It was raining hard in Juuban. The weather forecast foretold a ten percent chance of rain, but those low chances of rain didn't seem to be so low as poor Makoto found out as she ran through the pouring rain using her book bag to keep dry.

"Jeez! You can never trust a weather forecast!" she complained. "I certainly wouldn't call this a ten percent chance of rain!"

Makoto continued running through the rain, being rather careless of where she was going. Then suddenly, she slammed into something hard, causing her to fall flat on her bottom and drop her book bag. Makoto sat there stunned and now wetter than before. She then became very cross.

"Darn it! Why don't you watch where you're going?!" she snapped angrily.

"S-sorry," apologized the person.

"If sorry solved everything, we wouldn't need the police!" Makoto growled, about to get angrier. But then she looked up, and she saw who she bumped. It was none other than Motoki. "M-Motoki," she murmured. "So it was you."

Motoki then held out his hand and helped her to her feet. As he did, Mako couldn't help but feel her heart fluttering in her chest, making her previous anger vanish completely.

"I'm sorry about that," Motoki apologized again. "I had a lot of things on my mind, and I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's... it's okay," said Makoto bashfully. "I... shouldn't have gotten mad. It was an accident."

Motoki then kindly held his umbrella over Mako, shielding her in the rain.

"Looks like you didn't bring an umbrella," he said. "You're going to get soaking wet in this downpour. Why don't we share mine until the rain lets up?"

"Um... sure."

Makoto's cheeks were now flushed as she felt wholly smitten with Motoki, causing her to zone out.

"His voice..." she thought dreamily. "Motoki sounds just like my former love. I wish time could stop right now..."

"Mako? Shall we get going now?"

Makoto then snapped out of her love daze, coming back to reality.

"Um... yeah! Sure!" she said hurriedly as the two of them started walking through the rain.

The two wandered around, not much having a destination to go, but the two of them didn't mind as they enjoyed each other's company.

"So Mako, I heard that you're quite the fabulous cook," said Motoki. "Is that true?"

"I... guess so," Makoto shyly replied. "But I would go as far as fabulous."

"That's cool," smiled Motoki. "One of these days, you'll have to make me something."

"I'd love to!" Makoto said eagerly. "Anytime, anyplace. I can even clean your place, too! I'm good at housekeeping!"

"That would be a huge help!" said Motoki.

Makoto then dug into her book bag and whipped out a notebook and a pen. "Here you go! Just write your address and phone number and list your favorite foods too!"

Motoki did so, and when he finished, he handed the notebook back to Makoto.

"You know Mako, you sure are an interesting person," said Motoki. "You certainly are different than any other girl I met."

Makoto giggled. "I get that a lot." Then she took a quick read of Motoki's information. "Ah. So your favorite food is Hayashi Rice. Interesting."

At that moment, the two found themselves at Juuban Park as the rain had finally stopped, much to Makoto's disappointment.

"Why couldn't it have kept raining?" she sadly complained.

But she then quickly hid her disappointment when Motoki gave her a questioning look. Motoki then looked at his watch.

"I'm sorry, Mako, but I have to get going," said Motoki. "I have to drop by at the school for a little while."

"Sure. No problem," sighed Makoto, now feeling disappointed again, but she quickly cheered herself up. "But I'm going to come over to your place this Sunday and make some Hayashi Rice just for you! Buh-bye!"

And with that, Makoto went on her way, leaving a slightly surprised Motoki behind. Then he heard a familiar voice.

"Looks like you've made quite the cute new friend."

Motoki looked, and there standing before him was a beautiful young woman. She had long brown hair tied in a ponytail, bright blue eyes, and fair skin. She also wore a pair of green pearl earrings, a white lab coat with a purple dress with an orange sash underneath, and red pumps. Motoki then blushed. He knew who this girl was. It was none other than his girlfriend, Reika Nishimura.

"R-Reika..."

"Mamoru did say something about somebody having a new girlfriend," Reika went on teasingly. "I'm guessing he was talking about you."

"H-hey! Cut me some slack!" complained Motoki. "It's not like that at all!"

Reika then chuckled. "I was just kidding, Motoki."

Motoki then looked at Reika's current attire. "Seeing the way you are, I'm guessing that you're about to cancel our date again. right?"

"I'm so sorry," apologized Reika. "I'm going to work late until the evening."

"That's okay," said Motoki. Then his smile turned serious. "But... more importantly, have you... made your decision yet, Reika?"

Reika paused for a brief moment before shaking her head. "Not yet. I'm still can't make up my mind."

Motoki seemed to be disappointed, but he reassured Reika with a smile. "Take your time," he said kindly. "It is going to affect the rest of your life, so you want to be sure you've made the right decision."

"You're so sweet," Reika said, looking downwards. "Thank you..."

At that moment, only a brief moment, a small tear trickled down Reika's cheek. Motoki was surprised and worried, but then the two were interrupted by another familiar voice.

"Hey, you two! What's up?"

The voice belonged to Mamoru, who came up to them unaware of what was happening.

"Hey there, Mamoru. Didn't see you there," Reika greeted. Then her watch let out a couple of beeps, causing her to look at it. "Oh, dear! Look at the time! Gotta run!" she said. She turned to Mamoru. "Hey Mamoru, if you have some free time right now, take my guy out for some coffee, would you?" She then ran off, giving Mokoki one last wave. "Bye! I'll call you later!" Then she was gone.

