Jadeite was in the Dark Kingdom by himself, avoiding Queen Beryl. He was still feeling frustrated having to have his plans foiled again by Sailor Moon and the guardians.
"That girl's becoming quite the nuisance," he growled, clenching his fist. "But I'll be rid of her soon! Just you wait!"
Then Jadeite was interrupted by the sound of a woman's laugh. Jadeite glanced behind him and saw a spout of water gush forth behind him, revealing a young woman. She was young, had light skin, teal hair with eyes matching color, and wore a short sleeveless blue dress and white gloves.
"Who would have guessed that one little girl would be so much trouble for the great Jadeite?" she commented coolly. "You're starting to lose your touch."
Jadeite then knew who it was. "What do you want, Thetis?" he asked coldly.
"Oh. You remembered my name even after all this time.," said Thetis innocently. "I'm very flattered."
Jadeite's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "So, what business does Queen Beryl's subordinate have with me anyway?"
"Well, you certainly haven't changed much, have you?" Thetis feigned disappointment. "Your responses to me are always so cold every time I come to express my love and admiration for you."
"I'm afraid I have no time for such nonsense," scoffed Jadeite, trying his best to ignore her. "Go back the way you came and get out of my sight."
"Aw, please don't be like that," Thetis pretended to pout. "And here I came today to offer my services to you. I've come up with the perfect way to gather energy for our Great Ruler."
Jadeite wasn't ignoring Thetis anymore. "What did you say?!"
"Now I have your attention," smirked Thetis. "Let me tell you my plan; I call this one... Operation Romantic Cruise."
That night, Usagi was in her room watching TV when she saw an advertisement that caught her interest. It showed a cruise ship cutting through the waves in the sea with dozens of couples having a great time on it.
"A Night on the open sea..." a woman's voice said. "Together in your little world, just the two of you."
"The perfect time to rekindle an old spark or fan an old flame," said a man's voice. "On a romantic cruise for lovers."
"Our maiden voyage begins tomorrow," continued the woman's voice. "Join us and let your dreams come true."
Usagi sighed dreamily. "I wanna go, too," she said to herself.
The next day after school, the cruise was the talk of the entire school. Everyone wanted to go.
"Man... I would love to ride on a cruise ship at least once," said Usagi as she stared at the picture of the cruise ship on her desk. "Just imagine sailing away by the light of the moon."
"I know what you mean," said Naru. "But sadly, tickets have been completely sold out for a month.
"I still don't see what the big deal is," said Harusuke. "I mean, come on, it's just a giant boat going from one place to another."
"That's because you have no sense of romance, Big Bro!" snapped Usagi.
"Yeah! Stop being such a spoilsport!" pouted Naru.
Harusuke rolled his eyes and said nothing more. Just then, Umino walked up to them.
"Hey, you guys," he said as he picked up the picture. "Checking out that romantic cruise, eh? That does seem pretty nice! A luxury liner with room for six hundred and sixty-six passengers, and supposedly, as the ship travels from Tokyo to Yokohama, the view of the stars is enough to make any man or woman fall in love!"
Usagi and Naru stared at Umino, feeling their romantic dreams die on the spot.
"Well, now you've gone and made me seasick," grumped Usagi. "Thanks a lot, Umino."
Umino was surprised. "Wait, you wanted to go on that cruise for real, Usagi? Well, that's a darn shame," he spoke with disappointment.
Usagi and Naru were puzzled about what Umino meant, but their jaws dropped in realization after a second.
"Hold on, Umino! Do you mean to say..." began Usagi
"That you have tickets?!" finished Naru.
"I did," replied Umino. "But I don't have them anymore because I gave them to my neighbor."
"How on earth could you pass up on something so incredible?!" said Usagi.
"Well, we're still in middle school and minors. So we can't exactly go without a parent or guardian," said Umino. "Plus, it sets sail at a time way past my curfew."
Naru and Usagi stared at Umino blankly, while Harusuke was surprised but amused.
"That's probably the most responsible thing I've ever heard you say," said Naru.
"Exactly," said Harusuke. "So maybe you two should take a page from Umino's book and forget about that cruise."
"Now that I think about it," said Umino. "I believe that there's a lottery going on in the shopping district with two tickets to that cruise as the grand prize."
Upon hearing Umino say that, before anyone else could react, Usagi grabbed her bag along with Harusuke by the wrist and raced out of the room with incredible speed and strength, leaving Naru, Umino, and the other students in the dust.
Usagi was at the lottery stand in the shopping district, desperately trying to win the tickets. The object of the lottery was to spin the machine until a ball came out. If it was a golden ball, you win the tickets. Usagi repeatedly tried to win, but she lost every time, eventually reaching her tenth try.
"I'm going to get it this time!" she said with determination. "Here goes!"
