RING, RING, RING, RING!
The alarm clock rang out, signaling it was time to start another day. Under the covers of the bed, someone shuffled underneath them. Eventually, a hand emerged from under the covers and reached around until it touched the clock. The hand then slammed on the clock pushing the button and shutting off the alarm. A young boy sat up from the covers. His hair was a matted mess of short blond hair, and his bright blue eyes were half-open, yawning while stretching his arms.
"Well then... time to start another day," he said sleepily.
He got out of bed and stretched one more time. Then he went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, showered, and dressed for school. After that, he went into another room where another person was sleeping soundly. It was a young girl with long blonde hair tied in buns on her head.
"Hey, Usagi. It's time for you to get up," the boy said while gently patting her.
Usagi mumbled in her sleep, but she didn't wake up. The boy then shook her a little more.
"Come on, Usagi. It's time for you to wake up. If you don't, you'll be late for school," the boy said.
"I'll be up in a sec..." mumbled Usagi turning to her side. "Just give me ten more minutes, Harusuke."
The boy named Harusuke sighed, pinching his nose. He was about to try again when a little boy entered the doorway.
"Hey, Harusuke. I'd stop trying if I was you," said the boy. "You're just gonna make yourself late if you keep trying to wake her up."
"But Shingo, that wouldn't be right," said Harusuke. "Besides, I'm only trying to help her."
"All right then. How about this? I'll wake up Usagi for you. That way, you can head for school without worrying about being late," proposed Shingo.
"You do that for me? Thank you, Shingo," said Harusuke. "That's pretty nice of you."
"Anytime, Bro," Shingo smiled with a wink. "Now, you better hurry up. Get going already."
"All right then. I'm off," said Harusuke as he left Usagi's room. "Make sure Usagi's up, OK?"
"Sure thing," said Shingo while giving him a thumbs up.
And with that, Harusuke went downstairs to get ready to leave. As he left, Shingo immediately shut the door to Usagi's room.
"Sorry, Harusuke," he thought to himself. "There's no hope for that girl being on time. I had to send you away so you wouldn't get dragged to her level. Besides, she has it coming. So it's her fault."
Meanwhile, Harusuke had arrived at the Juuban Public Middle School, where he and Usagi attended. As he approached the grounds, some students greeted him as he walked.
"Good morning, Harusuke!"
"Good morning. How are you?"
"How're you doing, Harusuke?"
"Very well, thank you."
Then Harusuke looked at the watch around his wrist. The current time was a quarter past eight.
"Oh, man. School starts in about fifteen minutes," he thought. "I better hurry and get to class. Don't want Ms. Haruna getting angry."
He quickly sprinted towards the building, making his way inside and turning his sprint into a brisk walk. As he walked down the halls, a crowd of students stood before a large bulletin board. Harusuke knew what it was, which made him stop his brisk walking.
"Those are the results from the last practice exam," he thought. "I still got time before the bell rings. Let's see how I did."
He scanned the board, searching for his name, hoping he was high in the rankings. Then, he soon found his name in the tenth place position.
"All right!" he said while pumping his fist. "All the studying paid off."
"Looks like someone's in a good mood today."
Harusuke turned to the voice, and a young boy with brown hair wearing large glasses with swirls in the lenses approached him.
"Hello Umino," said Harusuke. "Yes. I am. I got Tenth place in the last practice exam."
"That's pretty good," said Umino. "You beat me by a couple of points. I got thirteenth. How do you do it, Harusuke?"
"I study as hard as you do, Umino. Nothing special or anything," said Harusuke. "Anyway, we better get to class. Ms. Haruna will be here any minute, and the bells are about to ring."
"Oh yeah. Don't wanna be tardy."
The two walked into the classroom and quickly took their seats. It was nearly time for the bell to ring. Harusuke looked around for a certain bun-headed girl but didn't see her anywhere.
"It would seem that Usagi is going to be late again," he thought. "Shingo probably sent me away because he thought Usagi would drag me down."
"Hey, Harusuke."
A girl's voice made Harusuke turn his attention toward her. She had reddish-brown hair in a bow and blue eyes.
"Oh hello Naru," said Harusuke. "Is something the matter?"
"Oh, nothing's wrong," said Naru. "I was just wondering if you've seen Usagi, but I think it's obvious that she's late again."
"I'm sorry, Naru. I tried to get her up, but Shingo told me to go ahead and head for school anyway," said Harusuke. "I feel kinda bad now."
"It's OK, Harusuke," said Naru. "Besides, it's Usagi's fault that she's like this, not yours."
"I suppose so, but still."
Then the bell rang, signaling that school was now in session, and the teacher Ms. Haruna entered the classroom.
"Rise!"
Everyone stood up from their seats.
"Bow."
Everyone bowed.
"Sit!"
Everyone sat down. Then Ms. Haruna began taking roll. As she did, she saw Usagi's seat, which was empty.
"So I take it that Ms. Tsukino is late again?" she asked.
No one answered. Then there was the sound of running footsteps in the hall. Everyone knew who that was. Harusuke looked at his watch, counting the seconds.
"Three... two... one," he said.
At that moment, Usagi burst into the room, panting like she had run a marathon.
"Sorry... I'm..." Usagi gasped, trying to catch her breath.
"Late?" finished Ms. Haruna giving Usagi a stern glare. "Ms. Tsukino. How many times must you be late for you to stop being late?!"