A little later, Motoki and Mamoru were drinking from their cups at the cafe, but Motoki was now looking very sad. Noticing this, Mamoru decided to talk to him.

"What up, Motoki?" he asked. "You look like something's bothering you."

Motoki took a sip from his cup, then he explained. "It's Reika... She - might be going to study abroad in Africa to pursue her research study."

"But... why Africa?" puzzled Mamoru. "I mean, what kind of research would she be doing that would require her to move there?"

Motoki's face suddenly brightened. "Pretty impressive stuff!" he said excitedly. "She's going to be exploring the area where all life on Earth supposedly originated!"

"So... what's gonna happen now?" wondered Mamoru.

Motoki then sighed, his previous excitement deflating. "I'm not sure. She can't make up her mind yet," he said.

"I'm not talking about her," said Mamoru raising his voice a little. "I'm talking about you. What do you want?"

"Well... a part of me wants her to stay here with me," said Motoki hesitantly. "But, I don't want to get in the way of her future by being selfish."

Mamoru then sighed. "That's so like you, Motoki..."

Motoki then changed the subject. "Hey. By the way, do you like Hayashi Rice?"

"Um... yeah. Why do you ask?" Mamoru wondered, a bit put off.

"Because Mako said that she was gonna come over to my place on Sunday and make a whole batch," explained Motoki. "You're welcome to come if you want to."

Mamoru's eyes widened as he stared dumbly at Motoki. "Mako? But - she's Usagi and Harusuke's friend," he said. "And you do realize that Usagi has a thing for you, right?"

"Of course I do," said Motoki brightly. "Aren't the two of them cute?"

Now Mamoru was utterly baffled, not believing what he was hearing. "Wait... cute? Weren't we talking about Reika a second ago? I got the impression that you liked on her."

"Oh, come on, Mamoru. I'm not about to hook up with a middle-school girl," said Motoki. "They're cute and all, but I think of Usagi and Mako as little sisters."

Mamoru now had no idea what to say to Motoki. "A... a little sister, huh?"

"Oh man... just how dense can Motoki be?!" he thought to himself. "Oh, brother, is he in for a rude awakening!"

Early next morning, Makoto had just arrived at Motoki's place, hoping to help him clean up his room before school started. She walked up to the door and gave it a couple of knocks.

"Who is it?" said Motoki's voice from inside.

Makoto took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Then she smiled as brightly as she could while speaking loud enough for Motoki to hear her.

"It's me, Makoto Kino! Good morning, Motoki!"

"J-just a minute!"

After a few seconds, Motoki opened the door, appearing a little flustered.

"Oh! Mako! What are you doing here?"

"Stand clear!" said Makoto brightly. "I'm coming in!"

Makoto then flung open the door, and before Motoki could stop her, she was already inside.

"Wait, Makoto! I should warn you!" he said. "The place is a mess!"

"Don't worry! Guys don't clean up a lot anyway..."

But then Makoto came to the room, and she froze. The entire place was a mess. Laundry, trash, and beer bottles lay everywhere. The kitchen was also just as bad, with dishes filling the sink and some trash bags piled up in the corner. She could not believe what she was seeing.

"I guess... in your case... you don't clean up at all," Makoto finished. "This... is pretty bad."

Motoki could only blush bright red. Makoto then shook away her shock and then, to Motoki's surprise, whipped out a headband and tied it around her head.

"All right! Let's do this!" Makoto said, now sounding determined.

Motoki jumped in surprise. "Wait, let's do... what now?"

"What do you think? Cleaning up this mess," said Makoto. "Now, if I don't get this done in thirty minutes before school, I'll be late! So, here I go!"

Makoto then set to work. She organized Motoki's books, washed his dishes, vacuumed the floors, and cleaned his windows. Soon enough, Motoki's apartment was sparkling clean much to Motoki's surprise. He had never seen anyone clean this fast before and had only been about twenty minutes. Then just as Makoto was finishing up, something caught her eye. It was a small picture frame with a photo of Motoki and Reika on it. She then inspected it.

"Who's this girl with you?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, that's Reika," said Motoki.

Makoto took a long look at the photo. Then she started to understand what Reika was to Motoki. "Wait... I'm guessing that she's - not your sister, is she?"

"Nope."

Then Makoto felt her heart leap as she looked at Motoki in shock. "Wait! Does that mean- that she's your girlfriend?!"

Motoki blushed and slowly nodded his head. At that moment, Makoto's face went pale with devastation as she felt her heart split in two. Not wanting to say anything more, Motoki took the vacuum from Makoto and took over on the cleaning.

Makoto was still feeling miserable at school as she sat in the courtyard by a tree. Luna then came up to her along with Usagi and Harusuke.

"Hey there, Makoto. Is something wrong?" asked Luna.

"Yeah. You look a bit sad, and that's not like you at all," commented Harusuke.

"Come on, Makoto. A sad face will give you wrinkles," Usagi said teasingly. "What's the matter? Someone broke your heart again?"

Makoto then glared. "You picked the wrong day to mess with me," she said coldly. "Especially since that, you can guess correctly in the first time."

"Whoa... take it easy, Mako," said Harusuke. "There's no need to get angry."

