It had been a few days since Ail and An left Earth. Things had pretty much gone back to normal, but like an ice cream cone in the blazing sun, things wouldn't last for long.
Far above the town Juuban, up in the sky, a strange UFO appeared. It was tremendous, emerald green in color, and appeared to be like one of those decorated hanging stars you would see around Christmas time. Inside that UFO were five people who were gazing towards the town below.
Four of them were female, and one was male, all of which had upside-down black moon marks on their foreheads.
One girl had purple hair that went past her back and eyes matching in color. Her outfit was a pink pinstriped onesie with a purple tutu, purple heels, a black
rose corsage around her neck, and a ring matching it. The second had white hair braided into a ponytail and had blue eyes, wearing a sky blue swimsuit and matching thigh-high boots. The third had light brown hair and eyes matching in color, had her hair in a bun, tied by a gold ribbon, and was wearing a golden sleeveless top, a red sailor-like collar, gold bracelets on her wrists, a red skirt, and golden boots. Finally, the fourth woman had her hair in an updo and bun and dark green hair and eyes, and she wore clothes consisting of a sleeveless short skirt with a decorative bodice black furry "wings" on her back. She also had a black belt with the buckle off the side of her hip, long green gloves, black leggings, and short boots to match with gemmed cuffs. The man who was the ringleader of this part had bright red hair that resembled flames, wearing a brown leather vest, pants that were camouflage in color, and leather boots that were black.
"Master Rubeus, is this area the Juuban Tokyo Juban District?" the purple-head woman asked.
"Yes, Koan," replied the man. "And as I expected, this place seems to be a little underdeveloped."
"Perfect! Then let's go find the Silver Crystal so we can destroy this place!" Koan said eagerly.
"Now, now, Koan. We mustn't be so hasty," said Rubeus. "Surely, you haven't forgotten our other mission, have you?"
"He's right, Sister dear," the white-haired woman said. "Our first order of business should be hunting down the Rabbit. We can worry about finding the Silver Crystal later."
"Good suggestion," Rubeus said. "Then let's make finding the rabbit and getting rid of her our primary goal first."
Meanwhile, in Juuban Park, Usagi and Mamoru were on a date and were having a splendid time. They went for a walk, shared treats, and even went out on a boat ride of which they had just finished. Mamoru was helping Usagi out from the boat when she slipped, almost falling into the water. Luckily, Mamoru was there to catch her before she fell.
"Careful, Usako. You could have gotten yourself wet," Mamoru spoke, smiling.
Usagi's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she stepped onto the dock, gazing lovingly into Mamoru's eyes.
"Say, Mamo? We'll always be together from now on, right?" asked Usagi.
"Yes, we will, Usako," replied Mamoru. "Forever and always."
Usagi then sighed with content nuzzling into Mamoru's chest. "This date has been the happiest moment in my life," she swooned. "Nothing else in the world could make me any happier."
Mamoru then chuckled. "Aren't you being a little melodramatic, Usako?"
Usagi then looked up. "Well, I just feel lucky to have you, is all," she said. "I love you so much."
The two gazed lovingly into each other's eyes. Then as if an invisible string was pulling them closer to each other, they leaned in their faces until their lips gently touched in a sweet and loving kiss. It was a tender and romantic moment for the two, but then the two were rudely interrupted, for something came falling right out of the sky and bopped Mamoru smack on the head. Mamoru wasn't hurt as he took a look behind the two to see what hit him, to find that the object that hit him was a strange ball that appeared to resemble a familiar black cat with an antenna on top of his head.
At that moment, there was suddenly an explosion that boomed from above them. Then, in a puff of pink smoke, something fell from the sky, and not only clonked Usagi smack on the head, knocking her to the ground, but also inadvertently kissed Mamoru on the lips as he fell backward in surprise. Usagi groaned as she held her face in pain and looked up only to find a little girl sitting in a bewildered Mamoru's lap.
She appeared to be roughly the ages of eight and ten, had red eyes and pink hair, and wore a school uniform with a gold key hung on a chain around her neck. However, her most predominant feature was her hair, styled in the same style as a certain odango blonde, but unlike Usagi's, this girl's hair was more like a pair of Rabbit's ears.
Usagi scowled crossly at the girl, immediately seeing green. "Hey! Just what do you think you're doing hugging my Mamo?!" she demanded. "Get away from my man, right now! And who are you?! Where did you come from?!"
The little girl then got off of Mamoru and looked at Usagi, and upon seeing her, a hint of surprise crossed her features, as did Usagi and Mamoru when they saw their similarities.
