At Juuban Middle School, Usagi was sitting in the classroom waiting for class to begin. However, she wasn't in the best mood like her classmates around her. And the reason was right next to her desk. Next to her desk was Harusuke's, which was empty.
At that moment, Naru and Umino came up to her. "Hey, Usagi! How's it going?" they greeted.
"Oh. Hi, Naru," responded Usagi.
Naru then noticed Usagi was looking a bit glum. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Something bothering you?"
"No. Nothing really," replied Usagi. "I was just feeling a bit tired, is all."
Umino then noticed Harusuke's empty desk. "That's strange. Harusuke's not here yet," he said. "I wonder if he's running late."
"Oh, come on, Umino. This is Harusuke we're talking about; he's never late for school," said Naru. "Although, I wonder if he's hiding somewhere in the classroom, or maybe he's in the restroom or something. Right, Usagi?"
Usagi didn't respond. At that moment, the school bell began to ring, and everyone immediately took their seats. Then Ms. Haruna walked in and started taking roll. She eventually came close to the Ts and now on Harusuke's name.
"Harusuke Tsukino?" she called out.
Everyone then looked towards Harusuke's desk and was surprised to see that Harusuke's desk was empty. At that moment, the door to the classroom flung open, and the boy in question came in.
"M-Ms. Haruna, I'm here..." he gasped. "I... woke up late and... I apologize."
Ms. Haruna and the class all turned towards Harusuke, completely shocked and dumbfounded. Then Naru's face turned white as a sheet.
"No! It can't be! Harusuke's late?!" Naru cried.
"Please tell me that this is some kind of joke!" Umino gasped, who was just as horrified. "If Harusuke's late, then does this mean that the apocalypse is coming?!"
"Calm down, Umino. I just woke up late," Harusuke spoke, feeling annoyed. "It happens to everyone, including me."
"Well... I suppose - I can overlook this since this is your first time, Harusuke," said Ms. Haruna. "But try not to let it happen again, OK?"
"Yes, Ms. Haruna," said Harusuke bowing respectfully.
As Harusuke took his seat, Naru and Umino whispered to Usagi.
"Hey, Usagi. Do you know what's going on with Harusuke?" Naru asked.
"Yeah! This isn't like him at all," agreed Umino. "Usually, you're the one who's late."
"W-Well..." said Usagi choosing her words carefully. "I... don't know. Maybe he's having an off day?"
Usagi very much knew the reason for Harusuke's behavior, but what else could she say? She couldn't tell her friends that her brother got backstabbed by a member of the Four Kings of Heaven that was cross-dressing as a girl.
The class then began, and Ms. Haruna began writing some problems on the board. Usagi looked back and could see that Harusuke wasn't focusing. Instead, he just stared at the paper on his desk, holding his pencil, lost in thought, wearing a sad look on his face. As much as she wanted to reassure him that he would be OK, Usagi knew that she couldn't at the moment, so she turned back towards Ms. Haruna as the class continued.
In the Dark Kingdom, Queen Beryl, standing before Queen Metalia, could again feel the scar on her chest burn even more than usual. Even though she was a powerful being, she couldn't help but hold her chest in agony as she panted, trying to bear the pain.
"I'm sorry, Queen Metalia," said Queen Beryl. "But it seems... that our worst fears have come true. The man who wounded me, the eldest brother of the Royal Moon family, has been awakened as well."
Queen Metalia was silent for a few seconds before responding.
"I suppose it's expected," Queen Metalia hummed. "But this does pose a problem for us. Now that Prince Taiyou has returned, there's no doubt that he'll make getting the Silver Crystal all the more difficult."
"Fear not. I will see to it that that boy dies for what he did to me," Queen Beryl spoke with some venom. "I would like nothing more than to kill the boy myself."
"Then make sure that Prince Taiyou is dead," said Queen Metalia. "Once he's gone, Princess Serenity will no doubt fall into despair, and you'll be able to seize your chance in taking the Silver Crystal."
"Yes, Queen Metalia," said Queen Beryl.
A little later, the guardians, excluding Harusuke and Luna, all met up at the Hikawa Shrine, Usagi just explaining what had happened during school.
"So... Harusuke was late for school?!" gasped Rei incredulously. "That's not like him at all!"
"And that's not the only thing," said Ami. "He also acted like a total klutz, even more so than Usagi. He practically ran into a pillar that was right in front of him while he was walking."
"Usagi, haven't you tried talking to him or anything?" asked Minako.
"I did, but... he keeps brushing me off, saying that he was fine," Usagi spoke with a hint of sadness. "Not only that, but for some reason, he keeps avoiding me."
"Me too," said Makoto. "And I went through the trouble to make him his favorite food too for lunch to cheer him up."
"He also wasn't answering his communicator," said Rei. "I've tried contacting him over and over, but he won't answer."
"I feel like this is my fault," Usagi spoke sadly. "If I didn't insist on him going out with Suzet- I mean Zoisite in the first place, things would never have ended up this way."
"Don't blame yourself, Usagi," said Rei. "I think we all kinda pushed him into it, so we're all equally to blame."
"Come on now, girls. This isn't the time to be playing the blame game," said Artemis. "We should be focusing on where else we should look for Harusuke."
"I don't even understand why Harusuke's acting this way," said Luna. "I mean, I told him it was a trap, and yet he's acting this. Sure he went a little cuckoo when he was possessed, but still..."
"Of course, you of all people or... this case a cat wouldn't understand, Luna," said Minako. "Harusuke just suffered one of the biggest wounds a guy could ever get in his life, and it's even worse than a stab through flesh. A stab to the heart. You know the saying; Stab the body, and it'll bleed, but injure the heart, and the wound will last in little time."
