Usagi was walking around in Downtown Juuban wearing casual clothes comprised of a blue long-sleeved top with a white skirt. It seemed to be a beautiful day as she walked around, but Usagi didn't seem to notice, for she was feeling glum.
"Here I am looking perfect on my day off, and yet the boys don't seem to notice," Usagi thought to herself sadly. "Seriously, what is wrong with them? Do they not care or are oblivious or something?"
She then continued, still feeling lonely, unaware that a boy was already following her, the boy being Seijuuro, who was looking for a chance to have Usagi all to himself.
"Today, for sure, Usagi Tsukino, I will steal your heart for my own," Seijuuro thought with a smile as he silently continued to pursue Usagi, making sure to keep her in his sights.
At the bookstore, Harusuke was looking through some manga books for Usagi.
"Now, let's see," Harusuke muttered to himself. "I think this is the manga that Usagi told me to check out."
While looking at the manga, he was unaware that someone was keeping an eye on him, peeking out from behind a book, so he didn't see her. It was none other than Natsumi.
"Today's the day," Natsumi thought to herself with a grin. "Today, I will finally steal Harusuke's heart for sure!"
Harusuke then placed the book back on its shelf and was just about to leave when Natsumi set hers down too, pretending to have just noticed him.
"Well, if it isn't Harusuke!" Natsumi gasped happily. "It's a surprise to see you!"
"Oh, hey there, Natsumi," Harusuke greeted back. "Nice to see you too."
Natsumi then went up to Harusuke, hugging him by his arm. "Isn't it a wonderful coincidence running into you here?" she giggled. "One might say it might be destiny!"
Harusuke could only stare at Natsumi as he smiled, feeling awkward.
Meanwhile, Seijuuro and Usagi were sitting at a table outside a cafe. Usagi was happily munching on a large crepe while Seijuuro watched, enjoying himself.
"Well, Usagi, I certainly didn't expect to run into you here," Seijuuro said. "What a surprise."
"Me neither," Usagi agreed between bites.
"Just being able to spot you among all these other people is almost a true miracle," Seijuuro went on.
"It sure is," agreed Usagi, as she took another bite from her crepe.
At that moment, the two heard a pair of familiar voices.
"Come on, Natsumi! Let go of me already! I told you, I ain't interested!"
"Oh, don't be like that, Harusuke dear! On the other hand, you're so cute when you get upset with me!"
Seijuuro and Usagi looked up, and the two of them were surprised to see Natsumi and Seijuuro just in front of them, Natsumi still clinging to Harusuke's arm.
"Harusuke?!" Usagi mumbled, still having food in her mouth.
"And Natsumi too!" Seijuuro gasped, shooting to his feet.
Harusuke and Natsumi saw the two and were equally surprised to see them.
"What the...! It's Usagi!" gasped Harusuke.
"And my brother too," Natsumi spoke, frowning especially at Seijuuro. "Are you are on a date with Tsukino?! Didn't you tell me that you were going to the library?!"
"And didn't you say that you were going to a friend's place to study?!" Seijuuro shot back, pointing.
Natsumi's face then flushed pink, unable to think of a comeback or an excuse. She then turned away with started walking away with a huff. "I don't have time for this! I'm going home!"
"Not so fast, Natsumi! Get back here!" protested Seijuuro as he took off after her.
The Tsukino siblings watched as the Gingo siblings walked away, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"What was all that about?" Usagi asked Harusuke.
"I've got no idea," replied Harusuke. "But what are you doing with Seijuuro? You know that he's trying to steal your heart, right?"
"I know that, but it was his treat," said Usagi with a grin as she munched on her crepe again. "I'm not going to turn down free food."
"Only you, of all people, would go out with a guy just to get food," Harusuke sighed. "Whatever happened to not accepting food from strangers?"
Later that evening, in the dimension with the Makai Tree, An and Ail were witnessing a starling and troubling sight. The Makai Tree's leaves were raining everywhere, all of which were withered and dry, which was a sure sign that it was getting worse.
"Why... is this happening so suddenly?!" An gasped.
"I don't know..." Ail replied. "It's bizarre."
"It must be reacting this way because you were chasing after Tsukino," An huffed.
"Look who's talking!" Ail shot back. "You've been doing your fair share of chasing of that damned Harusuke!"
An then sighed with annoyance. "Never mind that. You know what happens when the Makai Tree wilts and dies," she said. "We'll no longer be able to receive energy from it and die too!"
"I'm well aware of that," said Ail. "It seems that we have no choice but to supply it with energy, and it has to be a large amount."
The next afternoon, Usagi and Harusuke were once again in town. They happened to come across a large sign that read; PRETTY GUARDIAN SAILOR MOON SHOW: IN THE NAME OF THE MOON, I'LL PUNISH YOU!
Usagi couldn't help but be excited as well as amazed. "This is awesome! They're doing a Sailor Moon Show!" she gushed in delight. "I'm a superstar!"