She furiously spun the machine to get the golden ball to come out. But, sadly, what came out was a red ball.
"Aw, man. I lost again," Usagi whined sadly.
"Sorry, little lady," said the shopkeeper brightly as he handed her a packet of tissues. "But hey, here's a packer of tissues as a consolation prize!"
Harusuke and Luna were waiting for Usagi on the other side of the crowd as Usagi pushed her way through.
"So I take it that you lost?" Luna asked.
Usagi sadly nodded her head. "Geez! This is so frustrating!" complained Usagi. "It's practically next to impossible to win those tickets!"
"Not unless you either get lucky or if you can see which ball is going to come out," said Harusuke. "But other than that, you're pretty much right on the impossible part."
Just then, Rei happened to be walking by, holding a bag of groceries. "Harusuke? Usagi? What are you two doing?" she asked.
"Oh hey, Rei," said Usagi. "You won't believe this, but there's a lottery going on, and the winner gets two tickets to a romantic cruise tonight! But I've played this thing about ten times, and I haven't won."
"But I don't get it," said Rei. "Why would you two even want those?"
"Don't look at me. Usagi's the one who wants the tickets," said Harusuke.
Then, an idea popped into Usagi's buns. "Wait a second! That's it!" she cried. "Rei! Can you please use your powers to help me get the first prize?!"
Rei and Harusuke were shocked at such an idea.
"Of course not, Usagi!" said Rei. "Need I remind you that we're Guardians Usagi. We don't have time to waste on nonsense like this!"
"Besides, that's cheating!" Harusuke admonished. "You shouldn't be having Rei use her powers like that!"
Usagi then made her eyes go wide as they sparkled while protruding her lip and whining cutely.
Upon seeing it, Rei couldn't help but cringe. "Oh, no! Anything but that!" she spoke with disdain.
"The puppy dog pout!" Harusuke groaned as he tried looking away. "Look away, Rei! Pretend you don't see her!"
But, no matter how much they tried looking away, they couldn't help but glance at Usagi, who didn't stop giving them the same look until they eventually caved in.
"Oh, all right. But just this once," conceded Rei.
"And I'll look the other way," sighed Harusuke.
Rei then walked up to the lottery counter, giving the shopkeeper a couple of thousand yen.
"I'd like to give it a try, too, please," she said.
"Sure thing!" smiled the shopkeeper.
Rei then placed her hands together like she was praying and concentrating hard. Next, she made the Rin symbol with her hands. Then, she grabbed the handle on the machine and spun it as fast as she could before suddenly stopping. A small ball came out, and the shopkeeper, Usagi, Harusuke, and the rest of the crowd couldn't believe their eyes. The ball that came out was the golden one.
The shopkeeper grabbed his bell and began ringing it like a madman. "We have a winner!" he yelled. "Congratulations! You just won the grand prize, which is two tickets for the romantic cruise!"
Usagi jumped up and down with joy. "Yeah! She did it! She won!" she whooped.
Rei soon came back with the tickets and gave them to Usagi. "There you go," she said. "Satisfied?"
"You bet I am!" Usagi cried happily. "I'm going to go ask Motoki to come with me right now!"
And she raced off to Game Center crown, leaving Harusuke and Rei in the dust.
"Sometimes, that girl is spoiled rotten," sighed Luna.
"Hold on, she mentioned Motoki, didn't she?" said Rei. "Who's that?"
"Oh, he's the guy that runs the Game Center Crown Arcade," explained Harusuke. "And he's Usagi's second of the many crushes she has."
"Another guy, huh?" Rei hummed with interest. "Is he cute?"
"Well, considering I'm a guy, I don't really think so," said Harusuke. "But considering how much Usagi likes him, I'm pretty sure you'd probably think so. You'd have to see him for yourself."
"In that case, let's follow your sister," said Rei. "I want to see what Motoki's like."
"But why, though?" Harusuke quizzed. "Don't tell me that you're crushing on him, too."
Rei then grabbed Harusuke by the hand. "Just be quiet and come on!" she urged.
And before Harusuke could object, Rei had already started dragging him along as they set off.
At Game Center Crown, Usagi finally arrived and started looking around for Motoki. But as she looked around, she didn't see Motoki around anywhere.
"Come on, where is he?" Usagi complained. "Is he not in today?"
Just then, she saw a male worker sweeping the floor who was wearing the same worker's outfit as Motoki.
"Um, excuse me, mister. Do you know if Motoki is working today?"
The worker shook his head. "Sorry. Motoki's got the day off today," he replied.
Usagi felt disappointed. "Oh, no. Now what?' she sighed. "The tickets are only good for tonight, and I don't want to waste these."
Then, she heard a familiar voice.
"Usagi? What are you doing by yourself?"