"I'm Usagi," the little girl said. "Who are you supposed to be, and why are you wearing your hair in my bun-head style?"
"What do you mean your Bun-head style?!" said Usagi indignantly. "I'm the one and only Bun-head! It's my Usagi Tsukino trademark! Got that?!"
The little girl named Usagi flinched in surprise, and at that moment, the ball that hit Mamoru on the head whizzed by and knocked Usagi flat on her bum and then changed into a gun. The little girl then pointed the gun right in the middle of Usagi's forehead, making the odango blonde and Mamoru freeze with horror.
"So, you're Usagi Tsukino? Then if that's the case, you must have the Silver Crystal, don't you?" the little girl spoke coldly. "Hand it over right now."
Mamoru then tried to ease the situation about to snatch the gun away. "Hey, come on. That's just a toy gun, right? It's all one big joke-"
"Stay right where you are!" the little girl barked at Mamoru shooting a glare at him. "If you take one more step, this girl dies!"
Mamoru seeing that this girl wasn't playing a joke, obeyed, and the little girl looked back at Usagi while keeping her gun on her head.
"Now, give me the Silver Crystal," the little girl said in a threatening tone.
Usagi gulped and tried to lie her way out of this. "Wh-What? What d-do you mean?" she squeaked. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb with me!" the little girl snapped. "I already know you have the Silver Crystal in your possession, so stop pretending that you don't."
"L-Look. I'm not pretending," Usagi stammered, trying to be brave. "You can continue to threaten me with that toy, but I swear I don't know."
But the little girl wasn't buying it. "So... you've decided to keep playing dumb, huh? Big mistake."
And without a second thought, the little girl pulled the trigger shooting Usagi right between the eyes, much to Mamoru's horror. As Usagi fell to the ground, Mamoru rushed on over, pushing the little girl out of the way, believing her to be dead. However, much to his surprise, Usagi was alive. She had only passed out from the shock and fear of being shot at, with a small suction dart stuck to the middle of her forehead.
Mamoru was relieved but still felt a bit unsettled. "So it was a toy the whole time," he breathed. "But it seemed so real from the sound." He then scowled. "Hey! Your joke went a little too far, little-"
But as Mamoru turned around, he found that the little girl had mysteriously disappeared.
Later that evening, Usagi had arrived home very exhausted and a bit upset. She was now looking forward to having a good rest on her bed to ease her sorrow before dinner.
"Who in the world was that girl?" Usagi moaned to herself. "She ruined what was going to be the perfect date ever. Well, at least it can't get any worse."
But unfortunately for Usagi, there was worse to come. For when she opened the door to her room, a shocking sight met her eyes. Her entire bedroom was a complete disaster. Her blankets were disheveled, her clothes were everywhere, and even trash littered all over the floor. Usagi immediately saw red as she bolted straight out of her room, knowing the perpetrator well. She then burst into the living room, where Shingo and Kenji were sitting by the couch lounging around.
"What's the matter, Usagi?" asked Kenji.
"SHINGO! FESS UP RIGHT NOW!" Usagi roared, practically hyperventilating in rage as she glared at her little brother. "YOU TRASHED MY ROOM AND TORE EVERYTHING TO SHREDS, DIDN'T YOU?!"
"What the heck are you talking about?!" Shingo cried, holding his ears. "I didn't do anything!"
Usagi growled in anger at Shingo, about to yell again, when she noticed someone behind him. Upon seeing who it was, Usagi's rage quickly replaced with disbelief. It was the little girl she ran into at the park with Mamoru.
"Wh-What are you doing here?" Usagi murmured.
At that moment, Ikuko entered, holding a tray of tea.
"Oh, you're home, Usagi!" she said. "Perfect timing. I was going to tell you as soon as you were home. Your little cousin, Usagi, will be staying with us starting today."
Usagi immediately gawked at her mother, not believing what she was hearing. "Don't let this girl trick you! She isn't who you think she is at all!" she shrieked.
"Don't be silly, Usagi," chuckled Kenji. "What in the world are you talking about?"
"Geez, Usagi's always saying stupid stuff," sighed Shingo.
"Says you, Shingo!" Usagi snapped at her brother. "We don't even have a cousin, so try and explain that to me!"
Shingo then pinched his nose. "Good grief, Usagi. I know I said you're stupid, but you've gone and lost it this time," he sighed.
He then got up and grabbed what appeared to be a family album of pictures, and opened it. Usagi was surprised to see that all of the family photos had their family and the little girl, which baffled her further.
"Wh-what is all of this?!" Usagi murmured, her mouth agape.
