In the Dark Dimension, Nephrite stood before Queen Beryl giving her his report about his mission.
"So Nephrite, have you made any progress in collecting energy and eliminating those Guardians?" she asked.
"I can assure you, Queen Beryl," said Nephrite. "Everything is under control. Please leave the matter to me."
Then Zoisite appeared chuckling mockingly. "Are you sure about that?" he asked coolly. "Because it seems to me that you seem to be having quite the struggle with them. I'd be happy to help you if you want. I mean, after all, two people can carry out a plan better than one ever could. Wouldn't you agree, Queen Beryl?"
"Yes. That is a good idea," agreed Queen Beryl. "Nephrite, you will work with Zoisite and-"
"Never! I refuse!" interrupted Nephrite angrily.
"Oh my," said Zoisite feigning surprise. "Are you defying Queen Beryl, Nephrite? After all, she agrees that we should work together."
"Don't misunderstand Zoisite; I'm not doing this for Queen Beryl!" Nephrite snapped fiercely. "I'm doing this for myself! I work alone! Now, if you'll excuse me..."
And with that, Nephrite disappeared from the room. Queen Beryl was rather cross with Nephrite for what he had just said.
"Damn you, Nephrite...!" she hissed, her hands slightly trembling in anger.
Zoisite, however, was rather pleased in this turn of events.
"Perfect! Everything is going just as I planned," he thought to himself, smirking. "Now Queen Beryl will distance herself from Nephrite as she loses her confidence with him."
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At the Tsukino's house, the family was having breakfast.
"Wow, Usagi, you're up early today," said Kenji.
Usagi stuck up her chest with pride, but Shingo, as usual, was there to break that confidence.
"That's nothing special," he said. "Normal people do this every day. Harusuke's way better at it than you are."
"By the way, Shingo," said Kenji. "I heard that your friend Mika won a prize in a French doll-making contest."
Shingo's face immediately brightened, showing interest. "Really? She did?"
"I knew she would," smiled Ikuko. "After all, her mother was a well-known doll maker as well."
"Well, I guess it's as they say: Like mother like daughter," agreed Kenji.
Usagi then held up a spoon close to Shingo's face pretending that she was a reporter. "Mr. Shingo Tsukino, how does it feel to have a celebrity as a girlfriend?"
Shingo blushed bright red in embarrassment as he immediately got up from his seat and headed for the door. However, Usagi continued to tease him.
"And that's the news!" she said, grinning. "Back to you, Tom."
"Cut it out, will ya?!" snapped Shingo as he ran out the door making an akanbe face as he went out. "Dumb Usagi! You're 'gonna be late for school again as always!"
"Says you!" Usagi shot back. "I got up early today so that I wouldn't be late!"
Then Usagi looked at her watch. Her victorious smirk quickly disappeared, and her face paled.
"Oh no! Is that the time?!" she shrieked. "I'm gonna be late!"
She immediately shot up from the table and raced out the door, hoping that she wouldn't be late.
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Unfortunately, Usagi ended up being late and ended in the hall throughout Class. After school, Usagi, Harusuke, and Naru were walking home together. Usagi was still feeling a tad depressed for being late.
"At least you tried to get up early," said Harusuke. "That counts for something."
"Well, one thing's for sure," said Naru. "You never get tired of being late, do you?"
"Leave me alone," groaned Usagi.
Just then, two little girls came up to them. They appeared to be no more than Shingo's age, if not younger.
"Excuse me, but are you two Shingo's big sister and brother?" asked one girl.
"Yes. We are," said Usagi.
"We were hoping you could tell that why Shingo is so mean?!" said the other girl.
"Why do you say that?" asked Harusuke. "What did he do?"
Then the two girls explained what had happened.
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Shingo was sitting at his desk reading a book when Mika came up.
"Hey, Shingo," she greeted.
Shingo then smiled at his friend. "Hey there, Mika! Congratulations on winning that doll contest!" he said.
"Thank you very much," said Mika shyly. "And Shingo... I want you to have this."
She handed him a small package wrapped in purple foil.
Shingo was surprised and puzzled. "Wh-what's this?" he asked.
"It's the doll that won me the prize in the contest," said Mika. "I'd like you to have it."
