto snorted and tossed her head crossly. “If you want to criticize him, I don’t want to hear it!”
“That’s not it!” Minako explained. “I just want you to find a wonderful love! Because… you’re my good friend.”
“Minako-chan…,” she said as she glanced back over her shoulder at her. “I’m already over him,” she said as she turned toward her friend and smiled.
“That’s right!” Prisma said, tightly clenching a fist in front of her.
“Hah?” everyone except Avery said as stared at her in surprise. Avery merely gave her older sister a vexed look.
Prisma recovered quickly and coughed into her hand, trying to maintain some sense of dignity.
“He was a wonderful guy,” Makoto continued wistfully. “That’s why I keep looking for somebody even better than him.”
“Mako-chan…,” Minako said, then nodded. “All right! And I’ll look for somebody even better than Alan!”
“Of course, for Usagi-chan, there’s only one Mamoru-san, right?” she said, winking at Usagi.
“Of course!” Usagi agreed, flashing a “V”-sign.
“Mamo-chan is mine!”
Everyone turned around to see Chibiusa standing with her Luna Sphere floating next to her at the other side of the room before the dividing curtain at the entrance. Behind her, Mamoru pushed one end of the curtain aside as he came into the room. He took one step and stopped when he saw Usagi.
“Mamo-chan!” Usagi said as she straightened and turned around. She took a couple of hesitant steps forward with her arms held nervously in front of her, worried that he might leave if she came too close too fast. “The charm really worked!”
Usako.… Mamoru’s countenance never wavered from its neutral expression.
“Let’s go, Mamo-chan!” Chibiusa begged as she tugged on his hand. “I wanna get ice cream!”
“Sorry,” he said as he knelt down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “I have something else to do. You’d better go with them.” He stood up with a cold expression on his face as he turned and pushed the curtain aside.
“Mamo-chan!” Usagi called out, but Mamoru had already let the curtain drop behind him.
Outside of the Omazinai House, Mamoru stopped and glanced back toward the building where Usagi and the others were still inside. He was almost surprised that Usagi hadn’t tried to follow him. Oh, well. That just made it easier on both of them.
“Usako and I…,” he said to himself with a rueful smile. “It seems that we’re destined to keep meeting….” With a shrug, he turned and left.
Across the street, Ryoku watched him leave out of the corner of his eye as he followed Ami and Rei. Mamoru-san.… I hope you come to your senses soon, he thought as he scowled darkly to himself. I doubt my patience can last for much longer.
The small group came to a stop just opposite of the Omazinai House. “Everyone was going to come here, but…,” Ami said as she glanced around, looking for the others.
“It’ll be such a waste of time if I don’t find them,” Rei remarked. “I left my part-time job early to meet everyone.”
Ryoku nodded. “And I let class end early today, too,” he added. “Of course, the students didn’t really mind that much.” He glanced over to the Omazinai House, where he had seen Mamoru exit earlier. “Why don’t we see if they’re in one of these shops? That one over there looks promising,” he added, pointing toward the shop.
“Might as well,” Rei said with a shrug. “Though my shrine’s charms are better.”
Ami and Ryoku shared a glance. “Of course,” Ami agreed while Ryoku just shrugged.
“Usagi, it’s your fault!” Chibiusa hollered angrily as she turned from the curtain and glared at her. “Mamo-chan left because of you! Usagi, you dummy! Dummy! Dummy!”
“Hey! Shut up! Shut up!” Usagi shot back. “I’ve had enough of your interference! He left because you’re a spoiled, demanding brat!”
“You’re wrong!” the younger girl countered. “It’s because you said something weird!”
Everyone stared at the two arguing girls, not really sure of what to say at the moment.
“Chibiusa, it’s your fault!”
“Usagi, it’s your fault!”
“It’s your fault!”
“It’s your fault!”
Finally, Prisma couldn’t take any more and snapped. “Enough! Stop it!” she screamed, shutting both girls up.
“With you girls carrying on, we can’t carry out our plan,” Avery said.
“Plan?” Minako repeated, surprised.
Prisma smirked superiorly. “Wonderful love or new love? It’s worthless!”
“Love, worthless?” Makoto said heatedly.
“It is worthless,” she repeated as she picked up a gem and held it out to them. “Just make a wish on this gem. You’ll forget all about love and hate all men.”
“Usagi-chan, be careful,” Minako shouted. “There’s something weird about these two.”
“Right,” Usagi nodded as she stood protectively in front of Chibiusa.
“Jamanen!” Avery called out.
A hole opened in the ceiling and a gel-like substance slowly oozed out. The gel slowly congealed into Jamanen’s normal form. “Please excuse me.”
“I knew it!” Usagi shouted as Makoto and Minako jumped back. “It’s a Droid!”
Without a word, Prisma and Avery reached up and flung off their disguises.
“Usagi-chan! Take care of Chibiusa-chan!” Minako shouted urgently.
“I’m not going anywhere with Usagi!” Chibiusa retorted.
“Now’s not the time for that!” Usagi said as she grabbed Chibiusa. She was about to run when the two sisters jumped out from behind the counter and landed surrounding the group.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Avery told her as she stood between Usagi and the door.