"Yeah, I was just kidding around," whimpered Usagi fearfully. She then smiled. "Besides, there's no need to stress out. Think of me as your personal Cupid. I'm here to fix whatever love problem you have and make it right!"

"Shouldn't you be worried about your love issues first?" asked Luna coolly.

Usagi angrily glared at the black cat while Harusuke bit back a snigger.

"Anyway, aside from what Usagi and Luna said, maybe we can help you," said Harusuke kindly. "Who was the guy that broke your heart? If you don't mind us asking."

Makoto was silent. Then she said the name of the very person in a bitter-filled tone.

"Motoki."

Usagi then gasped and screamed in shock as tears filled her eyes.

"Usagi! What's the matter with you?!" exclaimed Harusuke.

"Yeah. Do you have to be so shocked?" wondered Makoto.

"Of course I do!" whimpered Usagi, her tears growing bigger. "Especially with something this upsetting! Because - because..." Then the floodgates opened, and Usagi began to cry. "I'm in love with Motoki, too!"

"Seriously?!" gasped Makoto. "You like him too?! But - I thought that you were in love with Tuxedo Mask!"

"She is. But she was also in love with Motoki at the same time," explained Harusuke. "She loves them both."

"It's true!" sobbed Usagi. "I can't give up either one! I've fallen in love with them both!"

"Then decide on one!" snapped Makoto irritably.

"Come on, you two, knock it off and think about this for a moment," said Luna. "The guy has a right to choose who he loves."

"Yeah. It's not like a one-way street, you know," added Harusuke.

Then an idea flew into Usagi's pigtails.

"I got it! If Mako had her heartbroken by Motoki," she said excitedly. "That means Motoki has chosen someone else to be his girlfriend! And that means it must be me!"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's someone named Reika," said Makoto.

Usagi immediately deflated her eyes, once again filling with tears. "What?! How can that be...?!" she sobbed. "If that's the case... then I can't take it anymore..."

"There, there, Usagi," soothed Harusuke. "Look on the bright side; at least you can focus on one guy rather than two."

"No, she doesn't," cut in Mako as she put a hand on Usagi's shoulder. "You shouldn't give up, Usagi. So what if he already has a girlfriend? Even if you think it's useless, you have to make that attack! Crying won't get you anywhere either."

Usagi then wiped her tears as she began to glow with confidence.

"You're right, Mako!" she said. "We can't give up yet! We're Pretty Guardians, after all! We gotta attack!"

"And if we don't fight, there's no tomorrow!" the two girls said together, now completely rejuvenated with confidence.

Harusuke and Luna could only stare at the two and sigh exasperatedly.

"Why do I get the feeling that there's no tomorrow either way?" wondered Luna miserably.

"I don't know," said Harusuke. "Can't they knock off the boy craze for one day?"

After school, Usagi, Harusuke, Makoto, and Luna were outside the Game Center Crown where Motoki worked. Usagi and Makoto were planning to confess their feelings to Motoki and were determined to tell him their feelings no matter what.

"Guys. Seriously. Give up already," said Harusuke. "You're just gonna end up hurting yourselves."

But Makoto and Usagi didn't listen.

"Let's do this!" spoke Usagi.

"And whoever wins, no hard feelings," said Makoto.

"Yeah. But first, let's decide the order of who goes first," said Usagi. "How about by order of height?"

"What the heck do you think this is?! Gym class?!" snapped Makoto indignantly.

Just then, Mamoru suddenly appeared out of nowhere just behind them. "Hey! It's Bun-head!" he sneered teasingly. "What brings you here?"

"Something that we don't need you for!" growled Usagi angrily.

"Let me see... Bun-head and a giant together could only mean one thing," Mamoru went on. "You're both were planning to confess your love to Motoki, right?"

Usagi and Makoto gulped as Harusuke shook his head, sighing. Mamoru was then serious.

"I'm sorry you two, but you both need to forget about him," he said. "I'm saying this for your own good."

"What we're doing here is none of your business!" snapped Usagi.

"Yeah! Get lost, you nasty jerk!" Makoto spoke huffily.

"Seriously. I'm telling you the truth," Mamoru continued. "Motoki told me himself that he sees you two as nothing more, but little sisters, nothing more and nothing less.

"Little sisters...?" Makoto spoke worriedly.

"You're lying!" pouted Usagi.

"No, I'm not. But, if you think I'm lying, then why don't you ask Motoki yourself, Bun-head?" Mamoru spoke snootily.

Harusuke was cross. "Now that's enough, Mamoru," he scolded. "You've already made your point, so would it kill you to ease up on the teasing for a bit?"

"I would, but it's the only thing that will get them to learn," said Mamoru. "Besides, it's not like they'll listen to me."

"Why don't you shut up?!" snapped Usagi angrily. "First of all, I don't need you to tell me what to do! Secondly, my name's not Bun-head! It's Usagi Tsukino! How many times do I have to tell you that, you walking fashion disaster!"

She then stomped away into the Game Center Crown to find Motoki. Harusuke then sighed.

"Mamoru, you need to work on your people skills," he said.

"Sorry. I - kinda developed a habit of calling that girl, Bun-Head," he said. "Besides, it's funny whenever she gets mad." He then turned to Makoto. "By the way, you guys do know Motoki has a girlfriend, right?"

