SailorStar9: You ladies wanted this chapter, so here goes. This is Chapter 13 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 13: Wanting More Power! Mako-chan's Lost Path
Time passes...
In the mountains, Makoto was running up a slope when she tripped over a vine.
Why... why did I lost to someone like that? She thought.
Flashback
"Ironder!" the Daimon declared.
"It's my turn if you want power!" Jupiter charged after Ironder knocked the others off.
The Daimon met her head-on before lifting her up and tossing her off.
"Damnit!" Jupiter cursed. "Berserker Bolt!"
"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" Moon released her attack after Jupiter's lightning was knocked away.
"Lovely!" the Daimon squealed as the heart crashed into her.
"I need to find a way to power up myself even more." Makoto swore and continued her run.
In his laboratory...
"I would like to speak with Eudial." Tomoe stated.
"Eudial here." Eudial answered the call. "I have already selected the next target."
"Nothing less from you, Eudial." Tomoe praised. "And the next target is?"
"A Nichiren school monk by the name of Kakusui Yakushiji." Eudial replied. "He's been training in the mountains for 4 years and 4 months now, to find the true meaning of life. He is the owner of a heart with a purity rarely seen in people as of late. By the way, Professor, what shape do the talismans come in?"
"If the 'Pure Hearts' are the real talismans, they should transform into the shape of the three divine objects, in other words, a mirror, a sword and an orb." Tomoe replied. "And when the three divine objects gather in one place, the 'Holy Grail' is sure to appear."
"Daruma!" the Daimon cried.
With the Daimon loaded, Eudial drove off to her destination.
In the Tsukino household...
"Oh?" Usagi blinked. "This postcard is from Mako-chan. Mako-chan is currently training at a temple."
"Training?" Luna echoed.
"OH!" Usagi exclaimed. "The temple that Mako-chan is in is right near the hotel where Mamo-chan is at. Mamo-chan is working part-time at a resort hotel right now." she explained to the black cat. "This makes me a lucky girl." she grinned.
"You can't be..." Luna stammered.
On the train...
"I'm so thrilled." Usagi beamed, gobbling her bento. "This is why I can't stop traveling."
"Come on now." Rei chided. "You should calm down a little more when you eat. You have pieces of your lunch stuck on your cheek."
"Usagi, I'm hungry." Luna whined as she and Artemis popped out of their mistresses' backpacks.
"Mina, can you give us some too?" Artemis complained.
"Oh, sure." both blonds replied and dropped the end of a fried shrimp into the cats' awaiting mouths.
"Hey, Usagi." Rei noted, the cats thoroughly fed. "I'm surprised that Chibi-Usa didn't tag along."
"I showed her that I was worthy of being her future mom and she was satisfied with my explanation." Usagi boasted.
In the Tsukino household...
"She told me she was going to the bathroom." Chibi-Usa looked at the opened door. "Then, she went out by the back door, leaving me here. OH! I'm not going to forgive her!"
On the train...
"Why does it end up this way?" Usagi mumbled when her luggage fell onto her head.
At the bus stop...
"According to the guidebook, there is supposed to be a great hotel here." Usagi noted. "Oh, there it is." she pointed.
"It's wonderful!" Minako gushed.
"Hey, why don't we sleep over at the hotel?" Usagi suggested.
"But we're here to help Mako-chan with her training." Rei reminded.
"It doesn't matter where we sleep." Usagi pointed out. "I mean, we're fine as long as we can help Mako-chan out."
"Oh, you're saying pretty decent things too, Usagi." Rei noted.
"I don't care where we go, as long as we can study." Ami remarked.
"Then, let's change our plans!" Usagi declared.
"STOP!" Luna paused everyone. "Everyone, don't fall for Usagi's little conspiracy."
"What is Usagi's conspiracy?" Rei inquired.
"It's nothing..." Usagi sweatdropped.
"Mamoru is working in that hotel." Luna supplied.
"Then, how you said you wanted to help Mako-chan's training..." Rei glared.
"And how you wanted to study..." Ami pressed.
"Were all lies!" Minako finished.
"I wasn't lying." Usagi defended."Come on, it's a trip after all. Wouldn't it be more fun if there were many objectives? Right? Right?"
"Let's go to the temple like we originally planned." Rei decided. Usagi sighed and followed the girls.
At the temple...
"How many steps are there?" Minako wondered, the girls traversed up the staircase.
