And we're back with yet another chapter!
Yeah, we figured we might as well give two for this story, plus this one is pretty fun... for us.
Definetly gonna be some confusion for you lot though, and I can't wait for that.
Have fun~
The Dark Kingdom was dark and foreboding as always as the residents waited for the next move that would be decided. However, at the moment no moves were being made as somewhere in the Kingdom Zoisite was stewing. "Damn those meddlers," he growled as twice now he'd lost a Rainbow Crystal, and he had little doubt that they were involved in the second one somehow. Fortunately the fact he'd managed to capture the first Rainbow Crystal meant that he was still in decent graces with Queen Beryl…but he held no illusions that that could change at the drop of a hat if he didn't capture more of the Rainbow Crystals soon.
"Having some problems with the Crystal hunt?" came an unwelcome voice as Zoisite turned to see Kujaku, the disguised Undead having an amused expression. Ah yes, this was the one thing he was dreading when it was his turn. Kujaku's apparent love of mocking the Four Generals and generally abusing the fact that Queen Beryl found him too useful to not keep around. "And here I thought your task was a simple one. Just get 7 Magic shiny objects from 7 humans who are secretly Youma, right?"
"If you have something actually important or useful to say, then say it. Otherwise I'm not in the mood to deal with you," Zoisite said dryly.
"Aww, you're no fun," Kujaku snorted. "So, what's your next plan?"
Zoisite gave him an annoyed look, but took out the Black Crystal anyway, before it pulsed and revealed the image of a somewhat plain looking young woman with her hair tied in a braid, a pair of glasses on her face, wearing a large pink coat over her clothes "She's the next Great Youma."
"Want another Undead perhaps?" Kujaku asked with a smirk.
Zoisite threw him an annoyed look "I'll think about it… at the very least, I'll need more of the mold at the ready, just in case."
"Very good, sir. I will have it ready when you need it," Kujaku said with a mock bow before walking off, leaving Zoisite to shoot him one last annoyed glare.
A gentle breeze blew through the town, taking with it some leaves from the trees. "Guess autumn really is here," Kensuke mused as he rode on the Blue Spader in its camouflage mode. "Wonder what Makoto wants my help with," he mused. Earlier today he'd gotten a call from Makoto, asking him for help with something. After agreeing on a spot to meet up, he quickly got on his bike and rode into town.
As he rode down the streets, he couldn't help but think of recent events. It had been about two weeks since the incident with Urawa, and so far things had calmed down for the moment. After that incident, Urawa apparently finally worked up the courage to talk to Ami, and while they had tried testing the waters…so far it seemed that those two were more comfortable just being friends. Nothing conclusive yet, but if nothing else it didn't seem like they'd be losing a friendship, especially considering Urawa was apparently going to be transferred again. Parents having a job that kept them moving around was murder on a social life like that.
Aside from that, there was also the fact that they'd obtained one of the Rainbow Crystals (not counting the one Mamoru had in his care), they had the chance to take advantage of that. They were working on some kind of sensor or radar to hopefully allow them to find other Rainbow Crystals before the Dark Kingdom did. It was still…work in progress…but something was better than nothing.
His musings were cut short however, as before long he saw the familiar form of Makoto who was standing by the railings overlooking the river. Seeing her, he quickly slowed down and soon came to a stop not far away from her. "Hey Makoto," He said as he got off and took off his helmet.
"Kensuke! Perfect timing." she said, going up to him as he got off his bike. "Hope I didn't interrupt you when I called for help by the way."
"Don't worry about it, I wasn't doing anything when you called." he said.
… and it was a lie. He'd been in the middle of reading a book and getting very invested in it… but as soon as she called he just put a bookmark in it and left.
"Glad to hear that," Makoto smiled as they went to sit down at a nearby bench to talk.
"Huh, sure are a lot of couples around today," Kensuke mused.
"I guess it really is that season," Makoto said, looking a bit forlorn.
Kensuke frowned a bit at that. "So…what did you want to ask me?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.
It seemed to work as Makoto's expression shifted. "Ah, right," she nodded. "Yes, I wanted to ask your opinion of something," she said, to which he leaned forward a bit. "Well…I wanted to ask how I should approach someone. He reminded me so much my Senpai, I thought maybe you could give me some advice," she said.
Kensuke… nearly facefaulted at that, while in his mind, a miniature version of him was suddenly crushed by a huge boulder with 'Senpai' written on it "O-oh… right." he said, obviously disappointed, but tried not to let it show too much.
As much as he hated it.
Meanwhile, on the complete opposite side of the lake…
Usagi enjoyed the breeze, though she frowned a little because of all the couples around. Even if she had more important things to worry about, she WAS still a teenage girl. "Ah…its the season for couples and everyone in a relationship is out together," she pouted. "That really rubs it in the face of people who are still single and looking for love."