"Eep! I'm sorry, Ms. Haruna! Please forgive me!" cried Usagi.
"Save your excuses, Miss Tsukino," said Ms. Haruna. "Go stand in the hall."
"But Ms. Haruna-"
"No buts! Go!"
All Usagi could do was reluctantly step out of the classroom and into the hall. Harusuke felt sorry for her.
"Oh, dear. Poor Usagi," he said to himself. "Maybe I should have tried to wake her up again."
Ms. Haruna then turned to the class. "All right, class. Before we begin today's lesson, I would like to hand back your test scores from the last exam. Then, when I call your name, come to the desk to receive your test."
And so, Ms. Haruna passed back the graded test papers to the students. Soon Harusuke received his test back, which had a ninety percent on it.
"Very well done, Mr. Tsukino," said Ms. Haruna. "You studied very hard, didn't you?"
"Yes, I have. Thank you Ms. Haruna," said Harusuke.
Harusuke returned to his seat feeling very pleased with himself, but then he heard Ms. Haruna get up from her desk. He turned around and saw that she was heading towards the hallway where Usagi was.
Outside of the classroom in the hall, Usagi stood there feeling miserable.
"Aww, man, this is the worst," she complained. "It's not my fault I was late this time. How could she make a fragile girl like me stand in the hallway like this?
Then Usagi's stomach let out a deep grumble.
"To make things worse, I'm hungry too," she grumped. "I just had to skip breakfast because I was so late."
Then she had an idea. She looked to the left and then to the right. When she was sure no one was looking, Usagi dug into her bag and took out her bento.
"Well, what better to make up for breakfast than right now?" she chirped, clicking her chopsticks. "Time to dig in."
"Ms. Tsukino!"
Usagi jumped and saw Ms. Haruna standing there, her hands on her hips and scowling crossly.
"Oh no. Busted again," Usagi thought.
"Just what are you doing eating in the hallway before lunch period, Ms. Tsukino!?" demanded Ms. Haruna. "Doing these things along with your attitude is why you're failing!"
And to prove her point, Ms. Haruna showed Usagi's test score, which had a thirty percent written on it. Anyone could see that that was a terrible grade. Seeing it made Usagi's eyes wide with shock.
"Wah! A thirty percent?!"
"That's right!" said Ms. Haruna sternly. "You had better step it up to be a good student! Otherwise, you'll end up flunking!"
Later during their lunch period, Usagi, Harusuke, and Naru sat by the flower bed. Usagi sat on the wall with her head on her legs with her arms draping, looking like her entire life was over.
"Oh, Usagi, I can't believe you did that," said Naru. "You shouldn't be eating lunch before the lunch period."
"Yeah. Not to mention that you should learn some self-control," added Harusuke.
"Naru, Harusuke, you both know I don't have that kind of restraint," complained Usagi. "Besides, I'm a growing girl. I can't help it."
Naru sighed, and Harusuke pinched the bridge of his nose. Just then, Umino walked up to the trio, the last person Usagi wanted to see.
"Hey, Usagi. How'd you do on that test?" he asked.
"Ugh, Umino, please don't.." mumbled Usagi.
"Umino now's not a good time. Can't you see that she's upset?" scolded Naru. "Not that she's failed any worse than usual."
Usagi grew sadder still from Naru's words.
"Hey, Naru. You're making things worse, too!" said Harusuke.
"Ah! Sorry, Usagi! I didn't mean it!" Naru apologized hastily.
"Aw, don't feel bad, Usagi. It's just a test. If it makes you feel any better, I slacked off a little on my test, too," said Umino. "So I ended up getting a ninety-five."
Umino then showed off his test score. When Usagi saw it, she felt even worse than before.
"Way to kick the dog while it's down, Umino," said Harusuke flatly.
Naru then changed the subject to try and get Usagi's mind off the test score.
"Hey! I almost forgot! Did you hear the latest? Sailor V appeared again the other night," she said.
Usagi, hearing the mention of Sailor V, brightened up a little. "Sailor V?" she asked with curiosity.
"Oh yeah! I heard that she caught a jewel thief this time!" continued Naru.
"I think I heard about that on the news the other day," said Harusuke. "That's Sailor V for you."
"Yeah!" said Usagi. She then paused and then asked, feeling confused. "Who's Sailor V?"
"What?!" said Naru and Harusuke together, feeling baffled. "Where have you been?! And don't act impressed if you don't know who we're talking about!"
"Allow me to explain, Usagi," said Umino. "Sailor V is a costumed crime fighter in a sailor uniform who's been fighting all sorts of evil in this town! It's been the talk of the town!" He paused, ensuring no one was around, and then spoke low so only Usagi could hear. "Word on the street is that she's a part of some special police investigation unit."
"There's someone really like that out there?" wondered Usagi. "It sounds like something from a spy movie."
"That may be so, but I can understand, though. Gems and jewels are so beautiful," agreed Naru. "I can understand why someone would want to steal some of it."
"I can totally agree!" said Usagi dreamily. "I would love to have a diamond ring."
"I'd love a pair of ruby earrings!"
"Ooh! Me too! A pair of sparkly ruby earrings too!"
As Usagi and Naru talked about jewelry, they completely forgot about Sailor V. They even forgot about Harusuke and Umino.
