This chapter was thanks to Sandshrew Master 317 for the idea!
And in honor of a certain fiery Sailor Guardian's birthday! You know who!
Usagi and the group were all walking together to the Hikawa Shrine for Study Hall after school.
"Man, I'm not looking forward to another day of study hall," sighed Minako. "I don't even wanna think about studying right now."
"Me either," agreed Makoto. "But we have tests coming up and the high school entrance exams to boot. Why do we have to take so many tests anyway?
"Because teachers want to be sure that we've learned the material they're learning by challenging us," said Ami importantly. "After all, it wouldn't be called school if we all didn't learn something."
"Ami's right. It's important to keep up on your studies, so you'll be ready for any challenges down the road," said Luna. "And everything that you learned may come in handy someday."
"But couldn't they give us fewer tests?" groaned Minako. "I mean, sometimes I feel as though my brain's gonna explode after getting packed with so much information when we're studying."
"Now, Minako, I know that you hate studying, and I ain't too keen on it either," said Harusuke. "But it's not so bad once you got the material down. I mean, I had trouble with learning some things too, and look how I turned out."
"You only say that is because you and Ami are the geniuses in our group!" huffed Minako. "If you understood how I feel, you'd want to duck out of Study Hall, too! And it's not just me, right, Usagi?"
"Actually, I don't mind at all," said Usagi. "In fact, I'm actually looking forward to Study Hall."
No sooner than she said these words, everyone immediately stopped walking, staring at Usagi with horror-stricken faces, while Usagi kept going until she stopped, too.
"What's the matter, everyone?" asked Usagi.
"Y-You just said you enjoyed Study Hall!" Minako squeaked.
"The Usagi we know would never say something like that!" gulped Makoto.
"Ami? Is there a condition for how Usagi's acting right now?" Harusuked asked, very concerned. "It's obvious that she may have caught a disease."
"I'm not quite sure," said Ami uneasily.
"Hey! I'll have you know that I'm perfectly healthy!" Usagi snapped indignantly. Her scowl then softened. "I like Study Hall, not because of all the studying we have to do, but the time we spend together at Rei's place. Rei may be mean at times, but she always welcomes us whenever we go to her place. I'm grateful that we have someone like her."
"You mean you like it because of the snacks and the manga Rei has in her room," said Luna snootily.
Th ordango blonde glared crossly at Luna.
The teens soon came up to the steps and were now walking up to them and coming up to the shrine's entrance. But as they were about to pass through the torii, three men came walking down the steps. Two of them were wearing black suits with matching dark sunglasses dressed very smartly, and the third was a young man with short black hair and wore glasses.
"Who are those guys?" wondered Usagi.
"I don't know," said Ami. "I've never seen them before."
"Whoever they are, they seem pretty important," said Minako. "And the guy in the middle looks pretty easy on the eyes.
The teens then watched as the three walked past them, none of them giving them so much as a glance. Then, the teens continued until they reached the top of the steps, passing through the torii. However, when they got there, they found Rei's Grandpa standing outside, holding a large white box tied with a blue ribbon. Feeling curious, Usagi the others all came up to him.
"Hey, Old Man," asked Harusuke. "What's up?"
Rei's Grandpa then looked up. "Oh, it's you, kids," he said. "Good to see you."
"Hey, what's with the box?" asked Usagi. "Did someone give you a present or something?"
"And do you know those guys that just walked past us?" wondered Makoto.
"Don't worry. It's nothing to be concerned about. Those gentlemen were dropping something off, is all," replied Rei's Grandpa. "And about this package, could you kids give this to Rei? She should be in her room."
He then handed the box over to Usagi and then walked away, leaving the teens puzzled.
"It's for Rei, huh?" said Minako. "I wonder who it could be from? A secret admirer?"
"I wonder if it came from those men that we saw earlier," suggested Ami. "It would make sense."
"Well, that's something only Rei can tell us," said Harusuke. "So, why don't we get that box to her and have her open it?"
The teens then went inside the house and soon found Rei, waiting for them in their study room.
"Hey, guys. It's about time," greeted Rei. "I was about to get everything set up."
"Hey, Rei. There's a present for you," said Usagi. "Your grandpa asked us to give it to you."
The ordango blonde then presented the box to Rei, and upon seeing it, Rei seemed to tense up while staring at it. However, she took the box, untied the ribbon on it, opened the letter, and started reading it. When she finished reading a few seconds later, her eyes went wide, appearing to be shocked as well as appalled.
"What's the matter, Rei?" asked Usagi. "You look upset."
Rei didn't answer as she took off the ribbon from the box, lifted the lid, and took the item out of its box. It was a beautiful white gown that was as pure as snow, had lots of frills, and even a veil. The moment they saw this, all of the girl's eyes sparkled with amazement as well as bewilderment.
"I-Is that what I think it is?!" gasped Ami.
Usagi and Minako squealed. "It's a wedding dress!" the two of them cried out excitedly.
"Whoa...! It looks so beautiful!" said Makoto.
Even Harusuke was amazed. "Yeah. I haven't seen one of these since back when Ms. Akiyama was getting married, but never something as fancy as this one," he said. "Makes me wonder who the blushing bride is."
Rei, on the other hand, wasn't as amazed. For a brief moment, a look of dread and anger crossed her face. Then, she hastily stuffed the note into the envelope, putting it into her pocket, quickly put the wedding dress back into the box, and slammed the lid on it.
"All right, that's enough of that," Rei said with a twitching eyebrow. "Let's get started on study hall.
Usagi and the others were surprised.
"What's the matter with you, Rei?" wondered Usagi. "You're acting a bit strangely."
"And who sent you that dress?" wondered Minako. "I got to know who it is!"
"It's nothing important," said Rei curtly. "Everything's fine."
"Are you sure?" wondered Harusuke. "You seem to be trying to hide something. Not to mention that now that we know what's in the box, we got to know who sent it to you, and you seem to know who it is."
"Just forget it," insisted Rei. "We have an important test coming up, and we don't have time for this idle chatter. So if it's all the same to you, I'm going to put this in my room, and I expect you all to start studying."
And with that, Rei marched out of the room, taking the box with her, leaving the others feeling curious about her behavior.
