Our chapter begins with Haruka racing into the darkness of a tunnel, her motorcycle roaring and throttling echoing in the dark until she reemerged into the light of the sun. She continued to speed along until she drove up a grassy hill and came to a stop on top of it. That grassy hill overlooked a particular school that Haruka used to go to a while back. As she stared at the school, Haruka began to feel nostalgic, remembering back to the days when she used to be an ordinary girl.

"As far back as I can remember, I've wanted to become like the wind more than anything. I even imagined herself becoming one with it. Free from gravity and just soaring through the sky. Although looking back on it now, I was probably trying to escape my fate. And after each battle, I'd see a new and more enlightened self emerging."

Haruka then took off her helmet, wanting to feel the calm wind graze her cheeks and blow her hair. But as she did, the wind began to blow harder than usual, and as Haruka looked up, she could see the clouds in the sky slowly start to eclipse the sun, casting a shadow from where she was.

"The wind's begun to pick up."

Inside the lab, Tomoe was running on a treadmill, running and working up a sweat, trying to develop an idea for the next target. He was wearing a white tank top with blue shorts and sneakers for this occasion. As he kept running on the treadmill, Eudial appeared in the room, and she saw Tomoe; she was puzzled.

"Um, Tomoe? May I ask what you're doing?" wondered Eudial.

"Moderate exercise helps stimulate brain activity!" panted Tomoe. "I'm working on an idea for our next target, and it's already forming!"

"If you say so, Tomoe," Eudial spoke doubtfully.

"I think it's time I take things a step further!" Tomoe gasped. "Let's turn up the heat!"

Tomoe set the treadmill with a push of a button to its maximum speed, causing the belt to turn faster, making Tomoe run harder. Eudial watched with surprised eyes as Tomoe sprinted so quickly his legs almost became blurred. Finally, after a few seconds of running like a speeding madman, Tomoe got an idea.

"Eudial! I got it!" Tomoe gasped. "How about you make our next target an athlete?"

"Well, the idea has merit," said Eudial. "But are you sure it's not because of what you're doing?"

"Trust me, Eudial!" panted Tomoe. "Our next target will be an athlete, and this target will have the Pure Heart that we seek for sure! I've arranged a Daimon to accompany you. You'll find the vial on my desk. Make sure you use it."

Eudial found the vial but still felt a bit unnerved seeing Tomoe run like a demon man, as he began to cackle madly while running.

"I don't know which amazes me more," Eudial said to herself. "The fact that he's still able to talk or how he's able to run so fast."

Usagi and the gang were at the school, Shirakaba High. It was an open day for the school, and the group saw this as an opportunity to check it out and to see if this school would go to once they've passed the entrance exams, eventually coming to the gymnasium, where a large track was in the front as they walked around.

"Wow! Check out the gymnasium!" said Makoto. "It's huge!"

"If I'm lucky enough to get accepted, I could play a lot of volleyball in there!" agreed Makoto.

"I wouldn't be worried. You'll both get in for sure," said Harusuke. "After all, you've been studying hard."

"We all have been," smiled Rei. "And if you keep it up, you'll get accepted for sure."

Usagi hummed in agreement with a firm nod.

"I was referring to Minako and Makoto," Rei spoke with a disparaging look.

Usagi then glared at Rei. "Hey, Rei. I felt kind of hurt by what you said, and that look you gave me wasn't nice either!" Usagi growled. "It's like I felt our friendship was in danger."

"Gee, I wonder why," Rei spoke, still being snide.

"You're only so cocky because the T.A. Girls Academy works off an escalator system," Usagi huffed jealously. "You don't even have to study for the high school entrance exams."

"Hey, you'll be all right too, Usagi," soothed Ami. "You'll be able to get into any school you want, as long as you pass the exam."

"Ami, you're not helping things here," said Rei. "You do realize who you're talking to, right?"

"Hey! There you go again being a meanie, Rei!" Usagi crossly snapped. "You always think you're so smart!"

"Well, I am!" Rei snapped back. "Besides, I call 'em as I see 'em!"

"Would you two stop?" Harusuke sighed. "Seriously. Your constant bickering is giving me a headache."