Usagi looked and saw Ami standing by the door. She did, her face lit up, having got another idea. "Hey, Ami! Perfect timing!" she said. "Could you come with me for a second?"
But Ami didn't even get a chance to respond as Usagi grabbed her by the hand and dragged her away. As she did, she didn't see that Harusuke, Rei, and Luna were following close behind them, curious as to what she was up to.
Eventually, Usagi and Ami came to a cafe where they sat alone at a booth.
"So what's up, Usagi?" asked Ami. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come along for the cruise that's going on tonight," replied Usagi as she showed Ami the tickets.
Ami was surprised. "What?! Me? But why?" she wondered. "Wouldn't it make sense to ask someone else, like Motoki? Or maybe even your brother as a plus one."
"No way! I mean, come on! Can you imagine bringing your brother to such a place?" sighed Usagi. "And I've even asked Motok, but he's wasn't at work, and the tickets can only be used for tonight. Not only that, but you can do marine research, and it'll be a great learning experience for you." Usagi then sighed dreamily. "And maybe I can find a great and hot boyfriend just like Motoki or even Tuxedo Mask."
"I don't know," said Ami doubtfully. "Are you sure it's OK?"
"Of course it is! Now, please say that you'll go," begged Usagi. "Please, please, please?"
Ami was still uncertain about this sudden invitation, but then she smiled. "All right then. I'll go," she said.
Not too far away, Harusuke, Rei, and Luna were over by another booth, having heard everything.
"So that's how it is," Rei growled under her breath. "Not only does Usagi not have a boyfriend, but she's inviting Ami?! Do they think I'm just gonna stand idly by while they go on that cruise?! Well, think again! Because I'm getting on that cruise ship, and no one's going to stop me!"
"Now, hold on a minute, Rei!" objected Luna. "Why on Earth would you want to go?! And if you wanted to, why didn't you tell Usagi to split the tickets or something?!"
"Because she would never let me hear the end of it if I said to split it!" Rei said. Her eyes then burned with a fiery determination. "And as for why I want to go, I intend to find a boyfriend before Usagi does! Usagi may be a fellow guardian, but there's no way I'm going to let her find romance before me!"
Harusuke and Luna were speechless.
"She's about as desperate to find romance as Usagi is!" said Harusuke. "Even more than her!"
"Oh, no," Luna sighed miserably. "I can already tell this won't end well."
Later that night, everyone boarded the cruise ship, ready to go and have a romantic and wonderful time. They all were dressed in beautiful dresses and smashing tuxedos. Harusuke, Rei, and Luna were also hiding behind some nearby crates.
"Man. There sure are a lot of people going on board," said Harusuke.
"That right. And we're getting on too," said Rei. "No matter what it takes!"
"And how are we going to do that, Rei?" asked Luna. "We can't get on without a ticket."
Before Rei could answer, the three heard a familiar gasp in awe while laughing gleefully. They peered out and saw both Usagi and Ami. They were dressed in fancy garb: Usagi was in a pink strapless dress with white pumps, while Ami was in a blue dress with a white jacket.
Usagi was amazed as she stared at the ship. "Wow! Look at the size of this!" she marveled. "It's huge!"
"I'll say," said Ami. "It makes me wonder what it's like on the inside?"
"Let's not wait to find out!" Usagi said eagerly. "Come on, Ami!"
Harusuke's group then watched as Usagi and Ami boarded the ship. But as they did, something came falling out of Luna's purse. That something was her Disguise Pen. Usagi didn't seem to take notice, but Harusuke, Rei, and Luna did.
"The Disguise Pen!" Harusuke cried in a hushed whisper. "Usagi dropped it!"
Reacting quickly, Luna bolted out from their hiding place, and without anyone noticing her, she scooped up the pen in her mouth and raced back to Harusuke and Rei.
"Whew! That was close!" Luna sighed in relief. "Honestly! Just how careless can that girl be!"
Rei then picked up the pen. "What's this?" she puzzled. "You said it was called the Disguise Pen?"
"In a nutshell, it allows Usagi and me to change our appearances, hence the name," said Harusuke. "Well, at least until Luna finds a way to give me a disguise thingy of my own. Usually, all we have to say is either Moon or Solar Power and then say what you want to turn into."
Then, a sly and mischievous grin curled on Rei's lips. "Then, I think we've got our way of getting inside," she said while wagging her pen.
Harusuke and Luna gasped.
"Rei! You can't do that!" cried Luna. "The Disguise Pen is only supposed to be used for fighting good and Guardian business!"
"Yeah! And in case you haven't noticed, this is the furthest from those things!" Harusuke also admonished.
"Come on, you two, don't be so serious," Rei said as she raised the Disguise Pen and activated its powers. "MARS POWER! Transform me into a photographer!"
