It was a hot, sunny day in Juuban. Everyone was having a good time swimming and relaxing at the community pool. However, one person wasn't having as much of a good time as the others, kicking her feet in the water absently. That one person was Naru. She was lost in her thoughts, thinking about only one person. Mr. Sanjoin. She couldn't help but think about how wonderful and handsome he was. Yes, she couldn't believe it, but she was head over heels in love with the man.
Just then, a splash of water hit Naru's face snapping out of her daydreams. The splash of water had come from Usagi, who was splashing the water at Naru trying to get her attention.
"Splish! Splash! Splish Splash!" she said.
Naru then sighed. "Geez. You act like such a kid, Usagi," she said.
"Well, I try my best," laughed Usagi taking it as a compliment. It didn't take her very long to realize, causing her to glare at Naru. "Wait just a minute!" she scowled. "Are you saying that you're not?"
"That's right," said Naru snootily. "And you know why? Because I know what it's like to be a grown-up in love."
Usagi stared blankly at Naru, taken aback. "Hold on a minute!" she cried. "Are you saying that you're actually in love with someone? I mean, you have to have someone to actually like, you know."
"Oh, come on now, Usagi," Naru said as she blushed while she touched her cheeks. "I know that, and I'm telling you I am."
Usagi's jaw flapped open in shock. "You've gotta be kidding me!"
Then Harusuke came up, bringing a couple of towels while drinking a can of tea. "Keep it down, Usagi. You're causing a racket," he said. "What are you even screaming about anyway?"
"Harusuke! Naru's just told me that she's in love with someone!" Usagi said.
"Oh wow. That's good," smiled Harusuke as he sat down. "Who's the lucky guy? Umino, perhaps?"
"It better not be Tuxedo Mask or Motoki!" said Usagi. "Cuz I called dibs on those two!"
"No. It isn't either of those two," said Naru. "I told you that it's a grown-up kind of love."
"Well, don't keep us in the dark, Naru," said Harusuke as he took a sip of his tea. "Who's the guy? If you don't us wondering."
Naru giggled. "Oh, alright. I might as well tell you two," she said. "It's Mr. Sanjoin."
Usagi's eyes went wide as saucers, and Harusuke immediately choked on his tea, spitting it out.
"Whaaaaaaat?!" the two yelled.
Naru was surprised by their reactions and was puzzled. "What's the matter, you two?" she asked. "You don't need to act surprised. Is it because he's not a boy? I know he's a little old for me, but you know what they say, age doesn't matter if there's love."
Usagi and Harusuke looked at each other worriedly. Naru still had no idea that Mr. Sanjoin was Nephrite and was very troubled upon finding out her feelings for him.
"Listen to me, Naru, me and Harusuke know all about him, and he's bad news!" said Usagi. "He's no good!"
Naru was now cross. "Oh, just forget it!" she snapped. "I never should have told you two!"
And with that, Naru huffily stomped out of the pool, leaving Harusuke and Usagi behind.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
A little later, Usagi and Harusuke called Ami, Rei, and Luna to meet at Rei's house, explaining the situation.
"This has gotten a bit complicated," said Luna.
"I'll say," agreed Harusuke.
"We have to tell Naru that Masato Sanjoin is Nephrite before it's too late," said Rei.
"But... shouldn't we wait and see if it becomes a problem?" asked Ami.
"I don't think so," said Usagi. "Knowing Naru's feelings, it's not going to be that easy. Not to mention, she feels so strongly about him. So she may not believe what we tell her."
"Well, unless we do tell her, we won't know what she'll think unless we try!" snapped Rei.
"Take it easy, Rei," chided Harusuke. "You turning to a hot-head on us isn't gonna help."
"What do you think, Usagi?" asked Ami. "What should we do?"
"Me? Well, we should tell her," Usagi spoke hesitantly. "But..."
"Come on! Make up your mind!" Luna barked. "What are we going to do?!"
Usagi then shook her head, shaking all the cobwebs of uncertainty from her mind. "Don't worry! Just leave Naru to me!" she said. "I'm sure I'll think of something! Just let me handle this!"
She then puffed out her chest, smacking her hand right on top of it. However, she hit her chest so hard; she accidentally knocked the wind out of her causing her to cough a fit. Ami, Rei, Harusuke, and Luna could only watch the blonde with doubtful looks on their faces.
"When Usagi says she's in charge of anything, that's when it's time to worry," she groaned.
"Well... one thing's for sure," said Harusuke. "We have to handle this problem delicately and quickly. Naru's already been taken advantage of by Nephrite twice now. So we have to make sure that it doesn't happen again. Otherwise, Naru will be in serious trouble as we know it."