"Yeah. Reika, right" replied Makoto. "So what?"

Mamoru was puzzled as he was surprised. He then spoke to Harusuke low enough for him to hear. "I will never understand how middle-school girls think these days," he said.

"You're preaching to the choir on that one," agreed Harusuke.

"But... on the other hand, maybe if Reika decides to study abroad, they might have a chance with Motoki..." Mamoru said.

Harusuke and Makoto's eyes widened in shock.

"What did you just say?!" cried Harusuke.

"She's going away to study abroad?!" exclaimed Makoto.

Mamoru then covered his hand over his mouth, thinking he said too much. Then before he had a chance to react, Makoto had grabbed him by the neck, squeezing while shaking him, causing his face to turn blue from lack of oxygen.

"What's going on?! Tell me all the details right now!" demanded Makoto.

"Makoto! Stop that! You're choking him!" shrieked Harusuke with horror.

Makoto realized what she was doing and immediately let go as Mamoru fell to the ground.

"Oh no... I guess - I overdid it a little," Makoto said sheepishly.

"I'll say you did!" cried Harusuke. "What were you trying to do, kill him?!"

"I... shouldn't... have said anything..." groaned Mamoru as he fell unconscious.

Meanwhile, in the Dark Kingdom, Zoisite and Kunzite were by themselves using the Dark Crystal to locate the next Rainbow Crystal. Sure enough, the Dark Crystal revealed an image that turned out to be Reika's.

"So, the next target is this woman," said Zoisite. "She's a top student at the Azabu Institute of Technology."

"And she's quite the lovely woman," said Kunzite with interest.

Zoisite gasped as she looked at Malachite in disbelief. "How can you be so cruel, Kunzite! How could you suggest that she's more lovely than me?!" he demanded jealously. "Underneath it all, she's just an ugly monster!"

Kunzite shushed Zoisite with his finger. "I'm only kidding," he said. "Don't let envy ruin that pretty face of yours.

Zoisite didn't believe him and turned away in a huff. "Go away!" he snapped bitterly.

Kunzite then made a pink rose appear in his hand and held it before Zoisite's face.

"Come on, Zoisite. Forgive me," begged Kunzite. "This rose can't compare to the beauty I see in you."

Zoisite was surprised and took the rose, his jealously immediately vanishing. "Thank you, my dear," he said as he nuzzled his face in Kunzite's chest lovingly. "In return, I'll make sure to bring you the Rainbow Crystal without fail."

And then, the two shared a loving kiss as Zoisite set off to retrieve the crystal from Reika.

Later that night, Makoto was waiting outside the Azabu Institute of Technology for a particular woman to come out from there. She was hoping to convince her to go to Africa to have a chance of getting Motoki, but she had her doubts.

"Oh man... what should I do?" she wondered to herself. "I came here originally to encourage Reika to study abroad, but... what should I say to her now that I'm here?"

Then she overheard a pair of voices talking from just inside the gate.

"Tomorrow, I think that we should try to raise the temperature of the specimen a little more."

"Yes. I agree. I would be interesting."

"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright then. Night."

Feeling curious, Makoto peered through the gate, and she saw Reika coming toward her. As soon as she was out of the gate, Makoto immediately walked up.

"Excuse me," she said. "Can we talk?"

"Oh. I know you," said Reika. "You were that girl with Motoki the other day. Sure. Let's talk over by the benches."

The two girls then sat down on a bench under a lamppost.

"Alright then, what did you want to talk to me about?" asked Reika.

"Are you planning on going away to study, Reika?" wondered Makoto.

"Oh my. Word travels fast," smiled Reika. "Did Motoki tell you that?"

"Please don't avoid the subject," Makoto said firmly. "Please answer the question."

Reika then looked towards the ground looking troubled and worried. "I don't know," she answered. "I simply can't decide. I'd love to work with a professor and learn from him in Africa. But I'm having trouble bringing myself to leave Motoki. But - if he tries to stop me, I..."

Makoto then stood up, visibly upset. "Just who the heck do you think you are?!" she snapped. "If you'd give up your dreams all for Motoki, then I don't think that you're being serious about your profession! You need to choose one path! Study abroad or love! You can't have it both ways!"

Reika stared at Makoto in surprise while Makoto clasped her hands over her mouth for what she had just said.

"Oh crap! I only came to convince her to study abroad! Not give her a pep talk!" she thought to herself.

Reika then smiled. "You know what? You're right. I can only follow one path, and that's something I have to decide for myself," she said. "Thank you very much! I needed this."

And with that, Reika ran off, disappearing into the night, leaving a defeated Makoto watching her as she left.

The next day, Makoto, Usagi, Harusuke, and Luna walked over to Motoki's apartment. Usagi and Makoto were carrying bags of ingredients to ake Hayashi Rice as Makoto promised. Usagi was humming a merry little tune as they walked while Makoto just walked along, ensuring they were going in the right direction.

"Let's see. Motoki's house should be just on the right," Makoto said to herself.

"Wow, Makoto. You sure know the way pretty well," said Usagi.

"Well, she has told us that she's been there before, so it's only natural that she would know the way," said Harusuke.