In a brilliant flash of light, Rei changed. But when she came out in her disguise, Harusuke and Luna gawked in bafflement.
Rei's hair was now tied into high pigtails, and she wore big opaque glasses that hid her eyes. She wore a red baggy jacket with a green shirt, blue pants, and black sneakers and had a photographer's case over her shoulder.
Rei took one look at herself and immediately didn't like what she saw. "Wh-What the heck is this?!" she exclaimed. "How is this supposed to be a photographer?! I look like I just walked out of a discount store and threw whatever they had on the clearance rack!"
"Well… to be fair, that pen was to be used for Usagi and Harusuke only," said Luna. "I suppose this is what happens when another guardian uses it."
Harusuke said nothing, trying his best to keep his composure.
Rei then sighed. "Well, beggars can't be choosers. This will have to do for now."
Rei opened her camera case, put Luna inside it, and then threw the Disguise Pen to Harusuke.
"Alright then, Harusuke, your turn!" she said. "Hurry up and get in a disguise!"
"Now, just a minute!" Harusuke spoke indignantly. "If you think I'm going on that boat, you're crazy!"
"Fine then! You can just stay behind while I have all the fun!" smiled Rei as she took off towards the boat.
"Hey! Rei! Come back here!" yelled Harusuke.
But it was no use. Rei had already snuck onto the boat through a door no one was watching. Harusuke then sighed, pinching his nose.
"Good grief! That girl is going to be the death of me!" he sighed with resignation as he then raised the pen. "SOLAR POWER! Change me into a photographer!"
Harusuke then changed as well. He wore green sneakers, gray jeans, and a blue T-shirt with a white logo. His hair was under a red cap turned backward, and he was also carrying a camera, only it was equipped with a stand. Then, when no one else was looking, he followed Rei in hot pursuit, going through the door.
But as the three stepped onto the ship, an ominous feeling crept into Rei's stomach, which made her instinctively stop walking.
"This feeling!" Rei thought as she looked around. "I'm sensing an evil aura here! But… where is it coming from?"
As the passengers continued to board the ship, Jadite and Thetis, disguised themselves as a captain and staff member, watched the people board from the cabin. They were pleased with how this was turning out.
"Take a look, Captain Jadeite; all of our young victims are climbing aboard by the dozens," smirked Thetis. "It looks like the plan is progressing smoothly."
"I really must say, I'm impressed with you, Teitz," complimented Jadite. "It's hard to believe that this cruise ship is a broken-down old piece of junk enchanted by your seawater magic."
"Thank you, Jadeite," said Teitz. "With my magic, it was no problem at all."
A young sailor then appeared, saluting the two.
"Captain! We are ready to set sail from port!" said the sailor.
"Good! Let's depart!" commanded Jadeite.
The ship slowly pulled out of port at his command and sailed towards the sea. Jadeite then looked down at all of the victims.
"Let the flowers of your love blossom, all you silly human fools!" he chuckled.
Usagi and Ami were walking around the main room. As they did, the ship jolted and rocked, making them stumble a little.
"Aw, geez! I picked the wrong night to wear heels!" complained Usagi. "How can anyone be OK on a rocky ship like this?!"
"You know I've noticed something," said Ami as she glanced around at the many couples. "From what I could see looking around, it seems that we're the only two girls that came here all by themselves."
"You're right," agreed Usagi. "I knew this would be some romantic event, but I didn't think that there would be all couples! I mean, you'd think that there'd be some single guys around here!"
Ami chuckled. "Somehow, I don't think that we'll be finding boyfriends, Usagi," she smiled.
Meanwhile, Harusuke and Rei were trying to stay hidden from watchful eyes in the engine room. Rei then set down her case and opened it so that Luna could get some fresh air.
"I wonder where are we now?" she asked.
"I don't know," said Harusuke. "I think this is the engine room."
Then, Harusuke noticed that Rei was unusually quiet as she looked around carefully.
"Hey, what's wrong, Rei? Everything OK?"
"Something's not right here," said Rei. "Ever since we've stepped onto this ship, I've been getting bad vibes all over the place."
Harusuke and Luna grew tense, knowing Rei was serious.
"Did you pick up something with your sixth sense?" Harusuke questioned.
"Not just that," said Rei. "But listen. If we are in the engine room, shouldn't it be making a lot more noise?"
Harusuke and Luna listened. The only sounds that could be heard were a few occasional creaking and lopping crashing waves.
"You're right, Rei," said Luna. "The engine room isn't supposed to be this quiet, especially with a ship this big."
Harusuke looked out the porthole. "And I doubt that it's idling either," he observed. "Take a look outside. We're moving at full speed."
Rei and Luna took a gander as well.