"It's probably just some kind of stand-up comedy routine," Luna spoke flatly. "Hopefully, they were able to find a good lazy goofball to play the part."
Usagi growled and glared at Luna in anger, feeling insulted, but the black cat looked away, not caring.
"Now, Luna. Be nice to Usagi," soothed Harusuke. "Even you have to admit; this is kind of cool. Truthfully, I'm hoping there's a Solaris in this little show. Why don't we go check it out?"
"Yeah! Let's!" Usagi spoke eagerly as she and Harusuke headed for the building where the show was taking place.
The Sailor Moon show was already well underway. The actors on stage were all dressed up as Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, Jadeite, Morga, and even Luna were putting on a brilliant show, and the audience enjoyed it enormously. Among them were Umino and Naru, who were enjoying themselves as well.
"I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice!" proclaimed the pretend Sailor Moon. "And in the name of the moon..."
"I'll punish you!" finished the audience.
"Sailor Moon sure has become famous, hasn't she?" commented Umino.
"She sure has," concurred Naru. "To be honest, I've never imagined she'd become this popular with the people. We should be proud to have met her and the other Guardians."
Then, a shadow cast over them, causing everyone to look up, curious what was causing it. It was a strange being, sitting on top of a pink flower of sorts, wearing a yellow robe, and appeared human; however, it had six arms and four faces, each showing an expression. Normal, angry, sad, and silly.
"What is that thing?" wondered Naru. "Is it a part of the show?"
"I don't know, but it sure looks weird," said Umino.
The audience and the actors didn't know either. They didn't realize that the creature was another Cardian, preparing to drain their energy.
The Cardian waved all six of her arms forward and unleashed a blizzard of large petals. Each one floated over to a person, audience, or actor, attached to themselves to anywhere on their body, and began to drain their energy at a rapid pace gathering it into a single pink orb at the end of the stem. The people screamed in terror and tried to get away, but the petals continued to drain their energy until, one by one, unable to fight back, they all fell to the ground unconscious until there was no one left standing. The Cardian, feeling pleased that it completed its mission, disappeared into the air, taking the energy it stole with it.
At that time, Usagi, Harusuke, and Luna rushed onto the scene. They were shocked when they saw all the unconscious bodies.
"Wh-what is all of this?!" gasped Usagi.
"Everyone's unconscious!" Harusuke spoke. "What the heck happened here?!"
Luna then went over to an unconscious man and checked him over. "All of them have had their energy taken!" she cried. "And this time, every bit of it has been taken from their bodies!"
"You're kidding me!" Harusuke spoke with disbelief. "That's never happened before! No doubt a Cardian's got to be behind this!"
Usagi then noticed two familiar faces among the unconscious. "Oh, man! Naru and Umino got drained again too!"
"We've got to get these guys some medical attention!" Harusuke said. "Usagi, call an ambulance! Quickly!"
Back in the dimension of the Makai Tree, the Cardian returned and was floating all around the tree, sprinkling the energy it stole all over it. Ail and An were hopeful that it would be enough to revive their precious tree somewhat, but to their confusion, the Makai Tree didn't react at all. Not a single leaf or blossom sprung back to life.
"I don't get it. There's no reaction," said Ail. "Something's different than before. Which could only mean one thing."
"And what's that?" asked An worriedly.
Ail then turned grimly at An. "It means that the Makai Tree is unable to adapt to the Earth's environment."
An gasped with horror. "No! It can't be! Isn't there something we can do?!"
"I don't know, An," Ail spoke, clenching his fists. "I don't know."
The next day, Usagi, Makoto, and Ami walked towards Natsumi and Seijuuro's apartments. You see, the Ginga siblings, along with Umino and Naru, were absent at school, and being the kind and caring girl Usagi was, she wanted to check on the two to make sure they were OK. However, she didn't want to go all by herself, so naturally, she brought along the others so she wouldn't be alone. But there was one person who wasn't so keen on seeing the Gingo siblings, the person being Makoto.
"I don't understand. Why do we have to go along with you to check up on those two?" the tall brunette asked.
"Oh, lighten up, Makoto. I asked you because that's what friends do," Usagi said brightly. "And friends walk together to check up on people."
"So, are Umino and Naru doing?" wondered Ami. "Are they alright?"
"Last time I checked, they're both still feeling drained due to having their energy taken," said Usagi. "So naturally, it's going to take them quite a bit of time to recover."
"I just can't believe that the enemy attacked those two along with the other people that were at that show," said Ami. "Ail and An have certainly changed tactics by attacking in such a way."
"I guess so," said Usagi.
The three soon came up to the complex where Natsumi and Seijuuro lived, known as the Juban Odysseia. They couldn't help but gaze up at it, feeling amazed at it being so tall and fancy. They then walked inside the building and eventually made it to Seijuuro and Natsumi's room.
Usagi then rang the doorbell. "Hello? Is anyone home?" she called.