"I think now isn't really the time to be worrying about that," Luna sweat dropped. "There'll be plenty of time to look for love after we beat the Dark Kingdom."
"I guess you have a point there," Usagi sighed. "Of course there's no telling how long THAT will take," she added.
"Well…we're down to the third General already, so…assuming the pace keeps up, we'll probably defeat all four generals within a year. That should force the Dark Kingdom to take more drastic measures," Luna reasoned.
"And that's the part that worries most of us," Usagi groaned.
Luna would have said more, to try and console Usagi, but before she could, they heard Naru's voice calling to them.
"Usagi! Sorry for the wait!" Naru shouted, running towards them.
"Ah, Naru!" Usagi smiled, waving back. "No worries, we weren't here for long," she said.
"What did you want to show us?" Luna asked curiously.
Naru giggled at that. "Well, it's a surprise. You'll just have to wait and see," she smiled.
"Oooh, I can't wait," Usagi grinned, already looking forward to this.
"Let's go then," Naru smiled as she led the way, Usagi and Luna following along.
"By the way, I'm surprised Nephrite isn't with you today." the blonde pointed out to her friend curiously.
"Oh! Well, Kensuke said his clan wanted to test him to help forge the identity they were making for him. I made sure to wish him luck before he left." Naru said with a giggle.
"Lucky you. I wish I could do something like that." Usagi said with a sigh even as she continued to walk.
The place Naru had in mind was revealed to be an art exhibit, specifically that of an artist named Yumemi Yumeno. The gallery was full of a variety of paintings, each of them with a style that had a dramatic feel to them, that created a variety of emotions depending on which painting one looked at. Either way, the feelings of the artist were coming through with each and every one of the paintings.
"Wow! They're beautiful," Usagi smiled.
"Aren't they?" Naru smiled as well, while Luna inwardly agreed from where she was walking along the ledges of the short walls that held the paintings. This allowed her to move about easily without anyone noticing her. The artist of these paintings had quite the talent.
"Though…is it just me or are there like a LOT of couples around here?" Usagi asked, Naru gaining a sweat drop.
"Oh that, that's because Yumeno's paintings are paintings of love," came Umino's voice as the glasses teen popped out from behind one of the walls.
Unsurprisingly, the girls jumped in surprise at that, before Usagi groaned "Stop doing that dammit!"
"Ah, right…I did it again," Umino sweat dropped.
Both girls looked at him with annoyed expressions before sighing. "Well he's not wrong," Naru admitted before getting a dreamy look. "They say having one of her paintings makes your romantic wishes come true!" she said, while Umino nodded in agreement.
"Really? Think a poster would be just as good?" Usagi asked, remembering that there were poster versions of the paintings available near the entrance.
"Um…maybe?" Naru sweat dropped. Looking around a bit, she quickly shifted their attention to another painting. "Here, this one is supposed to be the artist's self portrait," she said, leading them to a portrait that depicted a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair and a dress that made her look like nothing short of a princess.
"Wow! She's so beautiful. She really looks like a princess in this portrait," Usagi smiled.
"The strange thing is though that Ms. Yumeno is pretty mysterious. She's never once appeared in public I hear. All people know about her is the paintings she makes, and this supposed self-portrait," Umino mused.
"Huh, somehow that makes these paintings feel even more mysterious," Naru mused.
"Though I wonder why she doesn't want to be seen in public," Usagi hummed. "Guess even artists this talented have their own problems."
"Yeah… maybe she's shy or has something like stage fright?" Naru said as she thought about it.
"It's certainly a possibility." Umino said with a nod.
Eventually, the three of them stopped in front of a painting, and Usagi found herself staring at it more than the others "Huh… that looks… pretty familiar." she said.
Umino leaned in closer, humming, before snapping his fingers "Oh! I see what you mean. This looks like Sailor Moon and that Tuxedo Kamen that's been seen helping her sometimes."
"I guess they DO make for an interesting art piece." Naru said knowingly, before she noticed something in the corner of her vision, turning her head, only to blink a few times "Huh… what's this one?" she said, moving aside to another painting and looking closer.
"What is it?" Usagi asked, coming over, looking at the painting with her.
She could see what looked like four men in the painting, dressed in knight looking armors, keeping their faces well hidden, and they'd almost be unimportant… were it not for the fact they were clearly the focus of the painting, and each knight was unique, with one holding a sword, another a bow, a third a crossbow, and the fourth a staff. The only other thing she noticed was each one had a cape on their armor, the sword user having a green cape, the bow user having an orange cape, the crossbow user with a red cape, and the staff user with a blue cape, with the background appearing to be a scene set in space, with the earth itself visible in the corner and the sky of the scene set against the stars.