Shingo was now even more surprised. "R-really? Are you sure it's OK for me to have something so important to you?"
"Of course," said Mika. "You were always there for me whenever I needed someone to talk to, so... it's the least I can do."
Then a couple of boys saw the two, and they both began to tease them.
"Aww... look at the lovebirds," taunted one boy.
"When's the wedding gonna be?" taunted another.
Now Shingo felt very embarrassed. "N-never mind. Take it back. I don't want it," he said hastily.
He tried to push the doll back into Mika's arms, but that would soon be his greatest mistake. In his haste to give it back, Shingo accidentally made the doll slip from his and Mika's fingers causing the doll to fall and then hit the floor with a mighty crash. An eerie silence fell as the boys teasing Shingo backed away, pretending not to be involved. Mika quickly opened the package, praying that the damage was minimal, but sadly the doll inside was in pieces.
Mika was more upset than shocked, and her eyes filled with tears. Shingo wanted to apologize, but he kept his mouth shut and looked away due to his stubborn pride.
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When the girls finished telling what happened, Harusuke was shocked while Usagi was cross.
"And what's even worse than that, Shingo didn't even apologize for it," said the first girl. "Everyone felt so sorry for poor Mika."
"We were both hoping that you two could talk some sense into Shingo and tell him to apologize to Mika," said the second girl. "Could you both please do that for us?"
"Oh, you know we will!" said Usagi angrily. "What he did was flat-out wrong!"
"Seems like you and Harusuke need to go have a heart-to-heart talk with him," said Naru.
"You better believe it!" said Usagi. "Especially one from his smart and beautiful big sister!"
"I know I don't normally say this, but I agree with you, Usagi," said Harusuke. "Well... except for the smart part." He then turned to the girls. "Don't worry, you two. Usagi and I will talk with Shingo and get him to apologize. Just leave it to us."
The two girls smiled, feeling relieved. "Thank you both so much!"
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Meanwhile, Mika was hard at work working on another doll. Her room was dark due to the dimmed lights, and there were lots of other dolls she created herself. Then she heard a knock on her door and her mother came in.
"Are you alright, honey?" she asked. "Why is your room so dark in here?"
"It's easier for me to concentrate this way," said Mika.
Her mother then inspected the doll that Mika was currently working on. "Oh, you're already working on your next one. But this doll looks like it's on the verge of tears, but it's still well-made," smiled her mother. "Why don't we compare this one to the doll that won the prize?"
"Um... I don't have it anymore," said Mika, quickly trying to fight back the tears. "I... let someone borrow it."
"Oh? Who has it then?" asked her mother.
"Just... someone," said Mika quietly.
"Alright then," said her mother. "When you do get it back, please show it to me when you have time. OK?"
"OK," replied Mika.
And her mother left the room. Mika then sat in her chair, silently looking down at a drawer in her desk. She opened it, revealing where she had placed the broken doll she tried to give to Shingo. Her eyes then filled up with tears, finally unable to hold them in as the little girl started to cry. She felt very heartbroken, confused, and most of all, alone.
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Nephrite was in his mansion in the woods again, looking for his next victim.
"The stars see all, the stars know all," he said as the projection came into life once again.
The project of Earth began to flash, and then a colorful beam of light shone, shooting right in the middle of Nephrite's forehead, and he began to see who his next victim was, which turned out to be Mika.
"Ah yes. Orpheus in Lyra has begun to play a sad melody on his harp," he said. "He's selected my next target, which is Mika Kayama! All of her energy will be mine!"
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At the Tsukino residence, Shingo was in his room. He was busy writing an apology letter to Mika, feeling terrible for what had happened. But as he was writing the letter, his pride once again got to him, and he immediately tore up the letter.
"It's hopeless! I can't do it!" he yelled. "I can't say it!"
Then he heard a knock on his door and heard two voices causing him to gulp immediately.
"Hey! Shingo! You in there?!"
"We need to talk to you for a second."
Shingo knew who those voices were. He immediately calmed down and got out a book, pretending to be studying.
"C-come in," he said nervously.
The door then opened, and in stepped Harusuke and a very cross Usagi. Usagi then stomped over to Shingo and gave him a hard clonk on top of his head.