At that moment, the door opened, and Seijuuro and Natsumi appeared in the doorway. The two were wearing matching clothing, having long-sleeved purple button-downs, while their bottoms were white, Natsumi's a skirt and Seijuuro's pants.
Seijuuro was delighted and surprised, while Natsumi wasn't so keen to see them.
"Oh! Usagi! What a pleasant surprise!" Seijuuro said.
Usagi then looked at their outfits and was a bit surprised. "Oh, you two have matching outfits?! That's so cute!" she said. "But.. isn't that weird? I mean, isn't that something that a couple would do?"
"It is," said Makoto. "That's weird for a brother and sister."
"You think so? Well, we both lost our parents back when we were little," Seijuuro explained. "So, I guess you could say that we're a little closer than most siblings."
"I suppose that makes sense," said Usagi.
"So, what are you all doing here?" Natsumi rudely demanded. "It's rude to drop by unannounced, you know."
"Hey, check the attitude, Missy," Makoto shot back. "Usagi wanted to come here because she was worried about the two of you, though I don't know why."
"Hey, Mako. Take it easy," chided Ami.
"Well, it's irritating!" Makoto complained. "Usagi's only trying to do a good deed."
"Well, since you've come all this way, why don't you come inside and have some tea?" offered Seijuuro.
"Now, hold on, Brother!" protested Natsumi.
But Seijuuro didn't listen to Natsumi as he led the girls inside, much to her annoyance. Just then, as the girls walked inside, Seijuuro began to feel a strange feeling in his chest. It wasn't terrible or painful; it was more than a warm and pleasant feeling.
"What is this strange sensation?" Seijuuro thought. "It feels warm..."
However, he decided not to worry about it and went into the kitchen to make the tea. As he did, the girls all sat on the couches waiting for the tea to be ready. At first, the four sat in silence, the air feeling awkward until, at last, Usagi spoke up.
"So... why did you stay home from school, Natsumi?" the ordango blonde asked. "Are you sick or something?"
"My personal life is none of your business," Natsumi spoke.
"I understand that, but we're asking because we were worried about you," said Usagi. "Harusuke was even wondering where you were."
Now Natsumi was puzzled. "Worried about me? Why would you be?"
"Why? Because we're friends, of course," replied Usagi. "I couldn't help but start thinking; maybe she's had an accident or hurt herself. Or maybe she's got a rare disease or something. Those are the kind of things I worry about when I get like that."
"It's what friends do," added Makoto, who had her head turned, not making eye contact.
"And if you miss school, you're sure to fall behind on your studies," chimed in Ami kindly.
Now Natsumi was even more confused and even a bit annoyed. "I don't understand this at all. So what if I do? Whatever happens to my life is not any of your concerns. It's my business."
Makoto then stood up, clearly angry and fed up with Natsumi. "OK, I've had enough of this!" she spoke crossly. "Let's go home."
But then Usagi, being the curious girl that she was, happened to walk up to one of the doors close by in the room, which led to the space of the Makai Tree and pushed a few buttons wanting to see what was in there, the door slowly beginning to open.
"Hey! This door is automatic!" Usagi gushed. "Say, is this your room, Natsumi?"
Seeing Usagi by the door, Natsumi immediately shot up to her feet, trying to stop her. But then Seijuuro suddenly appeared quickly, pushing the button on the keypad making the door shut itself.
"Sorry, but you can't go in there," Seijuuro said. "It's a bit too messy in there. Trust me; you don't want to see it."
"Then you should ask Mako to help you clean it," suggested Usagi. "She's a wonderful housekeeper and is great at cleaning. Aren't you, Mako?"
There was a long silence, no one not wanting to say a word. Natsumi then grabbed Usagi's schoolbag and held it up to her.
"No, thank you. I can't take any more of you trying to butt into our lives!" Natsumi snapped. "So, if you don't mind, would you please leave?!"
Usagi hesitantly took her bag while feeling a bit sad. Makoto, however, wasted no time heading towards the front door, as did Ami.
"Come on, Usagi. It's pretty clear that we're not wanted here," Makoto said. "Let's go."
Usagi politely bowed to Seijuuro and Natsumi and then left with Ami and Makoto.
"But Usagi, what about your tea?" called out Seijuuro.
"Maybe another time," Usagi said with a wave as she left.
As the door shut behind them, Seijuuro went to the kitchen to put away the cups of tea he planned to serve, then he went out on the balcony and watched as Usagi and the others walked home. Seijuuro was still wondering about that feeling he was experiencing in his heart, but he couldn't place what it was. Natsumi and then joined him soon after.
"How kind of you to see them off to make sure they get home safely, Ail," Natsumi commented sarcastically.
"An, do you feel a warm feeling in your heart for some reason?" asked Seijuuro.
"What are you talking about?" wondered Natsumi.
"I'm... not sure," said Seijuuro. "I've never experienced this feeling before."
Natsumi glanced over at Seijuuro, wondering what he was talking about, as the boy stared at the setting sun, signaling the end of the day.