"Huh… something about this one…" Usagi said, thinking hard, wondering why this seemed… familiar somehow.
While Usagi and her friends were enjoying the gallery, Mamoru was walking down the street with no particular goal in mind. As things were, it was a waiting game till either Kensuke's group found another Rainbow Crystal or the Dark Kingdom made their move. As he continued to walk, he idly glanced at the poster that depicted one of the paintings and stopped short. "This…!" he gasped as he took a closer look. The first thing he thought was how much this looked like him as Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon, but the more he looked at it, he felt something stir in him. Like a memory from so long ago, a memory of someone, a girl or young woman asking him to find the Silver Crystal. "It's just like that dream I've been having…" he frowned, now wondering who could have painted this.
As he thought on this, he didn't notice somebody attempting to walk past him, meaning that when he took a step back…
"Ah!"
He made them fall down, turning around to see a brown haired woman, her hair styled into a braid, having dropped what looked like an art book and her glasses "Hey, are you ok?!" he asked as he crouched down, picking up the book as the woman patted the floor in front of her for her glasses till she picked them up, putting them on and turning to look at him… only to blink in surprise and point at him.
"Ah! This is it! You're him!" she said, leaving him utterly confused.
Back inside, Usagi, Naru, and Umino were continuing to browse art, before Naru happened to glance out. "Hey, isn't that Kensuke's friend?" Naru blinked, to which Usagi and Umino looked as well.
"Hey, you're right," Usagi said, before noticing who Mamoru was talking to. "Wonder who that is," she blinked. "Oh well, I guess saying hi wouldn't hurt," Usagi said cheerfully. "Sorry Naru, but feel free to go back first if I take too long," she said to Naru, before adding to Umino. "Umino, make sure to walk her home. Oh, and could you buy me a poster on the way out, I'll be sure to pay you back," she said as she moved towards the exit. However, before she could get out, she accidentally bumped into someone who hadn't been looking where they were going.
"Ah, sorry about that!" the person said apologetically.
"It's no problem at all," Usagi waved it off before she soon left the gallery. However, had she paused a moment longer, she'd have noticed the Moon Stick that had been knocked out of her bag by the impact and fallen to the ground…and one that another random visitor accidentally kicked deeper into the gallery, leaving Luna to scramble to try and retrieve the important item.
While that was happening, Mamoru was…starting to feel annoyed. The strange woman he'd bumped into was tugging at his sleeve, trying to ask something of him…something that would be a lot easier to help with if she'd just spit out what she wanted instead of stuttering the whole way. "I…really can't help you if you can't tell me what you want…" he said wryly, trying to be civil…but found this girl's obvious confidence issues to be…grating…
The girl looked like she was going to finally spit it out but…
"Heya, what'cha doing, Mamoru?" Usagi said cheerfully.
Mamoru…wasn't sure if he should be annoyed that Usagi showed up right as it seemed like they were making progress…or be thankful that there was a change in atmosphere. Either way he decided to answer. "That's what I'd like to know…" he groaned a bit.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Usagi blinked a bit confused.
The woman tugging at Mamoru's sleeve looked at Usagi, and her eyes widened, before she grabbed Usagi's sleeve as well. "Uh…can I help you?" Usagi blinked.
"Both of you fit the image I have perfectly! Please model for me!" the woman blurted out.
"...huh?" was all Usagi and Mamoru could say to that.
Meanwhile…
Kensuke was in a bit of a foul mood. The reason for that? He was busy consoling a now glum Makoto, and no, it wasn't the consoling that had him in a foul mood. It was what led up to said consoling. After giving her honest advice, because he'd feel like an asshole if he did something like purposely set her up for failure, he'd ended up being a sort of wingman to her.
Long story short, it seems Makoto's latest crush turned out to be…very much like her Senpai in the bad ways too.
Though this guy was probably worse because he insulted her HAIR.
Who the hell does that?!
That was why when Makoto ran in tears, because she'd actually spent all morning making sure her hair looked nice… Kensuke had gone up to the guy and just slugged him in the face hard enough to knock him out.
No words said, just a straight punch. A punch hard enough that the knocked out guy was missing a couple of teeth.
With that bit of retribution taken care of, he quickly went after Makoto, and here he was trying to console her. He couldn't really say anything seeing as well…what COULD he say? So with that in mind, he settled for just putting a hand on her shoulder, and just be there for her.
Eventually though, she started to calm down, and when he was sure she'd calmed down enough, he started to talk to her. At first he tried to think of what to say, but as each of the options that came to him just felt…wrong…he finally settled on something that would…hopefully take her mind off of what had happened. "Wanna to get some Ice cream?" he asked.