In her mansion, Hotaru was resting in her bed, feeling ill again. As she lay there, Souichi peeked inside through the doorway, checking to see her condition. Then, he quietly closed the door and took the elevator to the lower levels of the lab. He went to the lockers, put on his lab coat, and turned into his other persona, Tomoe.
"All right, time to make more Daimons," Tomoe cackled to himself.
But just as he was about to get started, he heard a voice inside of his head via telepathy.
"Tomoe, are you there?"
Tomoe recognized the voice immediately. "M-Magus Kaolinite! Is that you?!" he gasped. "I'm glad to hear from you. How are you recovering?"
"Very well. With a bit more time, I should be back to fighting strength very soon," said Kaolinite. "But how is progress going over on your end?"
"Unfortunately, it seems everything is at an impasse," said Tomoe. "We haven't found any sign of the last talisman, and those miserable Guardians keep destroying my Daimons. At the rate this is going, I might run out of resources to make more Daimons."
"Then, it seems as though we're going to have to look for more hosts for the Daimons," said Kaolinite. "Have Mimete not only search for the talisman, but also for humans to use for our cause. Master Pharoh 90 is getting impatient."
"As you wish, Magus Kaolinite," said Tomoe. "I'll let Mimete know." He then called out in the emptiness of his lab. "Mimete, are you here?"
The girl in question then appeared. "Yes, I am," said Mimete. "What is it, Tomoe?"
"I've just received word from Kaolinite. She should make a full recovery soon," said Tomoe. "However, the master is growing impatient, and I've got new orders for you. You are to keep searching for the last talisman and hosts for Daimons as well. We'll need to bolster our forces if we're able to defeat our enemies, the Guardians. Use whatever means necessary. Is that understood?"
"I understand," said Mimete. "I promise you that I won't fail, and I'll make the Death Busters proud."
A little while later, it was nightfall, and everyone was fast asleep. All throughout the house, not a single Tsukino was stirring, not even Luna.
Harusuke was sleeping peacefully in his room. Then, as he continued to sleep, the window to his room slowly opened, and someone silently crept into the room. The intruder made sure to shut the window quietly and then slowly made its way towards Harusuke's bed, being careful not to make a sound. As soon as they were close enough, they gently gave Harusuke a poke. Harusuke stirred a bit in his sleep, but he didn't wake up. The intruder poked Harusuke again with a bit more force, prompting a sleepy groan to come from him, but he continued to sleep. Then, feeling slightly irritated, the intruder started shaking him roughly.
This time, Harusuke's eyes snapped open as he woke up with a start, and when he saw the intruder, he quickly shot out of bed and swept their feet, knocking them to the floor, and pounced, pinning them to the ground.
"All right, you!" he snarled. "I don't know who you are, but if you think you can break into my room, you got another thing com-!"
"Harusuke! Stop!" the intruder cried in a familiar female voice. "It's me!"
Harusuke then stopped and squinted his eyes as he stared at the intruder. Despite it being dark with only the light from the stars and moon, he could see a pair of familiar blue eyes staring back at him along with black hair that blended into the darkness. Then, Harusuke gasped, recognizing his intruder.
"Rei? Is that-" he started to say.
Rei using her hand, then covered his mouth, shushing him. "Be quiet! I don't want anyone else to know that I'm here!"
But she was too late for that, for right then, the door swung open, and the light turned on. The two of them then looked up and saw Usagi standing in the doorway, her eyes wide and her cheeks pink with surprise and embarrassment. The ordango blonde was about to scream, but then Rei quickly shot out from underneath Harusuke, grabbed Usagi by the hand, and yanked her into the room, shutting the door.
"Hey! What's the-!" Usagi began to yell.
But Rei cut her off but covering her mouth with her hand. "Usagi! Shut up for a minute! Do you and your brother don't know how to be quiet?!"
Usagi began to struggle, but then Harusuke broke them up, covering both of their mouths.
"Girls! Calm down!" he whispered harshly. "If you two keep making so much noise, you're going to wake everyone else up!"
The two girls looked up at him, and each gave him a nod. Then, Harusuke uncovered their mouths.
"Rei, what the heck are you doing here?!" Usagi demanded quietly. "First, I find you in my brother's room, and then you had to go and drag me like a ragdoll? You got some explaining to do!"
But then, as Rei looked towards them, the two fell silent, for hot-headed, sassy Rei they always knew, now had a vulnerable look on her face as if she was barely holding herself together.
"Harusuke. Usagi. I need your help," Rei seemed to whimper. "Both of you. Please."
"Rei, what is it?" Harusuke asked. "Did something happen?"
"Please tell us what happened," said Usagi. "We'll listen."
Rei took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "Listen, I need you two to promise me something before I tell you," she said. "What I'm about to tell you can't be found out by anyone, not even the others. Understand?"
Both of the Tsukino siblings nodded in agreement.
"All right then. I'll tell you," said Rei. "You know that dress from earlier? I know who sent it. It was from my father."
"Your father?" repeated Usagi. "You never said that you had a dad."
"That's because I never talked about him, nor do I want to," said Rei as an angry scowl crossed her face. "I despise him. I hate him and everything he stands for."
"Well, what did he do?" asked Harusuke. "And how does he play into sending you that dress?"
Rei's scowl vanished as explained. "A long time ago, back when I was a little girl, I lived my father, Takashi Hino, and my mother, Risa Hino. My father works as a well-known politician, so he was busy and hardly was around. However, I didn't really seem to mind because I spent my time with my mom and Kaidou, my dad's assistant. Things were happy for the time being until one day; my mom got sick, so sick that she had to be taken to the hospital." She squeezed her hands in vexation while trembling. "But my dear father being the man that he was cared more about his damn job rather than her, and didn't bother to visit her. Not once! And after a while... my mother died."
Harusuke and Usagi gasped.
"And not long after she passed, my father left me in the care of my grandpa so that he can focus on his career," Rei continued, her voice filled with bitterness. "Since then, he's been taking me out to dinner and sending me dresses, just to maintain his image. But this one wasn't anything like the ones he sent, and I know the reason why." She then dug into her pocket and then took out the note.