"Compared to the Hikawa Shrine, it's about 52 times as long." Ami panted.
"This is killing me." Usagi whined.
"Mako-chan!" the girls chorused, seeing Makoto punching and kicking at a tree furiously.
"What are all of you doing here?" Makoto stopped her punches.
"We're here to help you with your training, of course." Usagi beamed.
"That wasn't nice of you to come here without telling us." Rei chided.
"We'll help you in any way we can." Minako offered.
"Isn't her amazing?" Makoto wondered after Kakusui leapt over the girls' heads and continued to run. "He does 50 laps around these mountains every day."
"You fell in love with that monk, didn't you, Mako-chan?" Usagi teased. "I'm telling Kouki!"
"That's not it!" Makoto protested. "Now, back to training."
By the waterfall...
"Even though it's summer, the river water is cold." Makoto winced, stepping into the water. "Please, let me join you." she requested, Kakusui mediating under the running water. "I can't!" she jumped out of the rushing water mere seconds after getting under it. "How can I be like you, Kakusui-san? I'm in a slump right now. I can't give you the details, but my attacks are no good against the enemy. If I could achieve a mental state like yours, Kakusui-san I think I could get out of this slump. Why won't you speak to me?" she fumed when Kakusui remained silent.
"It's so cold that my mouth doesn't move." Kakusui shivered. "I might have caught a cold." he sneezed. "That smile suits you." he noted at Makoto's smile. "'There is no path that lets me live my life other than this path.'" he quoted. "'Therefore, I walk this path.' That is my favorite quote." he stepped out of the pool.
"'There is no path that lets me live my life other than this path.'" Makoto repeated. "'Therefore, I walk this path.' "
"However, despite this being the path I chose, whenever my training doesn't go as well as I want, I keep wondering if this was the right path." Kakusui added,
"Even you wonder about that, Kakusui-san?" Makoto blinked.
"I won't lose against anyone in terms of wondering about my life." Kakusui laughed.
"Found the target." Eudial looked down from the waterfall.
That night, in the girls' quarters in the temple...
"Hey, Mako-chan." Rei wondered. "Why did you come up with this idea of training so suddenly?"
"I really don't have a particular reason." Makoto replied.
"Is that really so?" Rei prodded. "If you're worried about something, tell us.
"It's better if you don't keep your worries piled up inside you." Usagi added.
"Thought, there is a problem if you don't have anything inside you, like Usagi." Rei joked.
"What do you mean by that, Rei?" Usagi demanded, reaching for her pillow and tossing it at Rei.
"How dare you?" Rei exploded. "Take that! And that!" she tossed the pillows at Usagi, missing the 'Rabbit' and hitting Minako by accident.
"I have nothing to do with it." Minako growled, throwing the pillow at Ami by accident and incurring the otherwise calm Ice Senshi's wrath; and thus a pillow fight begun.
You guys came all the way out here just for me... Makoto mused on the corridor as the girls slept. But this problem is something I want to solve on my own.
Commercial Break.
SailorStar9: It was a city like any other, where people lived in peace and harmony, until they came...
Camera zooms in to a mall where people can be seen running out screaming, as tendrils of black energy shoot out and drains the few that can't run fast enough.
SailorStar9: ... They were known as Youma, and nobody knew where they came from, or how to stop them...
A creature that looks like a fusion between a bull and a linebacker gone wrong walks out of the mall, laughing evily. He stops, however, when he sees four shadowy figures standing on top of a nearby building.
SailorStar9: Nobody except for one small group of heroes...
Youma: Who are you?
The figures step into the light. The one that speaks first is a fat kid wearing a red winter cap and a white leotard with a blue skirt. He strikes a pose and glares at the monster.
Sailor Cartman: S**t your f***ing face, uncle f***er. We're the Sailor f***ing Senshi and we're gonna kick your a**!
Sailor Kyle: Lame speech as usual, Cartman.
Sailor Cartman: S*** my b****, Sailor Kyle.
Sailor Stan: Stop being a b****, Cartman.
Youma: Are you gonna fight or what?
Sailor Stan: Okay bully, you asked for it.
Sailor Cartman: Lame-a** pun there, Stan.
Youma: ENOUGH! (Shots a black energy beam that blasts Sailor Kenny's head off.)
Sailor Stan: Oh my God, he killed Sailor Kenny!
Sailor Kyle: The bastard...