"Hey, you're right," said Luna. "And I don't think this ship's got some kind of state-of-the-art silent engine or whatever they call it. I've got a bad feeling about this."
"You think we should check on Usagi and Ami?" shrugged Harusuke. "We contact them on the communicators."
But then, they suddenly heard a voice.
"Who goes there?!" it demanded.
Luna immediately jumped back inside the case, and Harusuke and Rei jumped in surprise and fear. Then Jadeite, while still under his disguise, stepped out from below a staircase. Upon seeing Jadeite, Rei blushed and felt her heart begin to thump in her chest.
"Oh wow! He's so handsome!" she thought.
While inside the case, Luna's fur began to stand on end, her claws scratching the bottom.
"What is this intense evil aura I'm sensing?!" she thought to herself.
And it wasn't just her that had a bad feeling. Harusuke felt his hands begin to get clammy as he felt alarm bells ringing in his head.
"What the heck...? What's this feeling I have?" he thought. "For some reason, I feel like there's something dangerous about this guy."
"Reporters, huh?" Jadeite wondered as he looked at the two from their feet to their heads. "I'm sorry, but this is a restricted area. It's dangerous here."
"Sorry about that," Rei apologized shyly. "We both got separated from our crew members when we came on board, and we got lost."
"I see," said Jadeite. "That's quite the problem."
"Well... here's an idea!" Rei suggested a bit shyly. "Maybe we all can look for our friends together!"
"Rei! No!" whispered Harusuke harshly.
Jadeite blinked, taken aback, but he agreed. "Uh... sure. Alright then," he said. "However, I'll announce to the whole ship that you both got separated from your friends. But if I do so, it would ruin the beautifully romantic mood for the other guests."
Rei hugged Jadeite's arm. "I-I appreciate that," she said. "Th-Thank you very much."
Rei then realized her behavior, and a strange nostalgia crept into her heart as it continued to beat. "W-wait a minute. What's this feeling?" she pondered in thought. "It feels like… I've experienced this before, like I've known this guy for a very long time. But I don't know where."
Jadeite was also experiencing the same. "Something about this woman bothers me," he thought to himself. "What is it? It feels like we've met before, and the more she holds onto me, the more happy I feel."
Harusuke was feeling pensive and slightly irritated by Rei's behavior. "What the heck is that girl doing?!" he thought to himself. "Making goo-goo eyes at a stranger! I better break this little loving moment up before I get sick."
He was just about to say something when Thetis came up to them, still under her disguise. "Excuse me, Captain," she said. "But it's nearly time now."
"I see," said Jadeite. He then pulled away from Rei and gave her a friendly salute. "I'm sorry, but I have to go now."
"That's OK," said Rei disappointedly. "I'll see you later."
Then Jadeite and Thetis left, heading to their quarters, leaving Harusuke and Rei by themselves.
Rei watched him leave wistfully, only for Harusuke to start scolding her.
"Rei! What the heck was that about?!" he whispered harshly. "You were making goo-goo eyes at a guy you just met?! Are you as boy-crazy as Usagi?!"
Rei was just about to explain when Luna popped out of the case. "Hey, you two! We got trouble!" she said. "I know what's going on now! Evil energy is running this ship, and I get the feeling that the captain is the cause of it all!"
"Luna, are you sure?" asked Rei. "It couldn't be the captain! He seemed so nice!"
"I'm sure of it!" insisted Luna. "I've been getting a bad feeling ever since he showed up!"
"Me too!" agreed Harusuke. "My hands were getting all clammy just from being near him!"
"Come on! You're both being worrywarts!" said Rei. "There's no way that the captain is the bad guy!"
Harusuke then tip-toed over to the window and peeked in. His eyes then widened in surprise and horror. "Then how do you explain that?!" he exclaimed.
Rei and Luna then peeped in through the window. They saw Jadeite and Thetis standing in front of what looked like a blue orb, which showed all the people inside the ship.
"The time is near," said Jadeite.
"Yes, the energy of love from all the couples onboard has almost reached its peak!" said Thetis. "And when it does, we'll collect the energy from all the passengers at once!" She then turned to Jadeite smugly. "So, do you agree that my plan was a good one?"
"If it works, you'll have my praise," said Jadeite.
Thetis smiled evilly. "I'm sure that ninety-nine percent of my plan will work," she said. "And if it does, maybe you should start paying a little more attention to me, Master Jadeite."
"I'll consider it," replied Jadeite.
Usagi, Harusuke, and Luna tried to listen in on what the two were saying outside of the room, but they couldn't hear a single word.
"What are they saying? I can't hear anything!" complained Rei.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not a good thing!" said Luna. "That guy has to be a monster!"
"If so, then we've got to warn Usagi and Ami!" Harusuke said while glancing at them. "They could be in danger!"
