In the Juuban household, it seemed to be another beautiful day. Unfortunately, not for Chibiusa, who was very upset with Ikuko and Kenji, who were sitting on the couch having to have just told her some bad news.
"Whaaat?! But why not?!" Chibiusa complained. "You both promised that you would!"
"We're sorry, Chibiusa," apologized Ikuko gently. "But there's nothing we can do."
"You can't blame her, you know," Shingo said. "Kids don't tend to take broken promises very well."
Then Usagi and Harusuke came into the room.
"Hey, Mom? What's going on?" wondered Usagi.
"Yeah. You both seem to be pretty serious," said Harusuke. "Did something happen?"
Kenji's and Ikuko's faces brightened upon seeing their son and daughter.
"Nothing now," smiled Kenji. "Because you and Harusuke are the solution!"
"That's right! Usagi or Harusuke can go with you!" added Ikuko.
Usagi and Harusuke were puzzled, not knowing what their parents meant. Then the two explained.
"You see, Chibiusa's class is having a parent-child curry rice event at her school this Sunday," said Ikuko. "Naturally, the two of us promised that we would both go with her, however..."
"Something urgent has come up," added Kenji. "Something that we can't afford to miss, so we were hoping that either one of you could take her instead."
"Well, I'm afraid I can't go," said Harusuke. "I've got something important to take care of that can't wait."
"So, you want one of us to take your place?" Usagi asked, a confident grin spreading on her cheeks, patting her chest. "Well, don't look for anyone more reliable and responsible than me."
"No way!" Chibiusa spoke rudely. "I'd rather go by myself if my only option is you."
Usagi scowled crossly at Chibiusa. "Well, do you think I like getting stuck babysitting a spoiled kid like you?!" she snapped. "I've got better things to do!"
And Usagi stomped huffily away, and Chibiusa turned away with a huff.
"Good grief. Will those two ever get along?" Harusuke sighed.
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Later that night, Chibiusa stood alone on the balcony gazing into the night sky, still feeling stubborn.
"I don't care if they don't go with me," the pinkette huffed bitterly. "Those two aren't even my real parents anyway. I'll be just fine all by myself."
As she continued to stare upward towards the stars, she thought back to when her mother and father had dinner on a ship. She could remember how much fun she was having looking at the many ships passing by, enjoying spending time with her parents. But, the facade she was sporting crumbled as tears began to trickle down her cheeks as she began to cry.
"Mommy. Daddy," Chibiusa sobbed. "I wish I could be having dinner with my mommy and daddy. We'd all be laughing and having fun right now."
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Luna and Harusuke were in Usagi's room, giving the ordango blonde a stern talking.
"Usagi, I'm sorry that Chibiusa was rude to you, but I think you were in the wrong back there," Luna spoke sternly.
"But why me? Chibiusa was the one who started it by insulting me," Usagi spoke huffily.
"Regardless, Chibiusa's a little kid," Harusuke said. "And you're a middle school girl, so you're supposed to lead by example by acting more mature than she is."
"She's also gotten separated by her parents while you're around yours all the time," added Luna. "So you could also be a little more sympathetic with her since she's so sad because of it."
"OK. OK. I get it already," sighed Usagi. Then she suddenly stood up as if she had an idea. "I know!"
"You're starting to get it?" wondered Luna, hopefully.
"Nope! I'm going to get some rice crackers!" Usagi said brightly.
She then merrily walked out of the room while Luna and Harusuke both let out disgruntled and annoyed groans facepalming themselves.
Usagi walked down the hall and into the kitchen, looking forward to a late-night snack, but as she was about to enter the kitchen, she heard the sound of running water from a faucet. She peered out from behind the corner and saw an unexpected sight.
Chibiusa was over by the sink trying to prep some rice in a pot so that she could cook it.
"I don't care if nobody comes to help me or not!" Chibiusa muttered to herself. "Unlike that dumb Usagi, I can do plenty of things all by myself!"
She then attempted to pour out the water while keeping the rice inside the pot, but due to it being too heavy for her, she ended up pouring out the water and the rice.