"I still can't believe it! I'm finally going to in Motoki's apartment!" Usagi spoke giddily. "How I've dreamed of this moment~ As soon as he sees me in an apron, Motoki's gonna ask me to marry him~."

She then imagined herself in a cooking apron with Motoki admiring her in it and proposing to her. She then blushed in a bright shade of pink and began to absently pucker up her lips like she was about to kiss Motoki, but she was puckering up her lips to Makoto, who was a bit weirded out. Harusuke then tapped Usagi by the shoulder.

"Um... Usagi? You might wanna think about opening your eyes," he said. "Unless you want to give your first kiss to Makoto."

Usagi opened her eyes, and she immediately backed away, flushing with embarrassment.

"Well... at least we know that's never going to happen when it comes to Motoki proposing," said Luna.

"In any case, I'm gonna get going," said Harusuke. "Usagi, I expect you to behave yourself while you're at Motoki's place. And try to keep the fantasies to a minimum. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know," said Usagi.

And then, Luna and Harusuke left, and Usagi and Makoto headed for Motoki's. When they arrived, Motoki greeted them warmly.

"Thanks for dropping by. Come on in!"

The two then came in, and Makoto could only feel a little salty after remembering the day when she found out about Reika. Usagi, however, was amazed to see how clean his apartment was.

"Wow! It's as tidy as I imagined it would be!" she gushed. "Good-looking guys keep their places so neat!"

Makoto immediately gagged, remembering how messy Motoki's room was before. Usagi then saw a coffee mug on the table. She picked it up and took a couple of whiffs from it.

"Wow... so this is the scent of a man," she sighed. "The scent of Motoki."

"Usagi, remember why we're here," growled Makoto irritably.

Then Motoki came in. "Usagi..."

The blonde Bun-head immediately blushed, thinking that her fantasy had come true. "Wait! I have to prepare myself. I'm not emotionally ready."

Motoki was amazed. "Oh, wow! You're amazing, Usagi!" he said. "You prepare yourself to get in the zone emotionally even for cooking?"

Usagi didn't know what to say, although she was relieved that Motoki was slightly dense. Then she, along with Makoto, headed for the kitchen and got ready to cook, aprons on, and food out.

"All right. Let's do this!" said Usagi eagerly. "Tell me what I should do, Mako!"

"Okay, peel the carrots," said Mako.

Usagi then gulped. "I'm uh... not that good of a peeler."

"Then you can dice up all the onions," suggested Mako.

"I can't! They make my eyes water."

"Then cook up the rice!"

"I don't know how to cook the rice!"

Fed up, Makoto smacked Usagi square on the head as she started cooking independently. "Some co-cook you turned out to be!" she growled. "You're are so hopeless..."

"I'm sorry..." whined Usagi.

Just then, the telephone began to ring. Motoki then answered it.

"Hello?"

"Motoki? It's me."

Motoki's eyes then widened. "Reika?!"

Makoto and Usagi immediately stopped, and being the nosy girls they were, listened in on Motoki's conversation.

"Listen, Motoki. There's something I've wanted to tell you," Reika said on the phone. "I know it took me a while, but I've finally made up my mind. About going to Africa, I mean... "

"Please speak up, Reika," said Motoki. "I can hardly hear you."

"I've made my decision," said Reika. "I want to see you later tonight."

Motoki paused for a moment before speaking. "Alright then. I'll be there as soon as I can," he said.

He then hung up, and Usagi and Makoto rushed back into the kitchen, trying to pretend they didn't hear anything.

"Sorry girls, I have to go out for a bit," he said. "Could you watch the place while I'm gone?"

"It's no problem," said Usagi nervously, trying to sound normal. "Don't keep her waiting! Hurry back!"

Motoki then gulped. "Wait... you were listening?!"

"Idiot..." sighed Makoto.

A few hours passed, and the sun was starting to set. Harusuke and Luna walk towards Motoki's place, feeling a bit worried.

"It's been a couple of hours since Usagi and Makoto went to Motoki's," he said. "I hope those two are doing okay. I'm feeling a bit worried."

"I agree," said Luna. "Let's just hope Usagi and Makoto aren't driving him insane."

Just then, they heard the sound of running footsteps catching their attention. Then they saw a familiar face running down the sidewalk as fast as his feet could carry him.

"It's Motoki!" said Harusuke. "Where's he going in such a hurry? And where's Usagi and Makoto?"

"I don't know," said Luna. "But something must be wrong. Probably."

"Luna. You go and check on Usagi and Makoto," said Harusuke. "Meanwhile, I'll go follow Motoki."

Harusuke and Luna then went in opposite directions. Harusuke followed Motoki, making sure that he was out of sight. He soon followed Motoki to an abandoned area close to a factory. There standing all alone, was Reika. Motoki immediately went up to her while Harusuke watched on from afar.

"Motoki... you came," said Reika.

"Of course I did," said Motoki. "Now... you said you made your decision. Please tell me your decision."

Reika paused, gathering up her courage. Then she spoke once more unwavering and sure.

"Before I tell you, I just want to say I thought long and hard about this," she said. "At first, I didn't want to give up on either one, but then... someone told me that I can only choose one path. A path that I believe is what I would want." She paused impressively. "I've decided to study abroad in Africa."

Motoki stared at Reika. Then he smiled.

"I understand," he said. "If that's what you want to do, then I'll support you all the way."