“Rubbish about romance and love…,” Prisma growled. “I’ll kill you all so you can’t spout such nonsense anymore!”
Overhead, Jamanen appeared from another hole in the ceiling and lunged at the group. However, she missed as everyone leaped away from the attack in different directions.
“Usagi-chan!” Makoto shouted as she saw Avery standing over her and Chibiusa, while she was too far away to do anything about it.
Usagi had managed to get back to her feet, but there was no room for her to escape an attack.
Avery grinned as she brought out a whip and held it in front of her. “How sad. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to die here.”
“Hold it!” Minako shouted as she pointed the hose of the fire extinguisher that she had landed next to at Avery with the safety pin removed. She squeezed on the handle and sprayed the misty foam at the sisters and the Droid. With the roam obscured by the mist, the others quickly retreated. However, since the sisters were blocking the exit, all they could do was hide.
“Impudent brats!” Avery growled. “Where are you? Where did you go?”
Usagi quickly ducked down behind a display case with Chibiusa. Luna hopped down from above the case and landed on her shoulder. “Luna!”
“Usagi-chan, there!” the black cat said as she pointed toward the storage room at the other side of the room.
“Right,” Usagi agreed as she spotted the door.
“We don’t want to turn into man-haters like them, do we?” Makoto said as she stood back to back with Minako.
“Ryo-kun would never forgive us,” Minako agreed. “Let’s be careful.”
“Let’s go! Jupiter star power, make up!”
“Venus star power, make up!”
The two quickly brought out their new transformation wands and transformed into Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus.
“You villains who play with young girls hearts!”
“What?” Avery exclaimed as the mist slowly began to subside.
“Love, and falling in love, is a young maiden’s dream!”
“In the name of Venus, the goddess of love, I will punish you!”
“Who are you?” Avery demanded as the mist finally disappeared, revealing the two Sailor Scouts.
“Sailor Jupiter.”
“Sailor Venus. When you ask for someone’s name, you should introduce yourself first!”
“Cocky little brats!” Avery seethed as she brought out a second whip.
“I am the strongest, eldest, and most beautiful of the four Ayakashi sisters, Prisma.”
Behind her, Avery started laughing. Prisma merely glared at her younger sister.
“All men are captivated by my beauty,” Avery said as she cracked one of her whips. “Better than my elder sister, I am the second of the for Ayakashi sisters, Avery.”
Jupiter and Venus both blinked confusedly. “Eh?”
“What?” Prisma exclaimed angrily as she rounded on Avery, who merely humphed and tossed her head.
Jupiter and Venus sweatdropped. “What’s going on?” Jupiter asked.
“They don’t get along very well, do they?” Venus remarked.
“All of you going on and on about love and romance…,” Prisma snarled as she gathered black energy into her hand. “Who gives a damn about men?” she roared as she flung a bolt of black lightning at Jupiter and Venus. The two Sailor Scouts quickly jumped into the air to avoid the blast, each going in a different direction.
As soon as Venus landed, she jumped at Avery and attempted to jump kick her. She missed as Avery leaped out of the way and countered with one of her whips. The whip snapped around Venus’ neck and started to choke her as Avery pulled on her end.
“Pitifully easy,” she commented smugly.
Prisma flung another blast of black lightning at Jupiter, which she quickly evaded. She tried to counter by rushing her, but missed as Prisma dodged past her punch. She turned around in midair and landed ready to attack again, however, as soon as she landed, the red gel-like substance that made up Jamanen’s body started to entangle her as it stuck to the ceiling, immobilizing her. The Droid reappeared from beneath the floor, leaving the gel that held Jupiter behind.
“Women become weak because they surrender themselves to love and depend on men,” Prisma stated.
“You’re wrong!” Jupiter shouted. “Loving someone gives us more courage than anything else!”
“Shut up!” she snapped as she flung another black lightning bolt at her. “Die!” she roared as the bolt hit her full force, causing her to scream in pain. Prisma continued to roar in anger as she kept up the black lightning bolt.
“Burning mandala!”
The attack completely disintegrated the gel that held Jupiter to the ceiling. Beside her, the whip that held Venus snapped in half as a sword embedded itself into the floor in front of her.
Venus pulled off the remains of the whip as she glanced behind her and smiled in relief. “Mars! Mercury! Knight!”
“Sorry we’re late,” Knight said.
Jupiter nodded as she stood up. “Sailor Venus, let’s show ‘em!”
“Our strength that comes from believing in love!” Venus added.
Sailor Jupiter brought her hands together in front of her as the antenna in her tiara rose up. Arcs of electrical energy began to crackle about her arms as she slowly pulled her hands apart. “Sparkling wide pressure!” she shouted as she swung her hands back behind her, then swung her right hand like she was throwing a ball. The energy in her arms converged into her right hand and formed into a ball of electrical energy that hurtled toward the enemy.
