Everyone was hanging out at the Hikawa Shrine, waiting for Usagi to come back from school, talking to each other about the little stuff. However, there was one among them lost in his thoughts.
Harusuke was still wondering about the other night when he visited Nephrite's grave.
"I know that it was just a cloth from Naru's pajamas, but that was the only reminder of Nephrite," he thought. "What could have happened to it? And who would even bother to take it? Perhaps the wind blew it away?"
"Is something the matter, Harusuke?" wondered Ami. "You look deep in thought about something."
Harusuke then looked up and noticed Ami looking at him quizzically.
"Oh. It's nothing, Ami," Harusuke said, shaking his head."Just in my own little world, that's all."
Just then, Usagi finally arrived, running up to them.
"Usagi! You're late!" complained Rei. "I knew that you had to stay after school, but what took you so long?!"
The twin odango blonde dug into her pocket and took out an advertisement grinning from cheek to cheek. "This!" she spoke, pointing to the paper excitedly. "There's a skiing contest happening at the resort in the mountains this weekend! It's called The Moon Princess Contest!"
"The Moon Princess Contest?" Harusuke repeated.
"That seems like an odd coincidence," Minako said.
"Yeah, but it's perfect!" Usagi nodded eagerly. "A contest like this one is tailor-made for me to win, don't you think?!"
"Let me see that," spoke Rei as she snatched the advertisement away from her and took a quick scan. She then hummed in interest. "Wow! So the winner gets to be crowned Moon Princess at night, in front of a big crowd of people?!"
She then began to imagine herself skiing down the snowy slope like a pro winning the contest with the crowd cheering for her.
"Wow... I can see myself there," she sighed. "It even sounds romantic."
"I know, right?!" agreed Usagi eagerly. "So, does that mean a yes?!"
"It's fine with us, but what about Luna and Artemis?" wondered Makoto. "I mean, what are those gonna say when they hear about it?"
"Don't worry about them," smiled Minako. "I'll just say that we're all going to the mountains to do some serious training."
Usagi was a bit surprised. "I'm... actually kind of surprised that you would suggest telling them that," she said.
"It shouldn't. I mean, it's the truth, isn't it?" asked Minako.
"I believe it's more like stretching the truth, Minako," said Ami. "But I'm sure they'll more likely believe it, coming from you."
"Great! That means all of us can go!" cheered Usagi.
"But where are we gonna find a hotel vacancy on such short notice?" wondered Rei.
"I think that I can help you with that," said a familiar voice behind them. "That is if you don't mind."
Everyone looked to find Yuichiro standing there.
"Do you know a place, Yuichiro?" asked Harusuke.
"Sure. My parents live in that area, and they own a place that's big enough for all of you to stay," Yuichiro said.
"Whoa! That's awesome!" Usagi smiled, her eyes sparkling. "We would so appreciate that!"
"Then it's settled!" Yuichiro smiled back. "I'll take this weekend off, and then I'll just-"
"Hold on, does that mean that you're coming too?" asked Rei with a hint of disdain.
"Is... that a problem?" Yuichiro asked, now looking sheepish.
"No. Not at all. It'll be fine, Rei," smiled Makoto. "You know what they say, "Even a chance encounter is preordained." "
"Makoto, I think you mean, "By chance, a meeting could be your destiny," right?" corrected Minako.
"Do either of those quotes even apply in this case?" wondered Ami.
Minako and Makoto didn't say anything more. Rei could only sigh because she still wasn't sure or too thrilled about Yuichiro going.
"Come on, Rei. It'll be fine," said Harusuke. "Besides, he is providing you all a place to stay, so this is the least you could do to thank him. I'll think I'll come along too."
"Wait, you're coming too, Harusuke?!" asked Rei in surprise.
"Well, of course. I've always wanted to try skiing," smiled Harusuke. "And you know what they say, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." "
"Now that's the right quote," smiled Ami.
Makoto and Minako could only glare softly at Ami in annoyance.
In the Dark Kingdom, Kunzite was holding the same advertisement as Usagi chuckling with triumph while Endymion stood by a few feet away, leaning against a pillar.
"I know that they'll fall for this trap," smirked Kunzite. "Because they're not only dense but predictable too."
"You sure about that?" asked Endymion. "I think you might be underestimating the Guardians. That is also perhaps the reason all of your previous attempts have failed because you tend to regard your enemies' abilities too lightly."
Kunzite growled as he glared at Endymion in anger.
"Know thy enemy, know thy self," Endymion went on. "That is the first rule of battle, isn't that right?"
Kunzite then calmed down. "Just what I would expect you to say, Endymion," he spoke in a calm demeanor. "After all, you've been fighting alongside the Guardians for quite some time, so I'm very sure that you know everything about them. But I know them as well, and I will do whatever is required to defeat every last one of them."