"Don't you remember? She came to visit us during the New Year's," said Shingo. "I would have thought you of all people would have at least remembered."
Usagi's frustration and anger only grew as she let out another shriek.
"This is ridiculous!" she yelled. "Has the whole world gone crazy?!"
"Nope, just you, dear," Ikuko said. "You should calm down."
"Yeah, Big Sis Usagi, you should calm down," agreed the little girl, giggling innocently.
Usagi growled in anger, raring to reap the little girl a new one, but then she felt someone touch her shoulder. She then looked up to see that Harusuke had now appeared.
"Of course. Ain't Usagi, the silliest little girl?" Harusuke spoke innocently. "Sounds to me that someone needs to have a bath to relax those nerves."
"Harusuke, wait a second!" protested Usagi. "Don't tell me that you're acting crazy like them too?!"
Harusuke then gestured his head towards the door, trying to get his sister to look towards it. Usagi then saw that Luna was in front of the doorway, giving her the same head gesture to follow her. Understand, Usagi then calmed down, and she, along with Harusuke and Luna, left the room.
Usagi was now soaking in the tub while Luna and Harusuke waited outside to have a little privacy.
"Just who the heck is that manipulating little brat?!" Usagi complained as she splashed the water in frustration.
"Believe me, Sis; Luna and I were as confused as you were when we got home," said Harusuke. "By the time we got back, Mom, Dad, and Shingo were acting like they knew Usagi." He then pinched his nose, sighing. "We've got to call her by a different name because I can already tell that this is going to be confusing."
"Those pictures have got to be fake!" Usagi added. "She must have manipulated them and slipped them into the album!"
"I normally don't say this, but Usagi's probably right," said Luna. "That girl must have used a power to alter their memories, which was why they accepted her so easily."
"She's also after the Silver Crystal, too!" said Usagi. "Luna, Harusuke, what are we going to do?"
"For the moment, we'll have to wait and see if she gives herself away," said Luna. "At least that way, we can learn more about her."
"But that's going to take forever!" Usagi said impatiently. "I say we act now before things get much worse."
"If we did that, then Mom and the others would think of you just being the jealous elder sibling, Usagi," pointed out Harusuke. "I understand that you're worried, but as they say: 'Sometimes you got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them. And right now, it's time for you to fold."
Usagi groaned as she laid back in the tub. "I have no idea what you're saying, Harusuke, but I'm assuming you're saying what Luna said," she grumped. "You're both so easygoing."
Then as she relaxed in the tub, a couple of bubbles fluttered to the surface of the water. Wondering where the bubbles came from, Usagi sniffed a bit where the bubbles came from, thinking that she passed gas, but there was no smell. Then suddenly, more bubbles bubbled up in the water, and from those bubbles, the little girl floated up with the Luna ball on top of her head.
"Give me the Silver Crystal!" the little girl shrieked as she pounced at Usagi. "I know you have it, so hand it over!"
The odango blonde let out a shriek of surprise as she tried to fend her off. Hearing the scream, Luna peered inside while Harusuke stayed put outside of the door, not wanting to know what was going on in there.
"Well... at least it doesn't seem like Usagi's life is in danger," Luna spoke wryly.
"And as a bonus, I suppose those two will be cleaner than ever. I guess," agreed Harusuke.
A few hours later, Usagi was out of the bath, got dressed in her pajamas, and snuggled up in the blankets of her bed, ready to get a good night's sleep with Luna resting beside her. She was still thinking about the mini Usagi, which made her let out a sigh.
"Don't worry. Stay strong," reassured Luna. "I'm sure we'll think of something."
"You're right, Luna," smiled Usagi. "Besides, I have Mamo who said he'd love me forever!"
Luna rolled her eyes, feeling annoyed as she went to sleep, while Usagi began daydreaming about Mamoru. In her daydream, she could see herself back at the park sitting on the bench with Mamoru like they were on their date.
"Usagi, it'll be alright," the Mamoru in her fantasy said. "I'm here with you, my darling Usako."
"Oh, Mamo," Usagi wistfully sighed as she closed her eyes, leaning in for a kiss.
Then, Usagi was rudely interrupted, for the little girl suddenly appeared again. This time, she popped out from the top of her pajamas, causing even Luna to jump in surprise.
"Where did you hide the Silver Crystal?!" demanded pink-haired Usagi.
Usagi was so startled that she practically leaped out of her bed, screaming as she thrashed around trying to get the little girl out of her shirt, while the little girl tried to cling to her refusing to let go. The girl eventually fell out of Usagi's shirt, falling onto the bed, and Usagi, at this point, was all but fed up with this girl.