"Hey! Usagi! I thought I told you no hitting!" chided Harusuke.
"Well, he deserves it for being so dumb," said Usagi.
"What'd you do that for?!" demanded Shingo.
"Why do you think? That was for Mika!" said Usagi. "Harusuke and I know that you broke her doll today, so you're gonna go over to Mika's house and apologize to her right now!"
"Why don't the two of you mind your own business?!" snapped Shingo, and he tried pushing them both out the door. "Now get out! Both of you!"
"Shingo. Be reasonable," said Harusuke. "I understand that you're a boy and everything, and you're not usually the type of person to apologize, but you hurt Mika's feelings, and you should go and say sorry."
"As I said, that's none of your business!" said Shingo. "Just butt out, will you?!"
Harusuke then sighed. "Alright then. If you're 'gonna be stubborn..." He then looked at his sister. "Usagi?"
"With pleasure," Usagi smirked. Then she spoke to Shingo. "Go and apologize; otherwise, we'll tell Mom and Dad. I wonder what they'll do once they find out?"
Shingo's heart immediately skipped a beat. "You... you wouldn't..." he gulped.
"Oh yes, she would," said Harusuke. "And don't expect me to go and stop her. Especially since you were the one who messed up."
Shingo then sighed in defeat, not seeing a way out of this.
"So you're going to do what we say, Shingo?" asked Harusuke.
"Yes... Alright," said Shingo.
"Good. Now go over to Mika's place and apologize," said Usagi sternly. "Got it?"
"All right, All right already," said Shingo. "I'm going."
He then walked out of his room and headed out of the house. Usagi and Harusuke watched as Shingo left.
"Are you sure we weren't too hard on him, Usagi?" asked Harusuke. "I mean, we did kinda push him."
"Don't go feeling guilty, Harusuke," said Usagi. "Besides, it was Shingo's fault for getting into this mess with Mika. He has to learn that there are some things you can't do to a girl."
"I... guess that makes sense," said Harusuke. "And that says a lot coming from me. I'm hoping that Mika will accept Shingo's apology."
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Soon enough, Shingo could see Mika's house in sight, but he was still nervous and unsure what to say to Mika, so he decided to practice what he was going to say to Mika. He pretended that she was in front of him and clapped his hands together, bowing slightly.
"Mika! I'm so sorry! It's my fault that your doll broke!" he said. "I'll make it up to you even if it takes the rest of my life." Shingo then felt confident. "That's good enough. I'll say it like that!"
He was just about to walk up to the gates when he heard a loud screech and a roar. Shingo immediately stepped back just in time to see a red sports car shoot past him and stop right in front of the gates. He watched in amazement as Nephrite, in disguise as Masato, stepped out of the car.
"Whoa... awesome car!" he murmured.
Nephrite then came up to the gate where the doorbell was and pressed the button on the radio.
Mika's mother then answered through the radio. "Yes?"
"This is Masato Sanjoin," answered Nephrite. "I called earlier to see your daughter."
"Oh yes," said Mika's mother. "Hold on just a moment, please."
Shingo could only watch as the gates opened and Nephrite walked inside. "Looks like they have company," he thought to himself. "I guess I better come back later..."
And then Shingo left, not wanting to be a bother and his confidence evaporating.
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Nephrite now sat in the living room with Mika and her mother, admiring the dolls.
"I must say I'm impressed. All this time, I thought that Pierre Dumaux was the only person who could create such wonderful dolls made in the French tradition," he said. "But now, after seeing all of these dolls, I believe that I changed my mind."
Mika's mother giggled. "You certainly know how to flatter a girl."
"Your daughter is quite talented as well," continued Nephrite turning to Mika. "I believe it was Mika, correct? I was incredibly impressed with the doll you entered in the recent contest. It was truly wonderful. I'd love to see it."
Mika gulped, for she still hadn't told anyone about that doll.
Luckily, her mother spoke. "Mika. Why don't you show him the doll you've been working on now? I think he'd appreciate it."
"All right then," said Mika.
She then got up and went to get the doll from her room. She soon returned and placed it in front of Nephrite for him to see.
