This chapter is another original chapter! Enjoy!
It was another morning at the Tsukino residence. Everyone in the house was fast asleep, everyone that was except for Harusuke, who had just woken up. He quietly snuck out of his room, tip-toed over to Usagi's, opened the door a crack, and peered inside. He could see Usagi and Chibiusa sharing Usagi's bed, sleeping soundly along with Luna, who was sleeping in her cushion next to them.
Harusuke could still remember back to when he snapped at Mamoru the other day and Usagi's face when he said those hurtful things to her when he arrived as Tuxedo Mask. The mere thought alone still made him angry with Mamoru and feel helpless being unable to help. He knew that whenever Mamoru showed up, Usagi would end up feeling sadder and would most likely get even worse, which was why he made a decision.
"Usagi. I promise you," Harusuke said to himself. "I am going to get stronger, so you can rely on me and not Mamoru."
He then quietly shut the door, not wanting to wake them up, and went to get dressed.
Soon, it was morning, and Usagi and the other family members were all up, awake, and were going about their daily routine. Then, however, they all noticed that a member of theirs wasn't there this morning.
"Say, Mom. Do you have any idea where Harusuke went?" asked Shingo.
"I honestly have no idea," said Ikuko. "I haven't seen him all morning."
"Well, that's certainly odd," said Kenji. "Harusuke doesn't usually take his time getting up. Usually, he's bright and early."
"Maybe he's having trouble waking up or something," suggested Chibiusa.
"I'll go see if he's up," said Usagi.
She then went upstairs and knocked on the door to Harusuke's room.
"Harusuke," Usagi called. "It's time for you to get up."
But there was no reply. So Usagi tried knocking again, and yet again, there was no answer. So finally, growing impatient and a bit anxious, she opened the door. She was surprised to find that Harusuke's room was empty as she peered inside. Luna then walked up.
"Something the matter, Usagi?" the black cat asked.
"It's Harusuke. He's not here," Usagi told her. "Did he leave early for school or something?"
Luna then went inside and noticed something on Harusuke's desk. She walked on over and jumped on it, inspecting the paper. "Usagi, look at this," she said. "Harusuke left us a note."
Usagi entered and looked at the letter. It read in small letters: Don't wait up for me. I went out early for something important. I'll see you later.
Usagi was puzzled and also a bit worried. "What the heck is this about?" she wondered.
Usagi soon arrived at school and made her way to Ms. Haruna's classroom. She saw Harusuke sitting in his seat as he usually did in class when she entered. She then went over to his desk.
"Hey, Harusuke. Where did you go this morning?" wondered Usagi. "Mom and the others were wondering where you were at."
"Oh, sorry, Usagi," apologized Harusuke. "I... had some prior business to attend to that morning, and I couldn't miss it. So it's nothing that you need to be concerned about."
"You sure nothing's wrong?" asked Usagi, still feeling a bit unsure.
"Don't worry. I'm fine. I just - had something to do this morning as I said," replied Harusuke. "Anyway, Class is about to begin, so you better get to your seat."
Usagi still felt unsure, but she did as he asked and went to her seat just as Ms. Haruna entered the classroom, and class began.
After school, a little later, Harusuke was by the lockers getting his shoes on. Usagi, Makoto, and Ami came up to him as he put them on.
"Hey, Harusuke. We were all going to go head for the cafe," said Makoto. "You want to come with us?"
"Sorry, girls, but I've got something to do today," said Harusuke. "And it's going to take quite a while and will most likely be back home later in the evening." He looked at Usagi. "Sis, could you make sure to tell Mom and Dad for me?"
"Um, yeah. Sure, Harusuke," replied Usagi. "But what's this thing you have to do that's so important?"
Harusuke then gave his sister a wink. "Sorry, but I'm afraid that's a secret," he said. "Anyway, I got to get going. I'll see you all later."
And before anyone could say anything, Harusuke had put on his shoes and dashed away. The girls couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled.
"I wonder what that was all about?" wondered Makoto.
"Well, if Harusuke had something to do, then I suppose that we should respect that," said Ami. "Although, I too found that a bit strange as well. Do you know what's going on, Usagi?"
"I have no idea," Usagi shrugged. "He felt earlier this morning too, and he wouldn't tell me why he left earlier either. I wonder what he could be up to?"
No one could answer, nor could they think of any reason
Meanwhile, in the UFO, Koan was primming herself by applying makeup on her face to look beautiful. Berthier came out of the mirror at that moment, appearing next to her.
"Well, well. Make sure you're pretty as always, eh, Koan?" she said. "Don't you ever think you're applying too much makeup?"