The next day in the Tsukino household, Luna awoke to the sound of Usagi's alarm clock. She sleepily opened one eye, and she sleepily sat up, getting ready to wake up Usagi so that she wouldn't be late.
"Time to wake up, Usagi," the black cat yawned. "Come on."
But as she got up, Luna was surprised to see that Usagi wasn't in her bed. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. The door then opened, and Harusuke's face peered inside.
"Usagi, time to get up," Harusuke spoke. "I'm not about to take no for an-" Then he saw that Usagi's bed was empty and was surprised. "Wait a minute. Usagi? Where is she? Have you seen her, Luna?"
"I don't know," Luna replied. "I just woke up, and I found her bed like this. It certainly is strange."
"She must have left earlier. I wonder where she could have gone," Harusuke pondered. "I don't think it's because she wanted to be early for school, so..."
Then he realized, and a smile tugged at his cheeks.
"No... she couldn't have. There's no way..."
Usagi was again at Natsumi and Seijuuro's apartment to pick Natsumi up for school. However, she was met with a cross and annoyed Natsumi when she appeared in the doorway, seeing her.
"What are you doing here so early in the morning?!" Natsumi barked. "You're being a real pain!"
"Listen, Natsumi. I'm not up for getting up early, and I understand you want to skip school, but we have to go," Usagi insisted. "Besides, the last thing you want to do is make Ms. Haruna angry."
Seijuuro appeared still wearing his pajamas while holding his toothbrush and a cup. "Usagi, you came to see me again?!" he gasped happily. "Didn't expect you to come back so soon!"
"Well... actually, Seijuuro, I was here to get Natsumi," Usagi pointed out. "But it's nice to see you too."
"Brother, please don't try to tell me that she's not annoying," Natsumi complained. "Tell her that she needs to leave!"
"Well, she did come all this way," said Seijuuro. "So why don't we invite her in for some cake and pork buns?"
Usagi immediately dashed inside. "Thanks a lot! I love cake and pork buns!" she said eagerly.
Natsumi could only groan in exasperation as Seijuuro went back to the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth, got dressed, and was now prepping the tea and food for Usagi in the kitchen, only for Natsumi to be waiting for him.
"What did you say that?!" she whispered, demanding. "Why didn't you tell her to leave!"
"I... don't know why myself," Seijuuro whispered back. "It just... seemed like the right thing to do at the time."
"You've been acting strange lately, Ail," Natsumi went on. "You sure you're not right in the head?"
Back in the living room, Usagi had her eyes set on something that had her curiosity peaking; the door that led to the space of the Makai Tree.
A part of her knew that she should stay away from the door, as Seijuuro told her, but at the same time, she was desperate to know what exactly was behind it.
"Yesterday, Seijuuro said not to go inside, but I can't help but wonder what exactly is behind it," Usagi thought to herself. "I know I shouldn't... but I want to know! Sometimes I can be a bad girl!"
Finally, her curiosity winning over her sense of reason, Usagi walked up to the door and pushed the button. The door slowly opened wide, and Usagi peered inside. It was very dark and quiet. Usagi squinted her eyes, trying to see, but she could see nothing but the dark void.
Then suddenly, the room was illuminated by a bright light, causing the blonde to shield her eyes immediately. The Makai Tree in the room immediately saw its new prey and stretched its branches right at Usagi, taking hold of her shoulders and hair. Usagi let a scream of fright and terror as she struggled to break free. At that moment, Seijuuro and Natsumi rushed on over, having to have heard Usagi. Taking acting quickly, Seijuuro slammed the button, thus forcing the door to close and the tree branches to let go of Usagi, saving her.
Usagi fell on her fours, feeling very shaken as Seijuuro and Natsumi rushed over.
"Usagi, are you alright?!" Seijuuro asked worriedly. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"What is in that room?!" Usagi gasped. "What was that thing?!"
Seijuuro realizing that Usagi had seen the Makai Tree, quickly came up with a lie. "Oh, nothing! It was just an experiment I was conducting!"
"What kind of experiment?" wondered Usagi fearfully and doubtfully.
"Well... let's just say that it concerns Astro-botany," replied Seijuuro. "You know, space plants?"
Usagi's fear then dissipated, feeling impressed. "Wow... space plants. That sounds so cool."
"What were you thinking, going in there?!" Natsumi burst out. "You had no right to go into our room without asking! You're so rude!"
Usagi felt bad. "I-I'm sorry," she apologized meekly.
"Anyway, I'm not going to school today," went on Natsumi. "So you can go on without me."
Usagi timidly nodded and left. Once again, Seijuuro had to clean up the kitchen, feeling relieved Usagi got so easily convinced. After he finished, he went out to the balcony again to see Usagi walking away below. Usagi happened to look back, and when she saw Seijuuro, she gave a friendly wave.
"Be sure you both come to school tomorrow, OK?" Usagi called out.
Seijuuro answered with a wave back, but as he did, he began to get that warm feeling in his chest again, which made him feel a bit frightened.