"Oh! This is lovely!" said Nephrite. "Mind if I take a closer look at it?"
Mika nodded. Nephrite then gingerly held up the doll inspecting it. As he did, he once again used his spell to implant a monster inside of Mika's doll.
"Now... Monster Jumou," Nephrite thought to himself. "Build up Mika Kayama's energy to its peak before taking it all away."
He then resumed critiquing the doll.
"This sorrowful expression is sublime..." Nephrite said. "Tell me, do you think that you could make ten more of these dolls for me?"
Mika was surprised at Nephrite's sudden request. "T-ten more?! That's a lot!" she said.
"That may be so," said Nephrite flashing a suave grin. "But I'm sure that I'd be able to sell ten of them quite easily."
"I'll be holding an exhibition of my work this Saturday," said Mika's mother. "And Mika's works will be displayed as well. So I hope you'll come."
"I'll be looking forward to it," smiled Nephrite.
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After Nephrite had left, Mika immediately set to work on her first doll. Surprisingly she was able to finish it in minutes, much to the surprise and amazement of her mother.
"Wow, Mika! You finished that one so quickly," she said.
"I don't know why, but I feel motivated now," smiled Mika. "I'm gonna get started on the next one."
"Now, hold on, Mika. I understand you're eager, but you need to get ready for bed," said her mother. "You have school tomorrow. Remember?"
"I'll be fine, Mom," said Mika, who was now in some kind of strange trance as she continued her work.
"Now, don't be like that," said her mother, who was now being a little stern. "Let's put everything away, OK?"
"Shut up!" snapped Mika. "Don't bother me!"
Suddenly Mika immediately turned around and pushed her mother away from her knocking her flat on her butt. Also, the doll Nephrite infected slightly turned its head, unknown to either of them. Then it flashed an evil grin as its eyes glowed in the darkness.
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After school the next day, Shingo worked up the courage to go to Mika's, ready to apologize. He saw Mika's mother standing outside the house when he got there, looking very worried. Shingo decided to find out what was wrong.
"Excuse me, Ms. Kayama... but is something wrong?" he asked. "And is Mika OK?"
"I honestly don't know Shingo," said her mother. "She's been hard at work making dolls for an order, but... she hasn't gotten any sleep since yesterday. I've tried to stop her, but she won't listen to me for some reason. So I - just don't know what to do..."
Shingo could see that Mika's mother was worried and wanted to help her. "Well... if it's alright with you, ma'am," he said. "Maybe I can try to talk to her."
Mika's mother's face brightened a little. "Sure. That would be wonderful, Shingo."
She then led Shingo into the house and upstairs to Mika's room.
"Mika? Shingo's here to see you," her mother called as she knocked on the door.
"I don't want to see him," replied Mika from inside her room.
"But... Mika! I want to talk to you!" said Shingo.
"Go away!" snapped Mika.
Shingo felt hurt thinking that Mika was still angry with him, but in truth, Mika was still busily at work making the dolls under the influence of the monster that possessed her.
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Shingo was now sitting in his room feeling very sorry for himself.
"I guess she's still mad at me," he said. "If only there were some way for me to apologize to her."
Just then, Usagi came in along with Luna and Harusuke. She carried a tray with juice and placed them on Shingo's desk.
"Wh-what do you guys want?" he asked, feeling a bit surprised.
"We're here to see if you're doing OK," said Harusuke.
"And as your kind older siblings, we can't let you stay as sad as this without trying to cheer you up," said Usagi, winking. "It is kinda our job."
"By the way, Shingo, how did things go with Mika?" asked Harusuke. "Did manage to apologize to her yet?"
"Well... not exactly," said Shingo sadly.
Then explained what had happened when he went over to Mika's house.
"I see. So that's what happened," said Usagi.
"I still can't believe it, though," said Shingo. "I've never heard of Mika acting that way before. She's always been so nice to me. Do you think that I hurt her so badly that she'll never forgive me?"
Usagi then put her hand on Shingo's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Cheer up," she said. "We'll fix it somehow."
"Yeah. Don't worry, Shingo," said Harusuke. "Mika's probably under pressure from the order she's doing, and she probably wants to get it done as soon as possible. I'm sure she'll forgive you."