"Get out of here!" Usagi yelled. "Get out of my room, or else I'm going to get mad!"
At that moment, Kenji, Ikuko, Shingo, and Harusuke entered, having to have heard the commotion.
"Usagi! Why in the world are you acting so mean?" scolded Ikuko.
"But I'm not the one being mean!" protested Usagi. "She's the one who started it!"
But the little girl seized her chance and put on an innocent puppy dog face pretending to be apologetic yet hurt.
"I'm so sorry, Big Sis," the little girl spoke timidly. "I didn't mean to..."
Usagi growled in frustration as Ikuko took her into her arms.
"Usagi, she came to Tokyo all by herself because her parents were too busy to take care of her," Kenji spoke sternly. "She's just frightened and lonely."
"Yeah, don't act so stupid to her, Usagi," said Shingo. "You should be nice to her."
Usagi looked at Harusuke for help, but he shook his head while mouthing the words 'folding time', which made her all the more cross as she continued to growl in frustration.
Meanwhile, Rubeus was waiting for his sisters to return from their search. He was in a strange colorful space with five mirrors in the middle placed in a circle of the UFO. Koan and the others soon appeared, each standing in front of their own mirrors.
"Master Rubeus, I've searched every last inch of the Juban District," said Koan. "But I haven't located the rabbit yet."
"I see," said Rubeus with a hint of disappointment. He turned to the white-haired woman. "And what about you, Berthier? Have you and the others had any luck?"
"I'm very sorry, Master Rubeus," apologized Berthier. "But I'm afraid that we haven't been able to locate the rabbit either."
Then suddenly, the area in the middle of their circle glowed white, and a strange projection came forth from the light. It was of an ominous hooded figure with a purple-black cloak, with only the hands showing which held a peculiar crystal ball glowing jade color. Everyone immediately stood at attention.
"Gr-Great Wizard Wiseman!" gasped Koan.
"I foresee that the Silver Crystal will bring us misfortune so long as it exists," the projection said. "If it continues to, we will be unable to destroy that despicable city, Crystal Tokyo."
"But Lord Wiseman," said Berthier. "Is the Silver Crystal here in the Juban District?"
"It is!" replied the projection. "You must trust my powers of divination, for they will always come to pass."
The projection then vanished as Rubeus's eyes glinted with a fierce determination.
"Without fail, I'll find the Silver Crystal and destroy it along with that rabbit once and for all," he said to himself, as a throaty and dark chuckle escaped his throat.
The next day, Usagi, Harusuke, and the gang met up at the Hikawa Shrine. The Tsukino siblings had told everything that had happened, and Usagi brought a photo from their family album, hoping that Rei's spiritual powers would be able to know if the little girl was an evil enemy.
However, under their radar at the time, the little girl had appeared once again along with her Luna ball. She had followed them to the Hikawa Shrine and was now standing just outside of the sacred fire's room where Usagi and the gang were.
"So... those girls must be Usagi's best friends, and the guy is her older brother," the little girl said to herself thoughtfully. "Maybe she got one of them to keep the Silver Crystal for her."
At that moment, Rei's Grandpa came down from the hallway, humming a merry little tune, carrying some manju and six cups of tea for the teens. Then he happened to see the little girl.
"Oh. Well, hello there, little one," Rei's Grandpa greeted politely. "What brings you here?"
The little girl then began to bounce the Luna ball with her hand, going faster and faster until she stopped letting the ball go high into the air.
"LUNA P TRANSFORM!"
At her command, the Luna ball exploded in a small puff of pink smoke and transformed into a baby's bottle in the little girl's hand. Rei's Grandpa was amazed, thinking it was a magic trick, but his mood soon changed. Right then, the little girl began to squirt the bottle's contents in all of the cups of tea, much to Rei's Grandpa's shock and bewilderment.
"What do you think you're doing?! That's not coffee, you know!" Rei's Grandpa shrieked. "If you add milk to the tea, you're going to ruin them!"
The little girl then shoved the bottle's nipple inside of the man's mouth, shooting the contents inside of it, forcing him to swallow it. Immediately, his eyes closed as he fell flat on his back, sleeping peacefully. The bottle then reverted into the Luna ball as the little girl picked up the tray.
"Just to let you know, that wasn't milk. It's a sedative," the little girl said to the unconscious Grandpa. "But I guess when you wake up, you'll realize I wasn't lying."
At the Hikawa Shrine, Usagi and the gang met up in the room of the Sacred Fire. Rei was using her powers on a photo provided by Usagi to see if she was an enemy. The others all watched her waiting in anticipation, worried about what she would find. Rei then stopped and took the photo in her hands.