Everyone then stared at Minako, a bit surprised. Minako then felt puzzled.
"What? Did I say it wrong?" asked Minako.
"Yeah... you did, Minako," said Artemis. "It's actually: "Stab the body, and it'll heal, but injure the heart, and the wound will last a lifetime."
"I... suppose that could work too, I guess," Minako spoke as she scratched her cheek with embarrassment.
"In any case, regardless of the reason, we need to go look for Harusuke," said Makoto. "He's got to be somewhere in town. Does anyone know where else to look for him?"
"Well... he wasn't at school, and I'm pretty sure that he's not at home either," said Usagi. "So he's got to be somewhere in town."
"We could check out Juuban Park," suggested Ami. "He always likes to walk over there sometimes."
"And we can check out the old cemetery and talk to the pastor," said Makoto. "Maybe he's seen him."
"In that case, why don't we all split up," said Artemis. "We can cover more ground that way."
"Good idea," said Luna. "Rei and Minako, you both look in Juuban Park and at the cemetery. Ami and Makoto, you two check back home at the Tsukino's if Harusuke comes back there. Usagi and I will look around town. If anyone finds him, use your communicators."
"Right!" everyone said.
Rei then turned to Usagi, who was still worried. She then placed a hand on Usagi's shoulder. "Don't worry, Usagi. We'll find him."
"And we'll cheer him up too," added Minako. "After all, it's our duty as Guardians who stand for justice and love to be there for him no matter the cost."
A small smile worked its way to Usagi's lips. "Thanks, guys. I hope that he's OK."
Harusuke was wandering around the middle of town with his hands in his pockets, wearing a hoodie to hide his face just in case he was spotted by the enemies of the Dark Kingdom. To say that he was feeling down in the dumps was an understatement. He could still remember back to when he first woke up after being possessed.
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Harusuke slowly opened his eyes, finding himself staring up at the ceiling in his room. He then sat up, surprised as well as confused.
"What... what's going on?" he wondered. "What happened? How did I get back to my room?"
The door to his room opened at that moment, and Usagi and Luna came in, Usagi carrying a washtub filled with water with a handcloth hanging on the side. When Usagi saw him, she froze for a few seconds, then while dropping the washtub, not caring if she spilled the water, rushed over to Harusuke, practically leaping into his arms, her eyes also flowing with tears.
"Harusuke! You're finally awake!" she cried. "I'm so glad!"
"U-Usagi! I'm fine, but - I am feeling a bit confused as to how I ended up here," said Harusuke. Then suddenly, flashbacks from what happened before came into his mind making him slowly remember. "Wait... I - I think - I remember."
Then Luna jumped on the bed on top of Harusuke's lap. "It would seem that you're starting to remember," she said quietly. "But... I think that you should know everything that happened."
The black feline then told Harusuke what had happened. Harusuke listened closely, not saying a single word as she told him. When she finished, Harusuke was at a loss for words.
"So... it's true. I was not only deceived by Zoisite, but I'm also a prince named Taiyou?" he asked.
"That's pretty much it," said Luna. "You nearly died, but Usagi saved your life just in the nick of time."
"Oh, I see. In that case, thank you, Usagi," said Harusuke. "I owe you big time for stopping me. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome... I guess," said Usagi. "But... are you OK, Harusuke? I mean, this is a lot to take in."
Harusuke then smiled. "It's OK, Usagi. I'm fine," he said. "I mean sure, I'm all of a sudden a prince after being stabbed by a cross-dressing guy and... Nephrite's back from the dead, but at least I'm alive. That's all that counts."
Usagi and Luna looked at each other, not feeling so sure.
"In any case, I'm feeling a bit dirty and stuff," said Harusuke. "So I'm gonna go ahead and take a shower."
"Are you sure you should be getting up?" asked Usagi. "I mean, you still could use some rest."
"Don't worry, Usagi. I'm just taking a shower," chuckled Harusuke. "Seriously, you're worrying too much. Geez, you're acting too concerned about me. It's almost creepy. I'm just going to take a shower, and then I'll go right back to bed. Promise."
And then Harusuke left the room. He walked towards the bathroom and then shut the door behind him, locking it. When he was sure that he was alone and no one could see him, his smile immediately vanished; his mouth was now in an angry and sad frown, his hands clenched at their sides, and his heart sank to the bottom of his chest as he bit his lip.
"Damn it," he cursed to himself.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"How could I have been so foolish?" he spoke bitterly to himself. "Not only did I let my guard down, but I allowed Zoisite to get the upper hand on me again. Only this time, I let him see my true identity too. Not to mention I almost hurt Usagi because of my carelessness. Damn it!"
Harusuke then punched a lamppost so hard that it shuddered from the impact. Of course, it hurt a bit, but that was nothing compared to the pain that was going through his chest right at that moment. Not only that, but he also knew that now that the enemy was aware of who he was. So, he decided to keep as far away from his friends and family as possible, which was why he was alone and didn't answer anyone while he was at school.
"I'm sorry, everyone. But if I stay with you, it'll be too risky," Harusuke thought. "Besides, it's my fault I got into this mess, and I'll be damned if I put anyone in danger because of my own mistake. Speaking of, perhaps if I keep walking around like this, the Dark Kingdom's bound to find me eventually. When that happens, I'll be ready for them."
He then looked at his open right hand, clenching it into a fist.