Shingo was still feeling unsure. Then Usagi had an idea.
"Hey! Next time you go to Mika's house, why don't you bring her something nice for her!" she said. "After all, girls are big softies for presents."
"You think that would work?" asked Shingo.
"I think it will," chuckled Harusuke. "I mean, after all, Usagi herself is a girl, and she knows a lot more about them than we could."
"Yeah... That is a great idea!" said Shingo cheering up a bit. "Thanks, Usagi. Thanks, Harusuke. I'll go see if I can find anything that she likes."
Then Harusuke, Usagi, and Luna left Shingo's room. Usagi now was looking a bit concerned.
"Is something the matter, Usagi?" asked Harusuke. "You seem a bit perplexed."
"I was just worried about Mika," said Usagi worriedly. "I think something's fishy about her, but I didn't want to say anything without worrying Shingo."
Luna and Harusuke stared at Usagi blankly, a little surprised.
"Usagi... you're being pretty perceptive today," said Luna.
"No kidding," agreed Harusuke.
"Well... when it comes to Shingo, I try to do my best for him," said Usagi. "Besides, the thought of a "doll's curse" sounds pretty interesting."
Luna shuddered, the hairs of her tail standing on end. "Wait a minute! I don't like the sound of that!" she squeaked.
"What's the matter, Luna? Don't tell me you're scared of the supernatural?" asked Harusuke slyly.
Luna furiously shook her head, shaking off the fear and clearing her throat. "That aside, it is possible that the Dark Kingdom is up to their old tricks, so we'd better keep an eye on Mika."
"I agree," said Harusuke. "We'd better call Ami and Rei and tell them to be on stand by."
"Or... maybe we could just let them handle this by themselves," said Usagi, her fear finally showing.
Luna and Harusuke glared at the blonde. "Usagi!" they snapped.
"Alright! Alright! I know," sighed Usagi. "I was kidding."
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A little later, Usagi, Ami, Luna, and Harusuke were outside of Shingo's school investigating. Luna climbed up a tree looking into the school while the others waited outside the gate.
"How's it look, Luna?" asked Usagi. "Can you see anything?"
"I'm afraid not," said Luna. "The curtains are all shut, so I can't see anything."
"According to what Shingo said, Mika hasn't been coming to school for a few days now," said Usagi.
"Not to mention that she's never left her room ever since she got that order of ten dolls," added Harusuke.
"Which leaves us with one clue," said Ami as she looked at a poster by the gate. "The exhibition that begins tomorrow."
"Which means we're going to have to try and get into that exhibition and see what's going on," finished Harusuke.
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After deciding, Usagi and Harusuke went into Shingo's room to see what gift he would give Mika. When they came to his room, they saw him sitting on his desk making something out of clay.
"Hey there, Shingo. What are you doing?" asked Harusuke. "Are you making a present for Mika?"
"I sure am," smiled Shingo.
"Aww, it's so cute!" said Usagi. "It's a nice job! She'll love that little piggy!"
Shingo was cross. "It's supposed to be Sailor Moon," he grumped.
Now Usagi was a tad cross while Harusuke tried his best not to laugh.
"Oh...and... I'm sure that Sailor Moon would - be thrilled," cringed Usagi, who was trying not to show her anger.
"Yeah... yeah... I know it's not perfect, but - it's the thought that counts, right?" asked Shingo.
"Of course it is," said Harusuke. "As long as you make something with all your heart and soul, you can't go wrong," said Harusuke. "After all, she is the messenger of love and justice."
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The next day, the art exhibition was now getting underway at the Juban Museum. All sorts of people came to see Mika and her mother's work. Nephrite was also there feeling very pleased.
"This is marvelous!" he said to Mika's mother. "This exhibition is a huge success!"
"Thank you very much," said Mika's mother.
Then Nephrite noticed something. "Where's Mika?" he asked.
"She's still in the back putting the finishing touches on that last doll," said Mika's mother. "I almost feel bad for letting her work so hard."
"I see," said Nephrite.
He then left smiling darkly, happy that everything was going according to plan. Then he noticed a couple walking by him. Rei and Mamoru were at the museum for their little date. Rei practically dragged Mamoru along as she took him to one doll after another.