THAT caught Makoto's attention, seeing as she looked at him just plain confused.
"Yeah…not the best I know, but I figured you'd want something to take your mind off of that asshole," Kensuke sighed. "So how about it? My treat," he said with a small smile.
Makoto sniffed a bit, clearly still upset, but despite that, she couldn't help but return the smile. "I…I think I'd like that, yeah…" she said.
He nodded at that, soon getting up with her and heading to where he knew they could find an ice cream parlor in town… although on the way, they were both met with the curious sight of Usagi and Mamoru being pulled along by a young woman with glasses.
"Huh… looks like something's happening there." Makoto said, tilting her head in confusion, not noticing how Kensuke was trying to hide some laughter behind his fist.
Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, right next to each other… and neither one was aware of it. Truly, it was hilarious.
A while later saw Usagi and Mamoru being brought to a rather sizable home. A notable thing about it was the large number of plants being grown…which considering some grew along the gate too gave it a strangely fairy tale-like feel. The feeling increased when from the inside, they saw a garden at the back which was full of various types of flowers and plants.
"Wow! Your garden is so pretty!" Usagi couldn't help but say.
"T-thank you," the woman smiled. "Please sit down. I'll make us some coffee right away," she said before going to the kitchen to do just that.
"So, what exactly is this about? You didn't really clarify much beyond asking us to model and then dragging us along." Mamoru asked as he sat down.
"I'm sure she'll explain it eventually," Usagi said, before looking at some of the paintings that were around the house. "But…these illustrations really look like Yumemi Yumeno's work," she mused…right before a thought crossed her mind. "Hang on, are YOU Yumemi Yumeno?" she asked in surprise.
The woman blushed a bit at that, stopping in what she was doing.
Mamoru raised an eyebrow "Huh… looks like you hit the nail dead on."
The woman, Yumemi, sighed as she turned to look at them. "I guess I really don't fit the image, do I?" she said a bit sheepishly. "Someone who does illustrations like these being someone as plain looking as me," she said.
"Well, I think the 'self-portrait' didn't help," Usagi sweat dropped a bit.
"Because someone who paints these kinds of art should be more beautiful, so I painted the self-portrait to match that kind of appearance," Yumemi admitted. "Please don't tell anyone about this," she said.
"Doesn't ANYONE know about this?" Usagi asked, a bit alarmed. "Your family? Your friends?"
"I don't have any friends," Yumemi sighed. "But it's alright. I'm satisfied as long as I can make good paintings," she said before serving the coffee for them. "Please drink while it's hot. Also, please sit here, Usagi," she said, placing a cushion next to Mamoru.
"So you want the both of us to model together, huh?" Mamoru blinked.
"So we're gonna be in one of your next paintings?!" Usagi gasped.
"Well…she DID say she wanted us to be models," Mamoru sweat dropped a bit.
"That was me before I realized who wanted us to be models," Usagi clarified.
"Fair enough I guess," Mamoru snorted a bit, before taking a sip of the coffee and finding it to his liking. "Well, can't say I'm too crazy about being a model out of the blue," he mused.
"Ah, please wait, I'm the type of person who can't envision the images without models!" Yumemi said frantically.
"...I was going to say that seeing as you treated us to good coffee…I can make an exception," Mamoru chuckled a little.
Yumemi blushed at that "... oh." she said quietly, feeling quite embarrassed now.
"You did that on purpose." Usagi said dryly as she drank her coffee.
"Maybe." Mamoru shrugged with a smirk.
While Usagi and Mamoru were being impromptu models, out on the street Luna was busy looking for Usagi, the Moon Stick in her mouth. "Jeez, where did she run off to?" Luna frowned, looking around. The sun was already starting to set and she honestly couldn't find Usagi. She was sorely tempted to contact her with the communicator, but she also had a feeling that that could be problematic if Usagi was somewhere she couldn't just pick up.
"Honestly…I hope this is a one time thing…" Luna sighed. The Moon Stick was so important, and a simple accident may well have lost it and with it, their best countermeasure against the Seven Great Youma.
Either way there was nothing more she could do than keep looking. With that in mind, she made sure she had a firm grip on the Moon Stick and took off searching again.
Back with Usagi and Mamoru, Yumemi had hit the point where the two didn't need to stay still all the time anymore. As such, Usagi had opted to go over and look at Yumemi's progress.
"I know she said we can move a bit, but I think that's more than just moving," Mamoru sweat dropped a bit.
"Actually it's fine. I'm just putting in the finer touches," Yumemi reassured.
"In that case, I really want to see," Usagi said, looking over her shoulder. The moment she did, her eyes widened in wonder.