Endymion said nothing more and took his leave. At that moment, Zoisite appeared.
"I still don't understand how you can let him talk to you like that," Zoisite complained. "He's disobedient as he is arrogant."
"I know, but there's no point in arguing with him, Zoisite," said Kunzite. "The only thing that matters is defeating those Guardians and getting that Silver Crystal. Besides, if we even so much as raise a hand to him, Queen Beryl will show no mercy. You are aware of that, right?"
Zoisite certainly knew what Kunzite meant. He could still remember how Queen Beryl almost killed him for trying to kill Endymion a while back. The mere thought made his spine quiver with fright. "Yes. I know, but still...!" he growled, gritting his teeth.
Then Kunzite placed a reassuring arm around Zoisite's arm and pulled him close.
"It's alright. There's no need for you to worry about me, Zoisite," said Kunzite as he gazed into his eyes. "I'll bear through any pain and any trial as long as you're here to help me get through it."
Zoisite then blushed. "Oh, Kunzite. You're such a flirt," he giggled.
From afar as they two wooed each other, Endymion, who hadn't left the room, was watching from behind the pillar. He clicked his tongue and walked away feeling disgusted.
"How annoying," he mumbled under his breath as he disappeared.
A few days later, Usagi and the others had just arrived at the ski resort. They were amazed by the mountain size and how much snow there was. It certainly was a beautiful sight.
"Wow! It's so pretty!" gushed Usagi.
"No kidding!" agreed Harusuke. "I've never seen this much snow before!"
"I just can't believe we're here!" said Makoto.
"I feel bad for leaving Luna and Artemis behind," said Ami. "They don't know what they're missing!"
"They'll be fine," waved off Minako. "Besides, I'm sure that they'd rather be curled up somewhere warm like a kotatsu."
"Good thing that there's one in Usagi's room," said Harusuke. "They're gonna be sleeping on that thing for hours."
"Come on, you guys, I'll show you to my parent's place," said Yuichiro. "It's just a few miles from here."
So everyone then followed Yuichiro. As they walked, Rei couldn't help but have low expectations.
"It'll probably be some kind of cabin," she thought. "Or probably some kind of old shack."
But Rei would soon learn that she was wrong. For they soon came to a vast mountain lodge. It was big, green, and purple, about two stories high, and had the appearance of a mansion.
Everyone couldn't help but be amazed as they all settled into the house while Yuichiro stoked the fire in the fireplace and prepared some hot cocoa.
"My parents are at our chalet in Switzerland right now," explained Yuichiro. "So please, make yourselves at home."
"Wow! This place is huge!" exclaimed Harusuke. "I didn't know you were this loaded, Yuichiro!"
"Say... Yuichiro - just one question," Rei spoke. "Since you're so filthy rich- I mean so well-to-do, how come you train at my grandpa's shrine anyway?"
Yuichiro then smiled. "It's easy. It's so I can become a better person," he replied.
"O-Oh. R-right."
Usagi then whispered to Rei. "Yeah, right. Become a better person, my foot," she spoke. "He wants to spend his days smelling your hair. Rich people do tend towards being eccentric."
Harusuke then gave Usagi a stiff nudge to her hip, causing her to yelp in pain.
"Ow! What'd you do that for?!" she demanded.
"Don't be creepy," replied Harusuke sternly. "Besides, Yuichiro's not eccentric. He's - misunderstood. Now keep quiet."
Usagi could only puff her cheeks in a pout while all Rei laughed wryly.
"Well, who cares about that?" smiled Makoto. "Let's go skiing! I'm in the mood to have some fun! Who's with me?"
"Yeah!" everyone else said.
A few minutes later, everyone was bundled up and was wearing skis. Usagi, Ami, Makoto, Minako, and Harusuke looked around at the many people skiing and the beautiful view as they casually skied around.
"This is so cool!" Usagi gushed. "Look at all this snow!"
"Yeah! This weather is perfect weather for skiing, isn't it?" grinned Makoto.
"That's for sure!" agreed Minako.
Ami then noticed a couple of people weren't there with them. "Say, does anyone know where Rei and Yuichiro went?"
"Search me," said Harusuke. "They were with us a few minutes ago."
Sure enough, Yuichiro and Rei came down the slope skiing effortlessly and elegantly, making Usagi and the others stare in amazement. They soon stopped just in front of them.
"Hey you guys, this area's flat as a pancake," spoke Rei. "Why don't we go further up the mountain?"
"Um... no thanks, I'll pass," said Makoto.
"Yeah... that goes double for me," Harusuke agreed.
"Maybe you'd be better go on ahead with Yuichiro," said Minako.