"And you better believe I'm gonna be out for blood this time, Zoisite," he thought. "I'm going to make sure that you will pay for what you did to me. That's a promise I intend to keep. You've toyed and used my emotions for the last time. So next time I see you, you and the rest of the Four Kings of Heaven are going to pay!"
He then stomped away wearing a determined and angry snarl on his face, hungry for a fight.
The Four Kings of Heaven all gathered before Queen Beryl in the Dark Kingdom for a meeting.
"Is something the matter, Queen Beryl?" asked Nephrite. "You appear to be very cross."
"I wish that I could say that I was, Nephrite, but sadly I am cross," said Queen Beryl. "I've gathered you all here because I have my orders from Queen Metalia."
"And what orders are those?" asked Kunzite.
"It has to do with the recent awakening of Prince Taiyou," said Queen Beryl. "Queen Metalia, as well as I, want you all to find him while he's weak and kill him without any hesitation. With him around, it will make things all the more difficult when it comes to obtaining the Silver Crystal."
"Is he that dangerous?" asked Zoisite. "He doesn't seem all that intimidating if you ask me."
"Don't underestimate him," said Queen Beryl. "He was the one who wounded me and gave me this scar. Do whatever it takes to kill him. No matter what."
"Yes, Queen Beryl," the Four Kings of Heaven acknowledged.
The four then took their leave, preparing to go on their mission. But as the four went down the hall, Kunzite couldn't help but still feel confused. He was still thinking about the other day when Prince Taiyou had awakened and went about his rampage. However, the part that he couldn't help but wonder about was that vision he had.
"Is something wrong, Kunzite, my love?" asked Zoisite. "You seem troubled about something."
"I suppose it's nothing, but I can't help but be curious," said Kunzite. "Do you remember our encounter with Prince Taiyou?"
"What about it?" asked Jadeite.
"Did you... feel something familiar about him?" asked Kunzite hesitantly. "Like you've met him before?"
"Now that you mention, I felt it too," said Jadeite. "I feel as if I knew him from a long time ago."
"So did I," said Zoisite. "But the question is where?"
There was a long silence. Then Kunzite thought back to the vision from the previous battle and Taiyou's earlier words about betraying his king. The thought of it still confused him, but then he remembered a particular part of his vision that made his eyes widen with realization, the part where Endymion stepped in between Taiyou and the four of them.
"Endym..." he began to murmur before trailing off.
"Did you remember something, Kunzite?" asked Zoisite.
Kunzite then shook his head. "Never mind. It's nothing," he said. "All we need to focus on is killing Prince Taiyou and getting the Silver Crystal for Queen Beryl. Let's go."
The four then set off on their mission, dismissing their doubts.
Harusuke was still walking around, ensuring that he was out of sight. As he walked along, he happened to walk past a guy and a girl talking to each other. Just seeing them made his heartache with sorrow and anger as a flashback of his and Suzette's date flashed into his mind. He then turned his head away, not wanting to see or hear them. Then at that moment, he heard a familiar voice.
"Harusuke! Harusuke, where are you?!"
Harusuke immediately jumped, knowing whose voice that was. He turned around and saw Usagi and Luna walking around searching for him.
"Oh crap! It's Usagi!" he thought. "Damn! I gotta hide!"
He quickly looked around, trying to find a good place to hide. Then he saw an alleyway to his left. Seeing this as an opportunity to hide, he power-walked and hurriedly slipped inside, pressing his back against the wall hoping the darkness would conceal him.
"Harusuke! Where are you?! Please come out!" he heard Usagi call.
"He has to be around here somewhere," Luna also spoke. "He couldn't have gone far."
Harusuke held his breath and shut his eyes as he heard Usagi's footsteps get closer and closer, praying that Usagi and Luna wouldn't find him. Finally, Usagi and Luna came walking past, not bothering to look inside the alley. When they did, Harusuke peeked out from the corner and watched as they went on. He let out his breath feeling relieved. However, that didn't last very long.
"My, my. That's quite the attractive girl that's chasing you."
Harusuke then felt his blood run cold as ice, and his heart and pulse freeze upon hearing the voice, knowing who it was. He looked around back and forth, trying to see where it came from, then, in front of him down the alley ahead, a shadow appeared. The shadow stepped into the light, revealing itself to be Zoisite. Harusuke took a step back, feeling caught off guard. Thinking that he had come to fight, he planned to run away to take the fight to a vacant location, but then a gust of wind came from behind him as he also sensed something evil. He looked behind him to find that Zoisite was now standing there, blocking his way.
"Nice try," said Zoisite. "But you're not going anywhere."
Harusuke scowled with hate wanting to attack Zoisite right then and there, but he knew that he was at a disadvantage in the alley. If he and Zoisite started fighting right there, there would be a lot of unwanted attention, so he kept his cool.
"Hello there, Prince Taiyou," said Zoisite. "Or should I call you Harusuke Tsukino?"
Harusuke instinctively flinched. "So what do you want?" he asked as he took a fighting stance. "If you all came here for a fight-"
"Now hold on, Mr. Tsukino," said Zoisite raising his hand. "We will fight, but our battle won't take place here, I'm afraid."
"And what do you mean by that?" asked Harusuke.
"I want to finish what we started the other day," said Zoisite. "So what do you say we settle things once and for all, just the two of us?"
"And what if I say no?" Harusuke answered. "In case you haven't noticed, you haven't been the most trusting in regards to fairness."
"Aw. How sad," Zoisite spoke, feigning sadness. "Mr. Tsukino doesn't want to play with me, and here I was hoping that we made a connection. That's quite alright. I'll just have to find another opponent instead of you. That one girl who just went by seems like a good target. What was her name? Usagi Tsukino, was it? Yes, she would be much more fun. I bet I could have all the fun I want with her if I wanted to.