Then, when Luna turned back to peep through the window, she gasped. "Harusuke! Rei! Look!"
They did so to find that Jadeite, Thetis, and the blue orb had disappeared without a trace.
"They're gone!" cried Rei. "Where did they go?!"
"I don't know, but you can bet that they're up to something terrible!" said Luna.
"Then what are we doing standing around?! Let's go find and stop them!" cried Harusuke. "Before it's too late!"
Then, the three of them took off running in search of Jadeite and Thetis, hoping to stop them before they could proceed with their plans.
Meanwhile, Usagi and Ami were sitting at a table in the dining hall, enjoying the food. Usagi was eating all of hers at a fast pace, noisily eating and even gulping down her drink in two seconds. Some of the couples stared at her, appalled, while Ami ate her food quietly, trying to hide her embarrassment. She could well remember how they got to this point.
Usagi and Ami were standing on the balcony looking out towards the sea, not having any luck finding any boys. Then Usagi suddenly had an idea.
"Hey, Ami! I know what we could do right now!" she said excitedly.
"What is it?" asked Ami.
"Since there're so many couples here, there's bound to be some of them who are fighting, right?" said Usagi. "If we can find some guys whose girlfriends have recently dumped, then we can grab them on the rebound!"
Ami sighed with exasperation. "Usagi, I don't think that's going to work."
"Oh, come on, Ami!" urged Usagi as she took her hand. "Where's your sense of romance?! Let's go!"
As Usagi dragged her along, Ami sighed exasperatedly. "I knew I should've stayed home and studied," she muttered.
Sadly, Usagi and Ami still had no luck, which led them to where they were now.
"Hey, Usagi, can't you eat a little more quietly?" asked Ami quietly.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Usagi huffed sulkily as she stuffed another bite of food in her mouth. "I've gotta take advantage of this trip somehow! Who needs boyfriends anyway?!"
Then, they heard a loudspeaker chime followed by Thetis's voice.
"Attention, please! Please gather in the reception hall. A wonderful show that we prepared for you is about to begin!"
Usagi then stopped eating. "Hey, you think that we should check it out?" she asked.
"Yes, we should!" agreed Ami with relief. "Anything to get you away from the food!"
On the balcony, Harusuke, Rei, and Luna heard the announcement as well.
"Did you hear that?!" asked Rei. "She just said the reception hall!"
"We should head over there!" said Luna. "That has to be where the monsters are! Usagi and Ami, too!"
"Then let's go!" said Harusuke. "We got bad guy butt to kick!"
And so they raced to the reception hall as fast as their feet could carry them.
All the couples had gathered at the reception hall, eager to see the show. Then the lights dimmed, and a spotlight shone on the stage, revealing Jadeite and Thetis, the two wearing fancy attires.
"Welcome to the show, everybody," Thetis greeted. "Thank you all for coming. Now please enjoy as you watch the most romantic show in the world!"
She waved her hands with an evil chuckle as she transformed into her monster form.
She now had white skin and lost all her facial features except for glowing red eyes with a small crescent moon mark below her right eye. She wore a dark blue sleeveless bodysuit with a gold headdress, spikes on her gloves, and long hair now colored black.
Simultaneously, a disco ball above them began to glow brightly, shining its lights all over the room. All the people were amazed, while Ami and Rei were shocked.
"No way! Is that..." began Ami.
"It's a monster!" Usagi squeaked with fright.
Thetis laughed as she worked her magic and began draining the energy from all the people in the room. "Now continue your romantic dreams in hell!" she crowed as the disco ball absorbed the energy.
Soon enough, all the people in the crowd had their energy drained, leaving Usagi and Ami the only two left standing. Jadeite then shed his disguise, laughing with triumph.
"No way! It's Jadeite!" Ami gasped.
Hearing her gasp, Thetis and Jadeite were surprised to see the two girls.
"It seems that you made a miscalculation, Thetis," scowled Jadeite. "You've stolen the energy from these couples, but it didn't affect these two girls, most likely because they don't have romantic partners."
"It can't be!" Thetis growled as she glared at Usagi and Ami. "Why didn't you two come without boys?!"
"Shut up! We have our reasons!" snapped Usagi, who was feeling insulted. "We could have boyfriends if we wanted to!"
Ami nodded in agreement.
"Whatever! I doubt it!" scoffed Thetis as she beckoned to the sailors that were nearby. "Show these two the door!"
The sailors walked towards Ami and Rei and transformed into strange water monsters. Usagi was quick to hide behind Ami, feeling frightened, but Ami immediately grabbed a chair and swiped it at one of the water creatures, cutting it in half. However, it had no effect as the two halves of the monster then formed into two more. The two girls stepped back to back as they closed in on them.
"Aw, man! There's too many!" cried Ami. "We're in trouble!"
