"Sukotto, are you sure you don't want to go to school?"
"I'm positive, mom," Sukotto said. After learning of his new situation, he felt numb, sometimes sick. After all, for a guy to learn that he's a sailor senshi who turns into a girl every transformation and would have to defend the world from evil is not something to adjust to quickly. He tried to go to school and tried to forget about it, but a Shetland sheepdog would occasionally appear to make sure he was okay. The dog was nice and all, but she always appeared shortly before a monster appeared. When a monster appeared, he had to transform and fight it. He was really bad at it, and the other sailor senshi had to bail him out. Even two weeks after the discovery, Sukotto was still convinced that it all was a bad nightmare.
He heard the door shut and lock as his mother left for work. No one was picky about him going to school or not, obviously. No one, that is, but a certain Shetland. About an hour after he was suppose to have been in school, Sukotto heard it. The dog was outside his window on the balcony. Then, the door opened and Sukotto jumped out of bed, staring at the dog in shock. "How the hell did you open that?" Sukotto asked as calmly as possible. "It was locked!"
"I have my ways," Morii said. "You should be in school, Suko-chan." Sukotto flinched at the nickname the dog had given him. He then sighed and shrugged.
"What's the point? I can't concentrate with all of these attacks."
"You need to be in school so you can respond to an attack," Morii said patiently. "The enemy is looking for the other keepers. You need to be there in case one of the keepers is found and attacked." Sukotto sighed. "At least go to Jazz club." Sukotto looked at Morii in surprise. "You need to keep up your normal routine so that you do not draw the enemy's attention. Besides, I have a hunch about one of the members."
"One of the members?" Sukotto climbed onto his bed. "Which one and why?"
"I think one of the members is either a part of the enemy or is a keeper," Morii explained, "and as for which one, I think it is a Miss Akikusano."
"What? Arissa? No way!" Sukotto said in disbelief.
"I want you to keep your eye on her," Morii said as she exited the room. "I'm expecting you to be at Jazz club, Sukotto." With that, Morii was gone. Sukotto sighed. Keeping an eye on Arissa would be easy. He watched her a lot when she wasn't looking. Something about her really made him melt, though he'd never admit it. Again, he sighed. He hoped Morii would be wrong.
"Himotono-san!" exclaimed Arissa as Sukotto walked into the Jazz room. She was waving as she ran over to him. "You weren't at school, are you okay?" she asked. Sukotto was speechless.
"Yeah, I was feeling sick to my stomach earlier," Sukotto said, trying not to blush. "You were... worried?"
"Yeah, it's unusual for you to be absent," Arissa said. She smiled and clapped him on his shoulder. "Oh well, you look fine now and that's what matters." Sukotto didn't get to say anything before the director called Arissa over. She smiled one more time and went over to the director.
A hour and a half later, Jazz was over. Their major project of the night was fitting in the solo Arissa was going to do in with one of their harder pieces. Arissa left as Sukotto did. Arissa went left and Sukotto started to go right before he was stopped. Morii came up on Sukotto's wrist communicator. "Follow her," Morii said. "Something's going to happen, I can feel it."
"Alright," Sukotto said wearily. Sukotto turned and started going in the same direction that Arissa was. He stayed so that Arissa was just in his line of sight. As they were passing the park, Morii came up on Sukotto's communicator again.
"Keep your eyes open!" she said with warning. She spoke too loud, however. Arissa stopped walking and began to turn around in search of the voice. Before Sukotto appeared in her line of sight, she suddenly rose into the air as what appeared to be huge vines grabbed her. She screamed, dropping her saxophone case and music folder. Sukotto dodged behind a bush as he watched Arissa kick and hit the vines. "Transform!" cried Morii over the communicator. Sukotto nodded.
Without hesitation, he shouted, "Mars Knight Transform!" His voice changed to that of a female as he said transform. After a moment of being surrounded in red fire, Sukotto jumped out of the bush, fully transformed into Sailor Keeper Mars. He then ran at the vine-entangled Arissa. She wasn't alone anymore, however. In the light of a street lamp, a lone figure stood near the origin of the vines, which appeared to be nothing more than a ball of green spaghetti. The figured was definitely a male dressed in a type of grey military uniform with green trim.
"So, are you a keeper?" the man asked.
Arissa looked down at the man in confusion and upset. "What the hell is a keeper?" Arissa shouted as she kicked at the vines. "Who the hell are you?"
"I was just about to ask the same thing," said Mars. She was now standing just a little away from the scene. The man glanced at Mars before doing a double-take. Mars pointed at the man and shouted, "As the keeper of the red planet of war, I, Sailor Keeper Mars, will punish you for attacking an innocent girl!"
The man just chuckled. "So, the keeper of Mars did wake up at the attack. I'm surprised; I didn't think Ahurodite was telling the truth."
"Who is Ahurodite and who the hell are you?"
Again, the man chuckled. "I am Zeusu, a general of the Black Sun Dynasty. Ahurodite is another general, but she is of no concern to you."
"The Black Sun Dynasty?" Mars said in question. "What the hell is that?"
"Sorry, but I'm in no mood for twenty questions," Zeusu said as he raised his hand. Without warning, thick vines wrapped themselves around Mars' wrists and ankles, pulling her hard against the bars of the fencing. Two more vines wrapped themselves around Mars, one around her neck and the other around her waist. "Now," said General Zeusu as he turned to look at Arissa. The vines lowered, bringing her to his height. "Let us see if you are a keeper."