"There's that feeling again... That warm feeling around my heart..." Seijuuro thought. "But what could it be?"
A little while later, Seijuuro and Natsumi were checking over the Makai Tree feeling worried that Usagi had caused some damage to it. It looked the same but had one surprising difference. A small bud was beginning to bloom just on top of one of the large branches, much to Natsumi and Seijuuro's surprise.
"What do you think about this, Ail?" asked Natsumi.
"I don't know. Perhaps the energy is finally starting to have an effect," suggested Seijuuro.
"But hadn't started growing until just now," said Natsumi. "And it was right around the time it grabbed Tsukino. So taking Tsukino's energy must have caused it to grow." A slight smirk then tugged at her lips. "If we can squeeze every last drop of energy from her, that might be enough to revitalize the Makai Tree!"
Seijuuro looked at Natsumi, a bit surprised. "Natsumi, wait a minute! While I'm not against the idea if it works, there's something that I want to try first." He then looked behind him, gazing particularly at the Makai Tree. "Yamandakka! Come!"
At his call, the Cardian that caused the previous incident at the Sailor Moon show appeared from above, ready to serve her masters.
"Now, Give all your energy to that sapling," commanded Seijuuro. "Help it grow."
"Why have her do that?" puzzled Natsumi worriedly. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"If we can make the sapling grow, then we'll have a brand new Makai Tree," explained Seijuuro. "It'll be green and full of life, and our problems will be over."
The Cardian then floated over to the sapling, making her hand hover over it, and started doing just that, while Natsumi and Seijuuro watched with anticipation, hoping that it would work. But then, the sapling immediately began to wither and died within seconds, much to Seijuuro and Natsumi's shock and disappointment.
"There goes our one good sapling!" Natsumi groaned. "Now what?"
Then suddenly, there was a strange and loud noise that sounded like a demonic groan of agony that caused Seijuuro and Natsumi to jump.
"What was that?!" Natsumi gasped. "Did the Makai Tree make that sound?!"
Seijuuro didn't answer for a brief pause; then, a mirthless smile appeared on his features. "We must have been hearing things," he said. "Trees don't talk."
But Natsumi was still feeling worried as she continued to look towards the Makai Tree, feeling curious. "Say, Ail, just what is the Makai Tree?" she wondered. "I mean, what kind of tree is it exactly?"
"Why would you be asking that when you already know?" replied Seijuuro incredulously. "The tree is our life source, having the ability to store energy, and been passed down from our ancestors. It also can distill the prime energy best suited for our bodies."
"Yes, but is that all there is?" wondered Natsumi as she gazed up at the tree. "Is that all we know about it?"
"Yes, I believe that's it, Seijuuro replied as he continued to gaze up at the tree too.
Later that afternoon, at Juuban Middle, Usagi, Harusuke, Makoto, and Ami met up for lunch sitting under a tree. Naturally, Harusuke wanted to know where Usagi was that morning, despite somewhat already knowing, so Usagi ended up telling everyone where she was.
"You've got to be kidding; you went over there again all by yourself?" Makoto asked, surprised.
"That took a lot of courage, Usagi," commented Ami. "Color me impressed."
"I had a feeling that was where you were," Harusuke chuckled. "Sometimes I feel like you're too kind for your own good, Usagi. But next time, try to take me with you, so Luna and I won't have to worry."
"Whatever you say, Bro," Usagi smiled. "Sorry I didn't tell you guys."
Then Ami gasped, for she had noticed something that made her gasp. "Usagi! There's something on top of your head!" she squeaked.
Taking acting quickly, Harusuke saw what was in Usagi's hair and immediately swatted it away with a stick. As it landed on the ground, the four then inspected it, wondering what it was. It appeared to be a strange twig. At first, it seemed like an ordinary twig, but then much to their surprise, the twig started to move, causing all the girls to squeal and jump, and even Harusuke reel back.
"What is that thing?!" yelped Makoto.
"Whatever it is, it sure is creepy!" commented Ami.
"No kidding!" agreed Harusuke.
A little while after, Luna and Artemis received the twig for inspection, and everyone all soon met up at the Hikawa Shrine, so the two cats could provide them with an update. They also kept the twig in a tall glass beaker, just in case it tried to escape.
"So, Luna, did you find out anything?" asked Ami.
"Yes, we did," Luna said, frowning grimly. "We discovered that this twig has a very terrible secret." She then turned towards her white cat partner. "Go on, and show them Artemis."
Artemis immediately cringed. "S-Seriously?! Why do I have to do it?" he yelped. "I don't want to!"
"Just do it, Artemis!" Luna snapped. "Hurry up!"
Artemis then conceded and reached inside of the beaker with a trembling paw to touch the twig. Then suddenly, just as he was close enough to it, the twig pounced, wrapping around it tightly, causing the cat to let out a yowl with fright startling everyone. The white cat shook his paw, desperately trying to get it off, until with one final shake, the twig landed back inside the beaker, still moving around. Luna then looked at the Guardians.
"Do you understand now?" the black cat asked.
