"Come one, Jiro-kun! We need a fifth man!"
Jiro dashed down the steps of his school building. "Gomen ne, minna! I need to get home!" Jiro continued to run down the sidewalk towards the gate, then came to a halt when he recognized the person who stepped into his path. "Hana-chan? Uh, -san? –Kun? Uh. . .?"
With tears in her eyes, Hana ran up to him and wrapped him in a big hug. "I love you, too. Jiro-chan."
Jiro returned the hug. "Hana-chan."
Mamoru leaned against his car with a smile on his face. After a few moments, he said, "Okay, you two lovebirds. We have work to do."
As Hana got into the car, Jiro pulled Mamoru aside. "Mamoru-kun, are you okay with this? You are her older brother, or at least you were. I want to make sure we have your blessing."
Mamoru placed his hand on Jiro's shoulder. "You two don't need my blessing, but if you really want it, you have it. Just make sure she's happy."

Sailor Earth turned to face the others. "You boys ready?"
Endymion, Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, Jadeite, and Elden all nodded. "Whenever you are," replied Elden.
Human Osiris took hold of Earth's wrist and placed a watch on it. "The reason the girls have not been able to get out is because Ra has been able to suppress their powers. This watch will prevent the same from happening to you."
Earth gave Osiris a grateful smile. "You know what? I thought you were a jerk the first time I saw you. But you really aren't that bad."
"Thank you. I really do appreciate you saying that." She became a cat again and leapt into Earth's arms. "Everyone has to be either touching Sailor Earth or someone who is." Once everyone was in position, Osiris started to glow and they slowly disappeared.
A tear rolled down Ken's face as he, Luna, Artemis, and Diana looked on. Hana's last words echoed through his head. "It's okay to be scared. I'm scared, too. But I have to do this. I love you, Ken-chan, and I will be back as soon as possible."
I love you, too, Hana-chan. Good luck.

"Jiro! Your father and I have some great news!" Mrs. Kiyoshi chirped through the door.
"Work is letting us stay here! Permanently! No more moving!. . . Jiro?" Mr. Kiyoshi gave his wife a concerned look, then opened the door and found Jiro's window open. On the monitor of Jiro's computer was a white post-it note. I'll be back soon. Right now, Hana and I have to take care of a few things. Love you both, Jiro.

The group of eight reformed in the room where the Sailor Senshi had once been held. However, as they looked around, each of the cells was now empty without even so much as a trace that anyone had ever been there. "Um, Osiris? I thought you said this is where they'd be," said Earth.
Osiris shock her head in disbelief. "I don't understand. The last time I in was here. . ." Osiris gasped. "Oh, no."
"Oh no what?" asked Zoisite.
"Where are they?" demanded Endymion.
"This way!" Osiris leapt from Earth's arms, became human and led them out of the room. "Why didn't I think about this before?"
"About what?" asked Earth with concern.
"Now that we have what she most desires, Ra will now take the people that we most desire," Osiris explained.
"Usako!" gasped Endymion.
"Alright, Gang! Let's kick this into gear!" ordered Earth. She quickly caught up with Osiris. "So? What's the plan?"
Osiris smirked. "Don't get killed. What was your plan?"
Earth smirked back. "I was thinking that we saved the other Senshi. But I'm sure I can add that in. You ready?"
"Of course, I've got you, don't I?"
Earth rolled her eyes. "Stop cheesing it up, Bubby. We have a world to save!"

Luna and Artemis tried their best to keep Ken occupied while Hana and Mamoru were away. They were failing miserably. Ken continued to play with his food. The television had his favorite show on, but he wasn't watching it. Finally, a worried Luna leapt onto the table. "Ken-san, please. You must eat."
"Luna-chan, I just can't eat until Hana-chan gets back," Ken told her. "We always have dinner together. This is too weird."
"But it's mashed potatoes and sushi," said Diana. "You said that it was your favorite."
"It is.. . .I don't want to sound mean, but it's just not the same without her." Ken put down the fork, pushed back his chair, and left the table. "Gomen ne, Luna-chan and Artemis-chan," he said as he closed himself in Mamoru's room. Ken shuffled over and kneeled by Mamoru's bed and folded his hands together. "Please come home soon, Hana-chan," he whispered.