"Hey, Mamoru! Look at this one!" said Rei excitedly. "The doll maker's daughter made this one! Don't you think that this one's cute?!"
"I guess so..." said Mamoru doubtfully. "I really wouldn't know. I don't follow dolls."
"Oh... does that mean that you dislike dolls, Mamoru?" asked Rei in a begging tone.
Not wanting to make Rei upset, Mamoru quickly shook his head. "No, not really. I didn't mean it like that at all!" he said hastily.
Rei was relieved as she grabbed Mamoru by the arm. "Oh, good. Come on! Let's keep looking around!" she said.
"S-sure," said Mamoru.
Then as they walked along, Mamoru happened to notice Nephrite. When the two of them made eye contact, they stared at each other as if they had seen each other before. Then Mamoru broke the silence.
"May... I help you?" he asked.
"Sorry," apologized Nephrite. "I thought that you were someone else."
Then Nephrite continued on his way, as did Rei and Mamoru.
At the same time, Usagi and the others had arrived at the museum. They all then split up into two groups. Ami and Luna were one group looking around the museum to make sure there was anything suspicious. Harusuke and Usagi made another group so they could stay with Shingo to provide him support for giving his gift to Mika and so they could check on Mika to make sure she was alright. Shingo was feeling a little nervous.
"Um guys... maybe... we shouldn't do this," he said nervously.
"Don't you dare back out of this!" whispered Usagi. "You can't get cold feet now!"
"Usagi's right Shingo," concurred Harusuke. "I know you're nervous, but you have to go and do it! You won't get another chance like this."
They soon met up with Mika's mother. She was delighted to see the three.
"Usagi! Shingo! Harusuke! How good of you all to come," she said, greeting them warmly.
"Hello Ms. Kayama," said Usagi. "How's Mika doing, and if she's around, may we go see her?"
Mika's mother smiled kindly. "She's in the back room right now, and I'm sure that she'd be happy to see you three."
"That's great!" said Usagi happily. "Now's your chance Shingo. Let's go!"
"Alright..." said Shingo.
The three went towards the back room and saw Mika finishing up her last one. Shingo was just about to give Mika her present when suddenly, the infected doll started to emit a strange force. At the very same time, Nephrite saw his chance.
"Her energy has peaked!" he said. "Come forth, Jumou!"
A large shadow came out of the doll, and at the same time, Mika's energy was completely drained from her causing her to fall unconscious. The shadow then transformed into a monster. Her body was just like a doll, but it appeared to be more like strange living armor as her eyes glinted with malice. The Tsukino siblings were horrified.
"No! Mika!" cried Usagi.
At that moment, Shingo didn't even hesitate. He immediately ran straight for Mika, hoping to save her, but Jumou barred his way unleashed a force knocking him back and making him drop his model of Sailor Moon for Mika.
"Oh no! Shingo!" cried Harusuke as he rushed on over to him. "Are you OK? Say something!"
Then Jumou did something unforgivable. She saw Shingo's present and stomped on it, crushing it into tiny pieces. Now Usagi and Harusuke were angry. At the very same time, Luna jumped through the window.
"Usagi! Harusuke! Transform!" she yelled.
"MOON PRISM POWER MAKE UP!" called Usagi.
"SOLAR GUARDIAN POWER FLARE UP!" shouted Harusuke.
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Transformation Sequence: Usagi
Usagi's body shone with rainbow-colored light as she seemed to spin around. Then from her brooch, it flashed pink and pink ribbons shot out, wrapping her upper torso and midsection and became a white leotard with a red bow in the center and a collar that was blue with white stripes. Next, Usagi crosses her arms, and more pink ribbons wrap around them, turning into long white gloves. The pink ribbon then wraps around Usagi's legs and turns into a pair of red thigh-high boots. Then a blue skirt appears around Usagi's waist with a red bow in the back. Then a tiny gem starts glowing in the middle of Usagi's forehead, and a gold tiara with a red gem, a pair of dangling crescent moon earrings, a red choker with a moon on it appear along with red circular accents in her hair buns. Usagi then strikes her signature pose as the Moon shines behind her in the background.
