"Right down the middle! Whoa!" Jim jumped as high as he could and barely caught the ball. "That was the crappiest pitch I have ever seen in my entire life!"
Candra laughed. "Jim! I was the catcher, not the pitcher," she pointed out as she caught the ball. "You should know that you are not getting a strike!"
"You could have been a good pitcher if you had really tried; you can do everything."
Candra threw the ball back. "See, everyone thinks that. Then I start to believe it and that's when I get into trouble. You need no examples; you know what I'm talking about."
"Gomen ne, demo are you Serenity?" Candra turned around to find five little girls armed with pen and paper. And I thought I got away from them. sigh I can't go anywhere without my fans finding me. "I sure am. I'm guessing you would like an autograph?" she asked with a smile.
"Hai!" said the girls.
"Awww, come on, Candra!" whined Jim.
"Now, now! If it weren't for the fans, I wouldn't be here, as clique as that sounds. I'll do anything for them. . . .Just so long as they are in small groups like this. I can't stand big crowds," she told the girls as she started to sign her John Hancock. "I feel trapped and all that. I'm sure you all understand."
The girls just nodded and giggled. After she was done, they bowed. "Thank you," they said in English, although they had just had the entire conversation in Japanese.
Candra bowed right back. "No problem."
Jim ran up Candra and placed his hand on her shoulder. "We should really get going. We need to get cleaned up and meet Usagi and Mamoru in an hour and a half."
"I don't wanna go! I'm having fun here!" Candra crossed her arms and made a fake pouting face. "You can't make me."
Jim suddenly bent down, and before Candra was able to react, he scooped her up in his arms. "Yes, I can. Watch me." Candra started laughing as Jim carried her out of the park.
As the two headed home, Haruka and Michiru watched from behind a tree. "I think you're right. He has to be. After what she has been through, I'm sure she wouldn't let just any man pick her up like that."
"I wonder where they're going," Haruka said.
"There is only one way to find out," stated Michiru.

"Hey, Guy and Girly!" said Candra as she and Jim entered the arcade.
"Candra!" Usagi gave Candra a hug. "Time to teach you how to play the new Sailor V game!"
"I don't even know how to play the old one. Do you know if they are making a Sailor Moon game?"
"I don't know, but I wish they were!"
Jim leaned over to Mamoru. "Are they always like this?" he asked.
"Yeah, pretty much," answered Mamoru.
Sailor V destroyed two baddies in one shot. "Good shot!" Usagi yelled. She rapped her arms around Candra's waist. Candra pumped her fist up in the air. "Yeah!" The girls started cheering until the youma in the game attacked Sailor V. The two girls froze in position. "Eeeee?"
Sailor V did a funny little dance before dying. "Uh, I guess you're supposed to keep playing," said Candra.
"Sound's about right," said Usagi.
The four started laughing. Jim placed his hand on Candra's shoulder, then leaned over and whispered into Candra's ear, "Okay. Maybe you can't do everything."
"Gee, thanks, Handsome." Candra patted Jim's hand. She laughed again.
Haruka jabbed Michiru in the stomach. "I told you."
Michiru rubbed her stomach. "Ouch. That doesn't mean anything. Geez. Did you have to jab so hard?"
"You know just as well as I do that Candra is not very trusting of new people."
"Well, can you blame her, given her history? However, I still say that doesn't mean anything. She was seen by Minako AND Jim ring shopping yesterday with Mamoru."
"Come on, minna. Let's go and visit Naru-chan at her mama's store," they heard Usagi say. Haruka started to get up to follow them, but Michiru held her back. "We're not going to spend all day chasing Candra, are we? She'll be fine; she's with Usagi. Besides, you have that race to get ready for."
"Grrr. . . ." was all Haruka could think of as she knew her partner was right.