Suddenly, a rose flies by and gets embedded in the wall near the monster. Everyone looks to another rooftop and see a kid in a tuxedo sitting on a wheelchair with a stupid grin on his face.
Tuxedo Timmy: Timmeeeeyy!
Sailor Cartman: F*** off, Tuxedo Timmy, you're late as usual.
Youma: ARE YOU GONNA FIGHT OR WHAT, MOTHERF***ING KIDS?
Sailor Cartman: That's it. Cartman Cap Action!
The cap flies off Cartman's head and beheads the youma. The group cheers as the creature sprays blood all over the place.
SailorStar9: Sailor Park. Be afraid, be very afraid...
End Commercial Break
Early the next morning...
"It's noisy..." the girls were awakened by Makoto's training grunts. "What is it?"
"Mako-chan." Usagi blinked.
"It looks like we're better off not helping her at all." Rei remarked.
"Seems that way." Minako agreed.
"What is this?" Usagi gasped as the scrumpy breakfast. "Oh no, I can't get any energy from this."
"But this gets your brain working better." Ami pointed out.
"And eating this food definitely will make you lose weight." Rei joked.
"Usagi, this is the perfect opportunity for you." Minako reminded.
"I don't care if I get fat." Usagi mumbled. "At least when I'm traveling, I want to eat something yummy."
"It looks like Mako-chan left already." Luna supplied.
"Makoto sure is working hard." Artemis noted.
"Alright, let's go to the hotel for breakfast today." Usagi declared, causing everyone to facefault.
"Don't you think about anything other than food?" Rei exploded.
"You don't have to be so harsh when you ask." Usagi pouted.
"Alright, fine." Rei sighed. "We'll go to the hotel."
"What are we going to do with this meal?" Ami wondered. "I feel bad since they prepared it for us."
"Of course, I'm going to eat it." Usagi replied.
"Speaking of the hotel." Minako stated as Usagi dug in. "Ta-dah!" she pulled out her bathing suit.
"My, you are prepared." Luna blinked.
"Actually, me too." Rei added, pulling out her bikini.
"I brought one too." Usagi revealed her one-piece. "See, see?"
"I guess Ami was the only one who was seriously thinking about Mako-chan." Luna sighed, both cats sweatdropping. "Ami is in a class herself, after all." Artemis agreed.
"Actually, I..." Ami flushed, pulling out her swimming suit and the cats sighed.
By the hotel's swimming pool...
"Oh man." Usagi gobbled up the tray of food in front of her. "A meal just has to be like this. Mamo-chan!" her eyes turned into hearts when Mamoru walked by.
"Oh, Usako." Mamoru stopped in his tracks. "Is everyone here?"
"What a coincidence, to meet here out of all places!" Usagi gushed.
"Gee, you can't really lie well." Rei sweatdropped.
"Mamo-chan, let's go out somewhere and play." Usagi suggested.
"Sorry, but I don't have time for that." Mamoru replied. "This place pays really well, but the workload is pretty tough."
"Hey Chiba!" the manager hollered. "Come here for a sec!"
"Sure!" Mamoru hurried over.
"How boring." Usagi pouted.
"Cute..." a male voice called."All four of them aren't bad. That girl is rather cute. Hey, why don't you go talk to them? That girl's eyes really catch my attention. So wonderful... hurry up and go over there. Come on! Hey, those girls over there are better." one of the three boys pointed. "Oh, you're right." his companion agreed. "Let's go over there."
"What was that?" Usagi fumed.
"Huh?" Ami blinked at her sun-basking onee-chans. "Ruka-nee-chan and Michi-nee-chan."
"Oh, so you're here too, imouto-chan." Haruka lifted her sunglasses to look at the Inner Senshi.
"Yeah." Ami nodded.
"Hello!" the rest chorused.
"What a coincidence." Michiru noted.
"Michiru, your swimsuit is gorgeous." Minako gushed.
"Thank you." Michiru replied. But your swimsuits are all lovely too."
"Is it really that great?" Usagi flushed.
"Usagi, why don't we start heading back?" Ami proposed.
"But, I want to stay here a little longer." Usagi whined.
"Usagi, no matter how long you hold out here, you won't be able to go on a date with Mamoru." Rei reminded. "Hah?" she grinned. "Bulls-eye!"