"Oh yeah! I just remembered!" said Naru excitedly. "There's a sale going on at our jewelry store that's been going on since yesterday! You wanna come and check it out?"
Usagi's eyes shone with excitement. "Of course I do!"
"Great! There'll be rings and other stuff that even we can buy! We'll go there after school. Sound good?"
"Really! I'm so there! I'll be there for sure! Harusuke! Will you go with me as my escort?"
Harusuke was about to protest, but then he reconsidered. Going out for a bit was an excellent way to get Usagi's mind off the test. Even though she had to face the music sooner or later, it was better than seeing her sad.
"All right then," he said. "I'll go."
"Yay! I can't wait till after school!" said Usagi.
Then the three of them walked away, leaving Umino alone.
"Oh, brother..." he muttered. "I'll never understand girls at all. They're complete shopaholics."
An evil castle stood in a location unknown to anyone or anything below the surface of the Arctic. In the throne room, a familiar evil queen who had awakened from reincarnation sat on her throne, circling her hands around a black crystal ball floating in front of her and her followers.
"Have you all made any progress in finding the Silver Crystal yet?" she asked her followers.
"No," they all replied in a ghostly voice.
"I see," said Beryl. "As you know, our great ruler Metalia needs vast energy to revive. So until we find the Silver Crystal, we have to get by using the energy found within humans."
Then a bright pale blue flame appeared in front of Queen Beryl. The fire changed shape and revealed a young man with short blonde hair and blue eyes who wore a grey uniform with red trims and maroon brown shoes.
"Please allow that honor for one of your most trusted generals of the Dark Kingdom, Jadeite," the man said. "I already have a plan in place. My monster Morga is preparing to gather energy for our ruler as we speak."
"Very well. I'll leave it up to you, Jadeite," said Queen Beryl. "Now go."
"Yes, my queen. I will not fail you," said Jadeite as he disappeared from the throne room.
In the real world, in the Juuban shopping district, Usagi, Naru, and Harusuke had just arrived at the jewelry store. But they were surprised to find that the store was packed. Women, young and old, were looking at the jewels and even trying some on.
"Oh wow. There sure are a lot of people here," said Usagi.
"Yeah. I'll say," said Harusuke. "Naru, has your family's store always been this busy?"
"No. Nothing like this," said Naru. "I don't remember it being this crazy."
Then they saw a young woman who looked a little similar to Naru walking around speaking through a megaphone.
"Thank you all for coming to our store today!" she called. "If you want it, buy it, so please feel free to try anything!"
"Wow. Mom's pretty into this," said Naru blinking.
"Maybe she's trying to sound business-oriented," said Usagi, shrugging.
"I guess so," said Harusuke as he looked around the women admiring the jewelry.
He walked towards a case and was just about to look at the jewels when a woman dressed in a pink dress suddenly appeared.
"Back off, boy! These jewels are mine!" she barked.
"Whoa! Take it easy!" said Harusuke. "Sheesh. What's your deal?"
He walked away, going back to Usagi and Naru.
"What was that all about?" he wondered. "That girl's got a few screws loose along with every other girl here."
Then Naru, Usagi, and Harusuke walked up to Naru's Mom.
"Hey, Mom," said Naru.
"Oh, Naru, how are you, my dear?" said her Mom sweetly. "I'm glad you're here."
"I brought a couple of friends from school," said Naru. "This is Usagi and her brother Harusuke."
"Hi, Naru's Mom," said Usagi.
"Hello, Ms. Osaka," said Harusuke.
"Oh. How nice of you two to come," said Naru's Mom. "I apologize if it's a bit crowded, but please feel free to take your time to look around. And because you two are Naru's friends, I'll give you two a big discount."
"You mean it?! All right!" said Usagi excitedly.
"Now, hold on," said Harusuke raising his hand. "I don't think you should give me a discount, ma'am. I don't even have any interest in jewels."
"Now, I wouldn't be too sure about that," said Naru's Mom. "I'm sure a boy like yourself deserves some jewelry. I even have some jewels for handsome men like you."
"But-" Harusuke began to insist.
"Come on, Harusuke!" interrupted Usagi. "Let's at least check out some jewels! You might even find one you'll like. Pretty please?"
Usagi gave Harusuke a begging face like a puppy begging for a treat. Harusuke sighed. "Oh, all right. I suppose it can't hurt."
"Splendid!" said Naru's Mom.
They all went to a case, and Naru's Mom took out a beautiful diamond ring in a dark purple box.
"This ring is perfect for someone who loves diamonds," she said. "It normally costs five hundred thousand yen."
"Five hundred thousand?" breathed Usagi. "That's expensive."
"Yes, but I can give this to you for the low price of thirty thousand yen," said Naru's Mom.
Naru, Usagi, and Harusuke's eyes went wide in surprise. "Five hundred thousand for thirty thousand?!"
The moment they screamed those words, everyone in the store stopped what they were doing and looked at the three. Then the woman Harusuke had run into zipped right up to the counter, bumping the three off their feet. Then every girl in the store approached the counter to try to buy the diamond themselves. The three teens managed to squeeze their way out of the crowd.
"Geez," said Harusuke brushing off his uniform. "Note to self: Never come between a woman and jewelry."
"I know, right?" said Naru gasping for breath. "This is crazy."
"But you gotta admit it, it's a good deal," said Usagi. "I wanted it."
"Well... you can always ask your dad," suggested Naru.