"No! Why do I end up spilling it out every time?!" Chibiusa complained.
Usagi snickered, thinking that this was a bit funny. She quietly entered and was just about to tease her when she heard the sound of sobbing come out from Chibiusa as she began to cry. She didn't think it was funny anymore and felt sorry for the little girl as she walked over to Chibiusa, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"What exactly are you trying to do, Chibiusa?" Usagi asked gently.
Chibiusa hastily wiped her tears, trying to hide that she had been crying. "What does it look like? Can't you tell?" she said. "I'm practicing how to make curry and rice."
Usagi then had an idea, wanting to help Chibiusa. "I know. How about we go over to Mamo's place and ask him for help?" she suggested. "Better yet, we could invite him to come with us to the curry party. Just the three of us. Would that be OK with you?"
Chibiusa looked up, surprised that Usagi would suggest such an idea. "Do you think that he'll come?" she wondered hopefully.
"It can't hurt to ask, but that's OK if you don't want to go," Usagi said with a teasing grin. "I'll just go to Mamo's by myself, and the two of us can figure it out on our own."
Chibiusa then scowled. "Usagi, are you just using me as an excuse to go there?" she asked flatly.
Usagi then blushed. "What?! Of course not! Why would I do something like that?" she tried to deny, but then she sighed. "OK. Maybe just a little."
"I should have known," Chibiusa sighed. However, despite finding this out, she couldn't help but smile a little. "I guess we're on the same page for once."
The two then laughed, thinking that they were silly, while Harusuke and Luna peeked out from behind the corner, having to have seen and heard everything, and were smiling, glad that the two were getting along.
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The following day, Usagi and Chibiusa went to Mamoru's apartment. Mamoru was surprised to see her, but he quickly hid it.
"It's too early for unexpected visitors," Mamoru spoke coldly.
He was about to shut the door, but Usagi quickly stopped it preventing him.
"Please, let me explain," begged Usagi. "I promise it won't take long."
Mamoru was about to reject her again, but Chibiusa appeared in the doorway.
"Mamo, please! I need to ask you a favor!" Chibiusa said.
Mamoru was not only surprised to see Chibiusa, but seeing her also made him decide to hear the two out, and he let them in. Usagi and Chibiusa then explained the situation to Mamoru about what was going on.
"And that's why we were hoping that you can come with us to Chibiusa's curry party tomorrow," finished Usagi.
"Well, it is very sudden," said Mamoru. "I have to work tomorrow."
Usagi was about to try and convince Mamoru, but Chibiusa stopped her.
"It's okay, Usagi," Chibiusa said. "I mean, it is last minute, so it might be too much to ask, and it was also Usagi's crazy idea. I'm sorry that we didn't ask you sooner, Mamo."
Mamoru could see that Chibiusa was disappointed, and no matter how much he wanted to keep away from Usagi to protect her, he couldn't let Chibiusa down.
"It's alright," Mamoru said. "I'll just have to figure something out at work, but so that you know, I have no idea how to make curry rice."
"Oh, don't worry about that!" Chibiusa said, now feeling happy. "Usagi can make it!"
Then there was a long silence as Chibiusa realized what she was about to say and reconsidered her words.
"Then again, I could be wrong about that," Chibiusa relented.
"Come on, give me a little credit," Usagi spoke, brimming with confidence. "I'll figure out how to make authentic curry rice! Don't worry! Chef Usagi has everything under control!"
"When you say not to worry, that's when I start to worry," said Mamoru. "Maybe we should make a test batch, at least. After all, I don't want to embarrass Chibiusa by messing up tomorrow. I'll help in any way I can."
"OK, then, let's go!" Chibiusa said. "We'll need to buy some ingredients!"
"But, that's too soon!" Usagi relented hastily. "I mean, it must be too short notice for you, right Mamo? Why don't we go in the evening so that it would be better? Besides, I could use some time to get prep work."
"Sure. I don't mind," said Mamoru.
Usagi and Chibiusa mentally gave themselves a yay feeling happy that Mamoru had accepted and was going to help them, even though it may have looked a bit bleak.