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
In the Dark Kingdom, Queen Beryl was livid with rage. She was so cross that large amounts of energy began erupting from her staff like it was lightning. Her subjects cowered in fear, not daring to come any closer to her.
"Where is Nephrite?!" she demanded in anger. "No matter how many times I summon for him, he refuses to show up! I've had it with this nonsense!" She then clenched her fist in anger, almost enough to draw blood. "That's it, Nephrite! You better watch yourself because a dead man!"
Not too far away and the only one who wasn't the bit fazed by Queen Beryl's angry state, Zoisite was watching from above and couldn't be happier by this.
"Looks like Nephrite's luck has finally run out," he thought to himself, chuckling. "Poor thing. His future's practically hanging by a thread."
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Meanwhile, in his abandoned mansion in the woodlands, Nephrite stood alone strategizing his next plan.
"I no longer have the luxury of gathering energy anymore," he thought to himself. "It's a pity, but I have no other choice. I must obtain that item. And for me to do that, I must relinquish the celestial globe."
Then the sound of laughter echoed in the room. Nephrite looked upwards and saw Zoisite floating above him.
"You again, Zoisite?" he growled. "What do you want?"
"Now, now. That's a rude way to welcome someone with news for you, Nephrite," said Zoisite coolly. "Queen Beryl has been looking for you, and she is quite furious as well."
Nephrite scowled. "Kunzite sent you here to spy on me, didn't he?!" he demanded.
"Well, someone seems to be having a bad day," smirked Zoisite. "Is everything alright? Judging from your reaction, you don't have anything special planned, do you?"
"That's none of your concern!" snapped Nephrite. "Now get out!"
Zoisite then played with one of his bangs, unfazed. "Here's a little bit of friendly advice," he said. "I would suggest you give yourself up before you make Queen Beryl angrier than she already is."
"Ridiculous and out of the question!" barked Nephrite. "I will obtain the Silver Crystal, and once I do, I'll rub it in your face!"
Now Zoisite was surprised. "What?! How dare you?! Finding the Silver Crystal is my job!"
"That may be, but whoever finds it first wins!" smirked Nephrite. "If I get a hold of that crystal, that will be my one shot at redemption!"
Zoisite seethed with fury. "Nephrite! You'll pay for this!" he hissed as he disappeared in a flurry of petals.
As soon as he knew Zoisite was gone, Nephrite let out a shaky breath calming down the adrenaline.
"How pathetic. To think that I would let the likes of Zoisite get the better of me," he said to himself.
Then he focused his mind as his Celestial Globe appeared in front of him, which was the project of Earth he had been using to find out which human's energy would be peaking.
"The stars see all; the stars know all," he said. "When the sun forms an ominous angle between the stars surrounding the planets Neptune and Mars, an item will appear. An item with the power to guide me to the Silver Crystal. Its name is the Dark Crystal."
He then placed his hands together with only the fingertips touching. The space between them began to glow in a dark light. The projection of the Earth and stars of the Celestial Globe became engulfed in that same black light making a giant ball. The ball began to shrink, growing smaller and smaller until it disappeared completely. Then something dropped onto the floor with a clatter.
Nephrite picked it up and inspected it. It was a crystal in the shape of a tetragonal prism black in color.
"So this is what will guide me to the Silver Crystal..." he thought.
Then suddenly, the Dark Crystal began to glow in blue light, and an image showed at the end. That image was one of Naru.
"Naru Osaka!" he gasped. "Does this mean that she holds the Legendary Silver Crystal?!"
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Back with Zoisite, he was with Kunzite again, seeking comfort.
"I can't stand him! He's such a jerk!" he complained. "He makes me so mad, Kunzite!"
"Let Nephrite do what he wants," said Kunzite soothingly.
"But... what if he finds it somehow?" wondered Zoisite.
"If and only if by chance Nephrite does find the crystal," smiled Kunzite. "We'll just steal it from him. In the meantime, I suggest you have one of your monsters keep an eye on him for now."
Zoisite rubbed Kunzite's hand on his cheek lovingly. "Yes. That's a great idea, Kunzite," he said. He then looked behind him. "Yasha! You heard what he said! Get to work!"
A strange figure appeared behind him in the darkness.
"Yes, Master Zoisite," the creature said in a hissing voice. "It shall be done."
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Usagi and Harusuke, with Luna in tow, walked to the Game Center, hoping to speak with Motoki. Before this, the three were already at Naru's house, ready to talk to her. However, Usagi still felt unsure because she had no idea how to talk to her. So that's when she came up with the idea to ask Motoki for some advice, much to Luna and Harusuke's chagrin.