Then, Minako took notice of a young girl running on the track. She was tan-skinned, had short pink hair, and ran as fast and elegant as a gazelle.

"Hey, you guys," Minako spoke, pointing. "Isn't that..."

Makoto recognized her too. "Oh, wow! That's Elza Gray!"

"Is she someone famous?" wondered Harusuke.

"I'm surprised you never heard of her," said Makoto. "She does competitive sprinting and hurtling meets all over the country against top competitors. She's a big deal."

Elza soon stopped to take a break from sprinting and had a drink of water. When she had her fill, she noticed Usagi and her group. Upon making eye contact, every one of Usagi's group bowed in respect for Elza. Then, Elza went over to talk to Usagi and the others, near a bench.

"So, you're all here to check out the school?" Elza asked. "If so, do you plan to apply here next year?"

"Well, we're not exactly sure if we are," said Makoto.

At that moment, Elza did something entirely unexpected. She slipped both her hands underneath Makoto's and Minako's bums and gave them a slight squeeze. Minako and Makoto both let out squeals of surprise and shot to their feet while everyone else stared at Elza in shock.

"E-Elza! What are you doing?!" Makoto squawked with embarrassment.

Elza remained silent, thoughtfully humming while wiggling her fingers assessing something. "Both of your butts are firm and compact," she said with a smile. "Perfectly suited for track and field. If you choose this school, you should join our team."

Everyone then laughed.

"I'll say this much," Minako giggled. "You sure got some strange recruiting method."

Rei then looked across to Usagi. "I'd say the best pick for you would be team manager."

"Why? Because I'm no good at sports?!" Usagi huffed in a pout.

"Hold on a minute. You can tell just by touching a person's butts?" Harusuke wondered. "I don't know if I should be impressed or weirded out. Then again, Minako does play volleyball, and Makoto does martial arts, so you're sort of correct. Do you do the same thing to boys, or were you coping a feel?"

Elza then silently slid next to Harusuke and gave his butt a couple of squeezes too. Harusuke went rigid with surprise while the girls stared, blushing.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," commented Elza as she moved her hand away. "You've got yourself a fine butt. It's not only firm and compact, but it also feels strong too. You've got potential as a runner and then some."

"Th-Thanks for the compliment," said Harusuke with flushed cheeks. "But next time, could you give me a warning when you're going to do that?"

"Anyway, I'm quite impressed," said Minako. "You train on your own, even without the rest of the team."

"I am pretty confident with my running ability nowadays," said Elza humbly. "But in the past, there was one girl I couldn't beat. She'd always run past me like the wind. I couldn't beat her no matter how hard I tried. And even though she isn't competing anymore, I can't get her out of my mind. So I suppose I'm still chasing after her."

Usagi was impressed. "She's so cool and dedicated," she thought to herself. "She truly wants to be the best runner ever."

As they continued to talk, they didn't realize that Eudial was watching them from afar, setting her sights on Elza as her next target. Simultaneously, Haruka leaped about in the trees like a ninja, keeping a close eye out for trouble.

After a while, Elza and Usagi's party went their separate ways, Usagi's group seeing their way out of the school. As they walked, Usagi couldn't help but be deep in thought.

"I guess I'll have to work hard and study more," Usagi mumbled aloud.

Seeing that Elza left a lasting impression on the ordango, the others smiled at her.

"That's right, Usagi," said Rei. "You're not stupid or anything. You just need to focus. Once you do that, everything will be fine."

"So, let's give it our best, Sis," encouraged Harusuke. "We can do this together."

Usagi smiled back, answering with a nod in agreement. Then, suddenly, a scream of fright came from the track belonging to Elza.

Knowing that there was trouble, the group immediately headed back, ready to save Elza.

Back on the track, Eudial arrived once again, using her gun to shoot the Pure Heart Crystal out of her target. However, unlike the others, Elza darted and ran around, avoiding the bullets of her weapon.

"I've got to say; you're pretty fast, young lady," complimented Eudial. "It's no wonder that you're on track and field."

"Stop right there, Eudial!" shouted a voice. "We won't let you threaten a wholesome high school girl's life!"

Eudial looked upward in the trees, only to see Sailor Moon and the other Guardians on top of its branches. The six leaped out from the tree, and all stood bravely in front of Elza.