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In the UFO, Petz was eating a whole strawberry and white cake, savoring its sweet taste. While she did, Calaveras lounged around while putting lemon slices on her face, two on each of her cheeks, and one on her forehead. When Petz saw the lemon slices on her sister's face, she couldn't help but bite back a snigger.
"Calaveras, what are you doing?" asked Petz.
"I hear that this is how earthlings care for their complexion in this climate, which can cause wrinkles over time," explained Calaveras. "You ought to try it, Petz. It'll make your skin silky smooth and appealing."
Petz scoffed as she took another bite of cake. "If by appealing, you mean to a man who judges a woman based on her appearance, it isn't worth it."
"But in this world, it never hurts to be beautiful," Calaveras said snootily. "And I hate to say this but being as critical as you are just because you got dumped is very unladylike. Especially if that woman is stuffing her face full of cake to drown her sorrows in."
In anger, Petz immediately shot to her feet, her cake falling to the floor with a clatter. "What did you say?!" she demanded crossly.
At that moment, just when the two were about to fight, Rubeus suddenly appeared. Upon seeing him, Calaveras immediately took the lemons off of her face, stuffing them into her mouth, and Petz quickly kicked her tray of cake away out of sight.
"Nice to see both of you are getting along so well," Rubeus spoke with a hint of sarcasm. "I've found the next Crystal Point target."
"Where exactly is it, Master Rubeus?" wondered Petz.
The center of the room began to glow, revealing the map of Crystal Tokyo inside of the light, showing the red blinking lights once again. It then faded away, revealing the location in question. It was a building somewhere in Juuban with a large sign: JUUBAN SUPERMARKET.
"It's right there," said Rubeus. "Anyone up for volunteering?"
"I see," Calaveras said with interest. "In that case-"
"I'll handle this one, Master Rubeus," interrupted Petz. "Just leave it to me."
Calaveras was cross and was about to protest, but she looked back in time to see Petz disappear as she went into a mirror.
"Hey! That's cheating!" Calaveras complained as she chased after Petz. "Come back here!"
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Meanwhile, all of the Guardians gathered up at Makoto's place to help Usagi learn how to cook curry.
Ami presented Usagi with a cookbook while lecturing the girl in spices. "Let's see here; it says to blend thirty to forty spices to make the curry powder. Then add a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and cumin..."
"Um, Ami? I don't need a list of spices," Usagi spoke, her eyebrow practically twitching. "I honestly don't need a lecture. I need a cookbook."
Rei then whipped out a package of instant curry with a label showing: Authentic Curry in Three Minutes. "Here you go, Usagi. It's called Hi Curry. I highly recommend it," she said with a smirk. "It's curry for dummies."
Everyone groaned at Rei's little joke.
"Come on, Rei. We're trying to help, Usagi, not make things more difficult," scolded Harusuke. "Be serious, would you?"
"Never mind that. Let's just get to work," said Makoto. "Usagi, you'll be cooking curry in no time."
Makoto then led Usagi to the kitchen along with Harusuke and Minako so that they could watch, while Ami, Rei, Luna, And Artemis said in the other room. Makoto then got the ingredients ready as she gave Usagi instructions.
"...Peel the carrots, onions, and potatoes," Makoto went on. "Then, you dice the vegetables."
And to demonstrate, Makoto took a kitchen knife and began dicing up a peeled carrot in a matter of seconds. Usagi and Minako were impressed.
"Wow! You're very fast, Mako!" Usagi spoke with wonder.
"Well, she is a good chef," Harusuke said. "I would expect nothing less."
Minako suddenly grew excited, growing as bubbly as a child. "I want a turn! Let me try!" she begged.
The red bowed blonde was now wearing an apron and was chopping a carrot too, but unlike Makoko, she chopped the carrot haphazardly while keeping her fingers spread out as she cut.
Makoto couldn't help but be worried. "Be careful, Minako!" she warned. "You're going to cut yourself!"
"Yeah. I'm not so sure about your dicing skills," Usagi said worriedly. "You might be worse than me."