"She can't exactly do that, Naru," said Harusuke. "Remember her English test?"
"Oh yeah. Right."
"And I spent all my allowance, too," said Usagi. "Unless a certain brother of mine is willing-"
"Don't even bother Usagi," interrupted Harusuke. "Even if I wanted to help pay for the ring, there's no way I could get it with a savage crowd like that, and I spent all of my allowances too."
Usagi's face drooped sadly.
"Oh well. There's always next time," said Naru.
"In any case, we better get going, Naru," said Harusuke. "Usagi and I will see you tomorrow."
"All right then," said Naru. "See you later. Good luck, Usagi."
Harusuke and Usagi then left the jewelry store. But they didn't know that something was going in the works courtesy of Jadeite. He and his monster Morga who had taken the disguise of Naru's mother, had taken over the store for their plan. Morga had enchanted the jewels to drain the energy and greed from the girls wearing them and sucking them dry little by little.
Jadeite was pleased as he collected the energy from the shadows while it became a white glowing sphere. "What foolish humans," he said as the ball of energy rested just above his hand. "They have not realized we're collecting their energy for our great ruler. Queen Beryl will be pleased. Continue Morga. Keep collecting more energy."
"With pleasure, Master Jadeite," the imposter wickedly smirked as she continued selling all her jewels.
As they walked back home, Usagi was back to being in a depressed mood. Harusuke wanted to help.
"It'll be OK, Usagi," he said. "Try to chin up."
"Oh, Harusuke. If only I had studied a little more," she sighed. Then she suddenly crumpled up the paper into a ball. "I hate you stupid dumb test!" She then threw it over her shoulder and stomped away.
"Hey! Don't do that!" cried Harusuke trying to chase after her.
Then they both heard a voice from behind them. "Hey! Watch where you're throwing things, bun-head!"
Harusuke and Usagi turned to see a casually dressed boy with black hair and sunglasses picking up the crumpled test that Usagi threw.
"Oh! I'm sorry-"
Usagi began apologizing, but then the young man smoothed Usagi's test and looked at it, making her yelp in shock. The man took one look at her test, and even he was irked by what he saw.
"Thirty percent? 'Looks to me that you need to study a little more bun-head," the young man said.
Harusuke couldn't help but snicker a little, and Usagi blushed bright red from the insult.
"Well, that's none of your business!" she snapped as she snatched back her test and marched away, but not before making a face by pulling her eyelid and sticking her tongue at him.
Harusuke then went up to the man and bowed politely. "Sorry about my sister's rudeness, sir," he said. "It won't happen again." After that, he caught up with his sister. "Usagi, that wasn't necessary, you know," he said. "You didn't have to be rude."
"But he started it!" complained Usagi. "He's the one that called be bun-head! That stupid jerk with his purple pleated pants!"
"Well, he wouldn't have had to if you hadn't thrown your test at him like that," said Harusuke flatly. "Honestly. You could be a little more mature."
"I don't need to with a weirdo like him," grumped Usagi.
As they resumed their walk, they passed the Game Center Crown arcade. Here was where Harusuke and Usagi went whenever they had free time. As they walked past, Usagi saw something that caught her eye. It was a poster of a superheroine with an outfit comprising a navy sailor uniform with a red bow, a blue scarf and skirt, white gloves with yellow trims, and blue high heels.
Usagi immediately brightened. "Hey, Harusuke. Look at this. They already made a Sailor V game!"
"I guess they did," said Harusuke. "It looks like it's already out too."
Usagi then gazed dreamily at the poster. "If only I could be like Sailor V," she sighed. "It must be nice being a superhero."
"Yeah, I get you," agreed Harusuke. "It would be awesome, but I'm sure it's not all it's cracked up to be. If I know superheroes, they have it as rough as we do, if not more."
"Yeah, I know, but still. At least when you're a superhero, you don't have to worry about failing a test," said Usagi sadly as she looked at her test.
"I know," said Harusuke patting her shoulder.
Usagi then began to cry like a baby. "Harusuke! I don't wanna show this to my parents!" she sobbed.
Harusuke then patted her head, trying to soothe her feelings. "It's OK, Usagi. It's OK. Don't cry."
Usagi dried her tears, still sniffling, and she and Harusuke then resumed walking home.
Unknown to them, someone was watching from the shadows behind a sign. A black cat with red eyes and a yellow crescent mark on her forehead stepped out while watching Usagi and Harusuke walk away.
"At last... I found you Usagi Tsukino, Harusuke Tsukino."
Soon enough, Harusuke and Usagi made it home.
"We're home!" they announced.
A young woman came to the door with dark violet hair and blue eyes and wore a pink, long-sleeved blouse with a blue skirt and a yellow apron. She was Ikuko Tsukino, the mother of Usagi and Harusuke.
"Welcome back, you two," Ikuko greeted. "You're both late today."
"Sorry about that, Mom," said Harusuke. "Usagi and I hung out with Naru today."
"Oh, by the way," said Ikuko. "I ran into Umino today, and he told me about your test scores and how he got a ninety-five."
"What?!" Usagi squawked. Then, she quickly collected herself, trying to stay calm. "That's... awesome... good for him..."
"Well, looks like her goose's cooked," Harusuke muttered.
"So, how did you two do?" asked Ikuko.
Usagi gulped, sweating a little while Harusuke showed his test to Ikuko.
