Chapter 16:

A Date Gone Wrong

"Don't worry, Reiko. He really cares for you, so just relax," Emochan said to a very nervous Reiko. "Just make sure not to push him too hard."

"R-right…" Reiko bit her lip as she examined herself in her mirror. Emochan sighed. Toshira's motorcycle roared from outside and Sakura ran upstairs to Emochan's room, beaming with excitement.

"They're here!" She exclaimed. Reiko took a deep breath. Emochan smiled at her friend and followed her downstairs. Toshiro walked into her house in a pair of casual black slacks and a white tshirt.

"Cleans up nicely, doesn't he?" Toshira teased from behind him. Toshiro growled. Emo watched as Reiko smiled.

"Yes, he does!" Sakura cried.

"Ready?" Toshiro gulped nervously. Reiko nodded.

"Try not to crash my bike, okay?" Toshira said. Toshiro shot him an angry look as the couple walked outside. Snow was falling slightly, but it wasn't very cold out. As Toshiro and Reiko drove off to their dinner-date, Emochan sighed and leaned against her door.

"I hope they have a good time," she said.

"Are you alright, Emochan?" Sakura asked. Emochan was about to nod, when she felt a sharp pain in her head. She yelped and pressed against her temples. Toshira grabbed her shoulders and held her tightly.

"What is it? Emochan?!" he cried.

"Oh no…" Emo gasped as a horrific image filled her head. She could see Reiko and Toshiro lying against the freshly-fallen snow; their blood tainting the soft white around them. Daishi and Tomaru were laughing hysterically beside them. "No!"

"What is it?" Toshira asked. Emochan covered her eyes.

"I won't believe it!" She screamed, running off into the distance. Green and blue ribbons floated in the snowy air as her clothes melted away, being replaced by her senshi fuku. The others followed her and did the same.

"What is going on?!" Dragon Mist cried from behind.

"They are going after them!!" Sailor Earth cried as she ran to the restaurant.

"They?" Sailor Astinia yelped.

Sailor Earth spotted Toshiro and Reiko outside on a bench talking. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a ball of red energy fly towards them. "EARTH PEACE GLAIVE SLICE!!!!" Sailor Earth cried as her glaive appeared at her side. A wave of energy flashed from the weapon's blade, heading towards the red energy and deflecting it away from the couple. It crashed into a tree a few yards away. Reiko and Toshiro fell down from the blast and saw the others running towards them.

"Henshin!!" Sailor Earth cried out to Reiko. With a frown, she stood up and nodded.

"ESTINEON POWER MAKE UP!" She cried and transformed as Toshiro stood up with an angry growl emitting from his throat.

"What the hell is going on?!" He exclaimed. Sailor Earth ran up to his side as Sailor Astinia and Dragon Might caught up to them.

"Daichi-san and Toma-san--" She whispered and the two appeared before the group. Daichi smiled wickedly and looked over at Toshiro and Sailor Estineon.

"Aw, how sweet. Too bad we had to crash your little date," he said in a sarcastic tone. Toma snickered in delight and looked at Sailor Earth.

"Well well. Look who's here, Dai-chan. It seems our plan was foiled by your sister and her friends…" he said. Daichi slowly approached Sailor Earth, his eyes burning into her's.

"Did you like your new pendent, Sister?" His voice sent chills down her spine.

"You…did that…?" Sailor Earth gasped.

"I was merely testing out my new powers," he explained, coming ever closer to her. "I'll have to show them to you personally sometime." Sailor Earth started to back up and the others watched them cautiously. Toshira was wavering in his stance, but Toshiro held out a hand in front of him to stop him.

"Queen Morgana is not very pleased with you, Toshiro," Tomaru said, adjusting his shirt slightly. Toshiro glared at him.

"Why should I care?" He retorted, keeping a watchful eye on them. Toma smiled.

"Because since you have betrayed our queen, you will have to be…terminated…" Daichi said. "Then Morgana won't have to worry about your treachery anymore, and we can all of the glory you threw away."

"What has happened to you, Daichi?" Sailor Earth whimpered, her eyes feeling watery. How could she do this to you?

"I'm only now waking up to my true potential, Sister. I proudly follow my queen's orders, and right now they are to eradicate any trace of your filthy existence," he said and Sailor Earth gasped.