"It's fine, as long as I'm having fun," Minako said brightly. "Don't worry so much."
"Minako, you really should take it easy," Harusuke warned. "Otherwise, you'll end up -"
But Harusuke's warning came too late. At that moment, when Minako brought down the knife, she stopped letting out a yelp. Then, she quietly put down the knife and stood there, clenching her hand for a few seconds or so, as tears silently began to trickle down her cheeks as she trembled.
"I cut myself," Minako squeaked quietly.
Usagi, Makoto, and Harusuke all gasped, and Usagi's face suddenly went pale as she let out a shriek pointing to something on the cutting board.
"MINAKO! YOU CUT YOUR FINGER OFF!" Usagi cried.
Minako immediately panicked as she let out a shriek of terror while clutching her hand. "AMBULANCE! SOMEBODY CALL AN AMBULANCE!"
"REMAIN CALM! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!" Usagi shrieked.
Hearing the commotion, Rei, Ami, Luna, and Artemis immediately came rushing into the kitchen. "What happened?!" the four of them cried.
"AMI! YOU'VE GOT TO CALL AN AMBULANCE!" Usagi yelled. "CALL AN AMBULANCE RIGHT NOW! MINAKO CUT HER FINGER OFF!"
"We'll have to reattach it!" Makoto spoke, scared yet trying to remain calm as she frantically looked around for something to pick up Minako's dismembered finger.
Then Harusuke picked it up, inspecting it. He blinked a few times, then he sighed. "Guys. Don't you think you're overreacting just a bit?" he asked.
"HOW IN THE HECK COULD WE NOT OVERREACT, HARUSUKE?!" Usagi yelled. "MINAKO JUST CUT HER FINGER OFF!"
Harusuke rose a brow. "You mean the finger that's a carrot stub?" he asked, holding up the dismembered finger in question.
Everyone immediately stopped panicking. Makoto then took the item from Harusuke's hand, and when she saw what it was, her cheeks went pink with embarrassment and relief.
"Wait a second. It is a carrot stub," Makoto laughed.
"If it were Minako's finger, she would be spewing blood everywhere and screaming in agony," Harusuke sighed, shaking his head. "Usagi just made everyone jump to conclusions."
Everyone let out a sigh of relief as Makoto looked back at Minako.
"You OK, Minako?" Makoto asked. "Is your finger bleeding?"
"Maybe just a little bit," Minako whimpered as she hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry I panicked."
"You were freaking out for a while," Usagi laughed. "Got us going like crazy."
"You're the one who said she cut her finger off," Luna spoke flatly.
Harusuke then went over to Minako, holding out his hand, which caused Minako to look up at him.
"In any case, let's take care of that cut of yours, Minako," said Harusuke as he held out his hand. "Let me see."
Minako was a bit hesitant, but she showed Harusuke her finger. Harusuke gently held Minako's hand and inspected the cut.
"It's quite a nick, but it's nothing that a band-aid can't fix," Harusuke said, smiling. "Thankfully, I came prepared."
Harusuke then dug into his pocket, took out a bandaid, led Minako to the sink, and turned on the water, putting Minako's injured finger in it. Minako immediately winced a little, but Harusuke held her other hand.
"Here. If it hurts, squeeze my hand," Harusuke told her. "We have to make sure we let the cut bleed a little to get the bacteria out. Then we have to wash it with soap and water."
"O-Okay," Minako nodded. "If you say so, Harusuke."
The others then watched as Harusuke helped Minako take care of her cut, not expecting this in the slightest. Soon enough, Harusuke finished bandaging Minako's finger.
"There we go. All finished," said Harusuke. "Does that feel better, Minako?"
A smile tugged at Minako's cheeks as she wiped her tears. "It does. Thank you, Harusuke,"
"Anytime," Harusuke smiled back. "Now then, what do you say we get back to cooking? This time, I'm going to teach you how to do it properly."
Harusuke now was wearing an apron of his own and was ready to cook, much to everyone's surprise.
"Wow. Harusuke's raring to go," commented Rei.
"I don't think I've ever seen him like this before," said Ami.