"Not if I have anything to say about it!"yelled a voice. Accompanying the voice was a streak of lightning that struck the vines that held Arissa. She fell to the street and kicked herself away from the crumbling vines. Zeusu looked annoyed as he turned to face the origin of the voice and attack. On the opposite street was the senshi clad in green, Sailor Jupiter. "With the strength of nature and the courage of lightning, I am Sailor Jupiter! In the name of Jupiter, I'll punish you!"
Zeusu laughed. "One senshi, and now two," he said in an amused voice. "You senshi are really no threat. Why do you bother?"
"No threat?" Jupiter cried as she ran at Zeusu head on. Zeusu raised his hand and vines darted at Jupiter from every direction. She dodged them and drove a punch at Zeusu's mid-section. Before the punch connected, however, a vine appeared out of nowhere and whipped Jupiter's back, sending her flying into the iron fencing. She was then attached to the fencing in the same manner that Mars was.
"To take out two senshi in one mission would certainly secure a promotion," Zeusu said smugly. "Mistress would be most pleased"
"No you won't!" cried Arissa as she stabbed Zeusu in the back with a branch. Zeusu yelled in shock and glared at Arissa in time for her forehead to start glowing. His eyes widened as the glowing formed into the sign of Jupiter. He spun around as another glowing grew out of the corner of his eye. Sailor Jupiter was glowing as well; her entire body was glowing green. He turned back to Arissa just as a green light enveloped her, originating from the purple potpourri bulb that hung around her neck. Then it happened. Sailor Jupiter reverted back into Kino Makoto as Akikusano Arissa transformed.
Arissa screamed as lightning snaked around her body, turning her violet sweater and black jeans into a white body suit with a green skirt and short green boots. As the glowing ceased, Arissa looked down at her hands and her body. Around her waist was a silver chain with her potpourri bulb attached to it. She had white gloves that went to her elbows and had three green bands. She had a purple bow with a round green brooch that was attached to a green collar with two white stripes.
Arissa looked up as Zeusu shouted. "I knew it! You are a keeper! You're the keeper of Jupiter!" Arissa looked at him questioningly, but not for long before Zeusu launched a tangle of vines at her. Arissa crossed her arms, frightened. Then, a bright light flashed in front of her. She looked up to see a long black pole floating in front of her. It had a scythe at the end and nestled into the scythe was a purple orb not unlike Arissa's own potpourri bulb.
The vines that were heading for Arissa disintegrated as they were hit by the light. Hesitantly, Arissa reached out and grabbed the pole. Immediately, a sweet scent arose from the now-glowing purple bulb. As the scent surrounded her, Arissa knew what to do. "Do you think you can just show up and start bullying people?" Arissa asked as she pointed the scythe end of the rod at Zeusu. "Not on my watch!" Arissa began to twirl the staff in her hands as lightning sparked all around her body, gathering itself into the staff. "Jupiter Thunder Cyclone!" Arissa cried. What appeared to be a tornado of lightning emerged from the twirling staff and shot itself at Zeusu, who was struck as he turned to disappear. When the attack disappeared, Zeusu stood wearily. His uniform was torn and he was bleeding.
"This isn't the end!" he shouted as he disappeared. The vines all disappeared, as well, letting Sailor Mars and Makoto drop. Both jumped to their feet and ran over to Arissa, who was on her knees and panting.
"Are you all right?" Makoto asked. Arissa nodded and looked up.
"What's happened to me?" Arissa asked.
Makoto looked at Sailor Mars, who looked down at Arissa as Morii appeared. "I'll take things from here," Morii said, much to Arissa's shock. "Mars, you should go home. Makoto, please stay." Both nodded and Mars turned and left.
Later that night, Sukotto sat on his balcony, keeping an eye open for Morii. "Waiting for me?" asked Morii as she jumped up to and over the balcony rail.
"Yeah, you could say that," Sukotto said. "How is Arissa"
"She is okay," Morii said. "She took to the change much better than you, though she is a little discontent about being in a skirt"
Sukotto chuckled. "Yeah, she hate dresses and such. I've never seen her in one before tonight. You... didn't tell her who I was, right"
"You mean under the uniform?" Sukotto nodded. "No, I didn't," Morii said. "I figured that was your job." Sukotto sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness, I don't want her to know unless she has to,"Sukotto said as he stood up, leaning over the railing.
"Why not?" Morii asked, looking up at him.
"Well, it's embarrassing," Sukotto whined. "I mean, it's embarrassing for me as a guy to be transforming into a girl. It's not exactly something a guy would want to tell their crush." Morii's eyes widened as Sukotto clapped his hand over his mouth. His face flushed with embarrassment.
"I understand," said Morii sympathetically. "I won't tell Arissa that you are Sailor Keeper Mars. However, you two still need to work as a team in your search for the other two keepers. You two will also have to cooperate with Sailors Mercury and Venus"
Sukotto nodded. "Now, I must return home," Morii said, "and you have to go to bed. You have school tomorrow." Sukotto groaned and Morii looked at him sternly. Morii jumped over the rail and landed on the ground below. She began to walk away, but stopped and looked up at Sukotto. "Oh, and one more thing," she said. "It you see a black, long-haired cat following you, please don't panic. He is another guardian by the name of Jakku." Sukotto nodded and Morii continued on her way.
"What next?" sighed Sukotto.