"I see it now," the raven-haired girl said ominously. "But it's not good."
"Then, does that mean Usagi was right?" asked Ami worriedly.
"Did you sense an evil aura from that photo?" Usagi asked.
Rei dramatically paused as she looked at her friends.
"Usagi, the kimono that you're wearing in this photo," Rei spoke quietly. "It looks too nice for you."
Everyone practically fell over in surprise.
"Come on, Rei! Be serious!" Usagi snapped crossly. "Did you sense anything evil or not?!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself," chuckled Rei. "But the truth is, that's all I got from this photo. I don't sense anything evil at all."
"Are you sure?" asked Usagi. "Not even a teeny-tiny hint of evil?"
"If she says there's none, then there's none, Usagi," said Harusuke as he stood up. "I guess that means we're back to square one then, not that we had any ideas, to begin with."
"Why don't we all go in my room for a bit?" asked Rei. "I don't know about you, but it feels a little stuffy in here, and I want to be under some good old air conditioning."
Everyone agreed, and they all went into Rei's room, making themselves at home. Usagi was still upset that Rei couldn't detect anything from the photo.
"This is so weird that you weren't able to sense anything at all," Usagi said. "Are you sure that your powers aren't just in a funk, Rei?"
"Of course, it isn't! My powers are solid!" said Rei indignantly. "How dare you even say such a thing!"
"Usagi, maybe you're just being worried over nothing at all," suggested Minako.
"Yeah. We've taken care of all the incidents that came up when it comes to Ail and An," said Makoto. "And things are going well between you and Mamoru, too."
"You have a lot less to worry about, and that's making you bored," added Rei. "So maybe you're overcompensating and are looking for some excitement in your life."
"No way! That's not wh t's going on!" protested Usagi.
"Are you sure?" Rei asked in a teasing grin.
"Come on, girls. If I know my sister, she's not the type of person to get bored over a little peace," said Harusuke. "Besides, I'm as worried as she is regarding that girl, especially since she's after the Silver Crystal. I can't help ut wonder why she's after it in the first place and how she came to know about it."
"Harusuke, seriously? You're acting as paranoid as your sister," said Minako. "You two are practically pods in peas."
Harusuke then groaned. "Minako, you're a dear friend and all, but it's 'peas in a pod.' So if you're going to say it, try not to butcher it, please."
Minako laughed awkwardly, trying to play it off.
"That aside, I think it's time to pursue what matters," suggested Ami. "Something that most should most definitely excite us."
"And what's that?" wondered Usagi.
"Well, we are middle schoolers, and we want to go to high school," said Ami. "So that means we should all study."
Everyone stared at Ami in a long silence. Then everyone except for Ami let out a groan.
"Ami, if you're going to hit us on the head with reality, please give us a warning next time," said Minako.
"But that's Ami for you," Harusuke smiled. "Always dedicated to studying, no matter what. Although a gu would love to have dedication like that, so I suppose that's admirable."
"Hello, hello. You girls are looking as lovely as ever," said a voice that came from the doorway. "Which one of you would like to go out on a date with me sometime?"
The teens then looked up and saw Rei's Grandpa in the doorway with a tray of manju and tea.
"Oh, brother. Grandpa, what do you want?" Rei spoke in an annoyed tone. "Can't you see that we're a bit busy? Go away."
"You don't have to be so rude about it. Can't hurt to try, you know," Rei's Grandpa chuckled sweetly. "I brought all of you, your favorite. Juuban Hot Spring Manju-"
"Okay, okay. Thank you, Grandpa," Rei interrupted, shooing him away with her hand. "Just leave t em there, and be on your way."
Rei's Grandpa then shut the door with a huff, feeling insulted. "How rude. I ever thought that my granddaughter would treat her poor, elderly Grandpa so callously. It makes me s d."
He then went on his way, leaving the atmosphere a bit awkward as Rei got the tray from the floor, letting out a sigh.
"For crying out loud. If anyone's s d, it should be me," Rei said. "I'm the one whose grandpa refuses to act his age and is always hitting on young girls."
"Yeah, but he's always got some good Manju!" Usagi eagerly said as she popped a manju into her mouth in two bites.
When she finished that one, she grabbed another and finished it quickly. When she reached her third, she stopped to find everyone staring at her.
"What's the matter, everyone?" Usagi asked. "Don't you want some?"
"Is there enough?" Rei spoke sarcastically.
"Ease up on the manju, Usagi," Harusuke chided. "At least make sure there's some for us!"
Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako took their cups and started drinking their tea while Usagi and Harusuke munched on some manju. Harusuke then reached out to grab his cup when suddenly the sound of falling bodies and clattering cups came. Usagi and Harusuke looked up and were surprised to see that all of their friends had fallen unconscious.
"Wh-What the heck?!" gasped Usagi. "What happened to everyone?!"
Harusuke went over to Makoto and gently shook her to wake her up, but she didn't. He also did t e same time to the others, but they wouldn't wake up either. Then he looked at their teacups and was quick to realize what was going on.
"They're knocked out cold," Harusuke said. "Someone must have spiked the tea, and I bet it was Rei's grandpa!"
"But why would he have done such a thing?!" Usagi wondered. "He's just a little old man! I know that he's a bit creepy, but he would never escalate like this!"
Then, the Tsukino siblings heard Rei's Grandpa coming from the hall. The two quickly hid, not wanting to be seen, as the door slowly opened. Rei's Grandpa peered inside and smirked with triumph.
"Looks like the sedative took effect," the old man cackled. "They're all sleeping like a bunch of babies. Now then, I should start looking for the Silver Crystal."
Then, Rei's Grandpa exploded in a puff of pink smoke, revealing himself to be the little girl using the Luna Ball to disguise herself. She had just walked into the room to begin her search when suddenly, Usagi and Harusuke came out of hiding, having to have seen and heard everything. Before the little girl had a chance to react, Usagi had scooped up the little girl in one hand and had her other hand raised, ready to spank her, while Harusuke grabbed hold of the Luna ball.
"Too bad for you!" said Harusuke. "My sister and I didn't drink the spiked tea!"
"How dare you do this to our friends?!" Usagi spoke crossly. "I won't forgive you for that!"
Usagi gave the girl a sharp spank on her bum, causing her to yelp in surprise and pain.
"Now, who are you?!" demanded Usagi. "Where did you come from, and why are you looking for the Silver Crystal?!"
Usagi then spanked her again, causing the girl to yelp in agony again. Harusuke now elt a little worried.
"Whoa! Take it easy, Usagi!" Harusuke spoke worriedly. "I know she knocked out our friends, but don't you think you're being a little too harsh?!"
"No, I'm not!" Usagi snapped. "This girl messing with me is one thing, but when she messes with my friends, that's where I draw the line!"
Usagi then spanked the little girl again hard. This time the little girl felt so embarrassed and in pain that she burst into tears, beginning to cry.
But Usagi didn't let up as she gave her a fourth spank. "You can cry all you want, but I still won't forgive you!" she spoke sternly and crossly. "Tell me, right now or else!"
"Usagi! Seriously! I think she's had enough!" Harusuke spoke with a hint of fear. "You're actin' a little bit scary right now!"
At that moment, as the little girl continued to cry, the middle of her forehead began to glow in bright yellow light, as a familiar crescent moon mark appeared in the middle of her forehead. The light grew brighter and brighter until it overtook the entire room blinding Harusuke and Usagi, much to their bewilderment.
Meanwhile, Koan was a preschool continuing her search for what she was seeking, checking the foreheads of all the children. At that moment, all of the children took notice of something, causing Koan to turn around. In the distance was a large golden pillar of light, which Koan recognized immediately.
"That's her!" Koan gasped as she took off, heading towards the pillar of light.
The light continued to emanate throughout the house as the little girl continued to cry until finally, the light began to die and eventually faded away. Usagi and Harusuke stared at the little girl in utter shock as she sniffled and sobbed quietly, starting to calm down.
"What, in the name of all things holy, was that?!" Harusuke gasped.
"I... don't know," Usagi said.
Then an unfamiliar voice came just outside of the doors.
"Looks like I found you, Rabbit. I've been looking all over for you."
The three jumped, looked up, and saw Koan standing there with a triumphant grin. When the pink Usagi saw Koan, she was scared.
"Now that I've found you, it's time I got rid of you," Koan spoke coolly. "Don't worry; I'll make this quick and painless."
"Now, hold on just a minute!" Harusuke spoke. "What do you mean you have to get rid of her?!"
"And who are you?!" demanded Usagi.
The purple-haired woman looked across at the Tsukino siblings. "Who am I? I'm the young st of the Four Spectre Sisters, Koan," she introduced.
"The Spectre Sisters?" Sound like the name of some weird fashion occult," Harusuke commented.
"Not to mention, you look like an oversized crow!" Usagi added rudely.
Koan now felt insulted as she aimed her hand at the two. "And you're both eyesores, so you'll both die first!"