Minako was raring to try again, readying her knife. However, Harusuke immediately stopped her by holding her hand.
"Hold on there, Turbo," Harusuke spoke firmly. "Before you do anything else, you got to wear this." He then took out a rubber glove. "Since you cut yourself, you're going to need to protect the cut while you're prepping food even though you're wearing a bandaid."
Minako was doubtful, but she put the glove on anyway, and everyone else watched, not saying a word.
"Now then, since you're right-handed, can you make a kitten's paw with your left hand?" asked Harusuke.
Minako then held up her hand, keeping her four fingers tucked in. "Like this?"
"Yes. Exactly," Harusuke nodded. He then took another carrot, placed Minako's left hand on that, and took the knife into Minako's gloved hand, wrapping his fingers around it. "Use your kitten's paw hand to keep the food in place while pushing it into the knife as your cut," he went on. "Also, be sure to cut at a slow pace since you're a beginner, and make sure to cut in a steady rhythm."
Minako's cheeks flushed pink, as she did just that, while the others couldn't help but feel impressed.
"Wow, Harusuke. You're so informative," Ami spoke. "I had no idea that you knew so much."
"Well, I can't take all the credit," Harusuke shyly smiled, scratching his cheek. "Mako's taught me a few things, and the rest I learned from Mom. But, overall, this stuff is pretty basic if you think about it."
"You've certainly learned a lot, Harusuke," Rei spoke with wonder. "You think that you could teach me sometime? I could always use a few lessons of cooking myself."
Usagi couldn't help but feel a little jealous, refusing to feel left out. "Alright! It's my turn!" she spoke with determination.
She readied her knife, and then with a determined grunt, she began to chop, the tap-tap sound of it hitting the cutting board going on strong.
"Wow, that's a nice rhythm you got going on," Artemis complimented. "Pretty fast."
"Of course, it is!" Usagi said proudly. "All it takes is skill!"
Harusuke then sighed. "And it would be even nicer if you were cutting something, Sis."
Sure enough, Luna and Artemis soon found out that Usagi wasn't cutting anything at all, much to their disdain.
"Usagi, are you taking this seriously?" asked Makoto flatly.
The ordango blonde could only answer with a sheepish grin.
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Later that evening, Usagi, Mamoru, and Chibiusa walked to the supermarket to get the ingredients they needed for the curry.
"Let's see," Usagi hummed thoughtfully. "We'll need carrots, potatoes, round onions. Is there anything else we need?"
"And the meat," Chibiusa said. "How could you forget the most important part?"
"Oh, yeah! Of course! I knew that!" Usagi spoke, laughing awkwardly. "Man, it's a good thing that Mako and Harusuke gave me a crash course!" she thought. She then quickly changed the subject taking notice of the setting sun. "Oh, look! What a beautiful sunset!" she said.
"We'd better keep going," said Mamoru. "We need to get the ingredients before the store closes."
The three then resumed walking in silence. As the three did, Chibiusa began to feel a strange feeling in her chest. A warm and pleasant one, which also made her have a flashback once again. In her memory, she could see herself walking with her mother and father on the street close by to a city made of crystal. That memory made Chibiusa fill with content, not wanting this to end, and although she did not realize it at the time, she reached out and held Usagi and Mamoru's hands.
Usagi was a bit surprised, but she didn't mind it, feeling at peace for some reason. "You know, when all's said and done, Chibiusa's still a kid," she thought. "Wait, why do I feel all warm and fuzzy inside? How odd."
Mamoru felt the same way and was just as confused. "Why do I feel so at ease when I'm doing this?" he thought to himself. "And I feel that this is how things should be? Weird."
As they walked on, Luna and Harusuke happened to be following the three and were more pleased rather than surprised, thinking that this was an unusual yet pleasant sight.
"Well, what do you know," said Luna. "Looks, they're all getting along just fine."
But then, Chibiusa immediately realized what she was doing and pulled her hand away from Usagi. "Hey! What do you think you're doing with my hand, Usagi?!" Chibiusa demanded crossly. "Quit being so friendly!"