"Really?! You mean it?!" gasped Reika.

"Of course. After all, I don't want to hold you back on your dream," said Motoki. "Sure, you'll be far away, and I'll miss you a lot, but if it means that you'll be able to achieve your goal, then I'll be happy too."

Reika's eyes filled with tears, and she hugged her love, and Motoki returned it. Harusuke and Luna, who had seen and heard everything, couldn't help but smile seeing this touching moment. Bu then, the sound of evil laughter echoed throughout the area.

"How sweet," said a voice. "Two lovers, reaffirming their love for each other."

"Who's there?!" demanded Motoki.

Then suddenly someone appeared before them that made gasp, that someone being Zoisite. From afar, Harusuke gasped.

"It's Zoisite, again!" cried Harusuke. "He must be after a Rainbow Crystal! It has to be inside either Reika or Motoki! I gotta warn the girls!"

Meanwhile, Luna ran as fast as she could to Motoki's apartment. She soon arrived, going straight to the balcony window. She then saw Usagi and Makoto inside. Makoto was staring out into space while Usagi was fast asleep.

"Well, it's no wonder those two haven't come back yet!" she thought. "They've been in here the whole time!"

Then suddenly, there was a familiar beeping sound coming from Usagi's bag along with a red flashing light. Luna knew what that was.

"It's the Moon Stick!" she cried. "That means there's a Rainbow Crystal close by!"

She then leaped towards the window, hoping to warn the girls, but due to not being aware of the window being closed, she smacked right into the glass, causing the girls to jump in surprise.

"What?! What's going on?" mumbled Usagi sleepily.

"Both of you need to transform now!" groaned Luna from behind the glass.

Just then, something else began to beep, coming from Usagi's pocket. It was her communicator. Usagi then pulled out the communicator and pushed the button as Harusuke's face appeared on the screen.

"Girls! We got trouble!" spoke Harusuke urgently. "Zoisite's appeared, and he's after another Rainbow Crystal!"

"Well, this is just great!" Makoto spoke crossly. "First Motoki ditches us, and now this?! I've had it up to here with all this!"

"Yeah! Who does he think he is, leaving two pretty girls alone to watch his house?!" Usagi growled. "That's no way to treat us, Stupid Motoki!"

"Enough with the Motoki love rectangle!" yelled Harusuke. "Just hurry up, transform, and get here already!"

Makoto and Usagi immediately shut their mouths and then transformed.

"MOON PRISM POWER MAKE UP!"

"JUPITER 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 collar that was blue with white stripes. Next, Usagi crosses her arms, and more pink ribbons wrap around them, turning into long white gloves. The pink ribbon then wraps around Usagi's legs and turns into a pair of 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, and a gold tiara with a red gem, a pair of dangling crescent moon earrings, 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 in the background.

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.

Back at the abandoned factory site, Zoisite had Motoki and Reika surrounded in a ring of fire trapping them. Motoki bravely stood before the Dark Kingdom general, shielding Reika from him.

"Shielding your little lover from harm?" mocked Zoisite. "How very brave of you. But it's a waste of time. Now move aside!"

"Never!" shouted Motoki. as he pounced towards Zoisite with his fist raised.

"What a barbarian," scoffed Zoisite as he unleashed a blast of power from his hand.

The blast sent Motoki flying until he fell to the ground in a heap. Reika rushed to his side to see if he was alright.

"You monster!" she cried as she shot a hateful glare.

"It takes a monster to know a monster," Zoisite countered. "After all, you're one of the Seven Great Monsters!"

"Seven Great Monsters? What are you talking about?!" demanded Reika.

"That's right," smirked Zoisite as he pulled out the Dark Crystal in his hand. "If you don't believe me, then why don't I show you? Look deep into the Dark Crystal and become your true self, Rikoukeidar!"

The Dark Crystal then began to glow, emitting its frequency. Reika couldn't help but fall into a trance as she looked at it. Then -.

"Reika! Don't look into the Dark Crystal!"

A loud voice shouted as a giant fireball shot forth from above. The Dark General immediately jumped, dodging the blast just in time as someone now stood between him and Reika, the intruder being Solaris.

"Leave them alone, Zoisite!" growled Solaris. "If you wanna get to them, you gotta go through me first!"

Zoisite clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Solaris, always showing up to ruin my plans," he growled. "Can't you ever give up for one day?!"

"I'll give up when you stop being evil!" Solaris shot back. "Until then, prepare to be scorched!"

Solaris then shot forward and went on the attack punching rapidly. Zoisite parried and blocked the blows and counter-attacked with a kick. Solaris immediately ducked and swept Zoisite's leg connecting and knocking him flat on his back.

"Now you're mine!" yelled Solaris as he attempted to attack with a punch.

Zoisite immediately countered by blasting Solaris with a blizzard of flowers. Solaris barely had time to dodge by jumping backward. Zoisite then got back on his feet, scowling angrily at Solaris.

"I grow tired of these games!" he hissed. "You've interred with me for the last time!"

He then concentrated his power and unleashed another powerful blast with more power. Solaris countered by clapping his hands together and creating a ball of light in his hand.

"SUNSHINE METEOR!"