The store was packed. So packed, in fact, that the line that ended somewhere around the corner and it had a bouncer of sorts at the beginning of it. "Your party cannot enter until the same amount of people or more leave the store," she reminded the people at the front of the line.
"You don't understand; I'm the only one in my party! I know what I want and I'm already late!" cried out a desperate man a little farther back.
"What you don't understand is that the guy who just went in said the exact same thing. I can tell you right now that he couldn't even show me where the bathroom is." The bouncer then spotted Candra, Usagi, Jim, and Mamoru walking towards her. "Whoa, there! Back of the line."
"We are friends of Naru-chan," Usagi explained.
"Usagi-chan! Candra-chan!" Naru held open the exit door. "Come on!"
The bouncer smirked. "In all my years, that's the first time the 'I'm with the band' line was true," she said.
"But I didn't say, 'I'm with the band'," said Usagi.
Candra sighed. "Dear Lord Kami-sama! Just go in!" She pushed Usagi into the building. Complaints rose and the poor bouncer had to hold back the enraged crowd as they saw the group quickly entering through the other door.
"What is going on here?" Usagi asked Naru.
"Apparently Mama has a few bills to pay and business was slow, so she's having a sale so business will pick back up," Naru said.
"But if everything's on sale, won't she lose money?" asked Usagi.
"Whenever you buy something and then turn around and sell it like Naru-san's mother is doing, you 'mark-up' the price and sell it for more than what you paid for it. That way, you make a profit," explained Candra. "However, if you aren't selling anything, then you aren't making any money; in fact, you're losing money through payroll and utilities. Therefore, it's better to sell something at a reduced price and not make as much profit than to make no profit, loose money, go out of business, and still have all of your stuff. Sometimes, though, if an item has been in a store for, like, forever, then sometimes the price will get marked way down just to get rid of it, and then the store would lose money. I think, though, that 20 off the price won't kill Naru-san's mother's store."
Everyone stared at Candra with wide-opened eyes, even Naru, who knew she was right. "I plan on becoming an accountant when I grow up," Candra stated.
"Oh," said everyone.
Naru smiled. "Come on! Let me show you some of the new jewelry Mama got today . . .Oh wait. It looks like someone needs help. I'll be right back." Naru squeezed through the crowd. "Excuse me, sir? Do you need. . .?"
"Wow! Look at the line to the register," said Candra.
"I know. It's, like, a mile long," commented Jim.
"I'll be right back, " said Candra.
"Where are you going?" asked Mamoru.
"To see me if Ms. Osaka needs help," Candra answered matter-of-factly.
"You're gonna what?" asked Usagi.
"Hey, there's another register, up there." Before anyone could say anything else, Candra was swallowed up by the crowd. Pushing her way through, she made her way up to the counter. "Ms. Osaka?" she said.
"Uh? Oh, hello. If you need any help, I can call my daughter up. . ."
"Well, see, I'm a friend of your daughter's and I was wanting to know if you needed any help up here."
Naru's mother stopped what she was doing for a moment. "Well, yes I do. Arigato gozamsu."
"No problem." Candra stepped behind the counter. "Do you want me to ring over here or bag?"
"Gomen nasai?" asked Ms. Osaka.
"Do you want me to use the register or bag for you?" she asked again.
"Register, onegai. May I help you?"
"I can take whoever's next!" Candra called out. People started leaving the first line, fighting for a good spot in the second. "Uh, hello," said Candra, a little scared about the position she had just put herself into. "Did you find everything you needed?"
"There she is!" Usagi pointed at the counter as the three fought to stay together.
"This is nuts!" commented Mamoru. "We need to help. Excuse me, ladies? Do you need some help?" Mamoru rushed over to one of the glass cases to stop a fight involving two women and a necklace.
"We should help, too," commented Jim.
"I don't know anything about jewels. 'Cept mine," replied Usagi.
"You can bag, can't you?" Jim pointed to the counter; while things were a little smoother and faster, the two were still falling behind. Jim and Usagi pushed their way through the crowd and ran behind the counter. Jim started bagging for Candra and Usagi started bagging for Ms. Osaka.
Outside, a woman with purple hair to the ground and a VERY revealing outfit stared through the window. "Very soon, I will have you, Serenity," she said. Turning to leave, she noticed three teenaged boys staring at her. "What do you want?" she snapped.
"You," blurted out one.
"Shut up!" yelled the others.
Grinning evilly, Libertine raised her hand and blasted the boys back about five meters. "Don't even think about it," she ordered and walked away.
"She digs us," said the first. The other two sighed in reply.