The three then walked into the Game Center, where they saw Motoki busily teaching a girl how to play the Sailor V game. Upon seeing them, Usagi was starting to feel jealous.
"Why is Motoki being so flirty with that girl?!" she growled. "He's being way too close with her! Doesn't he know that his Usagi is right over here?!"
"First of all, you're reading too much into it," said Harusuke. "Second of all, will you stay focused on the task at hand?"
Then they both heard an all too familiar voice coming from behind them.
"Hey there, Bun-head. Hey there, Harusuke. How's it going?"
Usagi and Harusuke looked behind them and saw Mamoru standing behind them with that same teasing grin on his face. Usagi's cheeks puffed up in annoyance, ready to tell Mamoru to get lost when Mamoru called out to Motoki.
"Hey, Motoki! Your little Miss Bun-Head over here is getting all puffy because she's getting ignored!"
Usagi immediately blushed bright pink. "He's lying! I'm not being puffy at all!"
Motoki immediately came over. "Oh! Hey Usagi! Hey Harusuke! Sorry about that. I didn't see you two come in."
"It's no problem," said Harusuke. "You were busy with someone, so it's no big deal."
"Hey. Since you're are here, and I'm all done with my shift, why don't we grab a cup of coffee?" Motoki asked.
"Sure!" smiled Usagi. "There's some advice we need to ask you about."
"Yeah. Coffee sounds good," said Mamoru. "I'll come along too. I've got nothing else to do right now."
Usagi scowled at Mamoru less than thrilled, but then Motoki spoke.
"Is that alright with you, Usagi?" he asked.
Usagi's scowl quickly changed into a blushing smile. "Nope! It's alright with me!" she said brightly.
Mamoru was a bit irked by how fast Usagi's tune had changed, but Harusuke put a hand on his shoulder.
"Please don't mind her," he said. "She always has a habit of acting like this when Motoki's around."
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
A few moments later, the four of them went to the cafe and got some coffee. Usagi and Harusuke then explained what was going on with Naru, excluding the bits about Nephrite.
"So my friend Naru fell in love with this nasty guy, but for some reason, she doesn't think that he's a bad person," said Usagi.
"Yeah, and this guy has also been using Naru to do some pretty bad stuff," said Harusuke. "And we're worried that Naru could eventually get hurt or worse if she continues to hang around with this guy."
"I see," said Motoki thoughtfully.
"So, what do you think? I mean - I don't want to hurt her," said Usagi. "But shouldn't I tell her the truth about this guy being bad?"
"Hm, well... if you want my opinion, I'd say just wait and see if it becomes a problem," said Motoki.
"Waiting and doing nothing won't solve the problem, though," said Mamoru. "The right thing to do is to tell her the truth."
"Oh, man. That's practically the same thing Rei and Ami said," thought Harusuke. "Man... we're right back where we started."
But Harusuke was wrong. For right then, Motoki agreed with Mamoru.
"You know what? I take it back. Mamoru's advice is probably right," he said. "Telling the truth is best. It might hurt Naru's feelings, but in a situation like this one, a true friend would find the courage to explain how they feel and what they're concerned about."
Usagi stared at the two boys in front of her. A smile then worked its way to her lips.
"Thanks a lot, you guys," she said. "I feel a lot better now. Now that I've gotten that off of my chest, I'm feeling hungry!" She then called out a waiter that was a few feet away. "Hey, waiter! I'd like a fruit parfait, a BLT, a strawberry shortcake, and some orange juice!"
All three of the boys immediately gulped and looked nervously at each other.
"Motoki? You got enough cash?" asked Mamoru.
"I thought you were paying," said Motoki. "Harusuke?"
"Don't look at me!" said Harusuke. "I'm practically broke here."
"Oh, don't worry, guys!" smiled Usagi. "Since you're all here, I'm treating all of you today." Then she called out to the waiter again. "Oh! And don't forget a cheese pizza!"
"Oh Usagi," sighed Harusuke. "Can't you go through one day without being a glutton?" Then he couldn't help but smile. "At least she's feeling cheerful again," he thought to himself. "Hopefully, now she knows what to do about handling Naru when she sees her."
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
After eating at the cafe, Usagi and Harusuke went to Naru's place. Usagi was feeling very nervous.
"You feeling OK, Usagi?" asked Harusuke.
"Nope! I'm fine," said Usagi shakily. "Just fine!"
"Remember what Motoki and Mamoru told you," said Harusuke. "Have courage and be honest even if it'll hurt Naru's feelings. Just spit it out and tell her. "
"Right," said Usagi. "OK then. Here goes!"