"We don't want to fight you. Please come back with us!" Sailor Astinia cried. Toma pointed at her with a snickering grin. A thin beam of energy sprouted from his finger and lunged at the senshi, wrapping itself around her mouth. It formed a solid bar around her mouth and paralyzed her.

"Astinia!" Estineon cried and ran to her sister, trying to get the bar off. Toma glanced over at the others.

"Anyone else wish to speak?" He asked.

"Stop this!" Sailor Gakusai's voice rang from above. Behind Toshiro and Estineon, she appeared with her whip at her side. Moonlight Knight ran from behind a nearby building, unsheathing his sword.

"Sailor Gakusai, Moonlight Knight!" Sailor Earth cried in relief. Daichi grinned and opened his hand. A small orb appeared in the palm and it began to shine.

"Look, Sister. Look into the orb and join me. I wish not to kill you for we are blood-relations. If you join with Toma-chan and I, we can recreate a better world…a world with no pain or sadness, only the happiness of following Queen Morgana. Doesn't that sound like what we've always wanted?" he said. Sailor Earth looked into the orb and saw her image within the energy. She was laughing with Daichi and Tomaru like nothing bad had happened, while the land around them shimmered in gold and velvet. Her eyes dilated as she fell into the trance Daishi created. Her glaive fell hard into the snow as her arms became limp at her sides. "Yes…we can all be happy…just come with me, Sister." Daichi said and smiled as she began to approach him, reaching out for the orb.

Suddenly, Sailor Earth felt a push from behind and felt the cold snowy ground hit her right side. She looked up and saw Toshiro slash his sword at the orb. It fell into the snow and smashed. Black energy flew out of it and Daichi growled in anger. Dragon Mist ran to Toma and swung his sword at him as Moonlight Knight did the same towards Tomaru. Gakusai used her symphonic force against Daichi and he blew it away with his magic. Tomaru snapped his fingers and flames engulfed the two blades swinging at him, making Dragon Mist and Moonlight Knight drop them. Toshiro tried to fight him in their stead but he took hold of Daichi and they vanished. "We will be back…and this time you WILL die, Sister!" Daichi's voice rang out into the night's wind. The bar around Astinia's face disappeared and she gasped for air. Dragon Mist ran to Sailor Earth's side, wrapping his strong arms around her body and pulling her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Sailor Earth nodded as her gloved hand touched her head for a moment.

"I…I can't believe that this is happening…they are following Morgana…they aren't Daichi and Toma…they can't be!" She cried. Gakusai and Estineon watched along with Astinia and Toshiro as Sailor Earth screamed into Dragon Mist's chest in defeat.

"Come on…we better go…" Dragon Mist said. Sailor Earth looked over at Estineon and Toshiro and frowned.

"I am sorry that they ruined your date," she said and de-henshined with Dragon Mist and the others. Reiko sighed.

"Me too…" she said softly.

"Well it's still early yet! Why don't you guys go try and enjoy the rest of your evening. Don't let what happened stop you," Toshira said cheerfully. Toshiro gazed at him, then to Reiko.

"I guess you're right. I wouldn't want to give Morgana the satisfaction," he said. Reiko smiled slightly.

"If you need help, we'll be nearby, okay?" Sakura said. The couple nodded as everyone else began to leave them to their evening.

When they were far enough from the couple, Emochan slammed her hand into a tree trunk. Snow plummeted from the branches onto the ground around her. She winced from the snow falling, but didn't feel any pain.

"This is war, you guys. No more nice stuff. If they want to fight, we will fight," she said in a devilish tone. Toshira placed his hands on her shoulders and she slapped them away abruptly.

"Emochan!" Sakura gasped. Mai looked at her and frowned. Homoto looked at Emochan and then to Toshira.

"We need to think of something…" he said. Emochan looked at them, her face red with anger.

"If I have to, I will rip them apart with my bear hands! I will not let them disrupt my life anymore! I will get Daichi back one way or the other!" Emochan growled. After a moment of silence from the others, she looked at Toshira and frowned. "I'm sorry…I am just so upset about all this…I don't think I can take much more…" she sighed. Toshira wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't worry. We will settle this," he said. Sakura nodded.

"We won't let you down, Princess," Mai replied.

"Let's go home," Toshira said. He took Emochan's hand and led her back to her place.

Daichi….Tomaru…I won't let you hurt anyone. If I have to kill you, I will, Emochan thought to herself as they walked. I will enjoy beating you, Morgana.