"Well?" asked Grety.
"I am still trying to figure out how and where to execute the plan," replied Libertine.
"Then why did you return?" asked Grety.
"Because I am not sure if we are able to pull this off right now. Serenity is able to control the Senshi without saying a word." Libertine pulled out a remote control and pointed it to her left. She pushed the play button and a movie screen popped up, replaying some of the scenes from earlier in the store. "She was able to take control without even saying what she was going to do."
"I see. I still think you should follow through with the plan and see how far we can get. If anything, we may find some weaknesses."
Libertine hit the stop button and the screen disappeared. "Agreed. Who do you want me to start with?"
Grety smiled. "Simple. Start at the top and the rest will fall."

"Minako-chan! Wait up!"
Minako turned around and saw Mako running up to her, right arm waving in the air. "Hey, girl!" Minako smiled and waved back. Then her smiled dropped as she saw the look on Mako's face. "What's the matter?"
"I just saw Candra-chan with Jim-san and, well. . ."
"What? Did something happen to them?"
"Well, she and Jim are at Naru-chan's mother's store right now and they are looking at rings."
Minako crossed her arms. "So? He's allowed to buy his sister things now and then. I think it's a sweet gesture. More brothers should be like him."
This was not what Mako was expecting to hear. She didn't know that Candra and Jim were siblings. Her mouth dropped and her eyes grew. "Uh. . ."
"Mako-chan? Are okay? And what's with the purple streak in your hair?"
"Uh, nothing. I wanted to try something new. Anyway, uh, the ring is for Jim-san to give to Usagi-chan."
Minako raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Mako shrugged. "Apparently, Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san called it quits weeks ago, but didn't have guts to tell us. Then Jim-san started going out with her and Candra-chan and Mamoru-san are thinking of starting their own relationship. . ."
Minako's mouth dropped. "But he told me. . ."
"I know. You told me. I guess he changed his mind."
Minako's eyes filled with tears. "When I had met him, I thought I would never again have to put Usagi-chan above my love life. . .Excuse me. I have to think about this." She started to back away.
"Wait!" Mako took a step forward. "Do you want me to walk you home?"
"Iie! I'll be fine!" Minako finally turned around and ran home at full speed.
The front door burst open. Minako flew down the hallway.
"Minako! Your shoes!" yelled her mother. Minako slammed the door in response.
Minako fell on her bed and started to cry in to a pillow. I don't understand how Usagi-chan and Jim-chan could do this to me! And why didn't Candra-chan stop them?
"Minako-chan! Minako-chan! Hurry!" Luna's voice was coming out of Minako's wrist communicator. Minako opened it. "Hai?"
"Your eyes look blood shot; are you alright?"
Minako wiped her nose with a tissue. "I'm-fine-what-do-you-want?"
"Trouble at the Tokyo Tower! Mars is there alone!"
"Gotcha!" Minako grabbed her stick. "Venus Crystal Power! Make Up!"

"Mars Flame Sniper!" Mars fired two arrows at the Libertine. Libertine managed to dodge one, but the other hit the mark. "I see you have become stronger," Libertine commented. "You had to; where are your friends?"
"They will be here any minute now and then we're gonna kick you ass, just like we did the last time!"
Her opponent smirked. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but we have be fighting for fifteen minutes now and they are nowhere in sight."
"Tokyo's a big place; they'll be here!" They don't normally take this long though. . .
"Corruption Beam!"
"Fire Soul Bird!"
Libertine smirked. Mars's attack wasn't as powerful as it could have been. That meant she was getting to Mars. "Admit it, Mars! They don't care about you anymore!"
"Shut up! Mars Flame Sniper!" Mars prepared to fire again.
"You know I ain't lying, Mars!" taunted Libertine.
"I said, 'Shut up!'" Mars let go of the arrow.
Her target, though, disappeared. However, Mars did hear Libertine's voice say one last thing: "The fight is over and now the Calvary arrives." Mars turned around to see Moon and ChibiMoon running up to help. "What happened? What took you girls so long?"
"Gomen, Rei-chan," said Moon. "Demo, it took us forever to get here. . ."
Mars suddenly dehenshioned and glared at Sailor Moon. "Yeah. Whatever." Rei walked off in a huff.
Moon was baffled. "Rei-chan? Rei-chan! What happened?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Moon and ChibiMoon turned to see Venus with her arms crossed and leaning on her right foot. When Moon didn't respond quickly, Venus sighed, rolled her eyes, and walked away. Moon tried to talk to her, but Venus kept walking off. "I don't get it; ChibiUsa, what just happened?"
ChibiMoon just shrugged. "Beats me."