"We are the Pretty Guardians who fight for love and justice!" the six shouted together. "And in the name of the Moon, we'll punish you!"

"Not you people again," Eudial grumped. "You girls never learn!"

The redhead then saw one of the hurdles on the track. She summoned forth a Daimon Egg and threw it at the hurtle, the egg immediately merging with it. The hurtle bent and changed until it morphed into a Daimon.

The Daimon had pink skin, purple curly hair tied in a ponytail with a red bow, and gold earrings. She wore pumps that looked like sneakers on her feet, a giant white sneaker for a top, a black and white striped bikini bottom, and arms sleeves matching the base. She also had a red line striping machine for a backpack.

"Hurdle, deal with these pesky meddlers!" ordered Eudial.

"Yes, ma'am!" acknowledged Hurdle as she shot straight towards the Guardians.

Sailor Venus and Solaris stepped forward.

"We'll take care of her!" Sailor Venus said as a chain of hearts made of light danced around her. "VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"

Solaris clenched his fist, making golden flames explode from it while aiming. "SOLARIS ARROW OF SOL!"

Sailor Venus launched her chain while Solaris unleashed a powerful arrow of golden fire. However, in a feat of incredible agility, Hurdle jumped, dodging both attacks simultaneously. Then, while grabbing the line striper from her back swinging it, Hurdle shot a long sticky line of paint that wrapped all six of the Guardians, trapping them. The six struggled to get free, but the sticky substance held them tight.

While this was happening, Haruka hid behind a tree using her communicator to contact Michiru.

"Michiru, I need you to get over her now," Haruka whispered urgently. "I'm at Shirakaba High School. And also, Eudial's target appears to be Elza Gray this time."

"I see," acknowledged Michiru. "I'm on my way."

Haruka then watched as Eudial set her sights on Elza again as she ran away in terror. But Eudial was quick, and before Elza could get away, she aimed with her gun and shot her right in the back, knocking the Pure Heart Crystal out of her.

Haruka was now in turmoil because she knew she had to wait until it was exposed so that she could check to see if Elza's contained a talisman. But that didn't make it any harder for her. You see, Elza was someone Haruka knew before she became Sailor Uranus and was the very person that introduced her to Michiru, changing her life forever.

Haruka found herself in the town of Juuban. The sky was dyed red with destruction, and the city utterly desolate, with her being the only one there. Yet, at the same time, an ominous tidal wave of evil and black energy was ripping its way through the city, destroying everything in its path.

Then, an emerald green light shone just behind her, prompting her to turn around.

The light came from a young girl floating above her, wearing a sailor uniform and having teal hair that went past her shoulders.

"The silence is coming. We must find the Messiah, and quickly," the girl said. "It's our destiny, Haruka. Our destiny as Sailor Guardians."

A while back, ago...

Haruka found herself back on the track, lined up with Elza and the other girls snapping out of her vision.

"Not again," she murmured as she rubbed her eyes. "Another vision?"

Elza then spoke to Haruka. "I heard you're pretty fast," she said, brimming with confidence. "But you're still gonna lose!"

Haruka paid no mind as she got ready to race. At that sound of the gun going off, Haruka raced off as fast as her legs could carry, immediately taking the lead in seconds.

In those days, when she denied her destiny, Haruka was unbeatable in sports, including track and field, but she only competed to pass the time. The only sport that seemed to resonate with her was car racing. It was the whole world to her because it was where she truly felt like she was one with the wind as she raced around the track.

However, that would change. The day she met Michiru Kaioh.

The race was soon over, and Haruka just changed into her tracksuit, ready to head home. But then, Elza came up to her.

"Haruka Tenoh, if I'm not mistaken. I've heard rumors about you, but you're truly are incredible," Elza said. "Anyway, there's someone who wants to meet you."

At that moment, a young girl came walking up, and as soon as she saw her, Haruka gasped, for the girl that came up bore a striking resemblance to the one she saw in her visions. Only she was wearing a school uniform.

"This is Michiru Kaioh," introduced Elza. "She's just as talented as you are, an artistic genius."

Michiru smiled. "You must have been holding back," she said. "You've hardly broken a sweat at all."