Harusuke's eyes widened in horror and shock as Zoisite went on taunting him.
"And while we're at it, why don't we invite your parents in on the fun?" he went on. "It would certainly give them some excitement rather than dying from natural causes."
At that moment, Harusuke's blood began to boil as he glared furiously at Zoisite.
"You shut your damned mouth!" he snapped coldly. "Don't you dare bring my family into this! Your fight's with me!"
"Then agree to my challenge," said Zoisite. "Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to find other people to be my victims. But, surely, you have the sense to act in response to their tragic fate? I mean, after all, you want revenge for what I did on our little date, right?"
Harusuke paused while still glaring at Zoisite. Then he relaxed, letting out a shaky breath. "Fine. I accept your challenge," he said, seething. "But if you lay one finger on my sister or my family, I swear you'll pay."
"Now that's a good boy," said Zoisite. "As for the location of our fight, it will take place at the harbor at six o'clock sharp. So don't be late, and I look forward to having more fun together, unlike that yawn-a-thon of a date we had."
He then disappeared into the shadows out of sight, leaving Harusuke alone. He was now feeling more enraged than before, seething in anger.
"That damned bastard! Just how low is he going to sink until he's satisfied?! Well, he's not going to get away with it! Once I get my hands on him, he's going to pay!"
He then rushed out of the alleyway, hoping to get to the art museum, but as he did, he forgot to watch where he was going. Before he had a chance to react, he collided with someone walking by hard, causing him to fall flat on his back in pain.
"Ow! Hey! Why don't you watch where you're going?!" he snapped.
"And who are you to talk?! You're the one that didn't watch where you were going?!" a familiar voice snapped.
Harusuke looked up, as did the person he bumped into, and he was surprised to see that the said person was none other than his sister, Usagi, and Luna.
"Son of a- You gotta be kidding me!" Harusuke mentally screamed.
Usagi then looked up, and when she saw Harusuke, her face lit up with joy. "Harusuke! It's you!" she said. "I finally found you!"
"We've been looking everywhere for you," said Luna.
"I've... been busy with stuff," said Harusuke. "Nothing too crazy. I - have somewhere to be."
Harusuke then turned around, about to run away. However, Usagi grabbed hold of Harusuke's hand, preventing him.
"Please wait! Why are you running from us?" Usagi asked. "And why haven't you been around lately? We've been worried about you."
Harusuke bit his lip, trying to keep his emotions in check. "L-Like I said, I have somewhere I need to be," he said. "I need to go."
"But Harusuke, what's the matter with you?" asked Usagi. "Why are you acting so strange?"
"It's nothing. I'm fine," said Harusuke as he tried to pull his arm gently away. "I just... wanna be by myself a bit."
Usagi glared firmly and suspiciously at Harusuke. "Nothing, my butt. You were late to class, and you're being as clumsy as I am, and the others and I were worried about you," she said.
"What does it matter?" Harusuke spoke, his irritation beginning to grow. "I said it's nothing, OK?"
Usagi then gripped Harusuke's hand tighter. "Harusuke, I know you're not feeling OK, so stop trying to hide it," said Usagi firmly. "I'm your sister, and I may not be as smart as Ami, but even I know that you're not feeling alright. So please talk to me and let me help you."
At this point, Harusuke finally snapped.
"Damn it, Usagi! Can't you quit your meddling and leave me alone already?!" he snapped. "What's going on with me is none of your business nor anyone else's, so just take a hint and leave me alone!"
There was a long silence. Then Usagi finally let go of Harusuke's hand. When Harusuke looked back at her, his eyes widened in horror. Usagi's eyes were now brimming with tears as her lip trembled, shocked at what he said. Even Luna couldn't help but be appalled at Harusuke's outburst.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to -" Usagi spoke in a timid voice, sniffling.
Harusuke fully grasped what he had done at that moment, and that alone made him feel terrible. He then bolted, running as fast as his legs could carry him.
"Harusuke! Come back!" Luna yelled.
But Harusuke didn't listen. He kept running as fast as he could, leaving his sister and the black cat behind. He kept running and running until he found himself at another alley hidden from view. When he managed to catch his breath, he couldn't help but feel very angry at himself.
"What the hell am I doing? The last thing I wanted to do was for my sister to get hurt! And now I've gone and made her cry! I'm such an idiot! A stupid dumb idiot!"
He bit his lip as his heart filled with self-loathing and anger towards himself. So much that he almost cried, but he knew that this wasn't the time for it.
"I have to get over to the harbor. That's where Zoisite said the fight would be. No doubt that it's probably going to be a trap, but I have to go over there. Otherwise, Zoisite's going to drag my entire family and my friends into it, and I don't want them to get caught in the crossfire. Not to mention I don't want anyone to worry about me."
He then swiped the sweat from his brow, adjusted the hood on his hoodie, and then set off towards the harbor.
Meanwhile, Zoisite met up with all the other Kings of Heaven as they stood on a building that overlooked the city below.
"Did you do it?" asked Nephrite.
"Yes, he took the bait like a moth to a flame," cackled Zoisite. "There's no doubt that he'll come."
"Perfect. Then we'll be able to put our plan into action," said Jadeite. "Tonight will be the night that Prince Taiyou dies.
"And if Sailor Moon and her guardian friends show up," said Kunzite. "We'll kill them and take the Silver Crystal as well, and the Dark Kingdom will be victorious and conquer this world."
Usagi was still crying a bit as she walked around town aimlessly. Luna couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.