"Yeah. Don't worry about us. We'll be over at the beginner's slope practicing," said Ami. "We'll have more than enough fun over there."
"Agreed," nodded Usagi. "We'll be A-OK."
"But Usagi, you're gonna be taking part in the Moon Princess Contest, aren't you?" asked Yuichiro. "You do realize that it's taking place on top of the mountain up there, right?"
He pointed to the top of the mountain, which was several yards high up from where they stood. Usagi's jaw dropped, and her skin became as pale as the snow. Even Makoto, Minako, and Ami were shocked by how high the starting point was.
"Pl-please tell me you're joking," Usagi squeaked, her eyes not leaving the mountain.
"Nope. I'm serious," replied Yuichiro. "Besides being good-looking, you also have to be a good skier. Otherwise, you'd never win the contest."
"You're kidding..." groaned Usagi.
"So what'll you do now, Usagi? Drop out? Either way, it suits me just fine," said Rei. "Even if you do quit, I'll be taking that Moon Princess crown!"
And with that, Rei skied away. Usagi, at first, was going to drop out, but after what Rei said, she was now more determined to win than ever.
"You can count on me being there!" she called back. "After all, the real Moon Princess should win this thing!"
"But Usagi, there's no way you'll get through that race!" Harusuke protested. "That slopes so high, it makes what we're skiing right now look like the flat cover of a book!"
"It doesn't matter!" Usagi spoke with determination. "I'm gonna win this thing if it's the last thing I'll do!"
Harusuke and the others could stare at Usagi as she pumped herself up.
"She's gonna get creamed, isn't she?" Harusuke spoke in a flat voice.
The girls could only sigh and nod.
Later that evening, at the top of the mountain where the Moon Princess contest took place, many women gathered around to compete. Among them was a young woman who was also Kunzite's latest follower. She had long flowing green hair, dark sunglasses, a purple headband on her head, a pink jacket with white gloves and pants to match, and purple boots on her feet. She was Saeko Yamamoto, a famous skier.
While keeping a low profile, Kunzite appeared behind her as she gazed around the competition.
"Do you see anyone who could be Sailor Moon?" he asked.
"No, not yet," replied Saeko.
"I see. Well, give it some time," Kunzite spoke. "With the monster power I've given to you, you'll have no problem uncovering Sailor Moon's true identity. So make sure that you do just that."
"Leave it to me, Master Kunzite," Saeko said.
And with that, Kunzite left.
Around that same time, Usagi, Rei, Harusuke, and Yuichiro were all riding the ski lift to the top of the mountains. Rei, Yuichiro, and Harusuke enjoyed the view, but Usagi felt somewhat scared.
"I-I I sure hope th-this isn't where I'm supposed to ski..." she gulped.
"Nah, this is nothing compared to the mountaintop," said Yuichiro. "It's way high than this."
Usagi couldn't help but feel more nervous, which made Harusuke worried.
"Are you sure you don't wanna drop out, Usagi?" he asked. "I mean, if it's too much for you, there's no shame in backing out."
"N-No way!" refused Usagi. "I'm going to do it! I'm going to win this! E-even though - it's super scary..."
Soon enough, they made it to the top, where all the contestants gathered at the starting line. Usagi and Rei took their spots while Harusuke and Yuichiro stood with the other spectators hoping to watch the race.
Then a young man stepped up on the podium with a microphone in his hand.
"Good evening, and welcome to all you lady contestants!" he spoke. "The Fourth Annual Moon Princess Contest will begin in just a moment! Tonight, our very first princess is here to help explain the course rules and spectate this contest as well. Moonlight Slope's very own ski instructor, Miss Saeko Yamamoto!"
The very woman in question then came up to the podium and gave everyone an enchanting smile.
"Thank you much," she said to the man. Then she turned to all the female contestants. "Now, here are the rules for this contest. Whoever is the fastest and most graceful and crosses the finish line of the Moonlight Course will get crowned Moon Princess," she went on. "And don't worry about the darkness. Even though it's dark, the lights will help you see your way. Now, take your places, girls! And may the best one win!"
The spotlights came on, lighting the track, and girls then took their places, gripping their poles and reading their muscles, ready to race.
Saeko then said: "On your mark... Get set - GO!"
At her call, every one of the girls came shooting out of the starting line, with Rei immediately drawing in front, except for one who froze in fear at the starting line.
Usagi was so scared that she immediately burst into tears, sobbing.
"Wah! OK, that's it!" I quit!" she wailed.
Harusuke then sighed. "I knew she should've just quit," he groaned.
Yuichiro then went up, appearing behind her. "Come on, Usagi! You can't fall behind!" he encouraged. "You gotta give it your best! You can do it!"
Then before Harusuke and Usagi could stop him, Yuichiro gave Usagi a slight shove. Usagi shrieked with fright as she flew down the slope, desperately trying to stop herself.