Sailor Venus flung both arms straight down at her sides, summoning a chain of light that swirled around her, with each link in the shape of a small heart. Slowly, she raised her right hand into the air with her index and pinky fingers extended, causing the top end of the chain to point in whatever direction her fingers were pointing. “Venus love-me chain!” she shouted as she swung her hand in the direction of the enemy, causing the chain to lash out in that direction.
“Impudent brats!” Prisma yelled as she countered with her own black lightning blast, while Avery lashed out with her whip. The two lightning attacks and the two chain attacks met in midair, colliding with each other. The backlash of power from the collision was enough to throw everyone back a short distance.
“What?” Sailor Venus gasped.
“Avery, this isn’t good,” Prisma said cautiously.
“Jamanen, take care of the rest,” Avery ordered.
At once, the gel-like Droid rose from beneath the floor. “Allow me to handle them,” she said with a small bow.
“Sailor Warriors, we will remember this,” Prisma said as they retreated.
“Wait!” Venus shouted after them.
“I am your opponent now!” Jamanen shouted as she expelled a stream of gel from her stomach area, catching the Sailor Scouts by surprise.
“I don’t wanna stay in here!” Chibiusa cried as Usagi closed the door behind her.
“Knock if off!” Usagi retorted as she turned to leave. “I’m busy!”
“Transform, Usagi-chan!” Luna told her.
“I know,” Usagi replied and brought out her transformation brooch. “Moon crystal power, make up!”
After transforming, Sailor Moon rushed back to the battle, only to find that the other Sailor Scouts had all been immobilized by the Droid’s gel; each Scout being stuck in a different position. Jamanen was dangling from the ceiling like a bat and brandishing her right arm, which she had shaped into a long, sharp blade.
“Hold it!” Sailor Moon commanded as she burst into the room, but paused as she counted three extra Scouts. “Mercury-chan, Mars-chan, Knight-kun, when’d you get here?”
“Sailor Moon!” Mercury shouted as she strained to look back toward her.
“Fight now. Talk later,” Knight grunted as he pulled against his restraints.
“Hurry! Get on with it!” Mars yelled.
“Eh?” Sailor Moon said, blinking in confusion.
Jamanen wasted no time in rushing to the attack as she readied her newly formed blade and prepared to skewer Sailor Moon.
“Honestly, you didn’t even let me say my entrance lines!” Sailor Moon griped as she brought out her Moon Scepter. “Moon princess halation!” she shouted as she waved the scepter in front of her, firing a blast of white energy at Jamanen. The attack stuck her shattering her skin to pieces, leaving only her figure in crystal, which disintegrated into a pile of powder. The jewel on her choker with the upside-down black crescent moon turned from a bright emerald green into a dull lifeless gray.
The moment the Droid’s jewel turned gray, the gel that held the others captive disappeared, releasing them. “That’s better,” Knight sighed in relief as he rotated his shoulders.
Behind them, Chibiusa peeked out from behind a display case, having easily escaped the room Usagi had thrown her in. She stared in amazement after having witnessed Sailor Moon destroy another Droid.
Sailor Moon.…
“I’m telling you! Don’t do it, Usagi-chan!” Makoto pleaded.
Usagi removed the top of the huge bottle of charmed juice she had bought after they had left the Omazinai House, stood up, and started drinking the juice. “I’m going to drink this and see Mamo-chan again!” she declared between gulps.
“You’ll die, Usagi-chan,” Ami said, her face displaying stern disapproval. Luna sat on her shoulder, her face displaying obvious exasperation.
“Maybe he’ll come to see her at her funeral?” Ryoku remarked sardonically, glancing around the pizza parlor. As expected, practically the entire establishment was staring at their table. Chibiusa merely ignored her as she ate her ice cream sundae.
“Only dying would fix her stupidity,” Rei muttered cynically.
Usagi dropped her now empty bottle and slammed both hands down on the table, glaring angrily at her raven-haired friend. “Ah! You’re saying mean things again!”
”But it’s the truth, isn’t it?” she replied blithely.
Usagi glared at her for a moment before spitting a stream of regurgitated charmed juice at her. Everyone sweatdropped as Rei turned a particularly irate glare at her, while Ryoku calmly reached for some napkins for Rei and for himself, as he managed to get tagged with some of the juice as well.
“USAGI!!!”
“I’m sorry!”
“Well, then put your face right here so I can pay you back!”
“Rei-chan, could you at least dry off a little first before you try to throttle Usagi-chan? I’m still getting splashed by the juice in your hair.”
“Well, then get me a towel, Ryo-kun! Or, better yet, have Usagi get one! It’s her fault, after all!”
“I didn’t mean to do it!”
“Excuse me,” their waitress interrupted, “but you are not allowed to bring in your own drink.”
“Um… I think it’s a little too late for that…,” Minako said.
“Yes, you did! Take some responsibility for your actions!”
“It’s not my fault!”
The waitress sweatdropped in vexation. “Ladies, perhaps you’d like to go eat somewhere else…?”
Ryoku sighed and hung his head, resigned to the fact that the napkins just weren’t cutting it. At the rate those two were going, he wouldn’t be getting dry anytime soon. “Check, please?”
To Chapter 62: Ryoku’s Music Lesson