Usagi then came up to the door and pressed on the doorbell.
"Coming!" called a voice inside.
Then the door opened, and Naru's head peeped out from the door.
"Oh, Usagi! Harusuke!" she greeted. "What's up?"
"Listen to me, Naru," said Usagi. "I need to get this off of my chest. I also know that this will hurt your feeling, but Sanjoin is a terrible person. He's not even human!" She then quickly corrected herself. "No, wait! I didn't mean that! But he's terrifying, so you really shouldn't go out with him ever! It would be best if you just gave up on him! I beg of you as your friend; please try to understand!"
"But Usagi! Why should I...?"
"Usagi, hold on a minute! You're going too..."
Naru and Harusuke tried to speak, but Usagi was already racing down the stairs.
"Just give up on him, OK? Bye!" she said as she disappeared into the stairs.
Harusuke and Naru stared at the stairs where Usagi had gone. Then Harusuke turned to Naru.
"I'm sorry about this, Naru," he said. "Usagi... was just trying to tell you the truth, and well... she did it in the wrong way possible." He then raced down the stairs. "Usagi! Wait up!" he cried.
Naru was now by herself feeling a mix of feelings. Mostly from being upset and confused.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Back at the Tsukino's, Usagi and Harusuke explained what had happened to Luna.
"I see... So you told her the truth after all," she said.
"Yup. I finally got the courage to talk to her," said Usagi proudly.
"So... how did she take it?" asked Luna. "I mean, did you manage to convince her."
Usagi gulped. "Well... um... you see..." she stammered.
"We have no idea," said Harusuke. "Usagi ran off like a jackrabbit before Naru, and I had a chance to react."
Luna gawked at Usagi, deeply shocked. "You're kidding me... Usagi, are you telling me you just told Naru that Nephrite's an evil creep and just left? You didn't even stick around to explain?!"
"Give her a break, Luna," said Harusuke. "Usagi did her best, and she was practically a nervous wreck. Even though she could have handled it a bit better."
"But that defeats the entire purpose!" snapped Luna. "I mean, how was Naru supposed to understand the truth if Usagi didn't fully explain?!"
"I'm... sure that she understood..." said Usagi. "I mean... how couldn't she?"
Luna sighed placed a paw on her head. "I knew I shouldn't have gone with you two for this," she said. "I just hope that Naru doesn't get too confused or takes it personally."
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Naru was sitting in her room, still feeling confused due to the Tsukino siblings' recent visit.
"I wonder why Usagi would say all those things about Mr. Sanjoin?" she thought to herself. "He's not like that, is he? He's just so dreamy - I wish that I could see him right now."
Just then, she heard her mom calling her.
"Naru! There's someone on the phone who wants to talk to you! Someone named Sanjoin!"
Naru immediately sat up and darted out of her room, racing down the stairs, her heart filled with joy.
"It's like our minds are connected!" she happily thought as she picked up the phone. "Hello? Mr. Sanjoin?"
"Yes. It's me, Naru," the voice said. "Sorry to bother you, but I need to see you. Can you meet over at Sankaku Park?"
"Yes! I'll be there right away!" said Naru eagerly.
"Good. Hope to see you then," the voice said.
Naru then hung up the phone. "Mom! I'm going out for a bit!" she called as she raced to the front door.
"Wait... right now?!" Mayumi said, a bit surprised. "But why?"
But it was too late. Naru was already gone.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
It was late at night when Naru arrived at Sankaku Park. When she got there, she looked around, trying to find the person she longed to see. Then she saw Nephrite sitting on the bench under his cover as Sanjoin. Naru immediately went over to him, feeling very happy.
"Mr. Sanjoin!"
Nephrite looked up and smiled upon seeing Naru. "Naru. You made it," he said. "Please. Have a seat."
Naru blushing up to her ears, did so.
"I'm so sorry to call you out of the blue like this," he said. "Especially being so late."
"Oh, it's fine! It's no trouble at all," said Naru. "I was so happy that you called anyway. So, what did you need?"
Nephrite's smile now turned into a frown. "Well... the thing is... I came to say goodbye."
Naru felt her heart stop as he looked at Nephrite, deeply shocked. Then she looked down at the ground, trying to hold back her tears.
"Oh... I see..." she said bitterly. "Is it... because I've become a nuisance to you? I'd understand if it was."
"No. That's not it at all," said Nephrite shaking his head. "It's just that... I don't want to put you in any danger. You see - Some horrible people are threatening me for reasons I can't share, and the last thing I want is for you to get mixed up in it."