Ami stepped out of her apartment building and spotted Usagi and ChibiUsa. Before she could ask, Usagi asked, "Did I do something? Rei-chan and Minako-chan are mad at me and they won't tell me why."
"I haven't talked to them in a couple of days," Ami replied as she adjusted her glasses. "So, what did they say?"
"Well, Luna found ChibiUsa and me and told us that Mars was fighting another youma. So we went to go help. But it took us forever to get there; by the time we got there, the youma was gone. Then she looked at me and got mad that we were late and walked off."
"Then Minako-chan showed up after Rei-chan walked off, and she was mad, too," added ChibiUsa. "They never said why, though."
Ami pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Minako-chan tends to overreact. That's not like Rei-chan, though. Maybe I could call them up and try to find out."
"Just don't tell them I said anything. They may not tell you anything then," begged Usagi.
"Sure. Anything for you, Usagi-chan," assured Ami.
"Thank you!" Usagi rapped Ami in a great big bear hug. "Let me take you out for ice cream!"
"Okay."
ChibiUsa tugged at Usagi's jeans. "What about me?"
"You get your own. OWWWWWIE!!!" Usagi screamed. ChibiUsa laughed evilly as she removed her foot from Usagi's butt. She ran down the street, screaming, "Usagi-bakabutt!"
"You little. . .!" Usagi took off after her. Ami shook her head, signed, and chased after them.

"Usagi! The phone! It's Ami!"
"Okay, Mama!" Usagi picked up the phone in her room, then walked back to the door. "I got it!" She closed the door behind her. "So, what did they say?"
"Well, I couldn't get anything out of Rei-chan without being blunt. All she said was something that sounded like 'Lazy-baka', and then hung up. Then Minako-chan barely let me say 'Hello', before she hung up."
"Well, geez. That does not help me out at all." Usagi sighed. "Well, thanks, Ami-chan. Think I should just leave them alone for awhile?"
"Yea, I would. . .Listen, I hate to cut you off, but, I, uh, my mom forgot her lunch, so I'm going to take it to her. Then I have to, uh, do some shopping. Mako-chan and I are going out later. Do you want to join us?"
"Sure! No. . ."
"Usagi-chan!" Voices came from Usagi's watch.
"Hang on." Usagi picked up the watch. "Hotaru-chan?"
"Usagi-chan! Hurry to Toyko Tower! It's Libertine!"

Usagi and Ami turned the corner in time to see Saturn and Pluto hit the ground. Libertine laughed at the sight of the two tried to get in a few moments of rest before attacking again. "Where is your Sailor Moon now?"
Usagi and Ami looked at each other. "Do you think. . .?" started Usagi.
"We don't have time!" Ami pulled Usagi behind the fence. "Mercury Crystal Power! Make Up!"
"Moon Eternal! Make Up!"
Libertine put her hands up as far as they would go. Then she created a circle with her hands meeting at the bottom, palms facing up, formeding a black circle. She then brought her hands level to her chest, which filled the circle with the same black. . .stuff. Shoving the circle forward, she yelled, "Ring of Immorality!"
Saturn managed to get up and yell "Silent Wall!" in time to block the attack. The attack was powerful enough to send her back a few meters and left groves in the concrete as evidence.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Mercury attacked. "Mercury Agua Rhapsody!" Libertine saw the attack and the Senshi out of the corner of her eye and quickly disappeared. "I'll be back!" she yelled.
"Saturn! Pluto!" Moon and Mercury ran over to check on them. "Are you two okay?"
"Yes! But we need to check on Makoto," replied Pluto.
Sailor Venus, Mars, ChibiMoon, and Tuxedo Mask ran up just as Sailor Moon asked, "Why do we need to check on Mako-chan?"
Pluto and Saturn dehenshioned. "We thought we saw her and walked up to say 'Hello'. Suddenly, she turned around and a burst of energy hit us."
"It was Libertine in disguise!" added Hotaru.
"NANI?" everyone cried.