Thinking that she wanted them to read it, Usagi took the note opening it, and she and her brother read it, which said:
To my daughter,
I trust that you are well. I am writing to you now because I have something of the utmost importance. I have arranged for you to wed a boy named Katsuki Midoriya. He's the son of a well-known politician that's a dear friend of mine. I also expect you to attend a meeting with him at a restaurant known as The Rain Tree, so make sure you dress and act accordingly. I will also be staying in town n a hotel, so I expect you to come by and see me after your meeting. I look forward to seeing you again.
Your father, Takashi Hino.
Both of the Tsukino siblings could hardly believe their eyes.
"You got to be kidding me!" Usagi squeaked in a whispered yell. "Your father is forcing you to get married?!"
Rei sadly nodded.
Usagi then became so cross, she almost yelled. "That is wrong on so many levels!" she spoke angrily while keeping her voice in check. "How can someone like your dad even do such a thing?!"
"I don't know, but if I don't think of something, my dad's going to send some of his men after me and then force me to go," said Rei. "And knowing him, he would do anything to save face."
"I can't believe it," scowled Harusuke. "The more I hear about this jerk, the more I want to punch him. Isn't there something we can do?"
"Yes, there is," said Rei. "I need a guy to play the role of Fiance for me and come with me to The Rain Tree. That way, once this Katsuki guy sees that I have no intention of marrying him and that I'm with another boy, he will back off, and hopefully, my dad will call off the engagement."
"But if that's your plan, then who are you going to pick to be your pretend fiance?" asked Usagi.
"That's why I came here to talk to you two," said Rei. "There's only one person who I can trust to do this. Someone who I trust with all my heart." She paused and then looked over at the boy in question. "Harusuke, it's you."
Harusuke blinked. "Say... what?!" he began to yell, but then he quickly calmed down and whispered. "Say what?! Why me?!" he whispered shrilly. "First of all, I'm only sixteen years old! I'm way too young to be thinking about marriage! Why can't you ask Mamoru or something?"
"Because you're the only guy that I can count on," said Rei. "Plus, it won't be a real engagement. I just want my dad and the fiance he picked to leave me alone! Just for show, you know? And even if I wanted Mamoru to do this, he'll be way too busy with his job to help. Not to mention a certain someone would be jealous out of her mind and throw a fit."
Usagi nodded in agreement.
"But even if it is an act, marriage is marriage!" protested Harusuke. "A boy as young as I am can't jump into these things, you know, and that goes for a girl like you too, Rei!"
"Please, Harusuke? It's just for the day," begged Rei. "I wouldn't ask anyone else to do this! You're the only one who can help me!"
"Come on, Bro. Do it for Rei," said Usagi. "Besides, we can't just leave her when she's in trouble, especially since someone's forcing her to do this."
Harusuke looked at Usagi and then at Rei. Then, he sighed in resignation as he smiled. "All right. I guess I could give it a go," he said. "But only because I want to stick it to your old man."
Rei's eyes lit up as she smiled. "You'll do it? Really?" she asked hopefully.
"Of course, and you can count on me helping out, too, Rei," said Usagi. "I'll do whatever I can to help you."
Rei hugged the ordango blonde. "Thank you, Usagi," she said. "Thank you both. I appreciate it."
"You can thank us afterward," said Harusuke. "Right now, we should get some sleep. If we're going to go through with this plan, we got to make sure we're well-rested. So, for the time being, let's get some sleep. Rei, you can sleep in my room tonight."
Rei and Usagi then blushed.
"W-Wait, what?!" Rei squeaked. "Why would I need to sleep in your room?!"
"Well, for one thing, we can't afford to let anyone else in the house know that you're here, considering that you want to keep this between us," explained Harusuke. "So, it would stand to reason that you should sleep here. That way, we can hide you, and nobody else will know that you're here, as long as you keep quiet. Besides, there's no way you can go home with it being this late."
"Harusuke's right," said Usagi. "Plus, we can't let the others find out about this either, and so it'd be too risky for you to sleep in my room. Besides, we've slept together in the same room before, so it's not like you'll be sleeping on the same bed as him."
"Well, I guess so, but...!" protested Rei.
"It's settled then," said Usagi. "Now, I going to go to bed. You two make sure to sleep well, and tomorrow, we'll make sure that Rei's future in love is assured!"
And Usagi then left the room, leaving Harusuke and Rei alone. Harusuke then got up, going over to his closet and getting a futon out.
"All right then. Make sure yourself at home while I get this out."
"But Harusuke, are you sure?" asked Rei. "If anything, I should be the one sleeping on the floor."
"It's fine, Rei. You can take my bed," insisted Harusuke. "Besides, I'd feel bad if you slept on the floor with everything that's going on. You deserve to sleep in something comfy."
Harusuke finished spreading out his futon and was just about to lie down when Rei took off the blanket from his bed and laid it next to him.
"Rei? What are you doing?" asked Harusuke. "Why aren't you sleeping on the bed?
"What kind of friend would I be if I let you sleep on the floor?" said Rei. "I'm sleeping on the floor too."
"Are you sure?" asked Harusuke.
Rei answered with a nod as she lay on the blanket while covering herself up with another one, while Harusuke conceded and turned out the light and laid on his futon.
"Well, night, Harusuke," said Rei.
"Night, Rei," said Harusuke.
The two then made themselves comfy, and after a few minutes, the two fell fast asleep.
The next day, Harusuke and Rei were walking to The Rain Tree. As they walked, the people that passed by them couldn't stop but stare at the two. The reason being was that Rei was now wearing a beautiful white dress with a rose on it and Harusuke was wearing a pair of blue jeans, a yellow t-shirt, and a sharp white button-down. And to add to that, Rei was hugging Harusuke by his arm, making it seem like they were a couple, which made him a bit embarrassed.
"Um, Rei? Are you sure we should be this close together?" asked Harusuke. "We're attracting a lot of attention."
"Well, if we're going to pretend we're a couple, we have to make sure we act like it," said Rei. "We want to look like lovers as much as possible."
"I guess you have a point," sighed Harusuke. "So, let me see if I got this straight. You and I are to attend a lunch with this Katsuki guy while Usagi keeps the others distracted by taking them out to the spa to make sure no one else knows about us doing this?"
"That's right," said Rei. "And if there's trouble, Usagi will contact us through our communicators. Until then, make sure you act like a good fiance, and remember, it's only just for show."
"I know, I know," said Harusuke. "I just wish that we didn't attract so much unwanted attention."