"Of course not," Koan scoffed. "One always has to look their best, though I doubt you could understand."
Berthier rolled her eyes, not caring in the slightest. Then Rubeus appeared. When he did, Koan and Berthier immediately stood at attention.
"Master Rubeus," they both greeted.
"Koan. Berthier. How goes the search for the rabbit and the Silver Crystal?" asked Rubeus.
"Unfortunately, we still haven't been able to find them yet," said Koan.
"And to add to that, we haven't been able to corrupt the previous crystal point, Sir," added Berthier. "Sailor Moon and Solaris were able to destroy Atsugessho before she could have a chance to."
"I see," said Rubeus, a frown crossing his features. "This is a disappointment. Those two are starting to become quite the thorns in our sides."
"Master Rubeus, don't worry. If I ever come across those two again, I'll turn the both of them to ash!" said Koan. "I still need to give them some payback after what they did to my precious face!"
"You'll have your chance, Koan," said Rubeus. "But remember, this isn't an enemy we shouldn't be taking lightly, especially since they have the power to go against us. In the meantime, I've located another crystal point for us to take over in Juuban. Which one of you would like to take this mission?"
"I can do it, Master Rubeus," said Berthier. "I'd like another shot of taking over a crystal point if possible."
"No way. You had your chance!" protested Koan. "Besides, if I run into Sailor Moon and Solaris again, I can finally get a chance to kill them, and once I do, we won't have to worry about them getting in our way again, and I'll get my shot for some payback! Just say the word, Master Rubeus, and I'll do it!"
"Very well, Koan. Since you're so eager, I'll allow you to handle this mission," said Rubeus. "While you're going that, Berthier, Calaveras, and Petz will continue the search for the Silver Crystal and the Rabbit."
"As you wish, Sir," said Berthier.
Koan felt excited, a hunger for revenge pumping through her veins. "Prepare yourself, Sailor Moon and Solaris! If we ever cross paths again, you can be sure that your lives will be mine!"
A little while later, Usagi had gotten back and was in her room lounging around, lying on her bed, feeling worried. It was starting to get late, and Harusuke had not come yet. She wondered where her brother could have gone off and what exactly he was doing over the past hours.
Then she heard a familiar voice call out.
"I'm home!"
The moment she heard that voice, she immediately got up from her bed and opened the door looking down the hallway to see that Harusuke, who had just come up the stairs heading towards his room. The skin on his cheeks was flushed bright red, and his face was slightly shiny with sweat. He was also panting as if he had just run a marathon. She then went up to him.
"Harusuke. There you are," Usagi said. "Are you okay? You look tired."
Harusuke looked at his sister and smiled at her despite being tired. "I'm fine, Usagi. I just went out for a little run, that's all, so naturally, I am a little tired. But it's nothing that some cold water and some rest can't fix."
"Is that why you're home so late?" asked Usagi. "That must have been quite a jog."
"Yeah. It was, but it's nothing that I can't handle," said Harusuke. "Anyway, I'm going to go ahead and take a bath, so if you don't mind, I'm going to go to my room for a bit."
And Harusuke entered his room, shutting the door behind him, and Usagi went back to hers feeling a little better but still felt a little puzzled.
Harusuke stood on the other side of the door in his room, leaning his back against it as he wiped the sweat off of his brow. He felt exhausted after what he did today. His muscles ached, and he felt like flopping to the floor and sleeping right then and there. Instead, however, he walked over to his bed and laid down on it on his back, enjoying the soft and cooling sensations while staring up at the ceiling.
"Sorry, Usagi. I can't exactly tell you what I'm up to right now," Harusuke thought to himself. "If I did, you would most likely try to get me to stop doing what I'm doing."
He then thought back to the other night when he chewed out on Mamoru for making Usagi cry. He still felt like punching the guy, but now that he had his sense of reasoning, he couldn't help but wonder.
"Why would Mamoru say those things to Usagi?" Harusuke continued thinking. "One minute, he and Usagi were practically lovebirds, the next minute, he hates her and dumps her? It just doesn't add up. But then again, why should it matter? Mamoru hurt Usagi, and I couldn't do anything to help her."
He then held up his hand and clenched it tightly into a fist.
"I have to get stronger, so I can protect you as a brother and as a guardian, for your sake, Usagi. I'll do whatever it takes to ensure you're safe because I never want to see you cry like that again. Never again."
The next day, on a weekend morning, Usagi and the other girls met up at the Hikawa Shrine to discuss the recent events that happened over the past few days. Luna had just finished telling the girls about the battle the other day.