"Sheesh, Rei!" Usagi protested. "You're so mean to me! Just because Yuichiro isn't here, you can't take it out on me! Take that!" she pounced. Rei easily side-stepped, causing Usagi to fall into the kiddy pool.
"The wind is bringing me the scent of the humid sea." Michiru stated. "Something is going to happen."
Haruka nodded in agreement as Usagi popped her head out of the pool.
On the way back to the temple...
"Just like Rei said, I couldn't go on a date." Usagi whined, before she noticed Eudial drive by and she hurried after the Witch.
In the mountains...
Kakusui and Makoto were mediating on a boulder each when Makoto peered open her eyes. Noticing Kakusui's silence, Makoto went back to mediate before being alerted by a snore. "He's asleep." she sweatdropped.
"Sorry about that." Kakusui gave himself a stretch.
"You're in the middle of your training." Makoto reminded.
"Sometimes, it is important to relax and get rid of the excess power." Kakusui advised. "Was that a poor excuse?" he laughed. "Get out of the way!" he pushed Makoto out of harm's way when they saw Eudial take aim with her 'Capture Gun'.
"Captured!" Eudial fired, claiming Kakusui's 'Heart Crystal' within the energy orb.
"Kakusui-san!" Makoto gasped.
"People cannot live alone." Kakusui stated. "Don't force yourself."
"Kakusui-san!" Makoto exclaimed as Kakusui fell over. "Jupiter Cosmic Power, Make Up!" she transformed in a nearby bush.
"Moon Cosmic Power, Make Up!" Usagi followed suit.
"Oh?" Eudial blinked as Jupiter jumped in front of Kakusui.
"I, Jupiter, will not forgive anyone putting their hands on Kakusui-san." Jupiter swore.
"A Daimon is enough to fight against you." Eudial grinned. "Appear before me, Daimon!"
"Daruma!" the Daimon announced.
Jupiter dodged the energy needles the Daimon fired at her, before being knocked over by a circular block on the Daimon's stomach.
"Hold it right there!" Moon declared. "Even if your evil plans make heroes of justice stumble 7 times, they will always stand up an 8th time. For love and justice, the pretty Senshi in a Sailor suit, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
"And we'll chastise you too!" Mars added, the rest jumping in.
"Leave this to me." Jupiter requested. "This time, I'll make sure I defeat this thing by myself. Berserker Bolt!"
"Daruma!" the Daimon deflected the lightning off with her brush, the attack crushing onto the rock Moon was standing on, the aftershock knocking the girls to the ground.
"Thanks for the hard work, but this isn't a talisman." Neptune remarked on a tree, after Uranus snatched the 'Heart Crystal' and examined it.
Growling, Eudial took off, leaving the Daimon to fight the Senshi.
"She sure runs away quickly." Uranus noted, returning Kakusui's 'Heart Crystal'. "Shall we help?"
"I'll do it myself." Jupiter replied. "I'll defeat it by myself."
"Don't force yourself to do so." Neptune advised and the two leapt off.
"Daruma!" the Daimon released her ink strands at Jupiter, just as the girls came in, trapping the Inner Senshi. Turning into her daruma doll form, she proceeded to electrocute the Senshi.
"Jupiter, don't force yourself to do this." Moon warned. "We can combine our powers."
"The five of us come together as one." Mars agreed.
"Believe in everyone." Mercury added.
"We all fight as one." Venus remarked.
"I'll believe in everyone." Jupiter decided. "And I'll fight with everyone."
"Now!" Moon declared, the girls focusing their powers and breaking free.
"Daruma!" the Daimon knocked the 'Spiral Heart Moon Rod' out of Moon's hand with her electricity. "Daruma?" the Daimon blinked as Jupiter shut her eyes before her.
"Berserker Bolt!" Jupiter fired her attack, the lightning breaking through the paintbrush and crashing into the Daimon, reverting her back to her original form, a daruma doll. The Daimon Egg fell out of the doll and split into half.
On the train...
"It looks like Mako-chan resolved whatever it was that was worrying her." Rei noted, as Usagi and Makoto gobbled their bento boxes.
Makoto mouthed a 'Thank You' to Kakusui as the train sped by the bridge.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review. In the next chapter, Haruka thinks about old times, while Usagi and the inners explore their soon-to-be high school, where they meet Haruka's old racing friend, Elsa Gray...who is a target. Uranus and Neptune, along with the inners, fight to save her 'Heart Crystal' against the Daimon, and her heart is not pure, so it is restored.