Naru felt relieved, but at the same time, she now felt worried about the man.
Nephrite looked back at her and gave her a reassuring smile. "It's alright. Don't be so gloomy," he said. "At least I got to see you one last time."
Nephrite then stood up, walking away, but Naru grabbed his arm, stopping him. She desperately wanted to help him. If it meant that he could stay with her, Naru would do whatever it took to help him.
"Wait! If there's anything I can do, please tell me!" she said. "I'll do anything!"
"It's the Silver Crystal," said Nephrite. "If I only had that..."
"What's the Silver Crystal?" wondered Naru. "And why do you need it? Is it some kind of valuable item?"
"Yes, it is," said Nephrite. "If I can give my enemies the Silver Crystal, then I'll be free from them." Nephrite then stopped and shook his head. "No, wait. Please forget I said that."
Naru then suddenly thought of something. When she was little, her mother showed her one of the rarest crystals on display. It was not only beautiful, but it was also a bright shade of silver.
"Could that have been the Silver Crystal?" she thought to herself. "If it is, then that might be the only way to save Mr. Sanjoin!"
"Stay right here, Mr. Sanjoin!" she said. "I need to go get something! Something that might be able to help you!"
As she raced off, Nephrite watched, flashing a dark smile believing his honor as one of the Four Great Kings of Heaven would be restored.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Naru had eventually managed to get back home. She snuck into the store, got a key to a safe, and quickly but quietly opened it.
"Yes, this is it!" whispered Naru victoriously.
She had just taken the crystal into her hands when the lights suddenly snapped on. Naru jumped and turned to see her mother Mayumi looking very cross and shocked in the doorway.
"Naru?! What in the world are you doing?!" she demanded. "And what are you doing with that crystal?!"
Naru was at a loss for words, not sure what to say. Then she clenched the crystal in her fist and took off running.
"I'm sorry, Mom!" she said. "But I gotta go! Please forgive me!"
Before Mayumi could stop her, Naru had raced out of the store and down the street.
"Naru, wait! Stop!" cried Mayumi.
But it was no use. Naru had disappeared into the darkness of the night. Mayumi sank to her knees, her eyes filling with tears, unsure what to make of this.
"Naru... what has happened to you?" she sobbed.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Meanwhile, at that very same time, Usagi, Harusuke, and Luna were walking over to Naru's house, hoping to check on Naru.
"Um... guys? I'm still not sure about doing this," said Naru. "Maybe we shouldn't."
"Come on, Usagi. But, first, we have to check on Naru and see how she's feeling," said Harusuke.
"Besides, we wouldn't even be in this mess if you hadn't gone and messed this up," said Luna.
"Hey! I did the best I could!" complained Usagi.
Then Usagi happened to see someone, as did Harusuke. It was Mayumi wandering around searching for Naru.
"Isn't that Naru's mom?" wondered Usagi.
"It is, and she looks pretty worried," said Harusuke.
Then Mayumi saw them. "Usagi! Harusuke! Have you two seen my daughter?" she asked.
"No, we haven't," replied Harusuke.
"Why? Did something happen to her?" asked Usagi.
"She took a special stone from our safe, and then she ran off!" explained Mayumi.
Harusuke and Usagi were shocked.
"Do you have any idea where she could be?" asked Harusuke urgently.
"Well, she got a phone call from someone named Masato Sanjoin," said Mayumi. "I think she said she was planning to meet him in Sankaku Park."
Harusuke and Usagi looked at each other and immediately knew what was going on and knew what to do.
"Ms. Osaka. We'll help you look for Naru!" said Usagi. "You keep looking in town while we look in Sankaku Park!"
Then Harusuke and Usagi took off running with Luna close behind them, heading towards Sankaku Park.
"There's no doubt about it, and it's just as I feared!" said Harusuke. "Nephrite must be taking advantage of Naru for another plot of his again!"
"Unforgivable!" growled Usagi in anger. "How dare he! He's using Naru's feelings for his advantage just to get what he wants!"
Harusuke then pressed a button on his bracelet, contacting Rei and Ami. "Ami! Rei! Meet Usagi and me over at Sankaku Park as fast as you can! Naru's in trouble!"
"It's time to transform you two!" said Luna. "Naru's life is at stake!"
"Alright! Let's go, Harusuke!" cried Usagi.
"Yeah! Let's show that creep what for!" responded Harusuke.
The two then sprung into action, calling out their transformation words.
"MOON PRISM POWER MAKE UP!"
"SOLAR GUARDIAN POWER FLARE UP!"