They soon came to The Rain Tree and walked inside. The atmosphere was filled with a sense of elegance, the sound of beautiful music being heard in the air. There were also some high-class people dining there, all appearing to be very wealthy and dignified. Harusuke was not only amazed but also felt a bit out of place. Then, a young waiter came up to them, bowing politely.
"Miss Hino, a pleasure to see you again," said the waiter. "Shall I show you and your friend to your table?"
"Yes, thank you," replied Rei.
The waiter then led Harusuke and Rei to a table in a secluded area of the place, and the two of them took their seats.
"I'll say this much. This place sure is different than any other place than I've been to," said Harusuke. "It's like I've stepped into a different world. Not to mention that you seem to be popular."
"Yeah. I'd always meet my dad here for my birthday. Well, before I stopped seeing him," said Rei. "I've always liked it for the atmosphere and how peaceful it can be. Well, if it wasn't for the circumstances."
"Well, now, if it isn't Rei," said a voice. "It's good to see you."
The teens looked up as a man in a black suit came walking up to their table. It was the man with black hair and glasses from yesterday. Upon seeing him, Harusuke gasped in surprise while Rei smiled.
"Kaidou, it's good to see you again," she greeted.
"Hold on. You know this guy?" asked Harusuke.
"Yes, this is Kaidou, my dad's secretary," introduced Rei. "Don't worry. He and I go way back. He's like a big brother to me."
Kaidou then looked across to Harusuke and bowed politely. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said. "I trust that you're a friend of Rei's?"
"Oh, yes. I'm Harusuke Tsukino," he introduced. "Nice to meet you too."
"So, what brings you here, Harusuke?" asked Kaidou. "It's not every day I see Rei with another boy."
Before Harusuke could answer, someone else came walking up to the table. It was a man wearing a white suit, had green eyes with one hiding behind an eyeglass, and brown hair in a ponytail, and seemed to be oozing with arrogance.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Rei, my dear," the man said. "But your beloved, Katsuki Midoriya, has arrived."
Immediately, Harusuke scowled, as did Rei, sensing that trouble had just arrived.
Meanwhile, Usagi and the others were enjoying themselves at a local spa in town. Minako and Usagi were getting their hair done, while Ami and Makoto had foot baths.
"This is the life," Minako sighed with content. "Having a spa day is just what the doctor ordered."
"Yeah. I hear that," said Makoto. "Normally, I don't really go for this kind of stuff, but this is a nice change of pace. Great idea, Usagi."
"Thanks, Mako," said Usagi. "I figured we could all use the time to relax after all the studying, so I'm glad you're enjoying yourselves."
"It is a shame that Rei and Harusuke couldn't come with us," said Ami. "I think they would have enjoyed themselves here too."
"Y-Yeah. I know," said Usagi, quickly thinking of a lie. "But Rei told me that she had something important to do today, and Harusuke's running an errand. Besides, I don't think they're missing much."
"Speaking of Rei, I still can't help but think about that dress she received," said Makoto. "I really would like to know who sent it."
"Yeah, me too," said Minako. "Not to mention that Rei was acting weird when she saw the dress." She glanced over at Usagi. "You think she knows who sent?"
Usagi then gulped. "I-I don't know. I have no idea," she said, trying not to be nervous. "It really is a mystery to me."
Minako was puzzled. "Usagi, you okay? You seem kind of antsy for some reason," she said.
"Nope! I'm wonderful," Usagi said. "Everything's A-OK!"
Minako, suspecting nothing, continued to enjoy herself by getting her hair washed. Usagi then sighed in relief, happy that she could keep her secret but couldn't help but wonder how much longer she could keep it. She also was feeling worried about how the two of them were getting along, so
Back in the restaurant, Katsuki had taken his seat next to Rei and was now enjoying his drink while being unnaturally affectionate towards Rei by holding her hand, much to Harusuke's and her annoyance. Katsuki then took Rei's hand and was about to kiss it when Rei forcibly retracted her hand.
"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Rei.
"Just showing my affection for you, darling," said Katsuki. "After all, that is what lovers do, isn't that true?"
"Well, you've got a funny way of showing affection," said Rei. "And another thing, there's only one reason why I came here, and that's to tell you that I have no intention of marrying you."
"You must be joking," said Katsuki. "Surely, you realize that your father intends us to be wed so he'll have a successful heir to his position. You don't want to disappoint his good name, do you?"
"I could care less about what he wants or about his position," Rei coldly spat. "The only reason he wants me to marry is that he has a position to keep up, just like he did with Kaidou. So, let me make one thing clear. I have no intention of marrying you, Katsuki, for I have already found my own fiance."
Katsuki was surprised. "Y-You have? And who would that be?" he asked.
Harusuke, as if he was waiting on cue, then stood up. "That would be me," he answered.
Katsuki looked at Harusuke and looked appalled the moment he saw him. "Him? You must be joking. He's nothing more than an ordinary commoner," he scoffed.
"Sticks and stones, buddy," Harusuke shot back. "Whether you like it or not, I'm Rei's fiance, so why don't you take your spoiled butt out of here and back off."
"My, my, quite a mouth you have for a filthy commoner," mocked Katsuki.
"The better to say kick rocks, bud," Harusuke spoke coldly. "Now, why don't you go back to your castle, your highness? Or do you need to call your servants to help you walk?"
Katsuki glared, and Harusuke glared back at him, the sparks practically flying from their eyes. Rei then stepped up and held Harusuke's hand, expecting the worst. But instead, Katsuki let out a light chuckle while breaking his glare.
"Very well then. If that's truly your decision," he said. "Just be warned, you will hear from this from your father. He'll be greatly disappointed in you."
He gave Harusuke a strange look and then walked away. As soon as he was gone, Harusuke let out a breath, easing the tension in his body.
"You okay?" asked Rei.
"Yeah. I'm good," said Harusuke.
Then Kaidou came up to them. "Well, that was quite the farce you put on," he said. "It's a pity that the two of you aren't actually a couple."
"Wh-What do you mean by that?!" Harusuke spoke. "We're way closer than friends, we're-"
"It's okay, Harusuke. Kaidou's already got us figured out," said Rei. "Besides, we can trust him. He won't tell anyone."