Mako's eyes fluttered open. Kami-sama, what happened? She grabbed her head. What is up with this migraine? And where did the sun come from? It's the middle of the night! She looked around the room and her jaw hit the floor. The place was in shambles; blinds torn, rugs shredded, chairs destroyed, and paper everywhere. "What happened?" she asked out loud.
She noticed her relfection the shattered mirror on the floor. "I'm transformed? What. . .?"
Someone started banging on the apartment door. "Mako-chan!" yelled Usagi from the other side.
Jupiter stood to answer, but became light-headed and ended back on the floor. "Do you still have my key, Usagi-chan?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. You're gonna have to use it."
Usagi opened the door and walked in with the girls, Haruka and Michiru included. Seeing their friend henshioned and her living room in a mess, they quickly huddled in and closed the door. "Mako-chan!" exclaimed a very surprised Minako.
"What happened here?" asked Michiru.
"I have no idea," said Jupiter, rubbing her head. "I just woke up."
"Do you think you can stand?" asked Usagi.
"I know I can't stand, but I think I can sit. Could some help me?" Haruka and Rei helped Jupiter into a sitting position. "The only thing I really remember is watching TV and noticing something out the window."
"Here. I'll turn your TV off." Hotaru reached for the remote, but ChibiUsa beat her to it. "Ha ha," ChibiUsa scoffed.
Hotaru pouted. "Aww, man."
ChibiUsa stuck her tongue out as she pushed the off button. Instead of being turned off, though, Libertine's face appeared. "Oh, geez," ChibiUsa mumbled.
Everyone turned to look at the screen. "Not again," commented Rei.
Libertine scoffed. "While you are worried about Princess Jupiter, what about Princess Moon?" Laughing, Libertine's imagine disappeared.
Everyone looked at each other. "Candra!"
Minako ran to the phone and quickly dialed Candra's number. "Candra-chan? Jim-chan! Where's Candra-chan?. . .You don't know? . . .Call her cell. We'll look for her. . .We know they're after her again. Call me when you get a hold of her. Tell her to go to the temple. Bye!"
"He doesn't know where she is?" asked Jupiter.
"He said she went for a walk. He doesn't know where to." Minako pulled out her pen. "Let's do it."
"Mercury Crystal Power Make Up!"
"Venus Crystal Power Make Up!"
"Earth Star Power Make Up!"
"Mars Crystal Power Make Up!"
"Saturn Crystal Power Make Up!"
"Uranus Crystal Power Make Up!"
"Neptune Crystal Power Make Up!"
"Pluto Crystal Power Make Up!"
"Moon Eternal! Make Up!"
"Moon Crisis! Make Up!"

"Thank you for your help, young lady." The old woman reached into her wallet. "Let me see what I can get you, Dearie."
"Oh, no." Candra shook her head. "You don't need to give me anything."
"Oh, but no good dead should go unrewarded," the woman commented.
"Then, please, give it to charity. Trust me; I have all I need." Candra bowed and walked off.
"Serenity! Serenity!" A group of little girls ran up to Candra. "Would you please sign this?"
"Sure thing." As she started signing, her cell phone rang. She signed the book, handed it back, and answered the phone. "Moshi Moshi," she said as she started to sign another book. "Jim! Hey there!. . .What? Wait, slow down." Candra handed the book back to the girl and told the others, "Hang on. Minako-chan said what?. . .Alright. I'm going right now!" She started to run off. "No! Stay there!" She turned around and told her fans, "Gomen ne!"
The girls started crying. "Lord Kami-sama! I feel so bad. . .No, not you. Jim!"
The girls' cries turned to screams. Candra turned around to see Libertine and another youma. The girls were tied together and Libertine had hold of the rope. "So, Princess, let's make a deal: You for these little girls."
"I want to go home!"
"I want my mommy!"
Candra stared in horror as she started to slowly drain the girls of their energy. "Princess!" Libertine cried out. "What will it be?"

Chapter Fifteen: Libertine's Final Stand! Candra's Many Men.