SailorStar9: You ladies wanted this chapter, so here goes. This is Chapter 9 of this fic; and please be a dear and review.

Disclaimers: I do not own the animes. But I do own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 9: Retire from the Sailor Senshi! Minako's Concerns

In Shiba-Kouen Junior High School...

"Matching clothing?" one of Minako's male classmates inquired.

"There was a good outfit in that store in Shibuya." his girlfriend urged.

"But isn't matching clothing unfashionable?" the boy asked.

It's really unfashionable. Minako frowned, keeping her books as the school-bell rang

"Oh come on." his girlfriend whined. "One outfit won't hurt."

"Well, I guess it'll be a memory of our days in junior high." the boy shrugged.

Once you start looking for a memorabilia, you won't last much longer. Minako twitched.

"What should we do today?" a girl asked her boyfriend in a bicycle as Minako walked past the sports hall.

"Head straight to the library." the male rider replied.

"If we won't hurry, the movie will start." another male student dragged his girlfriend off.

"Don't tug me so much." the girl whined.

"Go ahead, show yourself off!" Minako snapped. "Artemis." she blinked at the white cat who had jumped off a tree.

"I input all the data we've gotten so far into our computer." Artemis supplied. "But, unfortunately, we can't figure out who the enemy is. What in the world are those unknown life-forms that fuse with a material from this world to become those monsters known as Daimons?"

"Aino Minako, ninth grade." Minako sighed. "I feel doubts towards my own life in this twilight."

"What we lack the most right now is information." Artemis added.

"I lack something completely different." Minako remarked. "'One who looks at love is looked at by love.'. Which philosopher said that?"

"Nobody has ever said such a thing." Artemis deathpanned.

"Won't a handsome man carrying a bouquet of roses suddenly approach me and say, 'Young lady, would you spend an evening with me?' Or something like that?"

Artemis sighed in resignation.

"Sorry!" Asai apologized, a volleyball rolling at Minako's feet.

"Oh, Asai." Minako noted.

"Aino." Asai remarked. "Thank you." he caught the ball Minako hit back at him.

"Asai, you still play volleyball?" Minako asked.

"I want to do my best until the summer tournament." Asai replied. "I want to win at least once. That'll help me focus on my entrance exams too."

"I see..." Minako nodded. "Yeah, you should do your best."

"Yeah." Asai agreed "You know." he started. "Well, why did you quit volleyball after you came back from England? Your flying, spinning dig was pretty amazing. And yet, you quit so suddenly..."

"Yeah." Minako noted. "Actually, I wanted to continue playing volleyball."

"Hey, Asai, don't be ditching practice!" the team manager hollered.

"Sure!" Asai shouted back. "Isn't our manager a pesky one? See ya!"

"Yeah, bye." Minako replied.

"Mina..." Artemis stated. "No, nothing." he replied, noticing Minako's look.

In his laboratory...

"Professor, the tea is ready." Kaorinite stated. "I tried baking cookies today."

"The tea is fine, Kaorinite." Tomoe replied. "But haven't you located the talismans we seek yet?"

"Not yet." Kaorinite confessed.

"I don't want to say this, but with these continual failure, perhaps your approach is mistaken?" Tomoe suggested.

"I apologize." Kaorinite replied.

"No good." Tomoe cracked his neck. "No good at all. Because I've been researching so much, I'm getting out of shape. That's it, Kaorinite." he added, a thought coming to his mind. "They say that a healthy spirit resides in a healthy body. That's it, an athlete. How about a plan that goes after a pure young heart which has a passion for sports?"

"A wonderful idea." Kaorinite agreed.

"I shall send a new Daimon now, then." Tomoe decided. "It's been a while. I should go play some sports as well."

"By the way, what is your favorite sport, Professor?" Kaorinite asked.

"Stair-stepping." Tomoe replied, sipping his tea.

The next day...

"Hey." Asai greeted.

"Morning." Minako returned the greeting.

"You're unusually early for someone who's always tardy." Asai noted.

"I haven't been lately." Minako reminded.

"So, Aino, do you have a boyfriend or something?" Asai inquired.

"Why?" Minako asked.

"Well, I was just wondering if you did." Asai replied.

"What kind of girls do you like, Asai?" Minako inquired.

"Me?" Asai blinked. "I'm pretty clear about that. If I'm going to go out with a girl, it'd be best if we could do the same extracurricular activities together. You know, I..."

"What?" Minako asked.

"Well, I looked up to you a lot when we were in 7th grade because I was always second-string and you were already the team's ace striker." Asai admitted. "I was planning on asking you out when I made it to the starting lineup."

"Oh, that was a good one." Minako remarked, turning red. "I see... Oh, I get it."

"You're not going to play volleyball anymore?" Asai wondered.

"Well, we're in 9th grade now." Minako reminded.

"It doesn't matter that we're in 9th grade." Asai protested.

"Yeah." Minako replied. "But I'm pretty busy as it is."

"Studying?" Asai guessed.

"Well, there's a lot going on." Minako replied.

"I see." Asai noted. "That's a shame. Well, I have morning practice now."