"So, wait. When Usagi and Harusuke fought that monster the other day, you heard it say something about destroying a future city?" wondered Ami.
"Yes. It certain was peculiar, to say the least," said Luna. "Why would she need to pose as a shopkeeper to destroy something in the future? And what did she mean by that?"
"I don't know, but it can't be a good thing," said Makoto. "These new enemies are different than the ones we fought before."
"Not to mention there's the issue with Chibiusa," said Minako. "It seems like the more we try to figure out something, the more complicated and problematic it seems to get."
"Say, Usagi? Has everything been going alright for you lately?" asked Ami. "Chibiusa hasn't been giving you any trouble, has she?"
But Usagi didn't respond. Instead, she just sat there quietly, not paying attention to what everyone else was saying. Then Rei gave Usagi a light pinch on the cheeks causing Usagi to jump and let out a yelp of pain.
"You awake now, Usagi?" asked Rei.
"Ow, you didn't have to pinch me, Rei!" complained Usagi.
"Well, you were spacing out, Usagi," said Ami. "Is everything okay? Are you still..."
Ami then trailed off, knowing that she was talking about Usagi and Mamoru still weren't together. The others knew this, too, and didn't say anything else. On the other hand, Usagi was still sad, but she put on a brave face and smiled at her friends.
"Don't worry, guys. Mamoru and I still aren't together but don't worry. Everything's fine," Usagi said. "Besides, if I'm ever going to get back with Mamoru, then I've got to be strong enough to win him back, and I'm going to do my best no matter what!"
Everyone was surprised by Usagi's optimism but was somewhat relieved that she was a lot less depressed.
"Atta girl, Usagi," smiled Minako. "Way to keep a positive attitude."
"And if you need any help with anything, we'll always be there to help you," added Makoto. "Just give us a call, and we'll come running to your place."
"Thanks, girls," said Usagi. "I appreciate it."
Luna and Artemis looked at each other, a little worried. They knew that there was a possibility that Usagi was putting on a brave face so she wouldn't make anyone worry, but they said nothing.
"By the way, Usagi, we noticed that Harusuke's not with you today," said Artemis. "Do you have any idea where he could be?"
"I have no idea," replied Usagi frowning. "For some reason, he's been spending a lot of time out of the house lately. And to add to that, he won't tell me or anyone else why."
"Well, that's certainly odd and probably not good," said Makoto. "Normally, whenever Harusuke's going off on his own, it usually ends up with him being in trouble."
"Hopefully, he's not doing anything reckless," said Artemis. "I mean, for all we know, he could be trying to find Mamoru, so he could beat him up or something."
Everyone looked at Artemis, deeply shocked.
"Artemis, why on Earth would you even suggest such a thing?!" scolded Luna. "Sure, Harusuke's a bit overprotective when it comes to Usagi, but he would never go as far as to do something like that."
"I understand that Luna, but as you said, Harusuke's very protective when it comes to Usagi," said Artemis. "And since he's aware of what happened between Usagi and Mamoru, I'm worried that he might do something that could endanger himself like last time."
The girls all looked at each other, knowing full well that Artemis was right. Especially Usagi, who was now more worried about her brother than ever.
Usagi then stood up. "I'm going to go look for Harusuke," she said.
The others then stood up too.
"And we'll help too," said Minako.
"Let's all split up," Ami said. "We can cover more ground that way and try to get in touch with Harusuke with your communicators."
"Right," everyone said as they all left the Hikawa Shrine behind them and split up, searching for Harusuke.
In Downtown Juuban, Koan, who was now wearing a casual pink dress with a yellow hat, had just finished taking over the next crystal point near a nearby gym. She was pleased that things were going well, but she also felt unsatisfied.
"I'm feeling a bit bored now that I've got everything done," Koan said to herself. "It makes me kind of wish that those rotten guardians would hurry and show up, so I can kill them, and if the Rabbit and the Silver Crystal could show up too, that'd be just perfect, but I can't afford to let Master Rubeus down. So I better start attracting customers as soon as possible." She then looked behind her. "Droid Kinheddo? Are you there?"
A young woman who was lean and very muscular then appeared from the gym entrance. "I'm here, Mistress Koan."
"Start attracting customers to this gym," ordered Koan. "Whoever uses the equipment inside will not only have the need and drive to be stronger, but as time passes, they will grow weaker and frail until they're nothing but a bunch of weaklings, and then this crystal point will be all but corrupted. Then this crystal point will be useless, and the power within this place will be ours. So, I want you to act as a trainer over there. Understood?"