"Please don't be sad, Usagi," soothed Luna. "I'm sure Harusuke didn't mean what he said."
"But... he was being so mean," Usagi sniffed. "He's never acted that way towards me before."
Then as she continued walking, she happened to walk by the Game Center where Motoki was busily at work cleaning the sidewalk. When he noticed Usagi, he was about to greet her, but he saw the sullen look on her face.
"Usagi, what's the matter?" he asked, feeling concerned. "You look upset."
Usagi then looked up at Motoki as she wiped her tears. "Oh no. I'm fine, Motoki," she sniffed. "I... just got some dirt in my eye."
"Come on, Usagi. You and I both know that's not true," said Motoki firmly. "I know you. Whenever you look this sad, that means something's wrong with you. If you wanna talk, I'm right here."
"Well... it's kinda complicated..." Usagi said hesitantly. "Besides, I don't want you to think that I'm meddling."
Motoki was surprised. "Meddling? Now, why would you get an idea like that?" he asked. "Who said that you were meddling? Tell me."
Usagi, at first, wasn't planning to say anything, but she could see that Motoki wasn't about to leave her alone. She then looked at Luna, giving her a sideways glance saying what she should do. Luna looked back at her and answered with a nod. Usagi took a deep breath and told Motoki what had happened, excluding Harusuke almost being killed by Zoisite. Motoki listened intently, not saying a word.
"I see. So that's what happened," said Motoki.
"I... I just don't understand why Harusuke went and got upset at me," Usagi spoke. "I mean... I was only trying to help him. But - I suppose I have no right to get involved in his business. I suppose I was meddling. After all, I did tell him to go with that girl only to have her break his heart."
Motoki then raised his hand. "Usagi, let me stop you right there," he said. "You didn't do anything wrong. You were only trying to help Harusuke. True, you tend to meddle, but you always have the best intentions. And besides, I think I can understand as to why Harusuke reacted the way he did."
Usagi looked up at Motoki, giving him a look st urged him to go on. Motoki then explained.
"Part of it is because Harusuke's doing what most other guys do to seem like a dependable big brother figure, the macho guy act," said Motoki. "He's trying to hide all of his feelings so that you and your friends won't worry about him. However, I can tell by looking at him that he's the kind of person that cares about everyone else other than himself. Not only that, but I'm willing to bet that he's a bit too proud to share his feelings too."
"You think so?" said Usagi feeling a lot less sad.
"Yes, I do. I mean, I should know because I've done that a couple of times myself," said Motoki. "Truth be told, it didn't do me a lot of good. If anything, it made my sadness worse, so I've let out a few tears once and a while."
Usagi was surprised. "You cried, Motoki? You?"
"Of course. Everyone cries. Women, children, and even men," Motoki said. "But you rarely see a man cry because they try so hard to be the tough emotionless bad boys, and when they cry, they think it makes them weak. But I think that when a man cries, it shows that they're human and can feel pain. As a wise man once said; When a man cries, it's not because they're weak, but because they've been strong for too long and need to let it out. Although, I kinda added that last part in."
Usagi stared at Motoki as a small smile worked its way to her lips. She felt much better.
"Thank you, Motoki," she said. "I feel a little bit better now."
"Well, good. Glad I could help," Motoki smiled. "Now, don't you think that you should go find your brother? He's going to need his meddling sister to help work out his feelings."
"Yeah. I should," Usagi said. "See you, Motoki."
And she jogged away with Luna following close behind her.
"I'm glad to see that you're feeling better, Usagi," she spoke as she ran.
"Yeah, but we can't rest easy yet, Luna," Usagi panted. "We need to go find my stubborn dummy of a brother so that I can give him a piece of my mind."
And the two continued running, resuming their search for Harusuke.
It was now evening. The sun was beginning to set as Harusuke made his way to the harbor. As he made his way, he couldn't help but feel a chill go through his spine as his senses were more alert than before.
"It's almost time," he thought. "I have to be prepared for anything in this fight. One thing's for sure, there's only going to be one person leaving this fight, and it isn't going to be anyone from the Dark Kingdom."
Soon he came to an open area of the harbor and was welcomed to the open sea. It roared and crashed with its waves as if it sensed the major battle that was going to go down. Harusuke looked around, making sure that there no one was around. Then he took a breath, letting it out slowly.
"Looks like the time is now," he said to himself. "Time for me to go to work."
He ripped off his hoodie and held his hand up high.
"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.
Solaris looked around the harbor, ready to fight his enemy. At that moment, evil laughter came, followed by a familiar sinister voice.
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. And how nice, someone's decided to dress appropriately for the occasion."
Solaris scowled underneath his mask. "Come out and show yourself, Zoisite! I know you're here," he called out. "I don't know what sneaky plot you got up your sleeve this time, but I promise you, I will stop you and take you down. So why don't you spare me the games already?!"
Zoisite then appeared before him. "My, my. Aren't we feeling a bit impatient?" he spoke while playing with his hair. "And here I was hoping you'd be happy to see me."
"Like I'd be happy to see your ugly mug," Solaris spoke coldly. "Now, why don't we get this fight started already. I want to get this over with some time today."
"Believe me, I understand you, Solaris, and I agree," Zoisite smirked. "Which is why... I took the liberty of-"
"Let me guess. You invited some guests to our little battle, right?" interrupted Solaris. "And those "guests" are the rest of the Kings of Heaven, right?"
Zoisite flinched a bit but regained his composure as Kunzite, Nephrite, and Jadeite appeared on either side of him.
"So, you knew that we were here?" asked Jadeite.