"Not at all," responded Usagi.
"I think it's pretty much obvious just by looking at how it acted," Ami said. "It steals energy, doesn't it?"
"Exactly," replied Luna.
"How on Earth did you manage to get that stuck to your head, Usagi?!" Makoto asked in bewilderment.
"And to add to that, you were walking around with that thing on, all this time?!" gasped Harusuke. "How the heck did you not notice that?!"
Usagi could only look at the twig, disgusted and creeped out.
"That's nothing compared to what we found out after studying it," went on Artemis. "What Luna and I have discovered is almost unbelievable! Do you want to know?"
"Then cut the suspense and tell us, Artemis!" Minako said impatiently. "Of course, we want to know!"
Artemis then told them. "This is a small branch from something called the Makai Tree."
"The Makai Tree?" repeated the Guardians.
"What the heck is that?" wondered Harusuke. "I'm assuming that it's some kind of alien tree?"
"It's a mysterious energy-sucking tree that grows in outer space," explained Luna. "However, that's all we know about it at the moment. No one even knows what its true purpose is."
"But why would something that dangerous be at Natsumi and Seijuuro's apartment in the first place?" wondered Rei.
"Seijuuro said he was doing some special experimental botany project," said Usagi. "Which means this thing must be a plant."
"Oh, come on, Usagi! How can you be so dense?!" Rei snapped. "You still don't get it, do you?!"
"It means that this branch came from a Makai Tree that might be in their apartment," Luna sighed.
"And a normal person wouldn't keep something like that in their collection," Minako pointed out suspiciously.
"Wh-what are you trying to say?" asked Usagi nervously.
"It means that those two are suspicious!" Rei said.
"If this is true, then those two may be the ones responsible for those series of events," Artemis said. "Not to mention those Cardians as well!"
"Then if that's the case..." Harusuke spoke in realization. "The Ginga siblings are Ail and An!"
Usagi looked at her brother in disbelief, not believing her ears.
It was now evening, and Usagi stood outside the Ginga's apartment, still having difficulty believing that they were her enemies. One part of her refused to believe it because they were her friends, but another couldn't help but feel that it was true. So, she decided to investigate and see the proof that she needed.
At that moment, Harusuke and Luna came up to her, having to have been following her.
"Hey, Usagi. You're not planning to go in there, are you?" Harusuke demanded.
"It's way too risky to go in on your own," added Luna.
"But I'm still can't believe that Natsumi and Seijuuro are Ail and An," Usagi protested. "It just doesn't make any sense!"
"I know it doesn't, Usagi, but you've got to face facts," Harusuke said gently. "I understand how you feel about them, but-"
"No, you don't!" interrupted Usagi. "I'm going there again to take a look around and see for myself."
She was about to take off running when Luna suddenly burst out yelling.
"All by yourself?!" snapped Luna. "If you do that, it'll be dangerous!"
Usagi then stopped, hesitating. Then she looked back toward Harusuke and Luna, feeling a bit sheepish.
"Well... maybe I should go on another day," she squeaked meekly.
Luna and Harusuke groaned in exasperation, feeling annoyed. Just then, Mamoru came along, holding a bouquet in his hand.
"Hey, Bun-head! Harusuke! How's it going?" Mamoru greeted.
"Hey there, Mamoru," greeted back Harusuke. "Where are you off to with those flowers?"
Mamoru then pointed to the Ginga sibling's apartment. "I'm heading up there. I heard that Natsumi hasn't been feeling well and has been staying home from school."
"That's not true at all!" Usagi cried indignantly. "I don't know what you heard, but Natsumi's faking it! Why would you even be thinking about her in the first place?!"
Mamoru was surprised by her outburst and Harusuke, but Mamoru quickly brushed it off, explaining.
"Well, it's because she was a bit help to that "Snow White" play," Mamoru said. "So I figured this would be a good way to thank her."
He then walked past the Tsukino siblings and went on his way.
"Wait a minute, Mamoru!" Usagi cried. "Natsumi has a Makai Tree inside of her apartment! It'll take away your energy if you're not careful!"
"Usagi! What the hell are you saying?!" Harusuke harshly whispered, trying to cover her mouth. "Don't go telling him stuff like that?!"
But Mamoru didn't believe them as he looked back. "An evil tree? NOw I've heard everything," he chuckled as he continued to walk.
Not wanting Mamoru to go there herself, Usagi immediately broke free from Harusuke's grip and raced after him.
"Mamoru! Wait! I'm being serious!" Usagi cried.
"Usagi! Wait! Come back!" Luna cried.
But it was no use. Usagi was already gone.
"Luna, go get the other Guardians," ordered Harusuke. "I'll go with Usagi and make sure she and Mamoru are safe."
And before Luna could protest, Harusuke had raced away too, following them in hot pursuit.
Mamoru soon arrived at the front door and was greeted by Natsumi. He then handed her the flowers, much to her surprise.