"Yes, Mistress Koan," said the woman. "I shall not fail you."
"And if those meddlesome guardians, Sailor Moon and Solaris, show up, make sure that you kill them without any hesitation," added Koan, a slight tinge of malice in her voice. "They still need to pay for what they did to my precious face."
Kinheddo then chuckled as she prepared to fulfill her mission; her eyes showed ill intent as Koan disappeared to spread the word.
At the same time, Usagi and Luna looked around Downtown Juuban, searching for any sign of Harusuke. So far, the two couldn't find him anywhere, and the others didn't have as much luck either.
"Where could he be?" wondered Luna. "We've looked pretty much everywhere, but we still haven't been able to find him anywhere. You sure that we've looked everywhere, Usagi?"
"Let's see," Usagi hummed thoughtfully. "Ami and Makoto are looking over by the school, Rei's checking out the arcade, and Minako and Artemis are keeping an eye on your family's house in case he comes home, but so far, they weren't able to find him."
"Can you think of any other places that he could be?" asked Luna. "There has to be someplace that we haven't looked yet."
Usagi furrowed her brow and thought, trying to think of any other place to look for her brother, from his favorite place to where he loved to hang out. Then she suddenly remembered.
"Wait, I do!" Usagi cried. "There's one other place that we haven't checked yet, and he's sure to be there!"
"Really? Where?" wondered Luna.
Usagi then smiled at the black cat. "Just follow me!"
She then rushed down the sidewalk, and Luna followed close behind her, but as she followed Usagi, Luna just so happened to see the gym. When she saw it, she couldn't help but feel something off about it, but she couldn't place what it was.
Eventually, the two came to the last place that anyone expected to be, Juuban Park. When they arrived, Luna was a bit surprised.
"Usagi, why would Harusuke be here of all places?" Luna wondered. "This would be the last place I would have thought to look for him."
"I just remembered this a while back, when I talked to Naru and Umino the other day," Usagi explained. "Back when Nephrite died, Harusuke would sometimes come here to visit his grave, but he always went all by himself. So if there were any place he could be, it would be here."
The two walked around the park, looking around, eventually coming to the grove of trees from before. They heard the strange sound of something hitting when they got there, followed by a peculiar shout. The two ventured deeper into the grove of trees. Finally, they soon came to a clearing and saw the noise source.
Just ahead of them, they saw Solaris, who was shadow boxing as well as kicking, while jumping and dashing around as fast as he could. He was wearing a yellow tank top, a pair of gray sweats, and sneakers. Usagi and Luna watched while peering from behind a tree as Harusuke continued.
"There he is," murmured Usagi. "But what exactly is he doing?"
"Isn't it obvious, Usagi? He's training," said Luna quietly. "Although, I didn't expect him to be doing it here of all places."
Usagi watched her brother as he continued to shadow box and kick as he let out a few yells in the process. He flipped, jumped, and dashed, imagining that he was avoiding an enemy's attack. He then shot forward and then, with a mighty yell, gave a kick to a nearby tree, making it shudder. However, the tree was too hard, even for him, and was so hard that the shockwaves traveled up his leg and eventually to his whole body, making him stumble backward. He recoiled, wincing in pain slightly, but he refused to stop.
"No way. I have to keep going," Harusuke said to himself. "I've got to get stronger! I must get stronger!"
As he continued to train, Usagi and Luna could only watch with amazement as he did this.
"Wow, even I have to admit, this is a side of him that I didn't expect to see," said Luna. "I knew he was determined, but I didn't think he'd be this determined."
Usagi remained silent, filled with admiration. Then she turned to Luna.
"Say, Luna? Why don't we leave Harusuke alone and let him train?" asked Usagi. "I mean, we don't want to get in his way, and we can always tell the other girls about what he's doing."
"For once, you came up with a good idea, Usagi," said Luna smiling a bit. "Let's get going."
And the two then quietly tip-toed away, leaving Harusuke alone as he continued to train.
Later on, after training for about an hour or so, Harusuke decided to head on home that his family wouldn't worry about him. But unfortunately, his body felt more sore and achy than ever as he trudged home.
"Man, my body feels sorer than ever," complained Harusuke. "I've heard of the saying, no pain, no gain, but still... I wish that there's a better way to get stronger, but as the saying goes, if you want to make an omelet, you got to break a couple of eggs."
Then as he continued to walk, a flyer happened to flutter by in the wind heading straight towards him. Before it could hit him in the face, Harusuke managed to catch it, grasping it in his hand. He then took a look at that flyer, and what he saw piqued his curiosity.
