"We don't know what happened exactly," a doctor told Mr. And Mrs. Kaikouno. Their daughter, Kaikouno Kendora, had collapsed in the middle of her 200 meter sprint at a track meet. "We believe it was severe exhaustion," the doctor continued. "Her body is completely exhausted." Mr. Kaikouno nodded as Mrs. Kaikouno held her head. Kendora had never collapsed before. Even Keitii had never collapsed, and she was more active than her older sister! "We'll let you know when she wakes up," the doctor said reassuringly. "For now, she just needs rest."
Both parents nodded and left to go home. Inside her room, Kendora slept peacefully, unaware of the changes within her.
"Her soul was lost," Arissa repeated as she sat in her room. Her guardian and pet cat, Jakku, sat nearby, looking on sadly.
"It wasn't your fault, Arissa," Jakku said, staring at her with his one yellow eye and one orange eye. "No one could have known that Ahurodite was going for Minako."
Arissa sighed. She had heard this several times, from Morii to Sailor Mars to the original senshi. "We'll be contacting the outer senshi to aid you," Ami had said. Arissa had asked why Ami couldn't help, but Jakku reminded her that it was time to be going home. The original senshi were going to take care of Minako's body and were going to say that Minako was staying with Rei for a while.
"Jakku, what exactly is the Black Sun Dynasty?" Arissa asked. "Have you found out yet?"
"Actually, Morii has found out," Jakku said. "The Black Sun Dynasty use to be a small division of the Dark Kingdom. The Dark Kingdom was ruled by Queen Beryl. The original five senshi fought against her in the beginning. It seems that the Black Sun Dynasty survived the Dark Kingdom's destruction and spent a few years regrouping."
Arissa sighed as she crawled into bed. Jakku jumped up and lay on her second pillow. "If the original five fought against the Dark Kingdom, do you think they have anything that they could tell us that would help?" Arissa asked as she yawned and raked her fingers lightly through Jakku's long fur.
"Perhaps," Jakku said. "We'll have to see later."
"How could her powers not be with her soul?" General Zeusu asked. Ahurodite had discovered that while Sailor Venus' soul was in her possession, the powers of Venus were not.
General Ha-desu stepped forward. "With the keepers awakening," she said, "It is no surprise to me that Venus' powers are not here. They most likely went to the Keeper of Venus." Instantly, Ahurodite's hand was grasping a large section of Ha-desu's long black hair. Ahurodite's other hand grabbed Ha-desu's grey black-trimmed uniform. With two firm grips of Ha-desu, Ahurodite slammed her against the stone wall.
"If you figured that, why didn't you tell me!" Ahurodite shrieked. Ahurodite was suddenly lifted into the air and thrown to the opposite wall. Her shoulder-length orange hair cascaded into her face as Zeusu helped Ha-desu up.
"Do not blame Ha-desu for your actions," Zeusu said, sweeping back his short dirt-brown hair. "You were the one who decided to take Venus' soul without thinking, therefore you should take the responsibility in tracking down the keeper of Venus." Ha-desu and Zeusu smirked at Ahurodite's glare as they turned and walked away.
"I'll find that keeper all right," Ahurodite growled. "She may have the powers, but I doubt she's awakened right away. I'll get her, then I'll show them."
"Patience, dear Ahurodite," said a voice. A short male general who looked like a mere boy stepped from the stone doorway behind Ahurodite. He wore a grey uniform like the generals, but his was trimmed in red. "Everything comes in good time."
"As if you have any room to talk, Ashi," Ahurodite said, standing up. "You are a mere boy. You were too impatient to grow up and to be important, so you jumped right into the Black Sun Dynasty."
Ashi laughed. "So?" Ashi said. "My reason may be pathetic, but it isn't as pathetic as your reason."
"How do you know what my reason was?" Ahurodite said, annoyed.
"Mistress told me," Ashi said. "She said that you stumbled onto the seal and awoke mistress, and you begged to join because you had nothing better in life." Ahurodite spun around and stared evilly at the little boy before stalking past him. The little boy just laughed.
"It's been two days doctor," Mrs. Kaikouno said pleadingly. "Why has she not woken up?"
The doctor sighed and looked into Mrs. Kaikouno's eyes. "We do not know," the doctor said bluntly. "Your daughter's condition is curious, but she appears to be in no immediate harm. Please, stop asking. When something comes up, I'll let you know." Mrs. Kaikouno's second child, Keitii, began pulling her away. Mrs. Kaikouno bawled as they left the hospital.
"Thank you for your help, Hezaa-chan!" the attendant called out as Hezaa left the shelter. She managed to live a normal life, despite the discovery of her being a senshi. Content with her evening at the shelter, Hezaa practically skipped home to her grandparents. Soon, she passed the Hikawa Temple. It was always dark when she passed it. It really scared her to go near it. On this particular night, screams erupted from the top of the stairs leading to the temple. For a moment, Hezaa tuned her telepathic ability to see what was going on. She gasped as she saw what was happening and as she saw what she was going to have to do.
"So far, she hasn't changed," Ami said to Arissa. Ami's mini-computer beeped occasionally to indicate a reading had been taken of the soulless-yet-still-living Aino Minako. The readings, however, never changed. She was a living corpse.