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Transformation Sequence: Usagi
Usagi's body shone with rainbow-colored light as she seemed to spin around. Then from her brooch, it flashed pink and pink ribbons shot out, wrapping her upper torso and midsection and became a white leotard with a red bow in the center and a collar that was blue with white stripes. Next, Usagi crosses her arms, and more pink ribbons wrap around them, turning into long white gloves. The pink ribbon then wraps around Usagi's legs and turns into a pair of red thigh-high boots. Then a blue skirt appears around Usagi's waist with a red bow in the back. Then a tiny gem starts glowing in the middle of Usagi's forehead, and a gold tiara with a red gem, a pair of dangling crescent moon earrings, a red choker with a moon on it appear along with red circular accents in her hair buns. Usagi then strikes her signature pose as the moon shines behind her in the background.
Transformation sequence: Harusuke.
Harusuke's bracelet begins to glow as Harusuke holds it into the air. Next, the symbol of the sun starts to shine on Harusuke's head as golden yellow and silver light envelop his body. First, the sun appears above him, shining its light upon him. Then, while Harusuke bathed in its light, a silver jumpsuit with gold lines on his hips materializes around his body. After that, the light shone on his legs, and long golden metal boots that went up to his knees appeared on his legs with silver hexagon knee pads. Next, the light shone on his arms, and then golden gauntlets appeared on his hands going up to wrists. Then a yellow symbol of the sun materializes in front of him, and it crashes into his chest, making a golden chest piece of armor appear with silver shoulder guards. Finally, a silver helmet covers his head, exposing his hair and making it stand up with a mouth guard covering his mouth and nose. Finally, Harusuke's eyes open, and he strikes his signature pose the symbol of the sun appears behind him.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
At Sankaku Park, Naru had finally gotten back to Nephrite and given him the crystal she had obtained. Nephrite then took out the Dark Crystal and used it to ensure that it was the real deal. At first, its tip began to glow in blue light, but that light slowly and eventually died out.
"The Dark Crystal isn't reacting," he thought. "That means that this is an ordinary crystal."
Then he noticed something else. The crystal began to glow again; this time, the blue light didn't point at the crystal. Instead, it was pointing at Naru, much to Nephrite's surprise.
"It's... reacting to this girl?! But why?" he wondered as he looked at Naru in surprise. "Perhaps... it would do me good to study her."
"Thank you very much, Naru," he said as he wrapped his arm around her. "Now... if you don't mind, I need your help with something. Would you mind coming with me?"
Naru blushed bright pink. "Um... yeah. Sure," she said.
The two were just about to walk off when suddenly -.
"Hold it right there!" a pair of voices shouted.
Naru and Nephrite jumped and turned around. There standing before them were Sailor Moon and Solaris.
"How dare you take advantage of a young girl's love!" said Sailor Moon. "We'll arrest you for your sneaky scam!"
"And don't you know that older man like you isn't allowed to date someone so young?" said Solaris. "There's a word for creeps like you, and that's something I'd rather not say with a lady present!"
"I am the pretty guardian who fights for love and justice, Sailor Moon!"
"And I'm the knight with the brilliance of the sun and the courage of a warrior who also fights for love and justice, Solaris!"
"And 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!"
"Sailor Moon?! Solaris! What are you two doing here?!" gasped Naru.
"Don't be fooled by that man, Naru!" said Sailor Moon. "Masato Sanjoin is not who you think he is! He's Nephrite, a member of an evil group known as the Dark Kingdom!"
"What?! That can't be! You're lying!" said Naru indignantly.
"It's the truth! He's responsible for hurting innocent lives!" said Solaris. "He's even used you so he could take your energy for the Dark Kingdom!"
"It's not true! insisted Naru. "He isn't that type of person! He's very kind! Right, Mr. Snajoin?"
Nephrite didn't respond. Then before anyone had a chance to react, Nephrite went on the attack unleashing a burst of light from his hands. The blast hit Sailor Moon right in the midsection and sent her flying a great distance.
"No! Sailor Moon!" cried Solaris.
"Stars of the universe, lend me your power, now," commanded Nephrite.
He held his hand straight in front of him, and from his hand, more bursts of light erupted from his hands and came flying directly toward Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon screamed in fear, but Solaris immediately appeared.
"Oh no, you don't!" he yelled.
He then punched the bursts of light one by one, protecting Sailor Moon from the onslaught until it ceased.
"Thank you, Solaris!" said Sailor Moon. "That was scary!"
"Get back on your feet, Sailor Moon," said Solaris. "It's not over yet!"
"I'm finished playing with you two," snarled Nephrite. "Now have a taste of my Starlight Attack!"