It read: Improve your body! Boost your confidence! Get the confidence you need! New members get a free membership for two weeks!
Now, this intrigued Harusuke, but at the same time, given his own recent experience with a gym in the past, he wasn't quite sure if this was the thing for him.
"A gym would be the perfect place for me to get stronger, but... considering that there was a monster the last time I went to one, I'm not sure that I should go," Harusuke said to himself. "But then again, what are the odds of it happening again? I am looking for a better place to get stronger, so maybe it's worth checking out."
Harusuke then walked on while carrying the flyer in his hand until he eventually made it to the gym in question. Inside, many people, men, and women alike, already inside working up a sweat using the various equipment. They all looked determined and confident. Then, Kinheddo, disguised as a trainer at the gym, came up to him.
"Hello there," greeted Kinheddo. "I'm one of the instructors of this gym. Are you looking to join?"
"I'm just here to browse around," Harusuke said. "It seems that you have some top-quality equipment in here."
"Indeed we do," smiled Kinheddo. "We've spared no expense into getting the greatest equipment for those who strive to be strong. Speaking of which, I can see that you're looking to be stronger as well."
"Well, I suppose... you're not too far off the mark," said Harusuke. "But I've mostly been training all by myself, though."
"That is good, but don't you think you should take your training to the next level?" asked Kinheddo. "You'll have every piece of equipment at your disposal, and within a few days, you'll gain an unbelievable amount of strength and power."
And just to prove it, Kinheddo flexed her muscles from her arms to her legs, showing them off. She also went over to a massive barbell and lifted it effortlessly. Those who were watching applauded and cheered. Even Harusuke was impressed. Kinheddo then set the barbell down.
"You too can have this level of strength, kid," Kinheddo said. "And the best part is, it's all free for two weeks. In that time, you'll be able to have confidence in your body, strength unimaginable, and be at the pinnacle of your health! All you have to do is sign up."
Harusuke was still a bit unsure. However, he couldn't help feel charmed by everything Kinhiddo had said. He did want to get stronger as soon as possible, and this gym was a bit better than the park, so he decided to just go for it.
"Alright, then. I will join," Harusuke said with a smile. "Where do I sign up?"
Kinhiddo then smirked evilly on the inside. "Another hopeless fool caught, like a moth to the flame."
A couple of days had passed since then. Usagi and the others met up at the Hikawa Shrine as they always did. However, they were short two of their group, one who was away once again, and the other who was just wasn't there either.
"Harusuke's gone again?" wondered Rei. "He sure has been gone a lot lately."
"I heard that he signed up for a gym and has been working himself to the bone," said Ami. "He has been getting a bit stronger, but I couldn't help but notice he's been eating a lot less lately. The other day at lunch, he refused to eat his and went out for a run instead."
"And he keeps blowing us off whenever we try to hang out and skipping our meetings," said Makoto. "Not only that, but he looks like he hasn't been getting much of a break, either."
"I'm starting to get a little worried about him," said Usagi. "He's been coming home exhausted and yet still willing to work out. I even saw him the other day in his room using his bed as a bench press."
"Using his bed as a bench press?" repeated Rei. "Why on Earth would he do something like that? Or rather, how was he able to do that?"
"I don't know, but I asked Luna and Artemis to keep an eye on him," said Usagi. "I don't know why, but I feel as if something's wrong with him. He's pushing himself way too hard, and I think it might be because of me. He would do anything to protect me, even going as far as to push himself to be stronger, and I'm worried that he could get into serious trouble."
"You did send Luna to keep an eye on him, Usagi. There's no reason to worry," said Makoto. "He's just been spending a lot of time at the gym to work out. It's nothing to be worried over except for the part of him using his bed as a bench press."
"Don't worry, Usagi. I'm sure that Harusuke's fine," soothed Rei. "He's your brother, after all. And if there's any trouble, Artemis and Luna will be the first to tell us. But if you're that anxious, we could always go check out the gym just to be safe."
Usagi still wasn't sure, but she answered with a silent nod.
Meanwhile, Harusuke was at home getting ready to head for the gym, wearing his workout clothes. His body had become more toned, but he looked very skinny and drained. However, he felt filled with energy and was ready to go to the gym for another hard workout. But as he was leaving the house, Luna and Artemis were waiting for him.
"Harusuke. You're heading to the gym again?" asked Artemis.
Harusuke looked up. "Of course I am," he replied. "I got to keep getting stronger, after all. I can't be a good guardian if I'm weak."