After school, at the Hikawa Shrine...

"Hey, Usagi." Minako burst out laughing at a manga she was reading. "Take a look at this."

"Mamo-chan..." Usagi sleep-mumbled.

"Right here." Minako prodded. "Where they talk about the identity of Sailor V."

"Oh my." Usagi was still sleepy.

"See?" Minako pressed. "Isn't this beautiful face under the mask amazing? But then, that's expected since this character was based on me! What's wrong, you guys?" she asked, noticing the group's confused expressions. "You all look so depressed today. Come on, I brought these Sailor V diet chocolates and Sailor V vitamin drinks for you guys. Go on, eat up."

"Yeah..." Makoto blinked and opened her chocolate pack."It says I won."

"Congrats!" Minako gushed. "You can get a special Sailor V badge with three winning tickets."

"Oh, I see..." Makoto sweatdropped. "I'm pretty lucky."

"Minako." Ami reminded. "It looks like your studies aren't going along well."

"There it is, our teacher, Ami's best line!" Minako declared. "Sorry madam, but Minako, the girl of love and justice, is actually a bad girl who hates to study. She cheats on tests once in a while. But she's totally alright. Should I stop being a Sailor Senshi for a while?" she wondered, lying on her back. "Just kidding." she sat back up. "A joke, a joke. Sorry." she stood up. "I'm not feeling up to this today, so I'll go home now."

"Mina..." Artemis started.

"Artemis, take a look at this." Makoto stopped the white cat.

"What is it?" Artemis looked away.

"Nothing." Makoto slapped her book shut as Minako went off.

"Hey!" Artemis protested.

"Idiot." Luna chided. "You really are as stupid as a guppy."

"Everyone has a time when they want to be alone." Rei supplied.

In Shiba-Kouen Junior High School...

Kaorinite appeared in the sports hall where Asai was practicing and sent in the Daimon Egg which embedded itself within a volleyball.

Commercial Break

SailorStar9: Prepare for the biggest epic crossover ever made. In a world ruled by magic and sorcery, a war is about to be fought...

The scene shows a familiar village, as a woman wearing a magician robe walks in. She has green hair and red eyes, and is carrying a long staff shaped as a key.

SailorStar9: ... And the destiny of the planet will fall in the hands of a peasant girl.

The scene shifts to the green-haired woman talking to a Halfling that looks disturbingly like Usagi. The woman shows her a golden tiara with strange symbols drawn around it.

SailorStar9: But the girl won't be alone in her journey. Several other heroes will join her along the way, and help her defeat evil.

Now the scene shifts again, this time it's the battle inside Moria's Mines. We can now see several other characters along with Usagi and the green-haired woman. Two halflings that look just like Ami and Minako, a dwarf that looks disturbingly like Mako, sword-wielding, armor-clad versions of Naru and Rei, and finally, Mamoru wearing an elven archer suit.

SailorStar9: Their journey, however, won't be easy at all.

Several scenes from the 'movie' are shown: 'Legolas' firing a hundred arrows at a group of enemies and missing them all, the green haired woman (who, by the way, looks just like Setsuna, if you hadn't figured it out yet) standing on a rocky bridge, facing a massive Balrog that looks a lot like Jadeite... A Gollum that looks disturbingly like Zoicite following the heroes around, and finally, Beryl in a Sauron outfit giving Usagi the 'evil eye' glare. Finally, we see Usagi tossing 'The One Tiara' at a troll and vaporizing it.

SailorStar9: Lady of the Tiaras. Coming sooner than you'd want it to. (Evil laughter ensues as the camera goes black.)

End Commercial Break

In the Crown Arcade...

"Take that, and that, and that, and that!" Minako vented on the racing game. "Sheesh!" she pouted, after she crashed.

"Yo." Haruka greeted the frustrated girl.

"Haruka." Minako blinked.

"What's wrong?" Haruka asked. "Your rhythm was off in your race today."

On the streets...

"Haruka, do you have a boyfriend?" Minako asked.

"I don't." Haruka replied. "I said that before."

"But, you do have someone you like, right?" Minako pressed. "What kind of person does a genius female racer like you like, Haruka? Would it really be a man who has special talents?"

"What kind of answer are you looking for?" Haruka inquired, stopping.

"Don't you ever wish you were a more... average... schoolgirl?" Minako asked. "Do you ever get lonely because ordinary happiness is so far away?"

"Are you sacrificing some ordinary happiness right now?" Haruka guessed.

"No." Minako replied.

"Let's see." Haruka mused. "I'm not exactly sure what 'ordinary happiness' would be, but I don't think my current self is 'abnormal'. What I am now is what is closest to my true self. That's why I think. Tenoh Haruka, who fell in love with motor sports, can only live in this manner, no matter what she does. I have something more valuable than 'ordinary' happiness. I guess."

"Something more valuable..." Minako echoed.

"I'm sorry." Haruka apologized, having sensed the 'Death Busters' on the move. "I have to go now."

"No, I'm sorry I asked a strange question." Minako replied.

"No, Minako, was it ?" Haruka remarked. "We should race together at the Crown again. See ya."