He crossed his arms across his chest, making a ball of power appear. Then he threw them outward, unleashing a powerful blast. Sailor Moon and Solaris immediately jumped out the way, making the attack shoot right past them, creating a large trench on the ground.
"Oh, man! That was close too!" cried Sailor Moon.
"What power..." murmured Solaris. "Just how strong is he?!"
Nephrite chuckled with glee. "You two may have been able to dodge that one, but the next time you won't be so lucky."
He was just about to attack again, and Sailor Moon trembled in fear while Solaris stood bravely ready to protect her, but then -.
"Oh, brother. You two always did have a nasty habit of getting into trouble."
"Don't give up, you two!"
Sailor Moon and Solaris looked behind them to find that Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars had arrived.
"Sailor Mars on the scene!" the fiery Sailor proclaimed.
"And Sailor Mercury is here too!" the blue Sailor added.
"So all four of you are here," smirked Nephrite. "How nice of you all to come. Now I can send all four of you to hell at once!"
He prepared to unleash his Starlight Attack, but Sailor Mercury unleashed her attack before he could.
"MERCURY BUBBLES SPRAY!"
She unleashed a blast of bubbles creating a thick fog that blanketed the area, blinding Nephrite and hiding herself and the other guardians. In the mist, Sailor Mars unleashed her attack next.
"MARS FIRE SOUL!"
Mars unleashed a blast of fire, and Nephrite saw the attack coming. He jumped out of the way just in time to dodge the attack, but only just barely.
"Mr. Sanjoin! Are you OK?!" called out Naru worriedly.
Nephrite looked back, shocked that Naru was still here and wondering why she was. Seeing that as a distraction, Solaris immediately took advantage.
"SOLAR BINDING!"
He unleashed a light beam from his hands, wrapping around Nephrite and binding him tightly. Nephrite struggled, but the binding held him tight. Finally, Sailor Moon saw her chance by taking off her tiara, transforming it into a white disk, and preparing to fire it at Nephrite.
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"
She then launched the attack making the disc fly straight and true towards Nephrite. But then, the unthinkable happened. Naru immediately stepped in front, putting herself in the line of fire, much to the shock of the guardians and Nephrite.
"What are you doing?!" Nephrite yelled.
"I won't let anyone hurt, Mr. Sanjoin!" cried Naru.
"Naru! What are you doing?!" shouted Sailor Moon.
"Get out of the way before it hits you!" screamed Solaris.
But Naru refused to move. The disc grew closer and closer to her, and just when it was about to hit her -.
"NO! TIARA, PLEASE STOP!" yelled Sailor Moon.
The Moon Tiara Action immediately stopped a few inches from Naru's face and turned back into a tiara falling to the ground with a clatter. Sailor Moon let out a sigh of relief.
"I did it... It stopped..." she murmured.
"Naru! What were you thinking?!" yelled Solaris. "You could have gotten yourself killed if Sailor Moon didn't stop her attack!"
"I don't care!" said Naru defiantly. "Stop trying to hurt, Mr. Sanjoin!"
"You don't understand!" argued Sailor Mercury. "We can't forgive him for what he has done!"
"That's right! Now move out of the way!" demanded Sailor Mars.
"Never! You'll have to kill me if you want to get to him!" Naru said stubbornly.
Nephrite was now more shocked and confused than he ever was before. "This girl... is defending me?" he wondered. "But why?"
"Naru! Surely you realize all the horrible crimes he's committed," said Sailor Mercury. "So why are you willing to go so far to protect him?"
Fresh tears were now streaming down Naru's cheeks. "Because... I love him!" she sobbed. "I love him so much... And I'll defend him even if it winds costing me my own life!"
"Naru..." murmured Sailor Moon.
"Damn... she's too stubborn for her own good," said Solaris.
Then the Dark Crystal in Nephrite's pocket began glowing brighter than it ever did before, causing the man to gaze at it in surprise. He then realized
"I understand now," he said. "The Dark Crystal not only reacts to the Silver Crystal, but it also reacts to kind hearts as well. The sacrificing of one's self for another. Is this what the humans call love?"
Then suddenly, something leaped from the bushes and gunned straight for Nephrite. It look3e like a young woman wearing traditional Japanese robes and a mask. It was Yasha, the monster that Zoisite sent.
"So that's the Legendary Silver Crystal?" she squealed with glee. "Give it to me!"
Yasha attacked, and Nephrite defended himself. The two traded blows in rapid-fire succession until Yasha knocked the crystal out of Nephrite's hand, making it land in front of Naru, causing her to pick it up, wondering what it was. Yasha then went after Naru.