Transformation sequence: Harusuke.
Harusuke's bracelet begins to glow as Harusuke holds it into the air. Next, the symbol of the sun starts to shine on Harusuke's head as golden yellow and silver light envelop his body. First, the sun appears above him, shining its light upon him. Then, while Harusuke bathed in its light, a silver jumpsuit with gold lines on his hips materializes around his body. After that, the light shone on his legs, and long golden metal boots that went up to his knees appeared on his legs with silver hexagon knee pads. Next, the light shone on his arms, and then golden gauntlets appeared on his hands going up to wrists. Then a yellow symbol of the sun materializes in front of him, and it crashes into his chest, making a golden chest piece of armor appear with silver shoulder guards. Finally, a silver helmet covers his head, exposing his hair and making it stand up with a mouth guard covering his mouth and nose. Finally, Harusuke's eyes open, and he strikes his signature pose the symbol of the sun appears behind him.
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"I am the pretty guardian who fights for love and justice! I am Sailor Moon!"
"And I'm the guardian with the brilliance of the sun and the courage of a warrior who also fights for love and justice! I am Solaris!"
Jumou looked at the two heroes, not impressed.
"How dare you break the doll that Shingo made just for Mika!" said Sailor Moon angrily. "You are an evil monster!"
"That's right! Don't you know that Shingo put his heart and soul into that doll?!" said Solaris crossly. "Even the doll's in this very museum would be angry!"
"And all the other dolls on Girls' Day too!" added Sailor Moon. "And now, in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"
"And in the name of the Sun, with my blinding rays, I'll scorch you!" said Solaris.
"Oh, dear... Those two seem worked up today," said Luna worriedly. "I sure hope they're going to be OK."
Then suddenly, one of the dolls that Mika made came to life and flew straight at the two with its teeth bared. Sailor Moon was frightened, but Solaris was more than ready to fight. He was just about to punch the doll, but Luna called out to him.
"No Solaris, don't!" she yelled. "You can't break those dolls! If you do, you'll wind up paying for it big time!"
"Then what the heck are we supposed to do, Luna?!" cried Solaris.
Sailor Moon soon answered that question. She leaped out of the window, and Solaris followed suit. Jumou then burst through the window right on top of them.
"You won't escape!" she yelled.
But just then, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars appeared on the scene, coming to the rescue.
"MERCURY BUBBLES SPRAY!"
Sailor Mercury's mist blanketed the area, hiding the guardians and blinding Jumou.
"Oh, man... That was too close..." said Sailor Moon.
"Sailor Moon! Solaris! Are you guys alright?" asked Sailor Mercury.
"Just barely," said Solaris. "Thanks for saving our skins."
"Maybe we should have come a little later," teased Rei.
Sailor Moon pouted in response. Then Luna felt a chill go down her spine, causing her fur to stand on end.
"Incoming you guys!" she yelled. "Something's coming!"
Sure enough, two more dolls shot out from the fog with their sharp teeth gleaming. Sailor Mars then whipped out ofudas and flung them at the dolls.
"Evil Spirit, be exorcised!" she yelled.
The ofudas successfully hit their mark, and the dolls fell lifelessly to the ground. Then there was trouble. The fog soon cleared, and Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, and Solaris all saw a startling sight. Jumou had managed to get a hold of Sailor Moon squeezing her neck with her wooden hands.
"No! Sailor Moon!" cried Solaris.
Sailor Mars immediately attacked, putting her hands together with index fingers pointed, creating a fireball. "MARS FIRE SOUL!"
Jumou saw the attack coming and separated her hands, which still held Sailor Moon as she moved out of the way. Not only that, but a new pair of hands appeared in their place. The attack missed Sailor Moon, but she could still feel the hot flames licking her.
"Hot, hot, hot!" she choked.
Her face was also getting quite pale. At this rate, Sailor Moon would run out of air, and she could suffocate.
Jumou cackled evilly. "All of your attacks are useless against me!"
She then fired her wooden limbs at them, forcing the three to jump out of the way. As they dodged, Sailor Mars felt one of the attachments shoot past her hair, cutting a chunk of it off.
"Be careful!" she cried. "These things are sharp as knives!"