"It's nice to see that you're taking your duties as a Guardian seriously," said Luna. "But, when was the last time you took a break? You've been working yourself to the bone for quite a while, and I'm worried that your body might not be able to keep it up, considering that you've been doing that while balancing school."
"Don't worry, I'm fine. There's no need for me to take a break," Harusuke said. "Besides, no pain, no gain, right? I can take it, no problem. Now, if you don't mind, I have to get going. I got some more training to do."
Harusuke was about to dash away, but Luna and Artemis cut him off.
"Hold on a minute, Harusuke," said Luna. "I think that you need to take it easy. You look like you're about to collapse any second now. Maybe you need to - ."
"No thanks, Luna," Harusuke insisted. "I have to be at my best if I'm going to be strong enough to protect Usagi and the others. Especially after what Mamoru did to her. The enemy doesn't take any breaks for us, so why shouldn't I. I have to keep getting stronger. I need to go."
"But Harusuke, we really must insist that you take some time off," Artemis said. "Usagi and the others are worried about you, and we're afraid that you might be pushing yourself too hard."
"I'm fine!" Harusuke suddenly burst out, his voice echoing throughout the street.
There was a long silence, and Harusuke bit his lip in vexation, feeling bad for yelling. Then he walked past them, not looking at either one in the eye.
"What was that all about, Luna?" Artemis wondered. "I've never seen him act that way before."
Luna stared at Harusuke as he went on his way. "I don't know, but I think that we should follow him," said Luna. "I know that he wouldn't want us to, but I'm feeling worried about him. Plus, I have a hunch about something, and I'm hoping that I'm wrong."
"Then let's go," said Artemis.
The two cats followed Harusuke, making sure to stay out of sight so he wouldn't detect them.
The two cats eventually arrived at the gym and were just in time to see Harusuke enter it. Not only that, but as they approached it, they couldn't help but feel the furs on their backs begin to stand on end.
"Do you feel that Luna?" asked Artemis.
"Yeah, I do," Luna said. "Sometimes, I hate it when my hunches are correct. Let's get inside."
The two then snuck into the gym via the door and crept around inside. The two cats saw Harusuke on the bench press pushing as hard and fast as he could among the other people there. The other people appeared to be in the same condition as Harusuke, but they seemed to be worse than he was. Some of them still had the energy to keep going, while others were on the brink of collapsing. Amongst them was Kinheddo, who was still under her human guise, cheering for them.
"Yes, Yes! Keep pushing yourselves! Push yourselves until you crumble!" Kinheddo called out. "If you want to be strong, you got to keep working up a sweat! Keep going!"
The people using the equipment did as she asked and continued to work out, despite how weak they were. Kidheddo then left the room, unaware that Luna and Artemis were following her. They followed her to the hallway and saw Kinheddo speaking with another woman, of course, Koan.
"Droid Kinheddo, how goes progress?" asked Koan.
"So far, so good," replied Kinheddo. "Those humans are working out so much; they look like they're about to keel over. There's no doubt in my mind that this place will no longer serve as a crystal point."
"And what about those Guardians?" asked Koan. "Have you seen any sign of them yet?"
"Nothing so far," said Kinheddo. "But don't worry. I've got my eyes peeled. As soon as I see them, I'll crush them for you!"
"Very good, but make sure that you save Sailor Moon and Solaris for me," said Koan with malice. "I want to make sure I kill those two myself!"
Artemis and Luna were horrified.
"Artemis, you've got contact Usagi and the others!" Luna spoke urgently. "I'll try to get Harusuke to come to his senses!"
The two then raced away, Artemis running out of the gym, and Luna went over to Harusuke, who was now running on a treadmill.
"Harusuke! Snap out of it!" cried Luna. "You have to stop right now!"
"I can't, Luna!" Harusuke panted. "Must, get, stronger! Must, keep, pushing, myself!"
"Alright! I've had enough!" Luna cried. "Sorry about this, Harusuke, but this is for your own good!"
She then jumped up at the treadmill's controls and pounced directly onto Harusuke's face. Harusuke let out a scream of surprise and was so startled that he fell off of the treadmill and fell flat on his back, dazed and confused.
"Luna! What's the big idea!?" Harusuke cried, now back to normal. "You scared me half to death!"
"Just be quiet, and listen, Harusuke!" Luna snapped. "The enemy has taken over this place, and the trainer here is another one of those monster things called a droid!"
Now Harusuke was concerned. "A droid? You mean like that monster Usagi and I fought before?" he asked.
"Yes, so you need to get out of here as soon as possible," said Luna. "Artemis already left to get the Guardians, but you're going to have to hold her off until they get here. You think you're up for it?"