"Oh wow… it's amazing!" she said, looking at the sketch, and that alone looked amazing, depicting a man and a woman, obviously based on Mamoru and her respectively, holding hands in front of a starry looking background.
Though… just like when she saw the painting of the nights, there was something… familiar about it somehow. "You're really incredible, Yumemi. How do you draw so well?" Usagi asked.
Yumemi chuckled. "Honestly, it's nothing too special. It's just…whenever I draw, I always wish from the bottom of my heart that people who see my work will find happiness and love," she smiled.
"And that's why your works are called 'Illustrations of Love'," Usagi said with a smile. "You're a really kind person."
"Though, isn't it kinda…sad?" Mamoru frowned. "You're doing all that for others, but you're the one left alone…" he couldn't help but say, causing Usagi to look at Yumemi a bit sadly as well at that.
"It can't be helped," Yumemi said, not taking her eyes off the sketch. "Yumemi is supposed to be incredibly beautiful. If people find out the truth, it'd ruin everyone's dream."
"But…" Usagi said, but stopped, unable to find the right words.
"Don't you think that's being a bit too much?" Mamoru frowned, causing Yumemi to stop for a moment. "You deserve happiness as much as anyone else. I don't think sacrificing yourself for everyone is a good way to live," he said.
Usagi frowned, but nodded "He's right… you should get to be happy too, not just give out happiness to others."
Yumemi paused, clearly thinking about that…but ultimately resumed her work without a word.
Usagi and Mamoru deflated a bit at that, but ultimately decided not to push the issue. Mamoru decided to continue sipping on the bit of coffee he had left which was quickly losing its heat, while Usagi looked around the house at various other artwork Yumemi had made.
As she did however, she noticed one painting, just leaning against the wall, partially covered by a towel "What's this one here?" she wondered as she went up to it.
Yumemi turned her head, before frowning when she saw which had gotten her attention "Ah, that one… I like how it turned out… but it doesn't give out the feeling I wanted it to for some reason." she said, allowing Usagi to remove the towel, revealing a scene, once again with a starry background, this time depicting a long haired woman with a long, flowing black dress over her body, standing next to her was the bow wielding knight from the painting she'd seen at the gallery earlier, though he lacked his weapon… and the woman was obviously pregnant as well, the two embracing each other lovingly in the painting.
Yet, despite how the scene depicted should be happy… she felt a sense of melancholy and sadness as she looked at it.
Yumemi saw her expression and sighed, putting down the sketch she was working on for a moment. "To be honest, that's not the only work I have that makes me feel sad when I see it," she said, before going over to another section and taking out another picture, this one still mostly a sketch, depicting what appeared to be a couple, standing before a crescent moon in the background. A notable feature was that the woman seemed to be giving something to the man, some kind of necklace. "This scene is supposed to show a woman giving her lover a gift as proof of their love, yet every time I see it, I feel sad, like somehow I know their love ended tragically," Yumemi frowned.
Usagi and Mamoru looked at the picture with sad frowns…before Mamoru's eyes widened, as to him the gift seemed to turn into a star shaped necklace, a nostalgic yet sad melody playing in his mind.
"I understand what you mean," Usagi frowned. "Somehow looking at this feels nostalgic…yet it makes my heart ache…"
"A proof of love…" Mamoru said softly, at a loss of why this picture was stirring up these emotions and images in him…
Some hours later…
Night had fallen by now, with most people heading on their way back home, which is what Mamoru had done once Yumemi was finished with her initial sketch, the older girl offering to walk Usagi part of the way back as she needed to step out herself anyway.
"Your homemade cookies were really good." Usagi said happily as they walked along the sidewalk.
"Thank you. Though I'm sorry for keeping you so late. I didn't think it would take me this long to make my sketch." Yumemi apologized.
"Don't worry about it! It's a weekend at least, so I don't have to wake up early tomorrow." Usagi waved off the issue with a smile.
As they continued to walk, they noticed a group of girls chatting in front of a cafe… and they were talking about Yumemi's art while looking at a poster of one of her works. "What a beautiful picture. Someone who can make something like this must be a wonderful person," one of them said with a smile before they soon left.
Yumemi saw them go with a small frown, to which Usagi smiled. "I think you're over thinking things," she said, earning a questioning look.
"Your art is incredible, you're really kind, and you're a great baker too," Usagi said. "You're a really wonderful person, and I'm sure people would see that whether they thought of you through the image of that painting or the real you."
"Usagi…" Yumemi said, a bit stunned.
"Cheer up okay," Usagi grinned. "See ya again soon!" she said before running off, leaving Yumemi with her thoughts.
Usagi got a decent distance away, feeling pretty good about today. As she did though…
"About time I found you," came Luna's…annoyed voice.