"Please. You all are getting to be a little bit predictable," said Solaris. "I knew all along that Zoisite wasn't planning to fight me one on one. But, unlike before, I learn from my mistakes."
"If that's the case, then why did you come here knowing that it was a trap?" asked Kunzite. "Surely, you could have at least brought the Sailor Guardians with you."
"A good question," said Solaris as he crossed his arms. "I just figured I wouldn't need the Guardians to defeat you all. I can take you all on at the same time."
"You? Fight the four of us?" Jadeite spoke, raising a brow. "You must be a fool if you're saying such things."
"Sticks and stones. Words like that don't matter to me," scoffed Solaris as he took a fighting stance. "Now, are you guys gonna keep talking, or are you gonna fight?"
"You sure you want to do this, Solaris?" asked Kunzite, feigning concern. "After all, you are going up against Nephrite, who happens to be your former friend. I wouldn't want you to -"
"Let me stop you right there," interrupted Solaris coldly. "Besides, you're one to talk. You guys act like you're comrades, yet Zoisite went and killed Nephrite for no reason."
"Spare me your childish drivel," Nephrite spat coldly. "Zoisite only executed me because I let that foolish human turn me into a traitor. If anything, I'm surprised he didn't execute the witch for tempting me."
Solaris looked at Nephrite briefly hurt before glaring with rage. "Then, if I were you, I'd be a little more concerned about yourselves," he spoke hotly. "Because it's only fair to warn you four, you caught me in a bad mood today, which you just made worse!"
Solaris then jumped up over their head, conjuring a ball of light and firing it at the Kings of Heaven. The four of them scattered, dodging the attack it exploded onto the floor. As Solaris landed on the floor, Zoisite and Jadeite attacked with a combination of Zoisite's fetal petals and Jadeite's kinetic force. Solaris jumped to his right, dodging the attack only to have Kunzite appear behind him and fire rapid blasts black energy blast. Thinking quickly, Solaris once again jumped, avoiding the blow, landing in a crouch. Nephrite then attacked next by jumping in the air and coming down from above with a kick. Solaris seeing the attack in time, managed to jump out of the way, rolling and dodging the blow.
"Not too shabby, Solaris. You're quite the nimble little scamp," said Kunzite. "However, you can't keep dodging us forever."
"Then how about I start attacking right now!" yelled Solaris as he held out his hands in front of him, closing his eyes. "I SUMMON FORTH THE POWER OF THE STARS! LEND ME YOUR POWER! STARLIGHT ATTACK!"
Usually, a white orb of energy would form in his hands, unleashing a powerful blast, but this time was different. To Solaris' shock and surprise, nothing happened. He tried again, but still nothing. The Four Kings of Heaven laughed as Solaris stared at his hands in disbelief.
"I don't understand! Why isn't the Starlight Attack working?!" he spoke.
"Isn't it obvious? It wasn't your technique, to begin with," said Zoisite. "When you absorbed Nephrite's energy, it allowed you to use that attack, but since I extracted that energy from you, you no longer able to use it."
Nephrite then stepped forward. "Allow me to show you how to do it," he said as he crossed his arms, charging power.
A large white ball of energy appeared before him, glowing brightly. Then he threw them outward, unleashing a powerful blast. Solaris's eyes widened in shock as the shot headed straight for him.
Usagi and the other girls were all still searching for Harusuke. They searched high and low, but they couldn't find him anywhere. Usagi and Luna were just finished another round of searching and were just contacting Ami and Makoto.
"So he still hasn't come home yet?" asked Usagi.
"Unfortunately, but he said that he'll keep an eye out for him," said Ami on the communicator. "In the meantime, Makoto and I are going to take one more look around the neighborhood. We'll keep you posted."
"Thanks, guys," said Usagi as she turned off her communicator.
"I'm starting to get a little bit worried," said Luna. "We've looked everywhere for Harusuke, and there's still no sign of him. Rei and Minako even told us that he wasn't at the cemetery, nor did the pastor see him."
"We can't give up, Luna," said Usagi. "We have to keep looking. There must be an area we haven't checked yet. There's just gotta be!"
Luna hummed, trying to think of anywhere else to look when suddenly, something flashed to her left, causing her to look up. In the distance by the industrial area, she could see various explosions of light flickering in the area on and off.
"Luna! Look at that!" she cried.
The black cat looked at where Usagi was pointing, and she gasped. "That light!"
"Let's go check it out!" Usagi cried as she immediately took off running.
Things had taken a turn for the worse for Solaris. He may have been strong and brave, but the numbers game was catching up with him. He was battered and weary, and even his armor was beginning to chip and crack. His entire body hurt, and he had a couple of bruises and cuts here and there, but he still refused to back down.
He summoned forth a Sunshine Meteor and fired it at Zoisite and Nephrite. The two dodged the attack with ease and counterattacked with a blizzard of petals and a beam of light. Solaris immediately crossed his arms and took the combined attacks. Seeing an opportunity, Jadeite came in and, before Solaris could react, gave him a mighty kick on his back, causing him to cry out in pain. As he stumbled forward, Kunzite shot forward and, as he placed his hand on his stomach, unleashed a powerful blast of energy, sending him flying and crashing into the wall of a building. He stayed stuck there for a moment; then he slumped to the ground lying there in agony as the Four Kings of Heaven stood before him chuckling in triumph.
"How disappointing," said Nephrite. "I was hoping you'd put up more of a fight, but it seems that you hit your limit."
Solaris grunted as he struggled back to his feet, but his legs felt like jelly, and he was almost out of strength. However, his spirit didn't waver.