She then unleashed a blast of green flames at the Tsukino siblings. Reacting quickly, Harusuke tackled Usagi to the floor, avoiding them, but now set Rei's books on fire. The Tsukino's frantically grabbed their teacups of which they didn't drink, and threw the contents on the flames, putting them out. Then, seeing that Koan was distracted, the little girl darted right between her legs and took off running.
"You're not getting away!" Koan yelled as she followed her in hot pursuit.
When the flame was out, Harusuke and Usagi then refocused their attention on Koan in time to see her leave.
"Shoot! She's going after that kid!" Harusuke cried. "Usagi! We've got to help her!"
"I know! I may not know who she is, but she's evil!" Usagi said. "Let's transform, Harusuke!"
Usagi then grabbed her brooch while Harusuke raised his hand into the air.
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER! MAKE UP!"
"SO AR GUARDIAN POWER! FLARE UP!"
Transformation Sequence: Usagi
Usagi holds up the Crystal Star brooch as it opens, revealing the Silver Crystal inside. Usagi waved her hand on the Silver Crystal, and it flashed it a bright short burst of pink light emitting a chime. It does it a second time, and on the third, it shines brightly, enveloping Usagi in its glow. Usagi then holds the brooch above her head, suspending it in between her hands, drawing it to the center of her torso, flipping it once before placing it in the center of her chest. She then spins around a few times as the crystal begins to glow even brighter than before in pink light. She holds her hands up as a pair of wings spring forth from her back while pink ribbons come out from the crystal wrapping around Usagi's body, forming her leotard. The wings on her back disappeared as more pink ribbons wrapped around her arms and hands, creating white gloves and red boots around her calves and feet. As the blue skirt appears around her waist, one more pink ribbon ties at her back as she does a kind of spread-eagle motion with one leg up, a glowing moon symbol appearing on her forehead. Her tiara, earrings, choker, and ordango covers appear, and Usagi, now Sailor Moon, finishes with her signature pose.
Transformation sequence: Harusuke.
Harusuke's bracelet begins to glow as Harusuke holds it into 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 materializes 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 wrists. Then a yellow symbol of the sun materializes in front of him, and it crashes into his chest, making a golden chest 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 the symbol of the sun appears behind him.
Koan had pursued the little girl outside of the house and unleashed a blast of fire to prevent her from getting away. The little gi l cried out in agony as the flames licked her skin, knocking her to the ground and causing her to faint, making the crescent mark on her head disappear. Koan then closed in for the kill.
"You're pretty fast. No wonder you're called the Rabbit," Koan cackled. "But this is where you die. So say your prayers!"
"Stop right there!" yelled out a pair of voices.
Koan snapped her head around to find two superheroes now standing before her.
"Well, now. Who might you two be?" Koan asked with interest.
"I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice, Sailor Moon!" she proclaimed.
"And I'm the knight with the brilliance of the sun and the courage of a warrior, who also fights for love and justice, Solaris!" he proclaimed.
"You're an evil villainess who dares threaten a young girl's life!" Sailor Moon said. "So now, in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"
"And in the name of the sun with my blinding rays, I'll scorch you!" Solaris added.
"Sailor Moon and Solaris, eh?" scoffed Koan. "Can't say I'm impressed."
She then fired a powerful blast of flames at the two causing them to split apart to dodge. Koan then jumped into the air and did a flip while spreading her arms as a bright ball of blue flame appeared in front of her midsection.
"DARK FIRE!"
The evil woman then unleashed a rainfall of flames, causing the two to go on the defensive immediately, only to find themselves surrounded by the fire trapping them. Koan seeing t at the Guardians would no longer get in her way, turned around and walked towards the little girl, now ready to kill her. Sailor Moon t en looked up and saw a wall to her right.
"Solaris! Give me a boost!" she yelled.
The Guardian of the Sun saw the way too and leaned down, cupping his hands together. Sailor Moon then jumped, planting one foot onto his hands, and with a mighty heave, Solaris launched Sailor Moon onto the wall, managing to escape the flames as she ran towards Koan. Solaris then saw a tree close by and got an idea too.
"SOLAR BINDING!"
He fired a beam of light from his hand and managed to wrap it around the tree's branch, and while taking a running start, he jumped while pulling and swung over the flames landing on the other side and started running towards Koan.
Just prepared to deliver in the finishing strike, but right then, Usagi jumped off of the wall crossing her arms divebombing straight towards Koan.
"SAILOR BODY ATTACK!"