Harusuke was horrified, while Yuichiro was impressed.
"That's the way, Usagi!" he cheered. "You can do it if you try!"
"Yuichiro! What the heck?!" snapped Harusuke. "Usagi's gonna get creamed down there!"
"Come on, Harusuke. You worry too much," chuckled Yuichiro. "Usagi's going to be fine. Besides, she's a natural."
"If that's what he calls a natural, I'd hate to see what he thinks of a novice!" Harusuke thought to himself.
He then grabbed his poles, and with a mighty push, he was well on his way, too, following Usagi in hot pursuit. At the very same time, Saeko shot past the starting line and skied her way down the slope too.
Harusuke was a bit surprised. "What the heck? Wasn't Saeko supposed to be a spectator for this?" he thought. "What's she up to?"
Back with the contestants, Rei was having great fun skiing her way to victory, unaware of the danger behind her and the other girls.
Saeko was right behind them, a few feet away, ready to initiate her plan to find Sailor Moon.
"This course will be their one-way ticket to hell!" she cackled.
She then let out a yell and using her monster power, she bent the snow to her will, creating several large hills just in front of Rei and the other girls.
Rei, sensing danger, dodged the hills just in time. The other girls, however, weren't so lucky. One by one, each one of them wiped out and fell into the snow.
"What was that just now?! I thought I sensed an evil aura," Rei thought. "But... that can't be! There's no way a monster would be out here, right?"
At that moment, someone shot right past Rei catching her by surprise. It was Usagi who had miraculously got past the hills and was desperately trying to stop herself from going too fast.
"Someone stop this thing!" she wailed. "I can't stop!"
Rei thought that Usagi was competing and was impressed, making her completely forget about the aura she sensed.
"Not too shabby, Usagi," she said to herself. "But there's no way I'm gonna let you beat me!"
As the two continued to ski, they were unaware that Saeko was right behind them, keeping a close eye on who was left. So when she saw that Rei and Usagi were the only two, she was pleased.
"Looks like those two survived," she smirked. "That means one of them has to be the Moon Princess, Sailor Moon. So now I can start getting serious!"
She looked around, making sure that no one was looking. She then turned sharply to the right going over the edge disappearing from view.
At the very same time, Harusuke came shooting past Saeko, catching up to Rei and Usagi. He soon could see Rei and Usagi up ahead of him as he used his poles to go faster to catch up.
"Usagi, you've got to slow down, or you're gonna get hurt!" called Rei.
"That's easy for you to say!" Usagi cried. "If I could, I would have done that by now! How are you supposed to control these things?!"
Then Harusuke appeared skiing beside her catching her by surprise.
"Harusuke?! What are you doing here?!" she cried.
"No time for that now!" Harusuke spoke. "We gotta stop this runaway!" He then called out to Usagi. "Usagi! Use your skis to make a V! It'll help you slow down!"
Usagi did so, but she was going so fast it didn't make her stop.
"It's not working!" she shrieked.
"Oh, great! Now what?!" Rei spoke. "She's completely out of control!"
"I know!" said Harusuke. "Ugh! Can things get any worse?!"
Then as they passed a cliff, there came more trouble. A large chunk of snow broke off the cliff and started to roll, creating a giant snowball. It hit the ground with an earth-shaking thud and moved after the three. Rei and Harusuke looked back and saw the snowball making their eyes wide with terror, and they desperately skied faster, trying to get away from the snowball.
"On second thought, Usagi, you might want to start skiing a lot faster!" cried Rei.
"As I told you two, there's nothing I can do!" shrieked Usagi. "I've got no control over here!"
"This is bad!" Harusuke yelled as he skied for his life. "What'll we do?!"
"Just keep going!" was Rei's response. "Don't stop unless you wanna get crushed!"
Then suddenly, the ground beneath them began to tremble, and a chasm erupted from the floor, making the three teens ski right into it with the snowball right behind them. An unlikely hero came from above as they continued skiing, hoping to help them. It was Yuichiro.
"Hold on, Rei! I'll save you!" he yelled as he jumped down inside the chasm and then spread his arms out wide, hoping to block the snowball, bravely standing his ground.
"You shall not pass!" he yelled.
But however brave he was, he was no match for the snowball as it rolled right over him as it continued its pursuit of Usagi, Rei, and Harusuke.
Then there was worse to come for the three. Up ahead, the chasm began to close by blocks of twos, then four, then six, threatening to crush them.
"Usagi!" Rei and Harusuke yelled as they frantically sped up, hoping to get to the blonde in time.