"You came all this way just to check up on me?" Natsumi asked incredulously. "Wh-Why would you do that?"
Mamoru smiled. "Well, friends worry when their friends get sick," he said. "And I just wanted to see if you were alright."
At that moment, Usagi and Harusuke appeared in the doorway next to Mamoru. When Natsumi saw them, she was surprised, particularly at seeing Harusuke.
"H-harusuke?! What are you doing here?" she asked, her cheeks flushed a bit. "Did you come here to see me too?"
"Uh, well, yes! Of course, I did!" Harusuke lied. "Usagi wanted me to come along to see how you were doing because... I was worried about you too."
Natsumi's eyes then sparkled as she felt a warm feeling in her heart too.
"What is this feeling I have around my heart?" she wondered. "I'm not sure what it is, but... it's strange."
"Well, in any case, it's great to see you all here," Natsumi said happily. "Since you're all here, why don't you please come in and stay awhile?"
Usagi and Harusuke planned to decline at first, but then Seijuuro appeared.
"Oh, Usagi! You're here again!" Seijuuro greeted. "Why don't you stay for tea? I still have those meat buns and cake from last time."
Usagi's mouth immediately began to drool. "Sure! I'd love some of that!"
Harusuke then rolled his eyes, sighing. "Of course, Usagi's going to be swayed by sweets. But on the other hand, at least Natsumi's in a better mood. Maybe this could be the perfect opportunity to see that room Usagi went in. If the Makai Tree's really in here, we'll be sure to find it."
The five of them were now sitting at the couches enjoying their tea, Usagi munching away happily on the cakes Seijuuro presented. On the other hand, Natsumi had her eyes intently focused on Usagi, concocting a plan.
"I have to try getting Tsukino alone with the Makai Tree," Natsumi thought to herself. "But how?"
Natsumi's chance soon came as Mamoru took a look at the balcony outside.
"Wow, the view from up here sure is beautiful," Mamoru said. "I've never seen anything like this before."
"If you think that beautiful, just go ahead and stand outside," Natsumi grinned. "Say, Brother, would you mind showing Mamoru and Harusuke?"
"Oh, no. It's OK," Harusuke declined. "I mean, I'm satisfied with seeing the view from here."
"But I insist, Harusuke. The view's spectacular," Natsumi insisted back. "Besides, there's something that I wanted to talk to Tsukino about. Something that's - well - girl to girl, and I don't want anyone else to hear."
Harusuke raised a brow, feeling skeptical, but then Mamoru cut in.
"I think that you should listen to her, Harusuke," Mamoru whispered. "Besides, it's rude for a boy to be listening in on a girl-to-girl conversation."
Harusuke then sighed, still feeling a bit hesitant but conceded. "Alright. You win."
The boys then got up, standing outside on the balcony, leaving Natsumi and Usagi alone, much to Natsumi's delight.
"Now's my chance," Natsumi smirked to herself, turning towards Usagi as she was about to start munching on some cake. "Say, Tsukino? There's something that I want to show you. I know that you were interested in that room you wanted to see the day before."
Usagi stopped curiously, looking up at the girl, and then looked towards the door of the Makai Tree, causing her to get nervous immediately.
"What should I do? I know I want to go inside there to find proof, but it's way too dangerous for me!" Usagi thought fearfully. "Plus, I don't want to leave all these tasty sweets behind!"
"The truth is... I'm scared stiff by that thing in there!" Natsumi went on feigning fear. "We're getting threatened by something behind that door, and it's terrifying."
Usagi gulped. "S-Something t-terrifying?"
"Yes, and it's been living in that room," Natsumi said. "But right now, it's fast asleep, so it's safe to go in. So let's go check it out."
Before Usagi could protest, Natsumi had already pulled her to her feet, dragging her in front of the door. Usagi now felt more frightened than ever.
"Um, maybe we should do this another time?" Usagi squeaked nervously. "I mean, can't we just eat some more cake?"
"Nonsense. Now is a perfect time," Natsumi ominously spoke as she pushed the button, opening the doors.
Natsumi gave Usagi a hard shove no sooner than they opened, pushing her inside the Makai Tree's room and knocking her to the floor.
"Yamandakka! Make sure that this girl doesn't get away!" Natsumi yelled.
Usagi looked back in disbelief in time to see the doors close in front of her, making the room pitch black. At that moment, Yamandakka pounced using her six arms to grasp firmly around Usagi's twin-tails, her hands, and her ankles beginning to drain her energy, causing the girl to shriek in agony as well as fright.
Then suddenly, the Makai Tree began to glow in bright light, and not only that, it spoke.
"I can't take it anymore!" the Makai Tree yelled in a demonic voice. "Enough of this! Enough! Enough! ENOUGH!"
Yamandakka was shocked, as was Usagi, but there was worse to come. The ground suddenly began to tremble and shake as the Makai Tree's glow grew brighter and brighter, its roots starting to grow wildly, ripping the floor and even shooting out of its leaves as it continued to run rampant.