Harusuke looked at Kaidou as he smiled kindly. "She is correct. Rei's like a sister to me, and it makes me happy to see that she's found such a good friend to support her, especially someone as brave as you, Harusuke." He then frowned. "But I doubt this is the last you'll hear from Katsuki as well as Mr. Hino. They won't take this lying down, so you two better be careful."
"Don't worry, Kaidou. We will," said Rei.
Harusuke then looked towards the door where Katsuki exited.
"Kaidou's right. I don't think Katsuki's the kind of guy to walk away just like that," he thought. "Something's telling me that our troubles are only getting started."
Meanwhile, a man was alone in his hotel room, staring out the window. He was a bit old for his age, had greying black hair, a black mustache, and wore glasses. As he gazed towards the city below, the phone in his pocket began to ring, which prompted him to answer.
"Yes? What? I see. Don't worry. I shall handle the situation." The man then hung up. "Honestly, I don't remember raising my daughter to be such a disobedient child. If she thinks I'm going to let this slide, then she's sadly mistaken."
The man dialed a number. "Hello? Mei? I have a job I want to hire you for," he said. "If you complete this task, I will reward you handsomely."
A familiar woman's voice from the other end of the line answered back.
"Sounds interesting. What did you need me to do?"
Back at the salon, Usagi spoke to Harusuke through her communicator, listening as her brother gave her an update.
"So, this Katsuki guy just left after you two told him about being engaged?" she asked.
"Yes, but I get the feeling this whole thing isn't over yet, so Rei and I are going to keep pretending to be engaged for the time being," said Harusuke. "So I want you to keep stalling the girls for a bit longer."
"Don't worry. I ordered the super mega makeover for the girls, so they'll be a while," said Usagi. "You just make sure you take care of Rei."
"Roger that," said Harusuke. "Over and out."
Usagi had just turned off the communicator when a voice came from behind her.
"What was that about taking care of Rei?"
Usagi jumped, feeling so startled that her twin tails stood up on end, and to her horror, she found Minako, Makoto, and Ami standing behind her as she turned around.
"Um, what? Who? Who said something taking care of Rei?" she squawked. "I didn't say anything about that!"
"Um, yes you did," said Makoto. "What were you talking about, Usagi?"
"And I'm sure we heard Harusuke talking to you," said Ami. "What's going on?"
"N-Nothing!" Usagi squeaked. "I was just um, uh, telling Harusuke to drop something off at the bay!"
Minako, Makoto, and Ami were now skeptical, growing more suspicious by the second.
"OK, Usagi. First of all, that's one of the worst lies I've ever heard," said Minako. "Secondly, you're acting weirder than usual."
"Weird? How am I acting weird?" Usagi sputtered. "I'm not acting weird!"
"Oh, is that so?" said Minako ominously. "Well, as the saying goes, we've got ways of making you talk."
Usagi could only whimper with fright as the girls closed in, preparing to choke the information out of her.
Back with Harusuke and Rei, the two of them spent their time together browsing stores and trying out clothes. While they were pretending that they were a couple, the two were having a good time, enjoying each other's company. After a while, the two of them took a break by having lunch together in their favorite cafe.
Rei sighed with content. "This is exactly what I needed," she said. "After everything that's happened, I could use the time to unwind."
"Yeah, I have to agree," said Harusuke. "I only wish we were under better circumstances to hang out like this." He paused for a second to sip his cup. "Say, Rei, I understand that you want to keep this a secret from the others, but... why didn't you want to tell them about your dad? And for that matter, why did you hide him from us?"
Rei paused a bit before responding. "Well... it's not like I was trying to hide anything," she said while averting her eyes. "I mean, I'm a girl with a dad for a politician, so it's not like I could talk about it. I've stopped seeing my dad for a couple of years, and he hasn't cared. No, all of a sudden, he wants me to get married to follow in his footsteps? Not to mention that he chose his career over his own family." She squeezed her hands in anger as she scowled bitterly. "I hate him!" Her scowl then turned into a sad frown. "But, I guess I didn't want anyone else to get involved because it's my fault thing are like this, and I didn't want anyone to think that I'm a snob like him. Then again, I made a selfish choice by ignoring him, so..."
"I don't know about that," said Harusuke. "You're nothing like your father, and there's no way I can see you playing the spoiled rich kid act. You can be a bit stuck up at times and can sometimes get angry for no reason, but if there's anything that suits you, it's laughing with us, crying with us, and sharing everything with us. That's the Rei everyone has come to love, including me. That's who you really are. You're Rei Hino of the Guardians, a girl that has a right to choose whoever and whenever you want to love, and no one can force you or take that away."
Rei's eyes seemed to warble a bit as if she was about to cry, feeling so happy that her heart could burst. But then Harusuke looked up, and his smile disappeared in an instant, for he saw something outside. Wondering what he was looking at, Rei looked as well and gasped. Outside of the restaurant, they saw Katsuki, but he wasn't alone. He had a squad of suits following close behind him, along with a particular mage of the Witches 5 among them in disguise, and were heading straight towards them.
"Rei, we have to go," urged Harusuke.
Rei looked around, trying to find an exit until her eyes fell upon her doorway in the corner. "Over there!" she said, pointing. "We can go that way!"
The two then quickly made for the door, which led to an alley, and took off. But then came trouble. As they came out of the alley, a couple of the suits happened to be close by and saw them.
"Look! There they are!" shouted one.
"Let's make a break for it, Harusuke!" cried Rei.
"No need to tell me twice!" said Harusuke.
The two of them took off running with the suits following close behind them.
Katsuki, Mimete under the guise of Mei, along with the suits, were looking around for their targets, but they were nowhere to be seen. Then, Mimete heard something on her radio.
"We found them, but they're fleeing as we speak, and we're in hot pursuit!" one of the suits said.
"Don't let them escape, and make sure you capture them," answered Mimete. She turned to Katsuki. "Looks like your fiance's gone and left."
"Damn it," Katsuki huffed. "Should have known they would. No matter. We'll find them soon enough, and once we do, I'll force Rei to come back with me and make sure that commoner gets his just deserts for not knowing his place." He scowled with malevolent intent. "I'll teach him to make a mockery out of Katsuki Midoriya! Make sure your men scour the town until you find him, Mei!"
"Understood, sir," said Mimete.