Haruka frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Perhaps, you heard a voice in the wind that propelled you forward," Michiru suggested.

"That's a weird thing to say," said Haruka. "So, why did you want to meet with me?"

"I was hoping that you would model for one of my sketches," said Michiru. "I think you would be perfect for the next one."

"Sorry, but I think I'll pass," said Haruka politely. "I'm not into that sort of thing."

As Haruka walked away, leaving Michiru hurt, it was then that she knew who she was and that Michiru knew who Haruka would become, a Sailor Guardian. But she still didn't want to admit it to herself. If she did, everything in her life would change completely.

Later that night, on a cruise ship sailing near Tokyo Bay, a large party was taking place, a kind of party for high-class people, and both Haruka and Michiru were attending. As the party went on, Michiru entertained the crowd by playing a beautiful melody on her violin. At the same time, Haruka watched and listened from afar on a table all by herself.

"So that's the famous Michiru Kaioh," murmured a man at another table. "It's hard to imagine her being only in middle school."

"Yes, she's very popular," said a woman. "However, I heard she doesn't make many friends."

"That's surprising," said the man. "I wonder why? She seems so charming."

"Well, supposedly, it's because she isn't very friendly," said the woman. "She doesn't let anyone get too close to her for some reason."

Haruka then got up and left, not wanting to hear anything more, while Michiru noticed her in her direction.

Haruka walked down the hall and came into a velvet stairway to be alone. But as she walked down the steps, she took notice of a large painting. The painting depicted an entire town engulfed by a giant tsunami. It was a beautiful piece but also was rather haunting.

"Do you like that piece?" asked a voice that came from Haruka's left. "I hope it's to your liking."

Haruka's eyes never left the painting, but even she could sense that Michiru had mysteriously appeared on the steps, sitting a few steps down from her.

"You know, I appreciate you taking the time to come, Haruka Tenoh," went on Michiru. "Even though you probably could have spent the time racing instead. You are quite famous."

"You seem to know a lot about me," said Haruka. "Did you paint this?"

Michiru ignored Haruka's question, then teased her. "You know, there are a couple of girls at my school who are obsessed with you," she said while flipping her hair with her hand. "They'd love to go for a ride in your car by the sea with the wind blowing through their hair as you race."

Haruka, still focusing on the painting, then smiled. "So, the end of the world, huh?" she guessed. "I'm surprised that a girl who looks like she wouldn't hurt a fly would spend her time painting such a depressing fantasy."

Michiru wasn't smiling anymore as she stood up. "It's not a fantasy," she said in a slightly harsh tone. "I can see this vision very clearly. Just like you can."

Now Haruka wasn't smiling, as she stared coldly at Michiru in a dirty look. "How stupid. I'm Haruka Tenoh, Japan's first junior racecar driver. That's the only vision that I have," she scoffed. "I live in the present, and I don't give a damn about memories of my past life or how the world will end. But if you insist on saving humanity, you should do it on your own. And stop nosing around into my personal life without my permission. "

Michiru was now so livid that it took everything in her power not to show she was trembling in anger. "You have no right to judge!" she spoke bitterly. "I don't want to do this any more than you do. My dream was to become a violinist and travel the world, so saving the world was the furthest thing from my mind!"

Haruka could only stare in silence as Michiru did the same.

Some time had passed since that day, and Haruka was on the race track getting ready for a race. But as she walked to her car, she heard a strange sound—the sound of someone whimpering in agony that came from inside of a garage. Haruka went inside and saw a little boy curled up into a ball and withing.

"Pl-Please, help me," the boy begged.

"What's wrong?" Haruka asked as she rushed over. "Are you hurt?"

Suddenly, the boy exploded as he morphed, changing shape and eventually turning into a Daimon. Haruka was caught off guard but stood her ground as she grabbed a crowbar that lay on the table next to her, ready to defend herself. But as she prepared to hit the Daimon with it, she heard the boy's voice coming from inside the Daimon.

"Please help me!"

Knowing that the boy was still alive somehow, Haruka hesitated, giving the Daimon the chance to lunge straight for her, opening its jaws. Luckily, Haruka blocked the Daimon using the crowbar but got overpowered as the Daimon forced her to the ground. The Daimon seeing that its prey was defenseless, went for the kill, but then, a dazzling twinkle of light suddenly erupted between them, blinding the Daimon.