The shaking could be felt throughout the apartment, even reaching as far as the balcony. The boys immediately rushed inside, wondering what the commotion was.
"What's happening?!" cried Seijuuro.
"What's going on in there?!" Mamoru demanded.
"Where's Usagi?!" Harusuke yelled. "Usagi?!"
Then everything seemed to happen at once, for at that moment, the roots from the Makai Tree exploded through everything in the apartment, ripping apart the walls and the ceiling destroying the entire top of the complex.
"What's going on?!" Natsumi cried. "This wasn't supposed to happen!"
Then among the frenzied roots of the tree, everyone heard a voice that shrieked with fear.
"Someone help! Someone help me!"
Everyone looked up, and they all saw Usagi and Yamandakka, captured by its roots. Then the roots that held Yamandaka suddenly swung the Cardian straight towards them, causing everyone to scatter. The Cardian was then slammed hard into the ground, so much so that her body went limp instantly as she reverted into a card. Harusuke immediately raced towards Usagi, desperate to save her.
"Usagi! Hold on! I'm coming to get you!" Harusuke yelled.
"No, Harusuke! Come back!" Mamoru shouted. "Don't get close to that thing!"
But Harusuke refused to listen as he continued to run towards Usagi as more roots shot out from the tree, heading straight for him.
Outside of the apartments, Luna, Artemis, and the other guardians had arrived in time to see the Makai Tree's roots practically envelop the entire building, much to their disbelief and shock.
"What's going on up there?!" exclaimed Rei.
"I don't know, but it's huge!" Ami gasped. "It seems that our theory about the Makai Tree was correct after all!"
"We can't get inside with those roots in the way!" Luna said urgently. "Everyone, you all need to transform! Now!"
The Sailor Guardians immediately rose their transformation pens above their heads and quickly did so.
"MERCURY POWER...!"
"MARS POWER...!"
"JUPITER POWER...!"
"VENUS POWER...!"
"MAKE UP!"
Transformation Sequence: Ami
The symbol on Ami's pen begins to glow in a bright shade of blue as she holds up her transformation pen. It begins to spin around as it shines and envelopes Ami in blue light. Then, she sweeps it over her head while a stream of blue water shoots out, wrapping her body and forming her leotard, boots, and gloves. A sparkling ripple expands over her body, creating a slight mist of water that forms the rest of her uniform the same as Sailor Moon's but the center bow, boots, and rims on the gloves are blue and bright blue. Finally, she turns around and then strikes her signature pose.
Transformation Sequence: Rei
The symbol on Rei's pen begins to glow in a bright shade of red as she holds up her transformation pen. Then, it begins to spin around as it shines and envelopes Rei in red light. As she held up her pen while turning around, long tongues of flame erupted from it, forming several rings around her body. They tighten around her form, and in a brilliant flash of light, her outfit forms having to look just like Sailor Moon's, but she is wearing red pumps along with a pair of red star-shaped earrings, the center bow is purple, and the rims of her gloves, her skirt, her choker, and collar are red. After that, Mars finishes with her signature pose.
Transformation Sequence: Makoto
The symbol on Makoto's pen begins to glow in a bright shade of green as she holds up her transformation pen. Then, it begins to spin around as it shines its enveloping Makoto in green light. As she held up her pen while turning, long whips of lightning erupted from it, forming several rings around her body. They swirl around her like an atom. Then in a brilliant flash of light, her outfit is formed, having to look just like Sailor Moon's, but she is wearing green boots along with her pair of roses earrings, the center bow is pink, and the rims of her gloves green as is her skirt, her choker, and collar. After that, she finishes with her signature pose.
Transformation sequence: Minako.
The symbol on Minako's pen begins to glow in a bright shade of yellow as she holds up her transformation pen. Next, it spins around as it shines and envelopes Minako in yellow light. Then she sweeps it over her head as streams of yellow stars start to emit from it. Minako then holds up the pen above her head as the streams form a spiral around her body. The stars then disappear into the ground creating a circle of stars around her as they burst into more stars going upwards, enveloping Minako's body. Then emerges wearing the same outfit as Sailor Moon's, but the center bow, boots, and rims on the gloves are orange and her bow bright yellow. She then opens her eyes as she finishes with her signature pose.
The Inner Guardians, now fully transformed, were ready to storm the apartment to save the Tsukino siblings.
Sailor Jupiter stepped forward, her antenna extending from her tiara.
"Let me handle this!" the Guardian of Jupiter cried as she began charging power. "JUPITER SUPREME THUNDER!"
Sailor Jupiter then unleashed a powerful blast of lightning at the roots creating a massive explosion. However, as the smoke cleared, everyone was surprised to see that they were unscathed.
"No way! It didn't work!" gasped Sailor Jupiter.
Then there was a pair of loud and familiar screams coming from up on top of the building.
Those screams belonged to Harusuke and Usagi, much to the fright and horror of the Guardians, and if they didn't rescue them soon, both Tsukinos would eventually lose their lives to the Makai Tree.