The blond could see that she was heading for certain doom and was sure that her life would end right then and there, but luckily, Harusuke and Rei tackled the blonde knocking her to the ground just as the following two blocks of ice slammed in front of them. Simultaneously, several ice blocks slammed behind them, growing closer and closer to them. Then, just when they thought they would get crushed, the chasm closed around the snowball, destroying it, and thanks to that snowball, it prevented their section from closing.
Usagi and the others were out of danger thanks to that, but now they were all trapped.
"Geez! What is that?!" wondered Harusuke. "Indiana Jones and Snow Queen?!"
"I don't know. But it's got to be the work of a monster," said Rei. "There's no other explanation."
"What should we do, now?" wondered Usagi. "We're trapped."
Luckily, thanks to the snowball, there was a massive wall of snow that someone could climb out. Rei knowing this, then started to climb up the wall, managing to get a few feet up, when the snow gave away, and Rei ended up falling on her butt buried in snow.
"Are... you all right, Rei?" asked Usagi.
Rei then immediately popped out of the snow. "No, I'm not alright!" she snapped as she started climbing up the wall of snow again. "Now come on! We need to climb this snowbank and get out of here!"
She then began clawing her way up the snowbank only to have it give away underneath her again, making her fall on her butt and buried in snow.
"Um... Rei? I don't think climbing our way out is going to work," said Harusuke. "The snow is way too soft."
"Maybe we should wait for help," suggested Usagi. "Or least come up with another way..."
"And what if no one shows up until after we get turned into ski-sicles?!" Rei shrieked indignantly. "Giving up now means losing my womanhood! So you both got to suck it up and tough it out!"
She then started climbing one more time, more determined than ever to get out while Usagi and Harusuke watched her climb.
"Well, this has turned to a real mess," sighed Harusuke. "We're stuck, and no one knows where we are."
"Yeah. And I'll bet that someone has been crowned Moon Princess by now," sighed Usagi.
"Probably, no thanks to a certain somebody making me miss my chance!" Rei spoke huffily.
Usagi could only hang her head sadly. "Sorry," she spoke quietly.
"Come on, you two, this isn't the time to be thinking about that, nor is it the time for fighting," Harusuke said. "If a monster caused this, then this whole thing must have been some kind of sham." He then looked up at Rei. "And you could be a little nicer, Rei," he said sternly. "No one is to blame for this, so you need to calm down."
Rei, at this point, had reached the halfway point of the snowbank. But like before, the snow began to give way underneath her causing her to fall a third time. Harusuke saw this, and he immediately ran forward and managed to catch Rei in his arms bridal style before she hit the ground. Rei froze and looked up at Harusuke, a bit surprised.
"You OK, Rei?" asked Harusuke.
Rei then blushed as she hastily jumped out of Harusuke's arms. "I'm fine!" she said. "Don't worry about me!"
Then at that moment, the two heard something. It was the sweet melodic sound of a music box. Harusuke and Rei looked to where it was coming from to find a sad Usagi sitting on the ground holding her locket in her hand. It glowed, and the crescent moon on it danced around as it continued to play. The two then went over to her.
"Usagi, that music... it's beautiful," said Harusuke.
"That's belonged Tuxedo Mask, right?" asked Rei.
Usagi nodded. "Yes. I listen to this whenever I'm sad," she explained. "It... kinda helps take away my sadness a little." Then Usagi immediately became flustered knowing about Rei's feelings about Tuxedo Mask. "Dah! I'm sorry! I'm not trying to show off or anything!" she apologized to Rei. "I was trying to be positive, y'know, change the mood? I - hope I didn't hurt your feelings by bringing him up."
Harusuke looked at Rei, knowing Usagi meat, referring to Rei's feelings for Mamoru before discovering that Usagi and Mamoru were previous lovers. Ever since then, he knew that Rei felt crushed, but he didn't know how she felt about Usagi and Mamoru now that time had passed.
Rei, for a few seconds, said nothing. Then to Harusuke and Usagi's surprise, she smiled.
"There's no reason to think that," she said kindly. "It doesn't bother me anymore."
Usagi was surprised, as was Harusuke.
"Are... you sure about that, Rei?" asked Harusuke. "I mean... you did care about Mamoru and stuff."
"Yeah... but honestly, I'm fine with the fact that Mamoru- I mean Tuxedo Mask wasn't gonna be the one for me," said Rei. "I mean, he went and risked his life to save Usagi's life. That proves that he likes you. A girl like me can't compete with that, nor does she deserve that kind of devotion."
Usagi stared at Rei, surprised by what she was hearing. Harusuke stared at Rei, too, just as surprised. He wanted to say that she was wrong, but he didn't say anything.
Rei then gave Usagi a stern look. "But now hear me out, Usagi Tsukino," she said. "If you don't have a life filled with happiness with Mamoru, I'll make sure to punish you!"
Usagi then smiled, her eyes sparkling as she felt much better. "O-Okay," she said.