Usagi stopped short and looked to the source, to see Luna…and she had the Moon Stick in her mouth. "Luna? Wait, the Moon Stick?" Usagi blinked before quickly looking in her bag…and found that indeed the Moon Stick had been missing.
"Geez, please be more careful with this," Luna sighed, giving Usagi back the Moon Stick. "It's our best weapon, especially right now with the Youma sealed by the Rainbow Crystals," she scolded.
Usagi winced at that "Sorry… guess I should look into getting a bag with an actual zip on it to avoid having that happen again." she said, clutching the object a bit tighter.
"That would certainly be a start, yes." Luna said with an amused smile.
Usagi laughed sheepishly at that, and was about to continue on… before the Moon Stick started beeping.
"Someone with a Rainbow Crystal is near?!" Usagi gasped in surprise.
"Then we'd better hurry and find it!" Luna said urgently, earning a nod from Usagi as she immediately took off running towards the source of the signal, the Moon Stick able to guide her on some level with a hotter-colder feel.
As she ran though, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye, turning her head to see Kensuke and Makoto walking along the sidewalk on the other side of the street "Guys!" she shouted once her brain registered that properly.
The two stopped walking at that, turning to see her across the street "Usagi?" Makoto said in confusion.
"There's trouble! Call the others and follow me!" she said quickly, starting to run again, the other two nodding as they understood it was serious, before crossing the street and following her while they contacted the rest of the group.
As they ran, Usagi quickly realized where they were going. "This is the way to Yumemi's house!" Usagi said in alarm, now very worried for her new friend.
"Don't know who that is, but if you know them, even more reason to hurry!" Kensuke gasped.
The group were soon approaching the house…before they heard a loud crash.
"We need to hurry!" Makoto gasped, since that…was never a good sign.
The group soon reached the house, but right as they reached the door, they were able to look through the glass and saw what was happening inside…and were just in time to see Zoisite seize a green Rainbow Crystal before Yumemi transformed, revealing the Youma form that was her past life.
"Awaken, Youma Vena." Zoisite said with a smirk as Yumemi changed, revealing a Youma which, strangely, actually looked like the stereotypical depiction of an angel, except with green skin.
"Damn, we're too late," Kensuke growled.
"But that doesn't mean we can't still save her," Usagi said with determination.
"The others should be on their way, let's make sure he can't escape with her." Makoto said, making sure they hid as Zoisite and Vena left the home.
Usagi and Kensuke nodded, and one quick transformation later, the three chased after the general and the youma, spotting them heading into a construction lot, quickly heading inside and out of sight as Zoisite stopped in the middle of the lot before he laughed.
"That was too easy. For once, the Sailor Scouts and Kamen Riders can't do anything to stop me." he said, before holding up the green colored Rainbow Crystal "This makes two crystals now, and I'll even be able to bring back one of the Great Youma back to Queen Beryl. She'll surely be VERY pleased with this success."
"Then that's even MORE reason to stop you," came a familiar voice, right before Zoisite was forced to evade as a blast of electricity hit where he had been a moment ago.
"Tch, should have known it wouldn't be that simple," Zoisite growled.
"Hell would freeze over before we make it easy for you and the rest of your group," Blade said.
"And we'll be taking back that Rainbow Crystal too!" Sailor Moon added.
"So save us some time and hand it over!" Jupiter added as well.
Zoisite smirked. "If you really think I'd agree to that, you're greater fools than I thought," he taunted.
"No, we just figured we'd say it anyway," Blade said. "Welp, time for the fun part," he said, drawing his weapon.
"We'll see about that," Zoisite frowned. "Vena, deal with them! And for added insurance…" he frowned, before snapping his finger, and a portal appeared, which deposited a familiar mass of mold.
"Oh no, not again," Jupiter groaned as the Mold Undeads started forming and moved to support Vena as she let loose her feathers…which drew large rocks in the air that actually materialized, forcing the group to evade.
"Okay…simple…but would be quite effective if those hit," Blade frowned…right as the Molds charged forward, aiming to try and pin them down with Vena callously creating more rocks that crushed the Molds under them in an attempt to crush the heroes as well.
"Yumemi, please stop! Remember your kind heart!" Sailor Moon pleaded, but all she got was a feather over her aiming to make another rock…had a rose not intercepted and destroyed the feather.
"I don't think sentiment will work Sailor Moon, much as we would all like it to." Tuxedo Kamen said from his perch atop a steel beam.
"Tuxedo Kamen!" Sailor Moon smiled, before she got a determined look. "I guess you're right. The only way to save her is to Purify her."
"Tch! One after another," Zoisite growled before turning to leave.
"Wait!" Tuxedo Kamen called out, but there was a moment of hesitation for him.