He punched the ball of light, unleashing his attack. The Sunshine Meteor collided with Zoisite's beam, causing a mighty explosion. However, Zoisite's attack shot right through and blasted Solaris before he had a chance to react. Solaris screamed in pain as he tumbled to the ground.

"How pathetic," cackled Zoisite. "Your puny little meteor didn't stand a chance against my power."

Solaris grunted as he pulled himself up to his feet, wiping the dirt from his cheek.

Zoisite then smirked sadistically. "Still able to stand, are you? Then let me give you another taste of my power!"

Zoisite then unleashed another blast from his hand, aiming for Solaris once again. Solaris was about to dodge, but then he took notice of Reika and Motoki, who was right behind him.

"No! If I try to dodge, then those guys will get hurt!" he thought. "Which means I have no choice! I have to try and block the blast! But my Sunshine Meteor won't be enough to stop it! So what'll I do?!"

Solaris wracked his mind trying to figure out what he should do to stop the blast. Then he knew what to do. He closed his eyes and concentrated, crossing his arms in his chest.

"I SUMMON FORTH THE POWER OF THE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE!" he said. "LEND ME YOUR POWER!"

His hands began to glow in white light, and just as the blast was about to hit him. His eyes snapped open, and a ball of white light formed on his hands.

"STARLIGHT ATTACK!"

He threw out his hands as he unleashed a powerful blast of his own. The two attacks then collided, canceling each other out unleashing a powerful shockwave in the area. Smoke billowed everywhere. As the smoke began to clear up, Zoisite's eyes were wide with disbelief, not believing what had just happened, also recognizing the move Solaris just used.

"That's impossible!" he murmured. "That was Nephrite's move! But how was he able to use that?! He's nothing but a mere mortal!"

The smoke eventually cleared, and Solaris was still standing, but now he felt a little tired and weak.

"That attack took more out of me than I expected," he thought. "But at least I was able to block his attack. Now's my chance to get him!"

He jumped up and dove straight at Zoisite with a kick letting out a yell. Zoisite then snapped out of his daze and blasted Solaris with a whirlwind of petals. The petals then surrounded Solaris buffeting him and blinding him, making him fall to the ground. Zoisite seized his chance and activated the Dark Crystal again with no one to stop him. All Reika could do was scream in agony as a dark hole opened in her chest, revealing a bright blue crystal inside of her. The crystal shot out from Reika's chest, and then she transformed into her monster form known as Rikoukeidar.

Her once long brown hair was now pink that only went to one side in a shaved mohawk. Her skin was green, and her ears became pointed. She also wore a monocle, a black strapless leopard, and knee-high boots. At that moment, Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, and Luna arrived.

"Oh no, we're too late!" cried Sailor Moon. "Reika's been turned into a monster!"

"You'd better be careful, you two," warned Luna. "She looks strong."

"You'd better watch out, you monster!" growled Sailor Moon. "Because we're not the same as we were before!"

"That's right!" said Sailor Jupiter. "We're being fueled with a power that will help us beat you!"

"And that is ten thousand volts of heartbreak power, looking for a boyfriend!" the two of them said together.

"Oh no... not Mako too..." groaned Luna, face pawing herself.

"I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice! I am Sailor Moon!" she went on. "And in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

Rikoukeidar smirked mockingly. "You girls don't have boyfriends? How pathetic," she scoffed.

"Oh yeah?! Well, it's your fault for messing up our chances!" snapped Sailor Moon indignantly.

Rikoukeidar then went on the attack throwing numerous vials at her. Sailor Jupiter immediately pulled Sailor Moon out of the way just the vials hit the ground, exploding. Zoisite chuckled with glee as he watched the two girls fight Rikoukeidar while Solaris struggled to get free from his trap while holding the blue Rainbow Crystal in his hand.

"The fifth Rainbow Crystal belongs to me!" he smirked. "I'll just leave Rikoukeidar to deal with these foolish guardians while I make my escape."

He was just about to do so, but something smacked Zoisite's hand, causing him to drop the Rainbow Crystal. Zoisite snapped his head behind him and saw what caused that to happen. There standing on the rooftop, retracting his cane, was Tuxedo Mask.

Zoisite then scowled. "You're forever butting in where you're not wanted!"

Tuxedo Mask then leaped off the building and stood before Zoisite with the Rainbow Crystal between them. "I'm not about to let you have the Rainbow Crystals!"

"It's my guy, Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon squealed with delight.

"Wait a minute, what about your other guy, Motoki?" asked Sailor Jupiter.

"It's a bit complicated, but right now, I'm into Tuxedo Mask!" responded Sailor Moon.

Sailor Jupiter groaned in annoyance. Then Solaris called out from inside Zoisite's trap.

"Girls! I hate to sound rude, but could one of you come and help me?! I'm starting to hate flowers petals here!"

The two then saw Solaris was in trouble and were about to try and help him, but Rikoukeidar resumed her attack throwing numerous vials at the two guardians. The two frantically jumped around, trying their best not to get hit. Then a particular vial popped near Sailor Moon, and some strange creatures began crawling up her leg growing bigger by the second.

"Ew! What are these things?!" cried Sailor Moon in disgust.

"The foundation of all life, including you, originated from these single-cell organisms," said Rikoukeidar.

Sailor Moon could only stare at the monster, not understanding a single word she had just said.

"She's talking about a "one-celled brain." deadpanned Luna.