As the light continued to shine, something materialized inside of it. It was a light blue stick with a golden knob at the end, had a frame pink heart at the middle with a light blue one inside. It also had golden sides and a small gold circle on top of the heart, which also carried an orb with two intersecting rings that formed a "V" shape colored admiral blue and had a gold star bearing Uranus's symbol.

Haruka's eyes went wide with amazement, knowing what it was. Her transformation pen. And feeling entranced by it, Haruka reached out to grasp it, but then a voice shouted out.

"Don't!"

Immediately, Haruka stopped, and the pen stopped glowing as it fell to the floor with a clatter. The girl then looked back and saw Michiru standing at the garage door.

"You must not touch that, no matter what!" warned Michiru. "If you do, you won't be able to go back to your normal life, your dreams unfulfilled! You'll become like me!"

Then, Michiru took out a transformation pen of her own and held it high above her head. Her transformation pen then exploded into light, encasing Michiru within it. When the light faded away, Haruka was shocked to see that someone else now stood in Michiru's place, the same woman she saw in her visions.

Michiru had now become Sailor Neptune.

The Daimon pounced straight towards Sailor Neptune, intent to kill, but Sailor Neptune gave the beast a mighty kick of her leg, sending the Daimon crashing into a shelf. The Guardian of the Sea walked towards the Daimon, ready to finish the job, but then, Haruka stepped in her way, blocking her path.

"Stop!" Haruka barked. "He was a human just a second ago! Are you okay with killing an innocent person?! That's murder!"

"The silence is coming," Sailor Neptune spoke firmly. "If I don't do what needs to be done, there will be more casualties."

Haruka was appalled. "So you're saying the ends justify the means?!" she demanded coldly.

"That's right," responded Sailor Neptune. "That's precisely what I'm saying."

Before Haruka could even protest, the Daimon shot back up with a mighty roar and shot towards Haruka, barring its teeth. But then, just when Haruka thought this was the end of her, Sailor Neptune jumped in the way, shielding Haruka as the Daimon's teeth raked her left shoulder and her back, drawing first blood. Then, the Daimon shot towards them again, but Sailor Neptune quickly got up and countered.

"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"

The Guardian of the Sea unleashed a powerful orb of energy, and in a matter of seconds, the Daimon was no more, reverting to a human boy. Simultaneously, a black Daimon Egg came out of his chest and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sailor Neptune was victorious, but she started to fall due to her injuries, losing consciousness. Luckily, Haruka was there to catch her.

Sailor Neptune soon woke up a few seconds later. "Wh-What happened?" she gasped. "Where's the monster?"

Haruka smiled. "It turned back into a human," she said gently. "He's fine."

Sailor Neptune was relieved, but she was also remorseful. "I could've killed that child," she said bitterly. "Who knows what will happen the next time? I don't want to make these decisions, but I'm a Guardian, and this is the choice that I made."

"So, why did you protect me?" asked Haruka as she looked at the guardian's wounds. "If you had gotten more injured, you'd never be able to play the violin again."

"You should know... After all, I have been interested in you like I've said before, and not just because you were a Sailor Guardian. I already know you," winced Sailor Neptune with a smile. "When you entered your first race, I was watching. I'm the girl who wants to feel the wind blowing through her hair as she rides beside you. I love how independent you are and how honest you are with your feelings."

"But I'm not as honest as you think I am," pointed out Haruka. "I'm always running away."

"Not true. I know you better than you know yourself, Haruka," said Sailor Neptune. "That's why I stopped you earlier because I didn't want you to walk the same path that got forced upon me. However, when I found out that you were my destined partner, I was happy." Her eyes began to fill with tears. "I'm so sorry. I had hoped that you didn't have to find out about any of this. Please forgive me."

Haruka stared at Sailor Neptune, moved to her very soul by her confession. Then, she looked back to where her transformation pen lay, and it was then that she made her decision.

Present Day.

Eudial was pleased as she took the Pure Heart Crystal from Elza, assured of her victory. Still hiding behind her tree, Haruka took out her Transformation Pen and got ready to transform when Michiru arrived.