"I ain't beat yet..." he spoke weakly but bravely. "I can still fight..."
"Give it up, Solaris," said Kunzite. "You don't stand a chance against the four of us. You're too weak."
"It's such a shame," said Zoisite. "Queen Beryl told us that you were quite the dangerous foe, but now I see that you came up short as you always do. If I had known you were this weak, I wouldn't have had to put on that little girl act to lower your guard."
Solaris's eye twitched as he instinctively remembered Suzette. The thought alone made his heart clench in pain and humiliation.
"You know... I can't believe I wanted to be with you back when you were Suzette," Solaris said, clenching his fist. "You had have known it was pointless from the start. So why did you even bother? I thought you liked me."
"Oh, come on. It was so obvious that you didn't know anything about women," scoffed Zoisite. "Therefore, I exploited that weakness, and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker. And it was worth it considering that you've managed to hurt my beautiful face. I just wish the others could have seen the look on your face when I stabbed you."
Jadeite then laughed. "Stop it, Zoisite. You're evil..."
"But it's kind of funny if you think about Jadeite," chuckled Kunzite. "I heard about the date they went on, and it was a total bore. If all human dates are like that, it's a wonder that any girls have noticed him at all. I'm surprised that the Sailor Guardians haven't dropped him from their little group, considering they're always there to save him. He's worthless as a human and as a guardian."
Solaris now felt his blood begin to boil with rage, and he also felt his eyes start to burn as he fought back his tears. He then took a fighting stance once again. "Shut your damned mouths and fight!" he yelled. "I don't need the Sailor Guardians to beat you, bastards!"
"You're a fool if you think that you can beat us in your current state," said Nephrite. "So do yourself a favor, take what's left of your dignity, and surrender."
"I will never surrender!" bellowed Solaris as he began conjuring a bigger Sunshine Meteor than usual. "I'll beat every last one of you bastards and protect everyone!"
He launched the attack with a mighty yell, using every ounce of anger and strength. The enlarged Sunshine Meteor collided with the four, which shook the entire area. Solaris, at this point, was exhausted, but he smiled with triumph, satisfied that he landed a good hit. But that satisfaction quickly disappeared when the smoke cleared, for when it did, the Four Kings of Heaven still stood now inside a barrier that protected them from the blow.
"N-no way..." Solaris murmured in disbelief. "That... was my strongest attack..."
He then fell to his knees from exhaustion and could no longer stand.
"It seems that our little fight is over, Solaris," said Kunzite. "I'll admit that was a pretty powerful attack, but it's nothing compared to our power."
The Four Kings of Heaven raised their hands and began charging their powers. Solaris wanted to run. He knew he had to get away, but he had no strength left. He couldn't even move. Finally, the Four Kings of Heaven's attacks peaked, and all four of them fired at Solaris at once, combining into one. Solaris shut his eyes and waited for the blast to hit. But then -
"MERCURY BUBBLE SPRAY!"
"MARS FIRE SOUL!"
"JUPITER SUPREME THUNDER!"
"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM!"
Four familiar attacks came shooting out of nowhere, colliding with their combined attack canceling it out in of its entirety. At that moment, Sailor Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus jumped in from nowhere, standing in front of Solaris. Sailor Moon also appeared rushing to Solaris's side.
"Looks like we made it in time," said Luna.
"S-Sailor Moon... ?!" Solaris spoke. "You... You're here! You're all here...!"
"Don't worry, Solaris. We're here to help," said Sailor Moon. Then she turned to the Four Kings of Heaven scowling in anger. "How dare you attack our comrade?! Don't you know that four against one isn't fair?!"
"So, the Sailor Guardians have come? I should have guessed," scoffed Zoisite. "As usual, you girls are here to bail Solaris out of trouble. How pathetic." He turned to Solaris. "Tell me, do you always have girls fight your battles for you, Solaris? Or are they here because they pity you?"
"You shut your mouth!" snapped Sailor Mars. "Pity's got nothing to do with this!"
"We're here because Solaris is our friend!" added Sailor Mercury. "And friends always have each other's back no matter what!"
"And it doesn't make him weak either!" scowled Sailor Jupiter. "If anything, asking and accepting help is a sign of strength!"
"And we're not going to stand by while you monsters bully him!" scolded Sailor Venus. "Anyone who messes with him messes with us!"
"And you'll pay for making him go through so much pain!" spoke out Sailor Moon as she placed Solaris gently on the ground. "Because we are the Pretty Guardians that stand for love and justice! And in the name of the Moon..."
"We'll punish you!" the five guardians said together.
"Bring it on!" Kunzite cockily smirked. "We'll kill every last one of you at once, and once you're all dead, we'll take the Silver Crystal too!"
The Four Kings of Heaven then charged at the Guardians, but Sailor Moon whipped out her Moon Stick and jumped high into the air over their heads. The Silver Crystal on the wand began to glow as Sailor Moon aimed.
"TAKE THIS! MOON HEALING ESCALATION!" she yelled as she let loose a powerful blast of power.
The blast shot right at the Four Kings of Heaven, making them shield their eyes, unable to defend themselves against the attack, causing damage even though it was for healing. At that moment, Kunzite had enough, as did the others.
"You'll pay for this Sailor Guardians!" Kunzite growled. "One of these days, we'll kill you and take the Silver Crystal!"
And with that, the Four Kings of Heaven disappeared in a whirlwind of darkness vanishing from sight.
Everyone was over at the Tsukino's place in Harusuke's room a little later. Harusuke slowly opened his eyes, finding himself staring up the ceiling of his room once again with Usagi and the others at his bedside.