"What are you talking about?!" Usagi snapped crossly. "You're the one who grabbed my hand first!"
"Liar! Liar!"
"You're the liar! Pants on fire!"
The two then began to argue while Mamoru pinched the bridge of his nose, and Harusuke and Luna sighed.
"Too soon, Luna. Too soon," Harusuke said.
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At the Juuban Supermarket, Petz and Calaveras didn't waste any time putting their plan into action. Along with their Droid, the two were disguised as saleswomen trying to sell a strange fruit that appeared pear-shaped, had no stem, and was colored black and purple, which they called Dark Fruit. But, unfortunately, they weren't having much luck making any sales so far.
"Are you feeling anxious about your life? Things aren't working out too well?" Petz asked, pointing to a mother and her son. "Then you should know that black is for you! So come on over here and try this dark fruit to keep your unhappiness alive!"
The mother feeling a bit unnerved by Petz's attempt at selling, walked away, taking her kid with her, much to Petz's frustration.
Calaveras shook her head. "Honestly, you're terrible at making sales, Sis," she said. "Let me show you how to do it." She took a deep breath and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear her while wearing a friendly smile. "Hi, people of Juuban District! Today, I'd like to introduce you to a wonderful fruit! They may be black on the outside, like this year's trending color, but on the inside, its taste is outstanding, as is our half-price sale! So get some now while they're still fresh!"
In a matter of seconds, a large crowd immediately formed in front of their stand, all wanting to buy and taste some dark fruit.
Petz was a bit cross, but even she couldn't help but feel impressed. "You're pretty good at this, Calaveras," she said grudgingly. "I suppose this is also how you're able to seduce men too."
"Not exactly," Calaveras winked. "Men love to submit to cute women like me, so I honestly don't have to do anything except look pretty."
Petz couldn't help but be appalled. "That's just asking for trouble," she growled. "That trick will eventually fail you!
The Droid then passed out some samples of the Dark Fruit for people to munch on. No sooner when they took a bite, all of their faces turned brown as they dried up like they were turning rotten.
Petz then smirked evilly. "I bet they've never tasted Dark Power fruit before," she cackled.
"And once they've finished contaminating this store with Dark Power," smirked Calaveras. "This Crystal Point will be completely useless."
The Droid then commanded the now zombie-like customers. "OK! Please go ahead and continue with your shopping for those who've tried our fruit. Remember, touching everything before you buy is what a smart shopper does!"
The customers then slowly walked away, doing as the Droid commanded them to, touching everything and anything they could get their hands on, making everything rotten and inedible thanks to the dark power.
At the same time, Usagi, Mamoru, and Chibiusa had just arrived there, unaware of the danger that was lurking inside.
"I recommend that we shop in this place," Usagi said proudly. "The Juuban Supermarket's selection is quite large, and its prices are low."
The three of them then went inside, heading straight for the meat department. When they got there, Chibiusa couldn't help but notice a strange odor enter her nose as she inspected the meat.
"Mamo, these smell kind of funny," she said.
Mamoru could smell it too. "You're right. What is that?" he wondered. Then he saw the rotting meat and almost gasped, appalled. "What the-! All the meat's rotten!"
"No way! It can't be!" Usagi cried in bewilderment as she picked up one case. "But how?! The Juuban Supermarket's always been known for its fresh food!"
"Well, it sure isn't today," Mamoru spoke, a bit cross. "We're not buying any of Chibiusa's ingredients in a place like this."
And before Usagi could say anything else, Mamoru and Chibiusa walked out of the store, leaving her behind.
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Chibiusa and Mamoru eventually came to a meat stand and were trying to choose the right meat for the curry when Rei came walking up.
"Chibiusa and Mamoru. Where's Usagi?" wondered Rei. "I thought that the two of you were going shopping?"
"Forget about Usagi," huffed Chibiusa. "She's useless anyway."
"Now that's not very nice!" scolded Rei. "Usagi's trying her best to help, so you should cut her some slack."
Chibiusa then had an idea. "Hey, wait! You can make curry and rice too, right, Rei?"