Harusuke nodded. "Of course, Luna! I'm always ready to fight monster butt!"
"Then, hurry and transform!" said Luna. "That monster will be back any second!"
Harusuke then got back up and quickly hid from view by exiting the gym and going just around the corner. He then raised his hand on high and transformed.
"SOLAR GUARDIAN POWER FLARE UP!"
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.
Kinheddo returned to the room and was about to resume her coaching when someone came bursting through the door.
"Caught red-handed, you monster!" he yelled. "How dare you take advantage of people who are just looking for a chance to get strong and live a healthy life?! And you would also dare to push these people so hard to the brink of collapsing?! That's not coaching; that's just being a slave driver!"
"Who the hell are you?!" demanded Kinheddo.
"I am the knight with the brilliance of the sun and the courage of a warrior who fights for love and justice!" he proclaimed. "I am Solaris! And in the name of the sun, with my blinding rays, I'll scorch you!"
Kinheddo scowled. "So you're finally here, Solaris! Koan's been hoping that you would show up! Now I'll have the pleasure of destroying you for her!"
She then changed, growing to a large size, her muscles ripping through her clothing. Her skin became a bright red, and her outfit changed into the attire of a bodybuilder, which was a black fitness crop with padded gloves, tight shorts, and boots. She also had a bright green gem in the middle of her forehead and a pair of horns as her hair spiked up. Solaris was a bit intimidated by her size, but he would not back down as she came charging straight for him.
Kinheddo swung hard, forcing Solaris to jump over her to dodge. However, she had such immense strength that she crushed a treadmill with one punch. This feat made all the other people stop immediately and flee the scene in terror, while Solaris stayed behind.
"This thing's a lot tougher than it looks!" Solaris thought to himself. "I better be careful, especially since I'm not at my best right now. One false move and I'll end up like that treadmill."
"Come on, Solaris! Show me how strong the Guardian of the Sun is!" roared Kinheddo. "Let's see if you can back up those words!"
She then swung, again and again, hoping to catch Solaris off guard, but Solaris kept on dodging, getting out of the way. While he avoided the hits, it seemed that it took every bit of his strength to move due to him also being under the monster's spell, but he had to keep going. Luna watched from afar, looking worried.
"Come on, Solaris. Hang in there," Luna said. "Just hold on until the others get here."
Then came trouble. As Solaris dodged another incoming blow, his bracelet began to spark a bit, and at that moment, he suddenly began to feel a sharp pain coming from the center of his chest as his armor appeared to waver and warp. Seizing her chance, Kinheddo swung her leg and gave Solaris a powerful kick to the stomach sending him crashing into a rack of dumbbells. Solaris struggled to get back up on his feet, but he felt the sharp pain again, and his armor began to wane and disappear in various areas as he winced in agony.
Luna saw this was confused as well as horrified. "What's happening to Solaris?! His power is growing unstable!"
"What's... going on?!" Solaris groaned in agony. "Why... does everything hurt?!"
He looked at his hands only to see that his gloves for a couple of brief moments disappeared, revealing his hands before returning to normal.
"What's happening to me?!" Solaris wondered. "I'm losing strength... and my power's waning!"
Kinheddo seeing Solaris was weak, charged straight towards him, a fist raised and ready to punch him.
"Now, you die, Solaris!" roared Kenheddo. "Say your prayers as I send you straight to hell!"
Solaris being unable to fight back, struggled as he tried to get back up, but the pain still rocked his body, making him unable to. Then, just as Kinheddo was about to deliver the punishing blow, a red rose shot past the droid's face blinding her with its petals as it pierced the wall. Solaris then looked up and saw a man in a tuxedo, standing next to the wall, of which he was glad to see, but at the same time, he wasn't.
"Tuxedo Mask," Solaris winced.
"They say that the pain you feel today after a workout will give you the strength you need tomorrow," Tuxedo Mask said. "But you have been letting innocent people suffer from the pain for far too long." He then looked at Solaris. "Hurry! Take her out now while she's blinded, Solaris!"
Solaris struggled to his feet as he tried to keep his power under control as the distortions in his armor continued. Then, with a mighty yell, his body flared with golden light, and he charged straight at Kinheddo. He swung with a right punch to the face and a left blow to the gut. Finally, he gave a mighty kick to the chest with all of his might, sending Kinheddo crashing into the front desk by the entrance. He then clenched his left hand while charging it with power aiming.
"SOLARIS NOVA FLARE!"