Ra had taken the girls to her Death Chamber to, well, kill them. What else would a Death Chamber be for? Anyway, today's method was by hanging. After tying their hands behind their backs, Ra picked Ami to be the first to die.
Ami struggled to breathe as the noose was tightened around her neck. "I will kill all of you, one-by-one!" Ra screamed. She pointed down at Usagi. "And you, Princess, will be last!"
"Don't I get any last words or a request or something?" pleaded Ami.
Ra leaned so close that Ami could smell her dinner. "Gomen. I'm just not that nice of a person." She grabbed the nearby lever and pushed it forward. Ami screamed as the floor gave way.
"Ami-chan!" screamed Usagi.
Suddenly, a figure leapt from the shadows and used the blade of his sword to cut the rope, saving Ami. The figure then whisked Ami over to the other girls. "Are all of you alright?" he asked as he began to untie her.
The light from the Silver Crystal suddenly filled the room, giving Ami a better view of her hero's face. "Jadeite?" she gasped.
"He'll explain later." Earth and her team stepped in front of them. "Jadeite. I need you to untie them. Zoisite, you help. The rest of you are with me." Earth then turned her sights on Ra. "Ra, we are taking you down!"
The fire in Ra's piercing red eyes flared up. "Try me, Sailor Earth!" she taunted.
Kunzite, Nephrite, Endymion, and Elden prepared to fight while Earth threw her hand in the air, prepared to strike the first blow. "Bolder Dash!"
To everyone's surprise, nothing happened. "Uh, Sailor Earth? What's going on?" asked Kunzite.
"When I attack, I use the Earth herself," Earth answered. "But I thought by now that I was powerful enough to form these things on my own."
Ra pulled out her sword. "Guess you were wrong!"
"I thought you would have tested that out first!" Osiris cried out.
"Well, I apparently overestimated my abilities," Earth responded.
"Move out!" commanded Kunzite. He, Nephrite, and Elden charged forward. Endymion started to as well, but Earth pulled him back. "No way, Private. You are staying back here."
Endymion was flabbergasted. "Private?! What are you talking about? I was the Crown Prince!"
"That is true, but when it comes to battle, I'm in charge. I was the head of the Royal Army. You only completed basic training," Earth informed him. "You were the Prince; you had better things to do."
"Solar Flare!" Nephrite and Kunzite were hit by Ra's attack and knocked to the ground. Elden came to their aid. Ra attacked him as well. Elden dodged the first blast but was hit with the second Elden struggled to stand again, but Ra attacked with another Solar Flare. This time, he was knocked unconscious.
"Noooooo!" yelled Earth. The sight of her beloved being attacked caused her to flashback to that last day on the Moon. Anger flowed through her body. Earth realized that she was once again losing control of herself. Hana! Get it together! You can't lose to your emotions!
Hana. . .
Hana looked up and found herself surrounded by pure white light. "Let me guess; I'm having another one of those meetings with someone from my past? Isn't this cutting it a bit close?"
"Actually, I've been here the whole time." Hana turned to see Princess Terra. "I guess we just kept ourselves separate."
Hana raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Uh, come again?"
Terra giggled. "See, I'm like Sailor Earth in the fact that I am not you until you accept me. Your body just wouldn't be able to handle it. I will admit, though, that I have intervened when I felt it was necessary."
"Like when Ken was hurt. . ." Hana remembered.
". . .and when Elden was hurt." Terra tucked some loose strans of her golden hair behind her ear. "I knew that you alone could not control it. It takes the both of us to control the Golden Crystal."
Hana raised an eyebrow. "But if we are all the same person. . ."
Terra took Hana's hands and cupped them in her own. "We must still work together. If the mind, body, and spirit of a person are not in sync with each other, the person can do nothing. At least, nothing of importance."
Hana took a deep breath. "Alright. Let's do this."
Back in the Death Chamber, Sailor Earth became Princess Terra with a flash of light. Her body started to be covered in her golden glow. "Endymion, I would step back if I were you."
Not sure why, but knowing he shouldn't argue, Endymion obliged.
"Ra, I will not give you a choice," Terra stated to a more mature tone of voice. "This ends now."
There was a rumble that was felt through out the spaceship. "Great use of special effects, Sailor Earth!" yelled Ra. "When where you actually going to do something?"
"Are you really that anxious to lose, Ra?" yelled Terra.
"No! I'm really that anxious to win!" Ra prepaired her attack when, suddenly, the shaking stopped. "Giving up, huh?"
"Nope. Just getting a little Villian-sick," answered Terra. Six columns of mud quickly materialized around Terra, who was strong enough to not have to rely on the Earth to attack.
Ra gasped as she realized what this meant and powered up to defend herself. "Bring it on, Princess!"
Terra pointed at Ra. "Gaea's Fury!"
"Solar Flare!"
Nephrite and Kunzite stood as a calm Terra fought a desperate Ra. "I cannot believe how quickly she has been able to increase her powers," said Kunzite.
"That's what happens when you fight alone," confirmed Michiru. "You have to become stronger because you have no one else to rely on. It's necessary for survival."
"At least I knew you all were out there," said Minako. "I would have been scared to death to have no one to turn to."
Usagi noticed that Ra was starting over power Terra. "Come on, Sailor Earth! You can do it!"
The rest of the girls joined in. "Beat the shit out of her!" yelled Makoto.
"You got her!" yelled Rei.
Kunzite looked at his men. "Guardians, we must protect our princess!" They gathered behind her. "Gem Sparkle Attack!" they yelled together. The Attack combined with Terra's power and. . .

Chapter 10