"You bet I can!" smiled Rei. "I can make Indian, Sri Lankan, and even all your local neighborhood curry-shop varieties!"
Of course, Rei talked about the instant type of curry, ready-made packets that you pour over rice, but Chibiusa didn't know this.
"Wow! You're just like those heat-and-serve curry commercials!" Chibiusa said. (Rei gulped at this, feeling her heart skip a beat) "Can you please come with me to my school tomorrow?"
"They're having a curry party at Chibiusa's school tomorrow," explained Mamoru.
"But I thought that Usagi made plans to go, and it was going to be just the three of you," protested Rei.
"Do you have something you need to do tomorrow?" Chibiusa asked, disappointment now showing on her face.
"Well, no, not exactly," Rei spoke tentatively. "But I don't know if I should."
"Well, if you're not feeling comfortable, I won't go," said Mamoru. "I mean, if you're worried about appearances, I understand."
"No, Mamoru! You have to go!" begged Chibiusa. "Come on, Rei. Please say that you'll do it."
Rei still didn't feel right about this, but she couldn't stand seeing the look on Chibiusa's face.
"Well, I suppose I can," Rei conceded.
Chibiusa's face brightened. "Yay! Thank you so much, Rei!"
The three then went on their way, looking for a store to buy ingredients, but Rei couldn't help but feel guilty about this whole thing.
"Oh, man, Usagi and Harusuke are going to kill me," Rei thought to herself. "Forgive me, you guys. Things just happened this way."
Chibiusa was feeling the same way, which puzzled her. "How weird. When it was Usagi, Mamo, and me, I had a warm feeling in my heart," she thought. "But now..."
Because of that guilt, Chibiusa then stopped causing Mamoru and Rei to look at her.
"Say, maybe we should go back and get Usagi," suggested Chibiusa.
"That was what I was about to suggest," Rei smiled. "Let's go get her right now."
The three of them then walked back towards the Juuban Supermarket, Chibiusa, now feeling much more cheerful. Then suddenly, as they approached the store, Rei stopped, a cold chill going through her spine, causing her to grab Chibiusa's hand, stopping her immediately.
"Don't go any further, and stay here!" warned Rei. "I sense an evil aura!"
And before Mamoru and Chibiusa could even ask what was going on, Rei had already taken off running, heading straight for the Juuban Supermarket.
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Back inside of the market, Calaveras and Petz watched as their brainwashed puppets continued to wander around, pleased that their plan was so close to fruition. They had already taken off their disguises and were ready to put the final phase into action.
"We're just about done here," said Petz. "Now, the real fun begins."
"Avocadora, contaminate the entire area," ordered Calaveras.
"As you wish," the Droid said as she shed her human disguise.
Avocadora's skin grew darker to the point of being a dark brown; her clothes turned into a spiky grass skirt around her waist, bunches of bananas for shoulder pads, and a coconut bra on her chest. She also had spikey green hair with a red flower and white peeled lychees for earrings.
With a mighty yell, she let out a powerful wave of dark power, letting it spread throughout the entire area as the innocent victims under her influence fainted.
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Usagi was desperately searching around the store, trying to find anything that was still fresh in the meat department, but she couldn't find anything. Then, Luna and Harusuke came rushing up to her.
"Usagi! We've got trouble!" shouted Luna. "Something strange is going on with this place!"
"What do you mean?" asked Usagi.
"Just come with us, and we'll show you," Harusuke urged, taking his sister by the hand.
The two then led the ordango blonde to the produce section, and Harusuke lightly tapped on some lettuce with his finger. Immediately, it turned rotten, almost turning into mush. Usagi was shocked.
"What the heck?! What's going on?! Usagi cried. "This is terrible! How are we supposed to make the curry rice now?!"
"I think you're missing the point, Usagi!" Luna snapped. "The enemy has taken over this area!"
Then Usagi noticed one thing that wasn't rotten, a large and thick carrot.
"Whew! Check out this carrot!" Usagi cried, wiping her brow in relief. "It's such a large size. It's perfect for cooking!"