"Here you go, Mom," he said. "I managed to get a ninety, but I don't think it's not that special."
"Of course it is Harusuke," said Ikuko patting his head. "Good job." She then turned to Usagi. "And how did you do, Usagi?"
"Um... uh...well... actually...you see..." stammered Usagi sounding like a broken record.
"May I see it?" asked Ikuko holding out her hand.
Usagi seeing that there was no way of avoiding the inevitable, handed her test to her Mom. Harusuke quickly stepped out of the way, bracing himself for the impending explosion.
"Here it comes... she's gonna blow..."
Ikuko took one look at her daughter's test, and the next minute, her sweet smile quickly turned into a scowl of hot anger.
"Uuuuussssaaaaaagiiiii!"
"Y-yes?" Usagi meekly squeaked as she stepped back.
"Stop bringing home grades like this!" Ikuko yelled. "Go outside and think about what you've done as punishment!"
And before Usagi could react, Ikuko had pushed her out of the house, slamming the door and locking it. Usagi fell flat on her bottom and, bursting into tears, flung herself at the door while pounding on it.
"Mom! Let me in!" she wailed.
"I don't want to hear it!" yelled Ikuko inside.
Then Shingo came home, and when he saw Usagi, he kicked her on the butt, making her yelp in pain.
"What do you think you're doing, stupid Usagi?" he mocked as he walked past her. "You're in the way. I wonder what huge dumb mistake you made that got you kicked out this time? Man, what a useless sister. I sure wish I had a better one. At least that's as good as Harusuke."
"How dare you talk to me that way!? I'm your sister!" Usagi snapped.
Shingo using a key unlocked the door. Before Usagi could even ask where he got the key, he made a face at her, sticking out his tongue and making her even madder.
"That's it! Now you're going to get it!" the ordango blonde snapped as she brought back her leg to kick him. Sailor V kick!"
But before she could hit her mark, Shingo quickly slammed the door, making Usagi hit it instead, making her screech in pain.
"You know that wasn't very nice, Shingo," Harusuke scolded.
"Oh, come on, Harusuke. She had it coming," said Shingo as he walked upstairs. "That's what she gets for being such a dummy."
Harusuke glared at Shingo's back before walking away. Then he turned to his Mom.
"Mom, don't you think this is a bit harsh?" he asked. "I get you're trying to discipline her, but..."
"Oh, don't worry so much about it, Harusuke," said Ikuko. "Besides, I'm just giving Usagi a dose of tough love, so she doesn't fail the next time. I'll let her back in soon enough."
"If you say so, Mom," said Harusuke doubtfully.
Back at the jewelry store, the enchanted jewels had finally taken their toll on the girls who bought them. At this point, they were so weak; they could hardly stand. Eventually, one by one, they fell to the floor unconscious.
Naru was the only one unaffected because she didn't have one herself. But she was confused as well as scared.
"What is this?" wondered Naru. "Everyone seems to be getting sick for some reason. Mom, do you know what's happening?"
Naru's mother gave a sinister chuckle in a voice that wasn't hers. "Yes... that should be enough energy for now," she said darkly.
"Mom... what are you talking about?" asked Naru, who had begun to tremble, "You're not making sense...and you're freaking me out."
At first, her mother didn't reply for a brief pause. Then, she slowly turned her head three-hundred and sixty degrees towards her like an owl. Naru then gasped with horror clasping her hands over her mouth, for her mother had a look on her face that she had never seen in her entire lifeāpure unadulterated evil.
Meanwhile, Harusuke had finished his homework and was now lounging around in his room, lying on his bed. As he lay there, he couldn't help but think about what had happened at the jewelry store.
"Man... I never thought I would almost get trampled on at a place like that," he thought. "Everyone sure was acting strange."
Then he thought about Usagi. He still felt sorry for her, especially after the recent "punishment" their Mom gave her and her bad day.
"I wonder how Usagi's doing?" he thought. "She must still be feeling quite miserable." He then sat up. "I'll go check on her to see how she's doing. I can cheer her up if she's still feeling bad."
He got up from his bed and headed for Usagi's room, not realizing what was in store for him and Usagi on this day.
After her mother finally allowed her back inside, Usagi collapsed on her bed in exhaustion.
"Thank goodness she finally let me back in," she said. "I didn't think it was possible, but I'm exhausted. Mom didn't have to get that upset at me, especially if it was over grades."
She turned to her side, letting out a small yawn. "I don't feel like doing my homework now, so I'll just take a quick nap."
She closed her eyes and soon was dozing happily after a few minutes. Just then, the window in her room opened, and a mysterious figure entered, jumping on her bed. The window then slammed shut, making Usagi open her eyes. She slowly looked up, wondering what was happening, and a cat was in front of her. She was black with ruby-red eyes and a yellow crescent moon mark on her forehead.
"You're that cat with the bald spot!" Usagi gasped.
"Hey, this isn't a bald spot," the cat said curtly. "Don't be rude."
Usagi stared at the feline. Then she jumped off the bed, quivering while staring with wide eyes. "Y-y-you can talk?!" she stammered. "How is that possible?! Cats can't talk!"
Then, there was a knock on the door, and Harusuke entered.
"Hey, Usagi. I wanted to stop by and check on you after your..." He then trailed off upon seeing Usagi and the cat. "What the... Usagi, why is there a cat in your room?