"You ready to get to work, Haruka?" the girl with teal hair asked.

"Yeah," answered Haruka. "Let's get to work, Michiru."

The two then activated their Transformation Pens.

"URANUS PLANET POWER MAKE UP!"

"NEPTUNE PLANET POWER MAKE UP!"

Transformation Sequence: Haruka

The symbol of Uranus glowing yellow spins onto Haruka's Lip Rod, and Haruka's hand takes hold of it, her fingernails azure blue, and the orb releases a brilliant flash of light. Haruka gets enveloped in a glow, and using her Lip Rod in her hand, spins around, tracing a circle outline of wind. She closes her arms around herself as the wind erupts, surrounding her body. Her sailor leotard, gloves, tiara, and boots immediately appear, coloring white, dark blue, and yellow. Her transformation completed, Haruka flips her hair back as her lip gloss appears, spins around, and finishes with her signature pose.

Transformation Sequence: Michiru

The symbol of Neptune glowing blue spins onto Michiru's Lip Rod, and Michiru's hand takes hold of it, her fingernails teal, and the orb releases a brilliant flash of light. Michiru gets enveloped in a glow, and using her Lip Rod in her hand, spins around, tracing a circle outline of water below her spreading her arms wide. A geyser of seawater erupts from the circle, submerging her and, her sailor leotard, gloves, tiara, and boots appear, the coloring being white, sea green, and blue. Her transformation completed, Michiru flips her hair back as her lip gloss appears, spins around, and finishes with her signature pose.

"URANUS WORLD SHAKING!"

The guardian of wind and earth unleashed a powerful attack at Eudial, knocking the Pure Heart Crystal out of her hand. Sailor Neptune landed near the guardians and then cut the line that bound them, setting them free.

"Damn it! Not again!" cursed Eudial. "Hurdle, take care of them! Kill them all!"

And while Eudial fled disappearing, Hurdle shot towards the Guardians and used her line striper again. The Guardians got out of the way this time, not wanting to get caught again.

"We ain't going to fall for the same trick twice!" Sailor Mars cried out. "MARS BURNING MANDALA!"

The Guardian of Fire unleashed an array of fireballs, only for Hurdle to avoid them using her speed. However, she didn't realize until it was too late that there was someone fast, if not quicker than she ever was. That, someone, was Sailor Uranus, who soon managed to outpace her, and caught her in an arm lock.

"Nice try, but you can't run from me," smirked Sailor Uranus. "I'm as fast as the wind!" She then called out to Sailor Neptune. "Now's your chance, Neptune!"

"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"

Not hesitating for a second, Sailor Neptune unleashed her signature attack at the two, much to the Sailor Moon and her group's surprise. But, at the last minute, Sailor Uranus got out of the way using her speed, making the Deep Submerge nail Hurdle only, making her stagger from the attack.

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Neptune cried out.

Not wasting a second, Sailor Moon summoned her Cutie Moon Rod and aimed the Daemon.

"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"

With a twirling of her Rod and a rapid spin, Sailor Moon unleashed her signature heart-shaped blast at Hurdle. In a mighty explosion of power, the attack hit its mark, destroying Hurdle and leaving only a hurdle itself and a broken Daimon Egg. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune then expected Elza's Pure Heart Crystal to see if it was a talisman, which like before, it wasn't. So, they let the crystal go back to its rightful owner and went on their way.

"You know," said Sailor Venus. "As much as I hate to admit, those two are awesome."

Everyone else agreed with her.

A little while later, Haruka and Michiru took a drive in Haruka's car, enjoying the wind blowing through their hair as they drove along the beach. The sun was setting, casting a beautiful reflection on the sea, painting a beautiful scene. Haruka was still reminiscing.

In the end, she chose this path of hers, or rather, she accepted that she became a Sailor Guardian and took on the task of finding the Messiah to save this world and Michiru. It would be a mission filled with endless battles she won't be able to run away from, but she had no regrets because she met the love of her life, Michiru.

"Say, Michiru?" said Haruka. "What do you say that we keep driving all night? Just you and me?"

"Sure, why not?" smiled Michiru. "But you should know that I won't let you go home tonight."

Haruka could only chuckle as she drove on.