"Go after him! We'll handle the monsters here! You focus on securing the Crystal!" Blade shouted, cutting through the hesitation, to which Tuxedo Kamen nodded and pursued after Zoisite.
"Okay, what's the plan now?" Jupiter asked, as she'd just shocked several Molds, the Molds having protected Vena again before they had to evade the Youma's counter attack.
"For now? We fend off the Molds and try to purify the Youma. Mercury, Mars, and Chalice should be on their way, so if we can hold off until they arrive, Mercury can use her freezing trick on the Molds again," Blade said.
"That works, I like that plan," Sailor Moon nodded as she grabbed her tiara and threw it, cutting through several Molds, but once again, they were being replenished quickly.
As they fought…and continued to evade Vena's rain of rocks, the Youma apparently thankfully lacking Yumemi's creativity and finer skills. Seriously, they might have been in serious trouble if Vena had been more creative with her powers. Either way, they were at a bit of a stalemate until Blade had an idea.
"Wait, I think I know how we can clear out the Molds. Moon, be ready with the Moon Stick," Blade said suddenly.
"What do you have in mind?" Jupiter asked.
"If it works, we'll only have that Mold making mass to deal with after this," Blade said.
"Alright, we'll trust you," Sailor Moon nodded. She didn't need to hear the plan, she trusted in whatever he had in mind.
Blade nodded at that, before opening his Rouzer and going for the cards he had on hand, grabbing the cards he needed. "SLASH! THUNDER! MACH!" The three cards were absorbed into his armor as electricity gathered around his Rouzer as he tensed. "Lightning Step!" he called out as he surged forward at Mach speed, cutting through every last one of the Molds between them and Vena, and even a few nearby, destroying them instantly and leaving Vena wide open. "Do it now!"
"Right!" Sailor Moon nodded, the Moon Stick already ready. "Moon Healing…Escalation!" she called out, hitting Vena with the attack.
Vena grunted and groaned, the purifying attack trying to seal her once more…but with a roar, she spread her wings abruptly, actually repelling the attack.
"What?! It didn't work?!" Jupiter gasped in surprise.
"Why?!" Sailor Moon gasped as well, while Blade's eyes widened behind his helmet.
"I think I know what happened! She wasn't weakened at all in this fight!" he shouted, right before he was forced to evade as more of the Molds had emerged and were aiming to strike him, forcing him to retreat back to the girls.
"Guess we're gonna have to wait for reinforcements after all…" Sailor Moon frowned.
"And fortunately for you, we're here! Fire Soul!" came Mars's voice as the flames struck the Molds, burning them up while Mercury and Mars landed near them.
"Sorry for the wait!" Mercury said.
"Glad you could make it," Jupiter smiled. "Hey, where's…?"
"Over here!" came Chalice's voice as he fired arrows at several of the Molds, knocking them down. "Focus on taking them out first, I'll handle cover fire!" he said, standing on a nearby part of the construction site, shooting down feathers too.
"Alright, then first things first, Mercury, do your freeze trick again!" Blade said.
However, before Mercury could move to do so, Moon had a sudden bad feeling. "Wait!" she said, causing everyone to stop. "I don't know why…but I just had a bad feeling," she frowned. "I…I think Tuxedo Kamen is in danger!"
The group was surprised at that, but they didn't need to think hard what to say in response. "If that's how you feel, go help him. We'll hold the fort here!" Mars said, earning a nod from Sailor Moon who quickly went after Tuxedo Kamen. Going deeper into the construction site, she soon found Tuxedo Kamen in the middle of a duel with Zoisite. So far it seemed they were evenly matched, though it seemed that Tuxedo Kamen had a slight advantage as Zoisite seemed to be backing away a bit.
However, before Tuxedo Kamen could aim to try and capture the Rainbow Crystal, Zoisite let loose a blast of flower petals. Tuxedo Kamen used his cape to defend, but the petals seemed to circle around him, stopping him from moving. Seeing him trapped, Zoisite smirked and created a shard of ice and threw it at Tuxedo Kamen, clearly aiming to impale him.
"Oh no you don't! Moon Tiara Action!" Sailor Moon shouted, throwing her tiara and shattering the ice crystal, the impact dispersing the petals as well.
"Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen said in surprise…partially because for once she saved his butt.
"Tch! And here I was hoping to take at least one of you down. No matter, the Rainbow Crystal is still mine," Zoisite said with a smirk before vanishing.
Tuxedo Kamen tsked in annoyance. Now the Dark Kingdom has 2 Crystals in their hands.
"We'll get them back." Sailor Moon said, able to guess what annoyed him "They won't win in the end, we'll make sure of it."
He was silent for a moment at that, before smirking slightly "I know." he said with a nod "Then we can find your princess, and maybe I can finally find what I'm looking for."