Harusuke then chucked. "Looks like you two can be friends when you want to be," he said. "Aside from that, for that to happen, we have to make sure that we defeat the Dark Kingdom and bring peace to our world."
Then suddenly, Usagi shot up to her feet, realizing something. "Hey! Wait a minute! That's right!" she cried.
"What is it?" asked Rei. "What's right?"
"I just realized it just now!" said Usagi. "Rei, with your Fire Soul and Harusuke's Sunshine Meteor, we can probably get out of here!"
Rei and Harusuke then stared at Usagi; then they shot up to their feet too their realization hitting them like a snowball in the face.
"She's right!" cried Harusuke. "Why didn't we realize that sooner?!"
Rei then glared at Usagi, now back to her usual angry demeanor. "Yeah! When it comes to coming up with ideas, there's just no hope for you, Meatball Head!"
"I just came up with one!" Usagi snapped back. "Besides, you didn't think of it either!"
"Enough with the arguing make!" Harusuke spoke. "Let's just hurry and transform!"
They then took out their pens were just about to transform when suddenly, they heard a voice.
"Rei! Is that you?!"
Then from the side of the wall, bursting out triumphantly after digging a tunnel to save them, was Yuichiro. Everyone was surprised.
"No way! Yuichiro!" gasped Rei.
"Yes! I finally found you, Rei!" Yuichiro cried with relief. "I'm so glad that you're are safe! This has got to be a miracle of love!"
"Hey! What are we?! Chopped liver?" Harusuke grumped.
But Yuichiro ignored him and pointed to the tunnel he dug. "Look! I dug us a way out," he told them. "What do you say we get out of here?"
"Not so fast!" said a voice from above. "You're not going anywhere!"
Everyone looked up to see that an unexpected visitor in the form of Saeko Yamamoto had appeared standing above them. She then jumped down and began to transform into her monster form.
She now had pale skin, wore snowballs all over her body, two on her chest, one on each other shoulders, and one covering her pelvic area.
"She's got turned into a monster!" exclaimed Rei.
"So that means the snowball and everything else that happened was her doing all along!" growled Harusuke.
"That's right! I am Blizzar, and I've got orders to eliminate Sailor Moon," she the monster. She then glared at Rei and pointed at her. "Now, Sailor Moon, prepare to die!"
Rei looked around, puzzled, wondering who she was pointing to until she realized.
"Wait... are you talking about me?" she asked.
"That's right! You have looks, elegance, and athletic ability," said Blizzar. "Therefore, you must be the Moon Princess!"
Rei then blushed and flirtatiously posed while pretending to be modest.
"Oh, so you think so too, eh?" she grinned. "You're quite the honest monster."
Yuichiro gawked at Rei in disbelief. "Wait... Rei is Sailor Moon?!" he exclaimed.
"You've got it all wrong!" wailed Usagi.
"Would it kill you to keep your identity a secret?!" Harusuke whispered harshly. "That's why it's called a secret identity!"
"Silence!" roared Blizzar. "My judgment is never wrong, and now you will die by my ice!"
She then took a deep breath and unleashed a powerful blast of icy wind at them. At the last minute, Yuichiro leaped in front of shielding them from the cold.
"I'll save you, Rei!" he yelled.
But no matter how brave he was, Yuichiro ended up frozen solid.
"Oh man. Poor Yuichiro," said Usagi.
"Forget about him," said Rei. "Now's our chance to transform!"
"You're even colder than this snow, Rei," Usagi spoke with a whimper.
"And I don't think she's just saying that to be clever either," agreed Harusuke.
"Just hurry up and do it!" Rei snapped.
The three then took their chance and transformed.
"MOON PRISM POWER MAKE UP!"
"SOLAR GUARDIAN POWER FLARE UP!"
"MARS 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: 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.
Transformation Sequence: Rei
The symbol on Rei's pen begins to glow in a bright shade of red as she holds up her transformation pen. Then, it begins to spin around as it shines and envelopes Rei in red light. As she held up her pen while turning around, long tongues of flame erupted from it, forming several rings around her body. They tighten around her form, and in a brilliant flash of light, her outfit forms having to look just like Sailor Moon's, but she is wearing red pumps along with a pair of red star-shaped earrings, the center bow is purple, and the rims of her gloves, her skirt, her choker, and collar are red. After that, Mars finishes with her signature pose.
Blizzar jumped back in surprise.
"I don't believe this!" she gasped. "All three of you are Guardians?!"
"That's right, and we can't forgive you for trapping us in this ice!" said Sailor Moon. "Don't you know that it's dangerous for young teens to let your tummies get cold?!"
"And how dare you freeze an innocent man into a statue?!" Sailor Mars spoke angrily. "That is nothing short of unforgivable!"