"Harusuke! Listen! I know this sounds crazy, but that cat over there just talked to me!" said Usagi pointing at the cat.
Harusuke stared at the cat and then at Usagi. Then he walked over to his sister and touched her forehead.
Usagi hastily brushed his hand away. "Hey! What are you doing?!"
"Just making sure you don't have a fever from standing outside the house for too long," said Harusuke.
"But I'm serious! That cat did talk!" insisted Usagi. "I heard her with my own two ears!"
"Suuuure it did," said Harusuke skeptically. He then went over to the cat and looked at her. "All right, Mr. Kitty Cat. Go on and say something."
"First of all, I'm a woman," said the cat. "Secondly, please don't call me that. You're acting ruder than she is right now."
Harusuke stared at the cat. Then he immediately jumped to his feet, backing into the wall. "Holy crap! That freaking cat just spoke to me!" he yelled, pointing.
"You see?! I told you so!" said Usagi.
The cat then cleared her throat. "Usagi, Harusuke, my name is Luna, and I've been looking for you two for quite a while now." She turned to Usagi. "First, I must thank you, Usagi. I appreciate for saving me from those kids earlier today."
"Usagi saved you? When did this happen?" asked Harusuke.
"It happened earlier this morning," said Luna. "Some kids were bullying me by putting a bandage on my head, blocking my ability to talk, and using my sensory powers. I thought I was a goner, but Usagi drove them off and removed the bandage. And it was because of her I managed to find you two."
Usagi put her head down, seeming like she was going to sleep. "Good night," she said.
"What do you think you're doing? I'm not a dream, you know!" frowned Luna as she placed her paws on Usagi's head, trying to shake her. "Come on, Usagi! Stop playing around! Harusuke, help me out here."
"Sorry, Luna or whatever your name is, but I'm starting to believe this is a dream, too," said Harusuke. "I mean, talking cats don't just show up out of the blue."
"So, neither of you believe me, huh?" huffed Luna. "All right then. Then I'll prove to you both it's not a dream!"
Her crescent moon mark began to glow, and then she jumped into the air performing a backflip, making a small trail of light go behind her. As she landed on the bed, the light swirled around, and two objects appeared in a flash of light. One was a small golden brooch, and the other was a golden bracelet.
"Think of these as gifts from me just for the two of you," said Luna.
Usagi looked up and opened one eye, and when she saw the brooch, her eyes sparkled in delight. "Oh wow! Just for me? Thank you so much!" she said.
Harusuke picked up the bracelet and inspected it. "Wow. What a strange-looking object," he said.
"Now listen, you two," continued Luna. "I need you both to listen to me very carefully. Strange things are happening here and..."
Then Luna stopped talking. Harusuke was giving her his utmost attention, but Usagi wasn't. Instead, she was busy admiring herself in the mirror while putting the brooch on her uniform's bow.
"Hey! Are you listening to me?!" Luna snapped.
Usagi wasn't. Luna then went to the mirror and stood before it, getting Usagi's attention.
"As I was saying, strange things are happening here in this town due to a powerful and dangerous enemy appearing, and even the police can't do anything to stop it," explained Luna. "You two are the only things that can stop this enemy." She paused impressively. "Harusuke. Usagi. You two of you are guardians chosen by destiny to undertake two missions. The first is to protect this world from the evil forces, and the second is to find all the other guardians and the princess."
"Oh wow! That sounds so cool!" said Usagi. "Just like Sailor V!"
Luna looked at Usagi deadpanning. "You still don't believe me at all, do you?"
"Well... can you blame her? I'm still having difficulty believing this," said Harusuke. "It sounds like something from an anime or something."
"Oh no! I believe her! I do! I do!" said Usagi shaking her head excitedly.
Luna sighed, deciding to roll with it while being unconvinced. "All right then. Now, you two repeat the words I'm about to say. Usagi, you're first. Say Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"
"OK!" Usagi spoke in a salute as she repeated those words. "MOON PRISM POWER, MAKE UP!"
Transformation Sequence: Usagi
Usagi's body shone with rainbow-colored light as she seemed to spin around. Then from her brooch, it flashed pink and pink ribbons shot out, wrapping her upper torso and midsection, and became a white leotard with a red bow in the center and a blue collar with white stripes. Next, Usagi crosses her arms as more pink ribbons cover them, turning into long white gloves. Then, the pink ribbons wrap around Usagi's legs and turn into red thigh-high boots. Then a blue skirt appears around Usagi's waist with a red bow in the back. Then a tiny gem starts glowing in the middle of Usagi's forehead, a gold tiara with a red gem, a pair of dangling crescent moon earrings, and a red choker with a moon on it appear along with red circular accents in her hair buns. Usagi then strikes her signature pose as the Moon shines behind her.
Harusuke's jaw dropped to the floor, and Usagi saw herself in the mirror. Both of them were deeply surprised by what had just happened.
"Usagi... you... you transformed!" cried Harusuke in bewilderment.
"N-no way!" cried Usagi as she looked at herself, a bit frantic. "What the heck is this?! Will someone tell me what's going on here?!"
Luna ignored Usagi's outburst and then turned to Harusuke.
"All right, Harusuke. Now you. Your words are a little different from Usagi's," the black cat said. "All you need to say is Solar Guardian Power, Flare Up!"
"Um...OK," said Harusuke doubtfully.