Rei and Harusuke ran as fast as they could, trying their best to get away from the suits, but it seemed every time they thought they were safe, another suit seemed to find them. Eventually, the two came to the warehouse close to the harbor hoping that they would have a good place to hide, but when they got there, a legion of suits suddenly appeared, barring their way. They then tried going back the way they came, but Mimete, Katsuki, and some other suits had suddenly appeared blocking their way.
"Damn it!" Harusuke cursed.
"They got us surrounded!" gasped Rei.
"There's nowhere left for you to run, boy," Katsuki spoke coldly. "Now, hand over Rei this instant, or else."
"Like hell, I will!" Harusuke snarled. "There's no way I'm handing her over to you, especially with this messed up marriage her father's forcing on her!"
"Come now, be reasonable," said Katsuki. "Surely, you realize this marriage is important to Mr. Hino's legacy. It's not only to what his father wishes, but it's also what his beloved wife, your mother, Risa, would have wanted as well."
This made Rei flinch as her eyes went wide with surprise, as did Harusuke.
"My apologies, but I looked into your family's history, my beloved Rei, and I must say, it's really quite tragic," went on Katsuki. "Your mother was very ill and frail and hardly had any strength to spend time with her beloved daughter until she finally left this world. I can assure you that Takashi must have been devastated when he found out the news. Imagine how he must have felt when the only person left in his family is his beloved daughter. All he wants is to make sure that you live life the way you should have, the life of a great politician like him so that the Hino name can prosper. It's what your daddy wants, and it's likely what your mother would have wanted. So, why don't you cease this pointless struggling and accept your calling, my beloved? Just say the word, and I'll order these men your father hired to stand down and leave peacefully. But that's solely you're decision. I am only thinking the best for you, my darling Rei."
There was a long silence as Rei bit her lip in vexation, appearing unsure how to respond.
"You disgust me," Harusuke finally spoke, hate evident in his voice. "I knew that you were a nasty guy, but this is low, even for you."
Katsuki glanced at him with a spiteful grin. "I wouldn't expect a filthy commoner like you to understand," he sneered. "After all, this is a completely different world than what you're used to."
"You're right about one thing. I don't understand what your world is like. In fact, I can't even imagine being in it," said Harusuke. "But even so, what you're saying, this whole crap about forcing someone to marry for the sake of a parent's legacy is a load of bull!" His voice slowly evolved into a yell. "You say that you know what's best for Rei, but this is nothing but guilt-tripping and giving her an ultimatum! And you even had the gall to bring Rei's mother into this, even though you don't know anything about her?!"
Katsuki flinched from this outburst, as did Rei.
"I may not know anything about her myself, but even I know that Risa would've never wanted this for Rei!" Harusuke continued to rant. "She would want Rei to live her life the way she wants and would want her to marry someone who loves her and not some bigot like you!"
"You dare say that to do me?!" Katsuki sputtered with wide eyes. "You best know your place, mongrel, or your barking is going is to get you put down! This your last warning! Surrender Rei to me, or suffer the consequences."
"Do your worst, buddy!" Harusuke snapped. "Do what you want with me, and you can spit out all the nonsense you want, but I'll be damned if I'll let you take Rei away! She's not some stupid chess piece for you to control or toy around! She's my friend, and I would never betray her by letting her go with you! I'll take every one of you punks down myself if I have to!"
Rei gasped with surprise, amazed with Harusuke's bravery. Katsuki, however, was now livid.
"Fine then! If that's what you want, then I'll take her!" he snarled as he raised his hand in command. "Maybe this will teach you to get involved with the affairs of your betters!"
The suits then got ready to attack, and Harusuke prepared to fight, ready to protect Rei. But then, some of the suits jolted as something struck them, causing them to fall to the ground unconscious. At first, everyone wondered what happened, but then, Rei and Harusuke gasped, for they saw why. On each one of the suit's backs, they saw familiar black objects disappear into their bodies.
"Did you see that?!" exclaimed Harusuke.
"They're Daimons!" cried Rei.
Sure enough, the infected suits mutated into Daimons, all of which roared from their birth. The suits that remained all fled in fear while Katsuki stood dumbly where he stood, deeply shocked and confused.
"Wh-What the hell is this?!" he mumbled in fear. "Did they... just turn into monsters?!"
"Why, yes. They have," said a voice. "But the preferred term is Daimons. And you'll be joining them."
Before Katsuki could turn around, he felt something strike him square in the back, causing his entire body to freeze up as something entered his body. Then, he began to mutate as well, but unlike the others, he grew in size, towering over the others, and his new shape was the likeness of a giant fox. A certain blonde female then stepped out from behind her new Daimon's leg and shed her human disguise.
"It's Mimete!" Rei and Harusuke thought together.
"That was a very moving speech there, boy," said Mimete. "With words like that, your heart must really be pure, which means that you must have a talisman inside of you. And even if you don't, you'll make a fine host for the master. Daimons, capture them."
The Daimons gunned for the two teens in response, each one roaring and hissing menacingly, but then...
"JUPITER COCONUT CYCLONE! ! !"
"VENUS WINK CHAIN SWORD! ! !"
Several chains came shooting out, restricting the Daimons, and a giant ball of lightning shot out, connecting and destroying them, reverting them to normal, leaving Mimete and the fox Daimon. Then, Sailors Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus appeared.
"Just in time!" said Sailor Mercury.
"Girls! You're here!" Harusuke gasped.
"But... how did you find us?!" asked Rei.
"Let's just say a little birdie told us," said Sailor Jupiter.
Sailor Moon could only comically cry. "I'm sorry, you guys," she whimpered. "They made me spill the beans."
"And you two have a lot of explaining to do when this is over!" said Sailor Venus. "But for now, you two get out of here! We'll stall them!"
"Thanks, guys!" said Rei.
Rei and Harusuke took off running while the other Guardians took off fighting the Daimons. Then, the fox-like Daimon saw Rei and Harusuke running away and let out a roar as it shot towards them. Harusuke looked back in time to see it come for them, and without hesitating, he pushed Rei out of the way while he jumped backward just as the beast went past them. Then, Mimete gunned straight for Harusuke, but Sailors Jupiter and Moon blocked her path.
"JUPITER SUPREME THUNDER!"