"And you're also responsible for ruining everyone's dream of a perfect snow day by causing havoc and destruction!" added Solaris. "That is also some things that are unforgivable!"
"In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"
"In the name of Mars, I'll chastise you!"
"And in the name of the Sun with my blinding rays, I'll scorch you!"
"Enough of your talk!" Blizzar growled. "Take this!"
She summoned forth a lance made of ice and then threw it. The Guardians immediately scattered, dodging the attack as Mars and Solaris went on the attack.
"MARS FIRE SOUL!"
"SUNSHINE METEOR!"
Both guardians fired their respective signature attacks, but Blizzar could dodge them just in the nick of time.
"Now, die!" she yelled as she summoned forth another lance of ice.
She was just about to throw the lance when someone grabbed a firm hold of her lance, causing it to slip out of her hand. Blizzar turned around, ready to reap whoever stopped her assault a new one, but then she gasped. Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars gasped, too, as their eyes practically became hearts.
For there standing in front of them was Tuxedo Mask.
"Good evening, Guardians," he spoke in a pleasant voice tipping his hat. "Nice to see you."
"Oh my god, it's Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon and Mars gushed.
"Hey! Can we please not do the fangirl thing right now?!" Solaris snapped. "Need I remind you two that he's with the Dark Kingdom?!"
"Endymion?! What are you doing here?!" demanded Blizzar.
"I'll handle these guardians once and for all, Blizzar," said Tuxedo Mask as he threw the lance back to Blizzar. "So you step aside and watch."
He then summoned forth a black rose and aimed. "Prepare to die, Sailor Moon!" he yelled as he threw the rose.
Solaris immediately stepped in front, knocking the rose away. The rose changed direction and pierced the wall to the side with its stem.
"You wanna get to them? You'll have to go through me," he said, putting up his fists.
"You got lucky this time, Solaris," Tuxedo Mask said. "But next time, I won't miss."
He then took out another black rose and prepared to strike, and Solaris was ready to attack too, but Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars didn't know what to do. They didn't want to hurt him, but at the same time, they knew that he was an enemy.
After a few long and tense seconds, Sailor Mars bravely stepped forward.
"Tuxedo Mask, have you forgotten who we are?!" she spoke. "You used to be on our side, remember?! You've always fought to protect Sailor Moon because you love her so much!"
"Sailor Mars?! What are you doing?!" Solaris spoke, looking back.
"He doesn't remember!" said Sailor Moon.
But Sailor Mars didn't care. "Please! Try to remember!" she pleaded. "Try to think back to that time! I'm begging you!"
Then for the first time since he became a minion to Queen Beryl, Tuxedo Mask hesitated, and for a fraction of a second, his signature black rose turned a rosy red.
But while this was happening, Blizzar saw this as a chance to layout an ambush. So she disappeared into the icy walls carefully and sneakily, making her way to the guardians and seizing her opportunity; she came bursting out from the wall above the Sailor Guardians, aiming her lance right at them.
Just when it was likely that the attack would succeed, the unthinkable happened.
Tuxedo Mask fired his rose, but not at Guardians. Instead, the rose pierced right through Blizzar's lance and nicked her right at her side, making her fall to the ground with a thud.
The Guardians looked at Tuxedo Mask in shock as Blizzar glared at the masked man groaning in agony.
"Endymion... what are you doing?!" growled Blizzar in anger. "Who's side are you on anyway?!"
Solaris then saw an opportunity. "Sailor Moon! Now's your chance!" he cried.
"Right!" acknowledged Sailor Moon as she took out her Moon Stick, activating its powers. "MOON HEALING ESCALATION!"
"REFRESH!"
With a wave of her Moon Stick unleashing its magic spell, Sailor Moon helped revert Saeko to normal. The Guardians then looked up and saw Tuxedo Mask standing from above the chasm, looking down at them.
"Defeating you as you are now wouldn't be worth bragging about, so don't get the wrong idea," he spoke coldly. "So farewell... We will meet again..."
And with a wave of his cape, he walked away.
Sailor Moon could only watch as he disappeared with a sorrowful look in her eyes, but Solaris gave a reassuring pat on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Sailor Moon. We'll get him back," he said. "Just you wait."
Sailor Moon could only nod. Sailor Mars then went to Yuichiro, who was no longer an ice statue.
"Stupid Yuichiro. Always risking your life to save me," she muttered. Then she smiled. "But... I appreciate that. Thank you."
After a while, everyone made it out and had set up a fire by one of the lifts. Yuichiro was now just waking up.
"Well, look who's finally awake," smiled Usagi. "Welcome back, Yuichiro."
Yuichiro was a bit confused. Then he saw Rei and became elated.
"Oh, Rei! Thank goodness you're OK!" he said.