He raised his hand and was about to transform when he hesitated.
"Is something the matter?" asked Luna.
"Just one thing I gotta ask," said Harusuke. "I'm not gonna be transforming into or girl or anything like that, will I?"
Luna nearly fell off the dresser in surprise. "No! Of course not! Where on earth did you get that idea?!" she cried.
"Well, Usagi and I have seen a lot of shows, and some of them have characters that have that kinda thing happen to them and..." began Harusuke.
"Just do it already!" snapped Luna.
"All right, all right, all right! Don't bite my head off!" conceded Harusuke.
He raised his hand into a fist and repeated the words Luna taught him.
"SOLAR GUARDIAN POWER, FLARE UP!"
Transformation sequence: Harusuke.
Harusuke's bracelet begins to glow as Harusuke holds it in the air. Next, the symbol of the sun starts to shine on Harusuke's head as golden yellow and silver light envelop his body. First, the sun appears above him, shining its light upon him. Then, while Harusuke bathed in its light, a silver jumpsuit with gold lines on his hips formed around his body. After that, the light shone on his legs, and long golden metal boots that went up to his knees appeared on his legs with silver hexagon knee pads. Next, the light shone on his arms, and then golden gauntlets appeared on his hands going up to his wrists. Then a yellow symbol of the sun materializes in front of him, crashing into his chest, making a golden piece of armor appear with silver shoulder guards. Finally, a silver helmet covers his head, exposing his hair and making it stand up with a mouth guard covering his mouth and nose. Finally, Harusuke's eyes open, and he strikes his signature pose as the symbol of the sun appears behind him.
Now it was Usagi's turn to have her jaw drop. "N-No way! Harusuke's transformed too?!" she cried.
"Whoa, I did transform!" Harusuke gasped as he looked at himself. "I don't know if I should be freaked out or impressed by this."
"This is crazy!" said Usagi. "But will someone tell me why we're like this?! I'm freaking out here!"
Just then, Usagi and Harusuke heard a familiar female voice that seemed to have come from miles away.
"Someone, please help me!" it said. "Somebody, please help me! Help! No! Mom! Please stop it!"
Usagi and Harusuke knew who itwas.
"Usagi, did you hear that?" asked Harusuke.
"Yeah, it sounded like Naru!" said Usagi. "Just what the heck is going on?"
"Now, do you two finally believe me?" Luna asked, challenging the two.
"Well, I still don't know what's going on, but Naru seems to be in deep trouble," admitted Usagi.
"Yeah, and it sounded like the big kind," said Harusuke.
"Indeed, she is," said Luna. "Usagi, you have become Sailor Moon, and Harusuke, Solaris. Now the two of you must hurry and rescue your friend before it's too late!"
"Who? Us?" asked Usagi and Harusuke.
They looked at each other, still puzzled, but then they nodded, resolved and ready to save Naru.
Back at the jewelry store, Naru was in the clutches of her imposter of a mom. She had a firm hold of Naru's neck, threatening to suffocate her. Naru tried to break free, but she couldn't
"St-stop it, Mom," she choked out, trying to reason with her. "I... can't breathe..."
The imposter chuckled evilly. "I'm not your mother, you stupid, naive little girl."
And to prove it, she revealed her proper form. Her skin darkened and began to wither and thin, almost showing bone. An unknown scar appeared on her forehead, and her eyes became yellow with black scleras. Upon seeing this unsightly transformation, Naru gasped in shock and horror.
"I locked your pathetic mother in the basement, and when I'm done killing you, she'll be next on my list!" hissed Morga. "And then I'll send you both to the underworld!"
She tightened her grip harder, making Naru lose consciousness. It seemed she would die right then and there, but then the entrance doors swung open.
"Stop right there, you ugly beast!"
"And let Naru go!"
A pair of voices stopped Morga, causing her to turn her head around. She saw two figures standing in front of the sliding doors.
"And who the hell are you two?"
Usagi and Harusuke or Sailor Moon and Solaris hesitated, unsure how to respond, but Sailor Moon stepped forward.
"I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"
Solaris followed suit. "And I'm the knight with the brilliance of the sun and the courage of a warrior! I am Solaris! And in the name of the sun, with my rays, I'll scorch you!"
"Solaris and Sailor, what?" growled Morga, unimpressed as she turned her body around too. "Are those catchphrases supposed to scare me? Arise those who have given your energy to our great ruler! Arise and attack those two stupid brats!"
Suddenly, all the women who had fallen unconscious due to Morga's enchanted jewelry came to life. They stared at the two heroes blankly as they walked toward them, moaning and groaning like zombies, ready to rip them to shreds.
Sailor Moon stepped back, her confidence disappearing. "Oh no... now what are we supposed to do?" she whimpered.
"Sailor Moon! Get ready!" said Solaris while stepping in front of her. "We have no choice but to fight!"
The fat lady in pink then lunged at them first. Solaris and Sailor Moon immediately got out of the way to avoid being tackled. More brainwashed women came after them, and the two continued to dodge. A woman with an iron rod swung at Solaris, but he ducked out of the way and knocked the iron away. Another girl charged at Sailor Moon with a broken glass bottle. She managed to avoid it just in the nick of time, but she hit the wall and cut her knee. The cut wasn't that serious, but when Sailor Moon saw it, she began to panic.
"Oh no! I'm bleeding!" she cried. "This is bad!"