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"
Sailor Jupiter unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning which forced Mimete to block with her wand, while Sailor Moon threw her tiara while turning it into a disc, both attacks forcing Mimete to defend, much to her annoyance.
"Thanks for the save!" Harusuke gasped in relief.
"We got this! Hurry and transform!" urged Sailor Jupiter.
"We can take care of Mimete and her Daimons!" Sailor Moon also said.
Rei then rushed over and grabbed Harusuke by the hand. "Come on! We gotta move!" she said as she pulled him along.
The two of them quickly rushed away, finding a place to hide. Once they did, Harusuke exposed his bracelet, and Rei took out her stick, and the two transformed into action.
"SOLAR CRYSTAL POWER SHINE ON!"
"MARS STAR POWER MAKE UP!"
Transformation Sequence: Solaris (Post Crystal)
Harusuke's hand waves over the Sunstone Crystal, and it began to pulse with light until it shines brightly. Harusuke, now shrouded in light, holds his hand with the Sunstone Crystal up high and throws his fist to the floor, and his symbol appears beneath him. Light encases his legs from his feet to his hips, and in a burst of light, his boots, along with his belt and some additional armor on his thighs, materialize. Then his right encompasses his right arm from hand to shoulder, and his gloves, along with some armor, appear, and the same happens to his left hand. Harusuke then punches his fists together, creating a spark of light, and crosses his arms as his chest is wrapped in light. Harusuke then throws his arms out, and his chest plate appears, the symbol in the middle glowing brightly. Finally, his helmet appears on his head, this time covering up his entire head, leaving his face exposed. Harusuke opens his eyes smiling with confidence, his transformation now complete, and assumes his signature pose, with the sun appearing in the background while his symbol overlapped it.
Transformation Sequence: Rei
Rei's hand is held up as red sparkles swirl around it, alighting her fingernails, turning them into a shade of bright red. Her transformation stick appears spinning, and she takes hold of it, the star on end as well as the symbol glowing. The logo on the stick begins to turn as Rei is enveloped in red light. As she held up her pen while spinning around, long bright tongues of flame erupt from her pen, forming several rings around her body. The rings of fire tighten around her body, and in a brilliant flash of light, her outfit forms looking just like Sailor Moon's, but she is wearing red pumps along with a pair of red star-shaped earrings, the center bow is purple, and the rims of her gloves, her skirt, her choker, and collar are red. After that, Mars finishes with her signature pose.
Sailor Mars and Solaris jumped into the fray, the two going for the fox daimon while joining their comrades. When they did, Mimete saw that the odds were getting slimmer, and her target had escaped, so like she always did, she teleported away in retreat.
"EVIL SPIRIT, BE EXORCISED!"
Sailor Mars whipped out several ofuda and threw them straight at the creature. But as they all stuck on its body, the fox Daimon destroyed them with a single shake of its body.
"I-Impossible!" gasped Sailor Mars.
"ARROW OF SOL!"
Solaris, clenching his fist, unleashed a powerful arrow of golden light right into the fox Daimon's face, it did do a bit of damage, but that only made it angrier as it pounced towards him and gave him a mighty swipe of its claw, sending Solaris plummeting until he hit the ground.
"Solaris!" cried Sailor Mars.
The other Guardians leaped into the fray, hoping to back up their comrades, but the fox Daimon opened its mouth and unleashed a powerful blast of black flames from his mouth, forcing the Guardians to scatter to dodge. Sailor Mars then attacked again.
"MARS BURNING MANDALA!"
At her command, an array of rings barreled into the Daimon, but it didn't seem to much as faze it as it refocused its attention at Solaris. Solaris, while managing to recover, summoned forth his blade to defend himself.
"Geez! I know this guy is Katsuki, but does he really have to target me as a Daimon?!" he complained.
The fox swiped at him with his claws, but Solaris blocked with his sword and countered with a slice of his sword. The fox Daimon blocked every swipe and then swung with its tail. Solaris jumped up to avoid it, but the tail extended, wrapping around his body, binding him tightly, and slammed him to the ground.
"Solaris!" yelled the Sailor Guardians.
The impact of the same made Solaris drop his blade and stunned him. The Daimon growled menacingly as it bared its teeth, raising its claw. But then a familiar array of fire rings shot out, blasting the Daimon in the face. Those rings came from Sailor Mars.
"Leave him alone!" she yelled. "If you want to play with fire, why don't you take me on?!"
The Daimon snarled at her and released a blast of dark flames from its mouth. Sailor Mars barely managed to dodge, but then, the Daimon's tail wrapped around her, squeezing tightly.
"No! Sailor Mars!" cried Solaris.
Sailor Mars struggled as she tried to get free, but the Daimon held her tight.
Solaris took flight, shooting toward the beast to attack, but then the Daimon using its tail, moved Sailor Mars right in front of him. This made Solaris hesitate, allowing the Daimon to swing its paw and slam him straight to the ground pinning him.
"That Daimon is using Sailor Mars as a shield!" cried Sailor Venus. "That's playing dirty!"
"Hold on, you guys!" said Sailor Jupiter, as she prepared to unleash her thunder. "SUPREME-!
"No! Don't do it!" said Sailor Moon. "If you attack, you could hit Mars and Solaris! It's too risky!"
"But we can't just sit here and do nothing!" protested Sailor Jupiter.
Sailor Mars struggled as she tried to get free of her bindings, but as she did, she saw Solaris, who was also struggling against the Daimon's claw, as it pressed him harder into the ground, cutting off his air. Seeing this, she remembered back to what he said about protecting her and about her being his friend. She also thought about all of her friends and family. Those thoughts alone filled her with determination and strength as she gritted her teeth.
"That's right! I'm not a game piece for anyone to control! No one has the power to control me because I'm Rei Hino and Sailor Mars!" she thought. "And I will protect my family! My real family!"
Then, in response, her body began to glow red, which grew stronger by the second.
"I WON'T LET ANYONE HURT OR USE MY FAMILY!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.
Her body exploded with red light as she broke free from the Daimon's tail, causing it to stagger in surprise as it lifted its paw setting Solaris free. Not only that, but Solaris's armor turned red as he changed into his Mars Mode.
"That light!" gasped Sailor Jupiter. "Is that coming from Sailor Mars?"
"If it is, it can only mean one thing!" said Sailor Venus.