"Something more valuable..." Minako blinked as Haruka walked off.

"The sea is getting stormy again." Michiru voiced.

In Shiba-Kouen Junior High School...

Minako peered into the sports hall as evening set in.

"You're so cold." Asai chided the manager. "You're going home by yourself?"

"I'm going ahead now." the manager planted a kiss on his cheek.

"You have to go out with me on Sunday." Asai reminded, unaware that Minako had seen the kiss.

"I know." the manager backed off. "See ya."

"Yeah." Asai nodded. "What is this?" he winced, picking up the Daimon-Egg-impanted volleyball.

"Haikyun!" the Daimon manifested.

"Everyone, the enemy has appeared!" Minako informed the girls on her communicator. "Venus Cosmic Power, Make Up!"

"Look out!" Asai pushed the manager to the ground, dodging the energy ball the Daimon spiked at them.

"Hold it right there!" Venus declared. "For love and beauty, the pretty Senshi in a Sailor suit, Sailor Venus! In the name of Venus, I will have you through divine intervention of love!"

"Don't get in my way." Haikyun growled and spiked an energy ball at the Senshi on the stage.

"Venus Love Me Chain!" Venus sent her light-attributed weapon flying at the energy sphere, breaking it apart. "Such a thing won't work on Venus! Oh, drat!" she cursed when the Daimon entrapped her with an energy net.

"You touched the net." Haikyun grinned. "Idiot." she scoffed as Venus fell off the stage. "If you weren't a Sailor Senshi, you could have lived a long life. I will take that 'Pure Heart' which resides inside your healthy body." she approached her target and proceeded to take Asai's 'Heart Crystal'

"Asai!" Venus gasped.

"No..." Kaorinite examined the 'Heart Crystal'. "This isn't a talisman. This was a wasted trip. Haikyun, kill Venus and that boy."

"Venus..." Usagi muttered. "Moon Cosmic Power, Make Up!"

Moon's 'Moon Tiara Action' freed the captive Venus from her binds.

"This is..." Kaorinite turned to the intruder.

"'Attack No. 1' for giving to villains what they deserve." Moon declared. "You only have one life. So you should go as far as you can. For love and justice, the pretty Senshi in a Sailor suit, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"Haikyun, get rid of her." Kaorinite instructed.

"Moon, can you crush this ball?" the Daimon taunted, having placed the 'Heart Crystal' within an energy ball.

"Moon, be careful!" Venus warned. "Don't break that ball!"

"Then..." Moon panicked as Haikyun prepared to launch the ball. "What should I do?"

"Mars!" Mercury putted the energy ball to Mars after Jupiter spiked it to her.

"Nice!" Moon beamed when Mars caught the ball.

"And that's about it!" Mars retorted.

"Everyone!" Venus smiled.

"So cunning." Haikyun noted.

"What?" Mars gasped when the Daimon used her power to control the ball, causing it to fly out of her hands and bounce around the hall.

"No good." Jupiter remarked.

"It's hard enough just dodging." Mercury added.

"I can't possibly catch something like that." Moon stated.

"I'll take you on!" Venus declared, seeing the panting Asai. "Daimon, I challenge you!"

"Service Ace!" the Daimon putted the ball over to Venus' side. "Lightning... Haikyun!"

I am a Sailor Senshi. Venus stood firm. There's something that only I can protect! Let's do it! And dived, using her trademark 'Flying Somersault Reception'.

"What?" the Daimon was shocked.

That flying spinning receive... Asai mused. I get it... Sailor Venus is...

"Moon!" Mars shouted, catching the energy ball.

"Right!" Moon nodded. "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"

"Japan, go, go, go!" the Daimon squealed as the heart crashed into her.

The volleyball fell to the ground, the Daimon Egg within emerging and breaking into half.

"We did it!" Moon cheered.

"That was amazing, Venus." Jupiter agreed.

"Nice receive!" Mars added.

"We didn't have to do much today." Neptune mused behind the curtains.

"Yeah." Uranus agreed.

"Yeah!" Venus posed.

The next day...

"No, we should go to a concert on Sunday." the volleyball team manager whined.

"But we cant change plans now." Asai objected. "Aino..." he looked at Minako.

"Hey." Minako greeted the couple.

"You know." Asai started. "If you were able to meet Sailor Venus somewhere, could you tell her thanks for saving me?"

"What's that?" Minako chided. "Well, if I see her, I'll make sure to tell her."

"Let's go." the team manager tugged at Asai's arm.

"Yeah." Asai replied. "See ya."

"Young lady," a voice started on a tree as Minako walked underneath. "Would you spend an evening with me?" Hitoshi dropped the bouquet of roses into Minako's arms.

"Well, I'll consider that offer." Minako replied.

"Oh, man..." Hitoshi chided. "I know we haven't been going out on dates in some time, due to our busy schedules, but come on!"

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review. In the next chapter, Usagi is mad at Mamoru for not knowing its her birthday, but feels guilty because she realizes she never told him when it was. For her birthday, Mamo gets her glass slippers, but the Heart Daimon egg is inside.