"Sailor Mercury! See if you can find the monster's weakness!" yelled Solaris. "And hurry! Sailor Moon won't last much longer!"
Sailor Mercury then pressed the button on her earrings, making her blue visor appear. She then scanned Jumou and soon found her weakness.
"Over there!" she cried, pointing at the Jumou's right ankle. "I'm getting an energy reading from her right leg! Sailor Moon! You have to aim for the monster's right leg!"
Sailor Moon tried to use her Moon Tiara Action, but she couldn't breathe. Solaris immediately rushed towards them, desperate to save her.
"Let her go, you puppet freak!" he yelled as he swung his fist and slammed it right into the monster's midsection. The midsection shattered into a million pieces, but it got quickly replaced with another one, and Jumou fired a barrage of her limbs at Solaris, forcing himself to cross his arms to defend. Multiple attacks struck him like missiles, and the force was too much for Solaris to take, as he got sent flying, battered and bruised, falling right into the ground.
"Oh no! Solaris!" Luna cried.
Jumou smirked with triumph, thinking she had won, but then suddenly something shot right past her cheek and hit the hands that held Sailor Moon, shattering them. Sailor Moon coughed as she greedily gulped in some air. The guardians knew who threw it and saw the person standing before Jumou as she turned around.
"Who are you?!" she demanded.
"It's Tuxedo Mask!" said Sailor Moon happily. "Thanks a lot!"
"Now's your chance!" said Tuxedo Mask. "Finish her!"
Solaris immediately sprang back to his feet unharmed and then shot a beam of light from his hands.
"SOLAR BINDING!"
The light then wrapped around Jumou's right leg preventing her from moving it. Sailor Moon then saw her chance and then unleashed her final attack.
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"
She threw her tiara, transforming it into a white disc aiming for Jumou's leg, pierced it, and Jumou exploded in a burst of flames and ash.
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Mika having her energy returned to her, slowly regained consciousness.
"What's going on? What happened to me?" she wondered.
Then she saw Shingo, still unconscious, lying against the wall. Feeling concerned, Mika immediately rushed over to him.
"Shingo! Are you OK?!" she asked.
Shingo then woke up and rubbed his head. Then the two of them heard a pair of voices coming from the broken window.
"It seems that the two of you are OK," one said.
"Thank goodness for that," said the other. "You had us both worried."
Shingo and Mika then saw the shadowy figures of a young girl in a sailor uniform and a young boy in a suit. They both immediately knew who they were.
"Oh wow! It's Sailor Moon! and Solaris," they cried with wonder.
"There's no need to worry now," said Sailor Moon. "We took care of the evil monster for you."
"Now it's your turn to make up and be friends again," said Solaris. "And make sure that you stay good friends. Take care!"
Then the two disappeared. Shingo and Mika were amazed.
"Wow! That's so cool! Sailor Moon and Solaris saved us!" said Shingo.
Then Shingo saw the remains of his present to Mika.
"Oh no! The present I was going to you!" he said to Mika. "It's ruined!"
Mika was surprised. "You made a present? For me?" she asked.
"Yes. I did," said Shingo.
Then, he said the words he had wanted to say for so long to her.
"Listen... I'm sorry about the other day," he apologized.
"It's alright, Shingo!" smiled Mika. "And besides, you did come here to save me after all. I forgive you."
Shingo was happy as his friendship and Mika had finally mended.
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The next day at the Juban Elementary School, Mika met Shingo again with something else she made. This time, she made a model replica of Sailor Moor. Only hers was much more well made.
"Here you go, Shingo," she said. "This is for coming to help me the other day."
Shingo's eyes sparkled with amazement. "Wow! Thank you so much!" he said. "It looks just like Sailor Moon! She's so cool!"
Mika was now feeling a little jealous. "Oh, I get it! So you like Sailor Moon more than you like me?! Maybe I should make a figure of Solaris so that I can be like you!"
"N-no Mika! You got it all wrong!"
Shingo tried to explain, but Mika wouldn't listen as she stormed away in a huff, feeling cross. Shingo then sighed.
"Oh well," he shrugged. "What can I say? Ladies love me."
It looks like the female heart is a complex and mysterious thing. ^^