As Sailor Mars continued to glow, she heard a voice inside of her mind.
"Sailor Mars, because of your fierce determination and your loyalty to your friends and loved ones, you too have unlocked the next level of your powers. Say, Mars Planet Power, Make Up."
Sailor Mars with a burning fire in her heart held up her hand and shouted out her new phrase.
"MARS PLANET POWER MAKE UP!"
Transformation Seuence: Rei
The planet Mars appears, and Rei puts her hand up, her fingernails begin to sparkle in bright red, and her transformation wand comes to her hand spinning, now having a different design, as she takes hold of it. Her body becomes silhouetted in red as a giant pillar of fire erupts from her wand. While spinning around, the fire swirled around her body, concealing her in a cocoon and burst revealing several tongues of flame surrounding Rei's body. The flames disperse, revealing Rei in her red Sailor Uniform wearing red heels, a pair of earrings, a purple bow in front, a red ribbon in the back, gloves with red trims, and a red skirt, choker, and collar. Rei then turns around, and in the middle of her forehead, her symbol appears, and her tiara materializes. Her transformation now complete; she assumes her final pose, her symbol and planet appearing in the background against a starry sky.
"All right! Sailor Mars unlocked her Planet powers!" cheered Sailor Moon.
"Way to go!" cried Solaris with pride.
The Daimon growled and glared in anger as it opened its mouth, unleashing a blast of fire, but Sailor Mar dodged the incoming attack by jumping to the side. Then, flames surrounded her body while she made a sign with her hand while putting up two fingers. The flames disappeared into her fingers as she called out an attack.
"MARS SNAKE FIRE!"
She threw out her hand, and from it, a powerful torrent of flames burst forth, taking the shape of a snake. The attack wrapped around the Daimon, binding it tightly and exploded, making it howl in agony as the flames burned its body. Solaris rejoined using a fire-based attack of his own.
"FIRE SOUL!"
He released a powerful ball of fire from his fingers which hit the Daimon square at its back, making it roar with pain again, but it didn't go down.
"Geez! This one's tough!" said Solaris. "We're gonna need something stronger to take this thing down!"
"Then what do you say we take it up a notch?" said Sailor Mars. "Let's finish this together!"
Sailor Mars and Solaris then held hands, and they began to glow in bright red light, their energy and hearts becoming one as they shouted in unison.
"UNISON FUSION! PLANETARY ALIGNMENT!"
Transformation: Unknown.
Solaris and Sailor Mars stand back to back, holding hands as their bodies radiate with light Solaris gold and Sailor Mars being red. The two each hold up one of their hands, and their symbols appear above them, both of them overlapping one another. Then, the two let go, and they shoot into the air flying in a swirl, their bodies silhouetted with their respective colors. They fly closer together until they finally merge in a bright flash of gold and red. The silhouette of a girl in gradient colors of gold and red flies through their overlapping symbols and stands upon it. Boots and gloves materialize around the girl's feet, along with clothes and armor that was a mix of Solaris and Sailor Mars' outfits colored red and gold. The girl then opens her eyes and assumes a pose while Solaris and Mars' symbols appear in the background.
"All right! They fused!" Sailor Jupiter whooped excitedly.
The fusion stood bravely in front of the fox Daimon as it stared down at its new opponent.
"So this is what it's like to fuse," the fusion spoke in Rei's voice. "It feels weird, but I like it."
"Trust me; you'll get used to it after a while," Solaris spoke. "Now, let's take out this Daimon!"
The fusion then made several ofuda appear in her hands and threw them, making them scatter around the Daimon forming a circle. As the Daimon looked around confused, the fusion made several hand signs while chanting the signature rune chant.
"Rin! Pyo! To! Sha! Kai! Jin! Retsu! Zai! Zen!"
A magic circle instantly appeared underneath the Daimon, surprising it. As it tried to move away, it was stopped by a barrier created by the ofuda preventing it. Then, the fusion's body began to radiate with red and gold light as it held out its hands, shouting out the name of her signature move.
"SOLARIS MARS FIRE NOVA CIRCLE!"
The circle then exploded, engulfing the Daimon with powerful gold and red fire, incinerating it entirely, leaving only an unconscious Katsuki and the Daimon Egg, which came out from his body and disappeared in a puff of smoke. The others stared in awe at the raw power the fusion just displayed as she turned around and smiled at them.
After a while, Harusuke and Rei explained themselves to the others. At first, they were upset at the two for not telling them anything about what was happening, but then they calmed down and forgave them. Not long after, Rei went to see her father and gave him a stern talking to. She not only renounced her identity as his daughter but also told him to never force her to marry or threaten her friends again, or she would expose him for the cold-hearted man he was. This made him relent at once.
A few days had passed since then.
Rei and Harusuke were walking through the burial ground in the back of a church a bit far from Juuban. Rei held a bouquet of Casablanca lilies, as she and Harusuke searched around for a particular tombstone. Soon they stopped at a particular one that had these words engraved upon it.
Risa Hino
1963-1995
May your soul rest in peace.
"So, this is where your mother was buried?" asked Harusuke.
Rei answered with a nod as she walked towards the tombstone and kneeled before. "Hey, Mom. It's been a while, hasn't it? I'd say it's been a couple of years," she said to the tombstone. "A lot's happened since I last saw you, and... things have been getting a bit tough lately, but don't worry. I'm okay. I've made so many friends that are willing to help me getting through. One of them is right here. His name is Harusuke Tsukino, and I'm sure you'd love him. Also, I've been given an important task to protect this world from any evil, so... please watch over me along with my friends. I love you, and thank you for bringing me into this world."
Harusuke remained silent as Rei placed the bouquet in front of the tombstone. Then, he saw that Rei's shoulders began to tremble, and heard her hold back a sob. He reached a hand toward her, thinking that she needed comfort, but then Rei suddenly turned around and buried her face in Harusuke's chest while hugging him tightly, catching him by surprise.
"I'm sorry," Rei whispered. "But... I... I can't..."
Harusuke wrapped his arms around Rei in a hug. "It's okay. I got you," he said gently. "If you need to cry, I'm here for you."
Rei could only hug Harusuke tighter as she let out all of her pent-up emotions, continuing to cry and sob while Harusuke held her in comfort.