Luna suddenly appeared behind her. "Sailor Moon, what are you doing!?" the black feline cried. "You have to fight back and defeat that monster! Solaris can't do it on his own!"
"But... but I can't!" squeaked Sailor Moon, trembling slightly in fear and her eyes welling up in tears. "I don't wanna fight! I'm too scared! I wanna go home!"
Morga cackled, seeing Sailor Moon cowering and thinking it was the perfect time to strike; she gunned for Sailor Moon.
Solaris saw this and rushed over to help his sister. "You leave her alone!" he yelled. "You're not laying a finger on her!"
Then suddenly, a possessed woman grabbed Solaris' leg, and two more grabbed his arms. The Guardian of the Sun tried to break free, but the girls held him in place, preventing him.
"Damn it! Let go of me!" he yelled as he struggled.
Seeing Solaris wasn't in the way, Morga stretched her arm, extending her sharp nails and aiming right for Sailor Moon. "Time to finish you off, you sniveling brat!" she shrieked.
"Sailor Moon! Get out of there!" yelled Solaris.
Sailor Moon shut her eyes while letting out a terrified scream, but suddenly something like an arrow shot out, scratching Morga's arm, stopping her. Upon opening her eyes, Sailor Moon saw a red rose stuck to the ground beside her.
"Who did that?!" demanded Morga.
She, Solaris, and Sailor Moon looked above and saw someone on the windowsill. He was a young man wearing a tuxedo with a black cape lined with red billowing in the wind, a black top hat on his head, and white masquerade glasses.
"I am known as Tuxedo Mask," the man said. He turned to the frightened ordango. "Sailor Moon. Crying isn't going to solve your problems. You must face them head-on to defeat this evil creature!"
"Yeah... but... I can't help it..." whimpered Sailor Moon.
Right then and there, she began to cry, but as she did, the hairpieces in her hair began to glow, and her crying became a supersonic wave. The waves were so loud and intense that the entire building shook, and all the women fell unconscious, including those holding Solaris setting him free.
"Stop that hideous crying!" shrieked Morga while covering her ears.
"Solaris! Hold that monster place!" cried Luna. "Concentrate on your hand, aim it at that monster, and shout Solar Binding!"
The boy in gold clenched his hand into a fist, making it glow in bright light, brought it back, and thrust it forward. "SOLAR BINDING!"
A bright light shot out from his hand and split into two, wrapping around Morga like a lasso. Morga struggled to try and break free, but the light held her in place.
"Sailor Moon! Now's your chance!" Luna yelled. "Take off your tiara and throw it while yelling 'Moon Tiara Action!"
"But why do I have to do that?" sniffed Sailor Moon. "What's gonna happen?!"
"Just hurry up and do it!" yelled Luna. "Solaris can't hold Morga much longer, so just do it!"
Sailor Moon quickly stopped crying and plucked up courage. She then took off her tiara, and it transformed into a glowing white disc of energy. She took careful aim and took her shot.
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"
She threw the disc with all her strength making it zip through the air as it headed straight for Morga. The monster screamed in horror as it hit its mark, causing an explosion and disintegrating her into a pile of dust. Solaris and Sailor Moon then watched as the remains of Morga disappeared into thin air.
"Whoa... did... we do that?" whispered Sailor Moon.
"We did," said Solaris. "But... you landed the finishing blow. Well done, Sailor Moon."
"Solaris is right. You both did well."
Solaris and Sailor Moon then turned to Tuxedo Mask, still smiling proudly on the windowsill.
"This will be a night I won't soon forget," he continued. "Farewell."
And with a whip of his cape, he was gone.
Then Luna came up to the two heroes. "Well done, Solaris. And you too, Sailor Moon," she congratulated. "You both saved the day."
"Yeah. It was a little scary, but we did great," said Solaris. "Didn't we, Sailor Moon?"
Sailor Moon wasn't paying attention. Her eyes had turned into hearts as she stared at the window where Tuxedo Mask was. "He is so cute!" she said dreamily.
Solaris and Luna could only stare, not saying a word.
Back in the dark realm, the energy that Jadeite had been collecting from Morga suddenly disappeared in a burst of light, fading away.
"What is this?!" he exclaimed with shock. "Morga's been defeated?! The fool."
The next day at school, the school was abuzz with gossip and rumors.
"You won't believe this, but I had an incredible dream last night!" said Naru. "Two superheroes named Sailor Moon and Solaris saved us from some hideous monster."
"Are you kidding? Me too!" said a girl.
"So did I!" said another girl.
"Oh wow! Talk about weird!" said Naru. "What do you think, Usagi? Isn't that weird?"
Usagi didn't reply. Given what happened the other night, she had her face buried in her arms as she lay on her desk, taking a nap.
"Hey! Usagi, are you even listening?!" asked Naru.
Usagi opened a sleepy eye. "Could you guys keep it down? I'm trying to sleep here. I"m exhausted..."
"Hmph! Well then, maybe your brother would be more interested in this," huffed Naru. "Hey, Harusuke, don't you think-."
But when Naru tried to talk to Harusuke, she was surprised that he was lying on his desk too, trying not to dose off.
"Sorry, Naru, but could you keep it down?" mumbled Harusuke. "Usagi and I had a rough night, so we're trying to get some sleep before class starts."
Naru and the other students could only stare as both Tsukino siblings went back to sleep.