She barreled straight into Koan with a mighty tackle knocking Koan over face-first into the dirt while making a perfect landing. As Koan got back up, brushing the dirt from her face, she was mad. But before she could react, Solaris came dashing straight at her, his leg poised and ready.
"SOLARIS BODY KICK!"
He then gave Koan a mighty kick right into her gut, making her eyes bug out a little as with thrown back landing in the dirt on her back, her hair taking the full force of it. Koan got back up again, but now she was even madder than before.
"How dare you both rub dirt on me?!" Koan snarled as she prepared to unleash her flames. "Now, you bot die!"
Suddenly, something came shooting down from above, scraping Koan's hand, forcing her to retract it.
"Who did that?!" Koan demanded.
At that moment, a familiar man in a tuxedo appeared, gently picking up the little girl in his arms.
"The bright flames of passion are noble and lovely," he said. "But the evil dark flames of murder are ugly and despicable!"
"Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon spoke happily. "Thank goodness!"
"It's certainly been a long time since I've seen him," chuckled Solaris. "Not that it's any different."
But Koan wasn't as thrilled. "Fine then! I'll just incinerate you along with the Rabbit!" she snarled.
"I'm not going to allow that!" cried Sailor Moon, as she summoned forth her Cutie Moon Rod. "MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
She aimed with her Cutie Moon Rod and unleashed a powerful blast of sparkles and light at Koan, resulting in a powerful explosion swallowing her up in it.
"Alright! I did it!" cheered Sailor Moon.
But Sailor Moon was wrong.
"Curse you all!"
Everyone looked behind themselves and saw Koan, now on the roof, having avoided Sailor Moon's attack.
"No way! She dodged it!" cried Solaris.
"When did she have time to..." Sailor Moon spoke before trailing off.
"Mark my words, Sailor Moon and Solaris! You'll both pay for this!" snarled Koan with hate. "I swear you both will!"
And with a burst of blue flames, Koan disappeared.
"It would appear that we have a new enemy," Tuxedo Mask said as he walked up, still carrying the girl. "But why would anyone want to take this child's life?"
"Who can say?" shrugged Solaris. "We're as clueless as you are."
Then as Tuxedo Mask looked at the sleeping girl in his arms, he saw a vision play out in his mind. He saw a city with buildings appearing to be crystal. At its center was a tower that practically was a large crystal.
"Tuxedo Mask? Tuxedo Mask, are you okay?"
The masked man jumped, snapping out of his vision upon hearing Sailor Moon's voice. He then gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. I'm fine," Tuxedo Mask said.
"Did I just have some sort of vision?" Tuxedo Mask thought to himself. "Or was it something else?"
As the little girl slept, she couldn't help but nuzzle a bit closer to Mamoru, smiling sleepily.
"It's so warm," the little girl thought happily. "Just like Daddy."
Back inside the UFO, Koan was now cleaning herself up after the recent battle she had, having to have told Rubeus and the others all about her opponents.
"Did you say Sailor Moon and Solaris?" Rubeus spoke with a hint of surprise.
"Yes, and some stupidly smug guy they referred to as Tuxedo Mask," Koan hotly added as she applied make-up to her face.
"This inference is quite unexpected," said Rubeus with a frown. "But be that as it may, we now know that the Rabbit and Silver Crystal are somewhere in this town. In time, both of them will be in our possession."
"And then I will crush them for you, Sir," said Berthier.
But Koan was still feeling vengeful. "Sailor Moon! Solaris! You both will pay for messing up my precious body if it's the last thing I do!"
That night, the little girl was fast asleep in Usagi's bed as the Tsukino siblings watched over her while sharing their news with Luna.
"Poor thing," Luna mused. "Seems like she's been through some tough times."
"Hey, Little Usagi," Usagi spoke quietly to the girl as she tucked her in. "If you tell us everything that you're going through, I'm sure that we'll be able to help you out."
Harusuke then got an idea. "Hey, wait a second. I think I just got an idea," he said. "Since there's going to be some confusion with two Usagi's, we should give her a nickname, and I already thought of the perfect one!"
"What is it?" Usagi asked.
Harusuke then smiled. "Why don't we call her Chibiusa? Chibi for little, and Usa for Usagi?"
"Harusuke, that's a perfect name!" said Usagi as she looked back at the girl. "You hear that? From now on, you're going to be Chibiusa."
Later that night, as everyone was asleep, Usagi, Luna, and the new named Chibiusa were now sleeping soundly. However, Luna would soon find that the two Usagi's weren't exactly good sleepers as they began tossing and turning in their bed, smushing her with their feet.
But that's for another chapter. ^^