Then Jupiter attacked as her lightning rod extended from her tiara and unleashed her signature attack.

"JUPITER SUPREME THUNDER!"

Rikoukeidar the thunder shocked the cells covering Sailor Moon's legs freeing her from danger, but as the thunder shot towards Rikoukeidar, she made a colossal flask appear in her hands, and the thunder got sucked inside it. Then she aimed, and the thunder shot out towards the two guardians. Sailor Jupiter then grabbed Sailor Moon and jumped out of the way just as the lightning the ground with a boom.

"That was too close!" panted Sailor Moon.

"She sucked up the lightning from my Supreme Thunder and used it to attack us!" said Sailor Jupiter.

"Then what'll we do?!" cried Sailor Moon. "Do something before she fries us!"

"So you two managed to dodge, eh?" smirked Rikoukeida. "But there's still plenty of lightning left, and I'll take pleasure in destroying the two of you!"

But before Rikoukeidar could have a chance -.

"MERCURY BUBBLES SPRAY!"

A thick fog spread throughout the area, blinding Rikoukeidar. At the very same time -.

"MARS FIRE SOUL!"

Two fireballs shot out, one destroying the flask in Rikoukeidar's hands and the other burning the flower trap Solaris was in setting him free. The Guardians knew who was behind these attacks.

"It's Mercury!" smiled Sailor Moon.

"And Mars too!" said Sailor Jupiter.

"We're lucky to make it here in time," said Sailor Mercury in relief.

"It took forever to find you guys!" complained Sailor Mars.

"In any case, thanks for the saves," said Solaris. "Especially getting me out that trap."

Then when the fog lifted, Rikoukeidar found herself surrounded by the five guardians as well as Luna.

"Show some respect for your lab equipment!" scolded Sailor Mercury.

"And stop wasting resources!" added Sailor Jupiter.

"Alright, that's enough talking," said Sailor Mars in an aloof tone. Then, she turned to Sailor Moon. "As for you, hurry up and take her out already."

"Don't boss me around!" growled Sailor Moon hotly.

"It's your fault so spaced out and boy crazy," Sailor Mars said snootily.

"What'd you say?!" snapped Sailor Moon crossly.

"Would you just do it already?!" snapped Luna.

Sailor Moon then summoned her Moon Stick and gave it a wave unleashed the healing dust on Rikoukeidar.

"MOON HEALING ESCALATION!"

Rikoukeidar struggled, trying not to succumb and stay a monster, but it was no use.

"REFRESH!"

She soon reverted to Reika, who fell to the ground unconscious. Solaris then looked back towards Tuxedo Mask and Zoisite, locked in a battle over the Rainbow Crystal. He immediately charged at the two, not wanting the Dark General to get away with it despite being a little weak. Zoisite soon found himself trapped between Solaris and Tuxedo Mask, seeming unable to escape.

"Give up, Zoisite!" said Tuxedo Mask. "Your monster's been defeated!"

"And you're outnumbered," added Solaris. "Surrender now and give up on the Rainbow Crystal!"

"Well... it seems that I have lost," conceded Zoisite. "You may take the Rainbow Crystal."

Tuxedo Mask was surprised, but he wouldn't give up a chance to take the Rainbow Crystal. He was just bending down to pick it up when Solaris shouted.

"No! Tuxedo Mask! It's a trick!"

But it was too late. Zoisite once again released a blizzard of petals blinding Solaris and Tuxedo Mask as he took the Rainbow Crystal.

"You're so naive, Tuxedo Mask," cackled Zoisite as he floated upward with the crystal in his hand. "Did you honestly think that I would give up the Rainbow Crystal?" He then turned to Solaris, his victorious smirk now a frowning glare. "As for you, Solaris, I have no idea how you were able to use Nephrite's power, but I will find out."

He then disappeared, retreating to the Dark Kingdom.

"One of these days, I'll get you for this, Zoisite!" growled Tuxedo Mask.

"That's ditto for me!" agreed Solaris.

Motoki, Usagi, Harusuke, and Makoto were all at the airport to see Reika off the next day.

"Reika... I don't want to say goodbye to you," said Motoki. "But... I'm happy that you're going to get to do this."

"I know," said Reika. "But don't worry. I'll promise to write to you."

"And I'll be waiting for you as long as it takes," said Motoki.

The two then shared a tender hug one last time. Then the two separated, and Reika walked away, disappearing on the escalator.

Harusuke, Usagi, and Makoto watched as Reika left, Usagi sobbing quietly.

"It's so sad," she wept. "Maybe we should forget about Motoki. They seem so happy together."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," said Harusuke. "But... you shouldn't feel too sad for them, Usagi. At least they'll keep in touch even though they'll be far apart from each other."

"Whatever! I'm hoping that Reika will meet someone special in Africa and never come back!" said Makoto.

The Tsukino siblings looked at Makoto in surprise.

"You don't mean that!" pouted Usagi.

"Of course I do," grinned Makoto cheekily. "And now that you've dropped out, Usagi, Motoki's all mine!"

"I didn't say that! That's just wishful thinking!"

"Wishful thinking is thinking you can cook!"

As Makoto and Usagi squabbled, Harusuke and Motoki could only sigh while shaking their heads, wondering if the madness between those two would ever end.