"Yeah. After you got knocked out, the Guardians showed up and rescued everyone," explained Rei.
Yuichiro then frowned. "Oh. Then I guess I was completely useless then," he said sadly. "Sorry about that."
"That's not true at all," said Harusuke kindly. "You acted pretty awesomely brave back there."
"Yeah, he's right," agreed Rei. "In a weird sort of way."
Yuichiro then blushed, cheering up a bit. "Well, I'm glad to hear that," he said.
Then, Makoto, Minako, and Ami came skiing up accompanied by Saeko.
"This is where you guys were hiding," said Makoto in a scolding tone. "Where have you guys been?! We've been worried sick."
"But it's all good because they're safe now," smiled Minako. "If it ends well, all's well."
"I think you mean "All's well that ends well," Minako," corrected Ami.
"It wasn't my fault anyway," spoke Rei. "Usagi's such an idiot; she almost got us killed."
"Say what?! You know that's not true, Rei!" Usagi spoke indignantly. "We had a chat that strengthened our friendship, and we had fun!"
"Me?! Friends with you?! When pigs fly!" Rei scoffed.
Usagi's lip trembled, and then she burst into tears, feeling very upset.
"Wah! Rei's being mean to me!" she wailed.
"Oh, come on, you guys. I've just about enough of you guys fighting for one day," said Harusuke. "Let's just head back to the lodge already. I wanna get out of this snow."
Later, everyone settled into the lodge, ready to sleep for the night. Rei, in particular, was looking forward to getting a good night's sleep after the day she had just had. She was dressed in her warm pajamas, snuggled into her bed, and was just about to sleep when she heard a knock on her door.
"Who the heck could that be at this hour?" she groaned as she went to the door. "I swear if it's Usagi, I'm gonna-"
She was about to yell as she opened the door, but she was surprised to find someone else standing at the door. It was Harusuke.
"O-Oh. Harusuke, it's you," said Rei.
"Yeah. It's me," said Harusuke sheepishly. "Do... you have time to talk for a few minutes? It's important."
Rei then looked around, making sure that no one else was around, then she beckoned him to come into her room. Harusuke then walked in, and Rei shut the door behind her.
"So, what's up?" asked Rei. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"Well... it was about today," Harusuke said, choosing his words carefully. "You took a pretty big risk today pleading Tuxedo Mask like that. He could have continued to attack us, and I would have had no choice to fight him. You know that, right?"
Rei looked down towards the floor. "Yeah. I know," she spoke quietly.
"I'm not going to scold you or anything, but... I have to ask you," went on Harusuke. "Why did you do what you did?"
"I... just had to try," said Rei. "I mean... you saw how miserable Usagi gets whenever Tuxedo Mask shows up. I just wanted her and Mamoru to be happy and together again. I mean, I know that she cries all the time, but seeing her get choked up because of Tuxedo Mask - it just makes me sad and - well..."
"You don't want her to be sad anymore. That about sum it up?" asked Harusuke.
Rei answered with a nod.
"I see," said Harusuke. "And what about you?"
Rei looked up, a bit puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Harusuke then sat down next to her. "I mean, are you OK with Usagi and Mamoru being together?" he asked. "I know that you said you are, but I can't help but sense that you still harbor feelings for him."
Rei then paused, not saying a word for a few seconds. Then she looked at Harusuke and smiled.
"Yes. I am. Really. There's no reason for you to worry, Harusuke," she said. "I'm over Mamoru. Really. There's no reason for you to worry about me. I do appreciate it, though."
Harusuke looked at Rei, and he smiled understanding. "Alright then. If you say so," he said. "I guess underneath that tough demeanor of yours, you're a kind girl after all."
Rei then lightly punched Harusuke on the shoulder, pouting. "Shut up. You tell Usagi, and I'll deny it and punish you."
"I'll make a note of it," chuckled Harusuke as he got up. "In the meantime, I'm going to head for bed. Night, Rei"
"Good night, Harusuke," said Rei, still pouting.
Harusuke had just walked up to the door about to leave when he stopped. Then he looked back at Rei. "Oh, one more thing. You were wrong about what you said before," he said. "You do deserve it. To have a guy devote himself and even risk his life for you, I mean. Any guy would be lucky to have an awesome person like you."
Rei stared at Harusuke as the boy left the room, shutting the door behind him. She couldn't help but feel her cheeks grow a bit hot as they turned pink.
"Wh-What was that all about?" she wondered.
She felt flattered but at the same time felt a bit embarrassed, and a bit put off. However, she rapidly shook her head, shaking the feelings off as she went to bed, pulling the covers over her head. However, she could still hear Harusuke's words in her mind, and those words alone made a slight smile tug its way to her cheeks as she went to sleep.