"Hand over the crystal, girl!" she screeched.
Naru let out a scream of terror, but then Nephrite immediately reacted, seeing that Naru was in trouble.
"Naru!" he yelled as he broke free from Solaris' Solar Binding and then unleashed a blast of power right at Yasha, sending the monster flying and at the same time destroying her mask. The Guardians, as well as Naru's eyes, went wide with shock at what had just happened.
"Did... he just..." murmured Solaris.
"He did! Nephrite just saved Naru!" gasped Sailor Moon.
Nephrite froze and looked at his hand in shock as the others. Naru then fainted, falling to the ground. At the very same time, Yasha transformed. Her face was like a horned demon's, and her clothes had changed to all sorts of different colors.
"Curse you, Nephrite!" she roared. "Why are you protecting that human?! Traitors like you must die!"
She charged at the man with her horns aimed for his stomach like a bull, but Nephrite stopped her by grabbing her horns and, using his great strength, sent her flying into the air. Yasha quickly righted herself and her horns longer and harder than steel. Nephrite stood there calmly, ready to intercept Yasha, but then Sailor Moon and Solaris stood up and attacked.
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"
"SUNSHINE METEOR!"
Both of our heroes unleashed their signature attacks at Yasha, both combing into a giant golden disc of energy.
Yasha looked back to see the attack hit her straight and true, destroying her with a mighty boom.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
After a while, Sailor Moon and the other guardians checked on Naru, ensuring she was alright. Then, Nephrite went over to them with the crystal Naru had given in his hand. He then placed the crystal on Naru's hand, also closing it. Then he started to walk away when Sailor Moon finally spoke.
"Where are you going, Nephrite?" she asked. "Aren't you worried about Naru? She risked her life to protect you, and you don't understand her feelings at all. So why can't you?"
"I returned the favor, didn't I?" replied Nephrite. "I do not need to stay any longer."
"That's it then? You don't have anything else to say?" demanded Sailor Moon coldly.
"Have you ever thought of anyone else's feelings?!" snapped Sailor Mercury. "Or do you not have a heart at all?"
"Don't bother wasting your time," said Sailor Mars. "He doesn't have one."
Nephrite smirked. "You're all so naive. When I finally get my hands on the Silver Crystal, the entire universe will belong to the Dark Kingdom! And enjoy playing hero while you still can, for you won't be able to much longer. But feel free to keep spouting nonsense about your silly love and justice!"
"Silver Crystal? What are you talking about?" puzzled Sailor Moon.
Solaris then stood up and faced Nephrite. "Answer me this Nephrite," he said. "You said that love was silly, but I'm having a hard time doubting your words. If you think that low of love, then why did you save Naru?"
Nephrite scowled. "I did that to pay her back," he said. "She saved my life, so I saved hers. So it was nothing more but paying back a debt."
"I see..." said Solaris. "Now, let me ask you another question. What did you think of Naru protecting you from us?"
Nephrite raised a brow. "Why would you ask me that?"
"To me, you seemed to be pretty surprised of what Naru did as we were," said Solaris. "If you didn't care about Naru, then you wouldn't have been so surprised. Not only that - you graciously returned the crystal. No normal villain would go to such lengths to pay a person back."
While Nephrite glared, the guardians and Luna looked at Solaris, confused by his words.
"What are you trying to say, Solaris?" he spoke coldly.
"What I'm saying is that despite what you say and what you did, I'm starting to get the fact that for the first time in your entire life, even if you say that you feel nothing, you care about Naru," said Solaris. "That's why you saved her, even if it meant turning against your ally."
"Let's get one thing straight, Solaris," growled Nephrite, his body glowing in anger. "I'm am Nephrite, one of the proud Four Kings of Heaven of The Dark Kingdom! Such trivial things such as love are beneath me! I only saved the girl because I was paying back a debt, nothing more and nothing less. And the next time we meet, I will crush you, your friends, and get the Silver Crystal. Farewell."
He then turned on his heel and disappeared into the air. The sailors then looked at Solaris, still confused by what he said to Nephrite.
"Solaris, what was that all about?" wondered Sailor Mars.
"Why were you asking Nephrite about such things?" asked Sailor Mercury.
Solaris stared into the distance, eventually looking up at the sky. "I don't know," he said. "I guess... I was hoping he would reconsider and stop using Naru like this..."
Sailor Moon looked down on her friend as Naru was sleeping peacefully. Then she saw a shooting star flash across the sky. She immediately made a wish.
"Oh please, shooting star," she thought to herself. "Hear my wish. If Nephrite loves Naru, then don't let him be evil anymore."