"And we can't transform out in the open in front of everyone!" Usagi squalled. "What'll we do?!"
"Master Jadeite," said Thetis. "I may have made a minor miscalculation in my plan, but we've managed to collect lots of human energy. Queen Beryl will be pleased with us."
"Agreed," said Jadeite. "But what should we do with these two girls here?"
"I can take care of them if you wish," said Thetis. "It should be simple to make quick work of them."
"Very well," said Jadeite. "Make it so."
Harusuke, Rei, and Luna ran down the halls, hoping to reach the reception room in time. Soon enough, they could see the end of the hall with the sign pointing towards the direction of the reception hall.
"There it is, you two!" cried Luna.
"Yeah, we know!" said Rei. "You ready, Harusuke?"
"You bet Rei!" said Harusuke. "It's hero time!"
The two then shouted out their transformation phrases.
"MARS PRISM POWER MAKE UP!"
"SOLAR GUARDIAN POWER FLARE ON!"
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 starts to spin around as it shines and envelopes Rei in red light. As she holds up her pen and turns around, long tongues of flame erupt from it, forming several rings around her body. They tighten around her form, and in a brilliant flash of light, her uniform forms, looking similar to 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.
Transformation sequence: Harusuke.
Harusuke's bracelet begins to glow as Harusuke holds it in 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 formed 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 his wrists. Then, a yellow symbol of the sun materializes in front of him, crashing into his chest and making a golden 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 as the symbol of the sun appears behind him.
Jadeite had conjured a portal and was about to head back to the Dark Kingdom when two voices came from above.
"Stop right there!"
"Stay where you are, and don't move!"
Everyone immediately looked up, and Usagi and Ami could not believe their eyes at who they saw.
"It's Solaris and Sailor Mars!" cried Ami.
"Impossible!" cried Thetis. "How did they even get on board?!"
"That doesn't matter! What matters is what you're doing!" objected Solaris. "How dare you target all these couples and go after the energy their love creates?!"
"That's right!" agreed Sailor Mars. "Some girls can't even find boyfriends, which makes it all the more precious to those who can't find one! It's so sad!"
Feeling that Sailor Moon was talking about her, Usagi felt insulted. "What's that supposed to mean?!" she growled.
"I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and passion! I am Sailor Mars!" she proclaimed. "And in the name of Mars, I'll chastise you!"
"And I'm the knight with the brilliance of the sun and the courage of a warrior who also fights for love and justice! I am Solaris!" he proclaimed. "And in the name of the Sun, with my blinding rays, I'll scorch you!"
"So, you're Sailor Mars and Solaris, eh?! I'll destroy the both of you!" shrieked Thetis as she pounced right at them. She stretched her arms and grabbed Sailor Mars' neck, and then she, along with her, came crashing out the window.
"Sailor Mars!" cried Solaris.
He was just about to jump out the window to try and help her, but then Jadeite barred his way. "Where do you think you're going? I'd be more worried about myself if I were you," the evil general taunted.
Solaris scowled. "So now you wanna fight? Fine by me!" he said. "I've been looking to get a little payback!"
As Sailor Mars fell from the deck, she managed to land on her feet, as did Thetis. Thetis then used her seawater magic, and large spouts of water erupted from the sea.
"Be careful, Sailor Mars!" warned Luna. "That monster can control water!"
"Take this!" yelled Thetis as she swung her arm, controlling one of the spouts of water to shoot straight at Sailor Mars.
Sailor Mars immediately jumped out of the way as the water pierced right through the deck's metal. Thetis then attacked repeatedly, using the spouts to try and hit her, and Sailor Mars dodged them, trying not to get hit.
Solaris and Jadeite were locked in a heated battle, throwing punches and attacks. Solaris tried to land a blow, but Jadeite kept blocking and dodging. Then Jadeite shot forward using the same move he used on Solaris before. This time, Solaris saw the attack coming and blocked Jadeite's hand with his own.
"Nice try, but I ain't falling for the same thing twice!" he smirked.
"Not bad," said Jadeite. "But this fight isn't over yet!"
Jadeite grunted as he threw another punch, but Solaris dodged again by tilting his head. Jadeite attacked again and again, and Solaris kept on dodging. Then, when Jadeite threw another punch, Solaris ducked and threw a wicked right cross at Jadeite's face, connecting right on his cheek and sending him flying out the window.
At the very same time, Usagi and Ami had just transformed into Sailor Moon and Mercury and had just dispatched all of Thetis's minions.
"All right, that takes care of them," said Sailor Mercury. "Let's go, Sailor Moon! We gotta hurry and help Solaris and Sailor Mars!"
"Yeah!" barked Sailor Moon, still feeling salty from Jadeite's and Thetis's comments. "No one makes fun of me for not having a boyfriend and gets away with it!"