"Hey, you guys! He's coming around!" said Ami.
Harusuke groaned as he slowly sat upon his bed, rubbing his eyes. "What's going on? Where am I?" he asked.
"You're back home," said Luna. "At some point, you passed out during the battle, and Usagi and the others carried you here and treated you."
Harusuke then remembered, which caused him to bite back his feelings again.
"Are you feeling OK, Harusuke?" asked Makoto. "You looked banged up back there."
"Not to mention that you haven't been acting like your normal self," said Rei.
"Yeah. I guess so," said Harusuke. "Thanks for asking."
Usagi then stepped forward, smiling sweetly. "You sure you're feeling, OK?" she asked.
"Um... yeah. Sure," said Harusuke putting on a fake smile. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine.
"Good. Because..."
She took a deep breath then yelled at that top of her lungs.
"What were you thinking taking on those guys all by yourself?! Do you have any idea how much everyone's been worried about you?! Not to mention you went and yelled at me for no reason at all when I was just trying to help you! You're an idiot for being so stubborn, and you're even more stupid for fighting in a four against one battle!"
"Usagi, take it easy!" Minako spoke, a bit startled by her outburst. "There's no need to be so angry!"
"It's the perfect time to be angry!" Usagi snapped. "My brother not only yelled at me just because I was trying to help him after getting dumped by a girl who turned out to be Zoisite, but he also went and did a stupid stunt like this?! Not even I would do something so dumb! You idiot, dummy, blockhead, stubborn fool!"
Everyone stared dumbly at Usagi, deeply shocked while Harusuke sat there on his bed, his head turned downwards, not saying a single word. There was another long silence. Then Harusuke's shoulders began to tremble as his hands clenched the sheets of his bed. At that moment, a single drop of water dripped on the sheets. And then another, and another, and another. Everyone then looked at Harusuke, and a shocking sight met their eyes. Harusuke's eyes were now leaking with tears that trickled down his cheeks as he began to cry.
"I-I'm sorry..." he sobbed. "I-I'm sorry... I - I'm so sorry..."
"H-Harusuke... you're crying..." gasped Ami.
As soon as she saw her brother crying, Usagi was shocked, but she also felt terrible, not meaning to make Harusuke cry.
"I'm so sorry, Harusuke!" she immediately apologized. "I didn't mean to -"
"No... you're right, " Harusuke interrupted, his voice cracking with tears. "Everything you said about me is true. I am a fool, an idiotic blockhead of a fool. I let Zoisite dupe me again, I put everyone I care and love about in jeopardy because of it, and I even attacked my sister. But - I only did what I did because they threatened to hurt you guys and our family! So I didn't want to burden you with my problem."
"Wait... they threatened you?" Makoto asked incredulously. "Is that why you kept your distance from us and why you yelled at Usagi?"
Harusuke nodded as the tears continued to flow. "I couldn't risk you all getting involved in something that was my fault. I thought I could handle it on my own, but as you saw, I couldn't do anything. Those guys were right; I'm weak and pathetic. I couldn't protect anyone, not even myself, so I don't even know why I'm a part of this team in the first place. I'm worthless - as a man and as a guardian."
Another long silence passed as everyone stared at Harusuke in disbelief and surprise. Usagi then sat down on the bed and gently placed a hand on Harusuke's shoulder.
"You're wrong, Harusuke," she said quietly. "You're not worthless, and you're not weak either. On the contrary, you're stronger than you think you are."
Harusuke looked up at his sister. "How do you know that?" he spoke tearfully. "If that were true, then Nephrite wouldn't have died, and I would never have-"
"You couldn't have known that was going to happen," said Rei. "You're blaming yourself for something you had no control over."
"And you didn't know that Zoisite was tricking you as Suzette," said Makoto. "You acted just like any other boy that wanted to be loved by a girl."
"Not to mention that you're a valuable part of this team," said Minako. "And a valuable and great friend a person could ever want."
"So forget about what Kunzite and the others said about you and stop beating yourself up," said Ami. "You're an incredible person as well as a strong warrior, and you shouldn't forget that."
Harusuke looked up, wiping his tears. "Do... do you all mean that?"
All of the Sailor Guardians smiled and nodded, and Harusuke could feel his eyes begin to water once more as he was about to cry, but he stifled a sob as he tried to hold back his tears.
"And another thing. If you're feeling sad, you're allowed to cry and vent your worries," Usagi said. "We'll be here if you need a shoulder to cry on."
"But... I - " Harusuke whimpered, his eyes about to overflow.
"It's alright," Usagi said as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Someone once told me that the men who cry aren't weak. It's that they've been strong for too long, and they need to let it out. And it would help if you let it out right now. It's OK. No one won't think any less of you."
As soon as those words reached his ears, the dam in Harusuke's mind finally broke as he clung tightly to his sister, sobbing uncontrollably. His body shook with every sob, and his eyes overflowed with tears as he buried his face into Usagi's shoulder. The other girls also began to cry a little, not being able to stand seeing Harusuke cry. Then, one by one, they all wrapped their arms around Usagi and Harusuke in a tender and loving group hug.
"It's OK," soothed Ami.
"We're here for you," comforted Rei.
"And we'll always be here to help," solaced Makoto.
"And we'll be with you no matter what, come what may," allayed Minako.
"Thank you, everyone... Thank you..." Harusuke sobbed. "I... I don't know what I'd do without you guys. Thank you..."
Luna and Artemis could only smile at this touching scene as it continued. One thing was for sure; this was an emotional moment that would not only never be forgotten but would also make their bonds as friends and Guardians even stronger than before.