Usagi looked at him curiously at that "What you're looking for?" she said, stepping closer… only to trip slightly on the beam, but before she could fall Tuxedo Kamen caught her… and they both heard the clatter of something hitting the metal, looking down to see the star shaped pendant she had found a few weeks ago, the pendant falling open and playing the song.
Tuxedo Kamen looked at it in surprise, moving to pick it up, something she did at the same time, causing both of them to stop. "This is your pendant, right?" Sailor Moon asked. "I found it a while back when you got the second Rainbow Crystal. I've been meaning to return it but never got the chance," she explained.
Tuxedo Kamen paused, before slowly picking up the pendant, letting the song wash over him for a moment before he sighed. "Truth is I'm not fully sure who I am or why I have this power," he said, making her blink in surprise at the sudden admittance. "However, every time I close my eyes, a woman's voice often asks me to find the Silver Crystal. It is my hope that when the Crystal is found I may finally regain these missing memories, or at the very least give me more clues to work on," he sighed.
She considered what this could mean, before nodding "I'm sure you'll find the answer. And I'll help you look for it if you need me to." she told him.
Tuxedo Kamen smiled a bit at that. "Then I look forward to our continued cooperation," he said, before giving her the pendant again.
"You're giving this to me?" Sailor Moon blinked.
"Something tells me that this should be in your hands. If nothing else consider it a good luck charm for your mission," he smiled.
"A gift from you, huh…?" Sailor Moon blushed a bit. "Then I'll treasure it always," she smiled.
Tuxedo Kamen returned the smile…before a thought crossed his mind. "However, I do have to ask…if you're here, has the Youma been purified?"
Sailor Moon…paused at that. "Well…they probably have Yumemi…under control…by now but…yeah. I'd better go. See you again next time!" she said before quickly running off towards where the others had been.
Tuxedo Kamen chuckled a bit as he watched her go, before leaving as well.
Sailor Moon kept running until she was back at where the others had been fighting. "I'm back! How is…" she paused when she saw the situation. The frozen bits here and there implied Mercury had used her new trick again, and the Molds were nowhere to be seen. Most notably though was a popsicle covered in charms…which had Yumemi's Youma form trapped inside. "...was freezing her really necessary?" she asked a bit lamely.
"Well…it was that or risk her running off," Jupiter sweat dropped a bit.
"Don't worry, the Moon Stick SHOULD restore her fully when you purify her," Luna said.
"Kinda afraid to ask, but if it doesn't?" Sailor Moon asked with a wince.
Luna sweat dropped at that. "Well…a cold isn't the worst thing that could happen…right?"
Everyone gained huge sweat drops at that one, before Sailor Moon sighed and pulled out the Moon Stick.
A couple of days passed after the battle, and life quickly returned to normal for all parties involved…for now anyway. "I wonder why she wanted us to come over," Mamoru mused as he and Usagi had met up at the gallery, having been invited by Yumemi.
"We'll find out soon enough," Usagi said as they went in, just in time to see Yumemi put up some more of her work, something she was doing by herself. "Yumemi, we're here!" Usagi said cheerfully.
"Ah, come in," Yumemi said with a smile.
"Kinda surprised to see you here. What happened to not wanting people to know about you?" Mamoru asked.
"Oh that? I'm done hiding. From now on I'm going to be honest with myself," Yumemi smiled as she put up a new self portrait, this one depicting herself as she really was.
"Glad to hear that," Usagi smiled.
"Another thing, I wanted the two of you to see my newest piece," Yumemi said, before showing the piece that she used them as models for. The image of a couple with what appeared to be space as the background, and though there were some modifications, it was clearly intended to be them.
"Wow, there's something I won't be forgetting anytime soon," Mamoru whistled, honestly impressed.
"Its beautiful. I'm sure its going to be a big hit!" Usagi grinned.
"I'm glad you think that," Yumemi smiled. "Thank you, both of you. I'm really glad I met you both," she said, to which both of them just returned the smiles.
And there!
Yeah, we decided to add in a bit of a minor sub-plot, since obviously, Kensuke and Makoto are one of the main pairings of the story, so it's only right we give them the spotlight from time to time.
Even if Makoto's pining for her former senpai gets grating for poor Kensuke.
As well, I'm sure you all noticed how Yumemi had more paintings than she did in canon.
Eagle-eyed viewers might figure out what they mean.
But please, don't say anything about it, leave it spoiler-free for the others.
Anyway, see you all next time.
Rouse Card Count:
Blade:
Spade: Ace, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10
Club: 3, 7
Chalice:
Heart: Ace, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8
Diamond: 2
Garren:
Diamond: Ace, 6