Outside, Thetis had Sailor Mars cornered and was ready to use her spouts of water to attack again. But then Sailor Mercury and Moon quickly came to the rescue.
"MERCURY BUBBLE SPRAY!"
Sailor Mercury used her technique, blanketing the area with fog.
"Damn it!" growled Thetis as she tried to see through the mist but to no avail.
"MARS FIRE SOUL!"
Sailor Mars, seizing her chance, used her Fire Soul, landing a direct hit, causing the water witch to shriek in pain as the flames scorched her.
"Sailor Moon! Now's your chance!" cried Sailor Mercury! "Finish her off!"
"OK!" acknowledged Sailor Moon as she took off her tiara, turning it to the very same white disk, and aimed at Thetis.
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"
The disc zipped through the air, heading right for Thetis, striking her right in her midsection. Thetis shrieked in agony as the attack killed her, leaving nothing but a puddle of water. Then Jadeite and Solaris landed in front of them, still engaged in their battle. Jadeite then took notice of the small pool of water and frowned, knowing it was Thetis.
"Well, well," he said. "I guess I underestimated you, Guardians, but then you've gotten a lot more skilled since we last met."
"It's the end of the line, Jadeite!" said Sailor Moon.
"Yeah! We're not letting you get away this time!" said Sailor Mars.
"Don't let your guard down, girls!" warned Sailor Mercury. "He's powerful!"
"He's still going down!" said Solaris. "And we're gonna make sure that he does!"
"Insolent brats!" growled Jadeite. "This ends now!
He raised his hand, creating a dark sphere of energy formed about to attack. Solaris prepared to make one of his own, but then suddenly, Sailor Mars lunged forward, summoning an ofuda into her hand.
"I don't think so!" the fire guardian yelled out as she got ready to throw it. "EVIL SPIRIT - !"
But as soon as their eyes met each other, both Jadeite and Sailor Mars froze. Neither one of them made a move, much to the confusion of the others and themselves.
"Sailor Mars! What are you doing?!" shouted Sailor Moon. "Hurry up and get Jadeite!"
But Sailor Mars didn't move.
Then, suddenly, a strange black aura shrouded Jadeite, and in a flicker of darkness, he disappeared.
"What the heck?! He's gone!" cried Sailor Moon.
"Did he run away?" wondered Solaris.
"I don't know," said Sailor Mercury. "I doubt it..."
"No, it looked more like someone teleported him," said Sailor Mars. "But who could have done that and why?"
Jadeite suddenly found himself back in the Dark Kingdom, where he found himself standing at a horrifying sight. There in front of him was an image of Queen Beryl, who was not looking happy at all.
"Jadeite. You not only used one of my most precious monsters without my permission," she said with venom in her voice. "But now, no thanks to your incompetence, she's now been killed!"
"Y-you're mistaken, Queen Beryl!" stammered Jadeite trying to explain. "This was Thetis's idea from the very beginning!"
"I will hear your excuses at the throne room," said Queen Beryl. "You've caused enough trouble for today. But, if I were you, I would choose my words carefully because, depending on your answer, you will pay most severely!"
Jadeite gulped. "Y-yes, ma'am," he said meekly.
And with that, Queen Beryl vanished. Jadeite then clenched his fists, seething with anger.
"Damn it!" he cursed. "Sailor Moon, Solaris, all those guardians! They're all going to pay for this!"
Back at the ship, because Thetis's spell had been lifted, all of the people's energy had returned, and it had returned to its original state as a rusty hunk of tin. A few moments later, the Coast Guard arrived to pick up the people from the boat so that they could bring them safely home. Usagi and the others watched as the people boarded.
"So much for my romantic cruise," Usagi said disappointedly. "No love connection for me." But she became all the more determined. "Well, I ain't giving up! The next time there's a cruise like this, I'm gonna find a boyfriend to take on it with me!"
"Good luck with that," teased Luna. "With your rotten luck with boys and losing your things, you'll be waiting a long time before that happens."
"Can it, Luna!" Usagi snapped. "You don't know what you're talking about!"
"I think I'll stick to studying for now," said Ami as she whipped out a book and began to read it.
Harusuke then noticed that Rei had once again fallen silent as she stared out into the ocean, which made him remember back to the battle.
"Hey, what happened to you back there?" he asked. "You were about to attack Jadeite, but then you stopped."
"I'm… not entirely sure myself," admitted Rei as she looked at the floor. "It was like something inside of me made me hesitate when I saw his face. Which is strange because I knew he was the enemy. I don't know what came over me." She then looked at Harusuke. "But don't worry. I won't let it happen again. Next time, I intend to punish Jadeite for his crimes!"
Harusuke said nothing more as Rei returned her attention to the ocean.