"Arissa-chan," Morii said. "Perhaps you should just stay with Jakku. If something happens, I will let you know."Arissa sighed. She didn't want to do that. She wanted every bit of information she could get so she could try and save Minako's soul. "Arissa," Morii repeated, "Go home and get some sleep." Defeated, Arissa stood and headed for the door. As she stepped out, a beam of light hit her side and sent her flying into the woods. The occupants of the room sprang to their feet. The girls ran to the door.
"A monster!" Rei screamed as she ducked. A beam of light went over her head and drove a hole into the back wall of her room. Morii pulled out her communicator and contacted Sukotto, who departed from his home immediately for the temple.
The other girls dodged attacks that came out of nowhere. From her hiding place behind the temple, Arissa circled her hands around her potpourri bulb. "Jupiter Keeper Power, Make-Up!" she shouted. Lightning began to creep out of the potpourri bulb, snaking around her body. Arissa did her best not to scream, but she still was not use to the sensation of lighting crawling all over her body. She screamed, but only for a moment before the Mokusei Hiraishin (Jupiter lightning rod) appeared. She grasped the handle as screams from the other girls arose. Jupiter darted around the house in time to see four girls and one dog trapped in rings of light. Floating in the air was Minako's limp body, suspended by two ropes of light. Floating in front of Minako was General Ahurodite.
"Where are your damn powers!" Ahurodite screamed as she shook Minako's body.
"Stop what you're doing!" Jupiter cried. Ahurodite looked down at her. "As the keeper of the planet of courage and strength, I, Sailor Keeper Jupiter, will punish you for your wrongdoings!"
Ahurodite looked down, amused. "What do you think you can do to me, four-eyes?" Ahurodite said. Jupiter winced. She was the first senshi to continue wearing her glasses after transforming, and it was more embarrassing than being in a skirt.
Before Jupiter could respond, two beams of light shot out from opposite directions at her. She jumped, only to be snagged by three beams of light in the air. She grunted as she struggled; it was no good. "Come forth, my lovely monster," Ahurodite said. A large monster appeared out of the nearby brush. Jupiter gasped, recognizing it. It was the vine monster that had attacked Arissa the night she became a keeper. " I'm borrowing this creature from General Zeusu," Ahurodite explained. "Feed off of this empty shell, my new pet. Then, kill these girls and the senshi." The monster complied, taking Minako's body into it's mess of thorning vines. Ahurodite disappeared with a snap.
When the last of Minako's golden hair disappeared into the vine mess, the monster leapt forward at the grounded girls. Jupiter kicked helplessly above them, unable to break free from her bindings. Before the monster had a chance to wrap a single vine around any of the four girls, a voice rang out sharp and clear through the night. "Mars Fire Strike!" A single shot of fire struck the monster's outreached vines, burning them instantly. Sailor Keeper Mars came to a halt at the scene. Panting, Mars cried out, "How dare you attack innocent schoolgirls! I, Sailor Keeper Mars, will deliver your end!" With that, Mars cried out, "Mars Flaming Euphony!" A roaring fire erupted in front of Sailor Mars, but it didn't last long. The fire got stamped out by the vine monster. Mars gulped as vines were wrapped tightly around her entire body. Mars was lifted into the air and was about to be swallowed by the vines when a heavy branch came crashing down on the monster. The monster didn't drop Mars, but it stopped to get rid of the limb. When it shrugged it off, it looked for the reason, and found it in the form of a teenage girl in a hot pink jumper with light blue leggings.
"What do I do?" Hezaa said in a panic. She had marched half-way up the steps before coming to a halt. "If I went up there, would I be able to help? Am I strong enough?" She looked up into the darkness of the steps that she had yet to traverse. "That girl who transformed into Sailor Jupiter," Hezaa said. "She was a normal girl, just like me." Hezaa looked down as she clenched her fists. "I have to help them!"
Jupiter and Mars looked on in shock. Ami shouted, "Hezaa, you have to help us!"
"I will!" Hezaa shouted back. To Jupiter and Mars' astonishment, the girl named Hezaa placed a hand behind her left ear and shouted, "Mercury Keeper Power, Make-Up!" Ice began to encase Hezaa's small frame, originating from her top left earring, shooting to her feet, and going from toe to head. When her head was covered, the ice began glowing and then it shattered. Standing where the girl had been standing was Sailor Keeper Mercury.
Mercury lifted up her hands. "Mercury Snow and Ice!" she cried. A blizzard manifested itself in the vicinity of the temple grounds. The confined girls started to shiver. Jupiter shivered too, but Mars shrugged it off as the vines that held her began to freeze over. With one jolt of her body, Mars broke the frozen vines and landed. She kicked the half-frozen bundle of vines aside.
Mars then looked over at Mercury. "Do you have a more effective attack than that?" Mars shouted over the whistling of the icy wind.
"I don't know!" Mercury shouted. "I think I do!" Without prompting, Mercury shouted, "Mercury Hail Storm!" The blizzard began to collect, swirling around her before launching in the direction that Mercury was pointing her hand. The icy shards flew at the monster. It froze quickly before breaking into shattered pieces, leaving Minako's body on the ground. Mercury looked up and sent the ice shards at Jupiter, who panicked. The ice shard somehow froze the rings of light that held her. The rings broke and Jupiter landed. Mercury did the same to the rings that held the teenage girls and Morii.
Mars gathered up Minako's body and carried it to the girls. Makoto took it and returned it to Rei's bed inside. She returned to the group as Jupiter and Mars looked Mercury over. They then turned to Ami. "You have a lot of explaining to do," said Morii.