Solaris then unleashed a powerful blast of silver light at Kinheddo, who had just managed to get back up on her feet, looking in time to see it coming straight for her. She crossed her arms to defend as the blast hit her, but Solaris turned up the power, making his beam's intensity grow stronger. Finally, Kinheddo got overwhelmed and was eradicated, reduced into a pile of ashes and her gem, which turned completely black. The battle being over, Solaris turned to Tuxedo Mask, glaring.
"I could have handled it myself, you know," Solaris spoke coldly.
"I'm sure you could have," said Tuxedo Mask. "But do try to be more careful. There are other ways of gaining strength, and pushing your body to the point of collapse is not one of them. Farewell."
He then turned on his heel and disappeared. Luna then rushed over to Solaris.
"Solaris! What happened to you over there?!" the black cat asked. "Your transformation seemed to be fluctuating!"
Solaris was about to answer her when suddenly, he felt pain rock his body again, and parts of his armor began to wane and become transparent as he let out another cry of pain as he sank to his knees. He desperately tried to keep himself together, but his body couldn't take it anymore, as Solaris reverted to Harusuke, falling to the ground unconscious.
At that moment, Sailor Moon, the Guardians, and Artemis arrived and saw Harusuke's unconscious body lying on the floor.
"Harusuke!" cried Sailor Mars, as she and the others rushed over to him. "Luna, what happened?!"
"I don't know!" Luna spoke. "Harusuke, all of a sudden, was in pain, and the next minute, he reverted to normal!"
"Harusuke! Harusuke, can you hear us?!" Sailor Moon begged as she gently shook her brother. "Please! Open your eyes!"
But the boy didn't answer or respond.
When Harusuke regained consciousness, he found himself staring up at the roof of a girl's room with the girls next to him.
"Harusuke, you're awake," Usagi spoke. "Thank goodness."
"You need to stop ending up like this all the time," said Rei. "Seriously, picking you up after getting in trouble is getting to be a habit."
Harusuke groaned softly; he sat up, rubbing the side of his head, feeling confused.
"Hold on a second, Harusuke," warned Minako. "We're still in the middle of treating your wounds."
"Don't worry, I'm fine," Harusuke replied, rubbing his neck. "Just a little banged up is all."
Then he felt a sudden feeling that something was off. Something felt missing, and he knew what it was. He then looked at his wrist to find that his bracelet had mysteriously disappeared.
"Hey! Where'd my bracelet go?!" Harusuke cried. "It was on my wrist, and now it's gone!"
"Calm down, Harusuke," Luna spoke as she hopped onto the bed. "Your bracelet's been taken off. Unfortunately, however, we have a severe problem."
"What kind of serious problem?" asked Harusuke.
Artemis then hopped up on the bed, having Harusuke's cracked bracelet in his mouth, and placing it on the bed. Harusuke saw it and his eyes went wide with shock as he picked it up.
"My bracelet! It's cracked!" Harusuke gasped. "How did this happen?!"
"We're not sure how," said Artemis. "But this was most likely the reason why your powers began to fluctuate until your transformation came undone, according to what Luna just told us."
"But... you and Lune can fix it, right, Artemis?" asked Harusuke. "I mean, Luna gave me the bracelet in the first place, and she knew how it worked, so surely you both must know a way to make it new again."
Luna and Artemis looked uncomfortably at each other in a few seconds of silence.
"Harusuke, we're... we're not so sure how to say this," said Artemis.
The girls, as well as Usagi, all looked at the two cats feeling concerned.
"Say what? Please tell us," Usagi pleaded.
There was a long silence, then Artemis spoke.
"Tragically, at least for the moment, Luna and I have no idea how to fix the bracelet," said Artemis quietly.
Those words made the girls stare at the cats in disbelief, gasping. Harusuke, on the other hand, wasn't so worried.
"Well, I suppose that I'll have to work through the pain," said Harusuke. "It's never stopped me before, so why should it now?"
"I'm afraid it's a lot worse than that, Harusuke," said Luna. "The next time you transform, the results could be more catastrophic than what happened today. If you transform with your bracelet in its current state, you could die."
Harusuke flinched, his heart skipping a beat.
"Luna, you can't be serious!" Usagi cried. "Are you sure that you and Artemis can't fix it with glue or something?!"
"Yeah, there has to be some way to fix it!" protested Makoto.
"I'm afraid that there isn't," said Artemis solemnly. "And until we can find a way to fix, Harusuke, I'm sorry to say this, but I'm afraid that you're going to have to step down as a Guardian."
Whew! That was a doozy to write!
I don't know if this was the most ideal of chapters, but I had fun writing it!
If you like what you read, feel free to leave a review!
Dragoman, signing off!