Harusuke and Luna were about to protest, but then a stream of dark power came shooting straight towards them. Reacting quickly, Harusuke tackled Usagi to the floor, causing her to drop the carrot as the black stream hit it, turning it into a pile of rot. Usagi was scared, but Harusuke quickly snapped her out of it.
"Well, don't just sit there, Sis! Transform!" cried Harusuke. "Luna and I will stall for you!"
And while Harusuke and Luna raced off, Usagi took out her brooch and once again held it up.
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER MAKE UP!"
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Transformation Sequence: Usagi
Usagi holds up the Crystal Star brooch as it opens, revealing the Silver Crystal inside. Usagi waved her hand on the Silver Crystal, and it flashed it a bright short burst of pink light emitting a chime. It does it a second time, and on the third, it shines brightly, enveloping Usagi in its glow. Usagi then holds the brooch above her head, suspending it in between her hands, drawing it to the center of her torso, flipping it once before placing it in the center of her chest. She then spins around a few times as the crystal begins to glow even brighter than before in pink light. She holds her hands up as a pair of wings spring forth from her back while pink ribbons come out from the crystal wrapping around Usagi's body, forming her leotard. The wings on her back disappeared as more pink ribbons wrapped around her arms and hands, creating white gloves and red boots around her calves and feet. As the blue skirt appears around her waist, one more pink ribbon ties at her back as she does a kind of spread-eagle motion with one leg up, a glowing moon symbol appearing on her forehead. Her tiara, earrings, choker, and ordango covers appear, and Usagi, now Sailor Moon, finishes with her signature pose.
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Luna let out a fierce yowl as she pounced on Avocadora while Harusuke charged with a tackle, but the Droid swatted them both away, knocking them to the floor. She then took one of the bananas on her shoulder pads and turned it into a knife. She raised it above her head, preparing to strike, while Harusuke and Luna bravely stood their ground. But then -.
"Hold it right there!" shouted a voice.
The Droid then looked up to see Sailor Moon standing on top of the shelf, looking down at her.
"The supermarket is the public's resource for health, and you've got and angered the fresh highland vegetables, and melt in your mouth shabu-shabu beef!" the guardian of the moon scolded. "I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice! I am Sailor Moon! And in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
At the same time, a shopping cart came shooting from out of nowhere with a particular guardian of fire as its rider, much to everyone's surprise.
"And I'm Sailor Mars!" she proclaimed as she jumped off the cart, purposely letting it roll towards the Droid. "And in the name of Mars, I'll chastise you!"
The Droid, seeing the cart coming for her, countered by throwing an avocado at it, which exploded with a kaboom, destroying the cart. Petz and Calaveras also arrived.
"Go, Avocadora!" said Calaveras.
"Crush them immediately!" said Petz.
Avocadora obeyed and began to spin around and around, unleashing numerous explosive avocados from her skirt. Sailor Moon and Mars dodged and avoided them as they exploded, while Harusuke and Luna took cover. Avocadora then took off one of her lichee earrings and threw it as a bomb, seeing the two guardians open to attack, but then a rose came shooting down from above, splitting the bomb neatly in two, the two halves falling harmlessly to the floor.
Avocadora looked up as did everyone else, and standing on the ledge of the window sill above them, was Tuxedo Mask.
"The supermarket is the public's breadbasket of health!" the masked man proclaimed. "You've gone and angered the fresh highland vegetables and the melt-in-your-mouth shabu-shabu beef!"
"Wow! It's Tuxedo Mask!" gushed Sailor Moon happily. "And he said the same thing I said! It must be destiny!"
"Could you please stay focused, Sailor Moon?" groaned Sailor Mars. "This isn't the time for silliness!"
Tuxedo Mask then leaped from the ledge and dove straight for the Droid, his cane poised and ready. The two then clashed, their weapons clashing and clanging, like two samurai in a movie. Calaveras and Petz prepared to intervene, but Sailor Mars cut them off.
"Don't interfere! Why don't you two take me on instead?!" Sailor Mars cried. "MARS BURNING MANDALA!"
The Guardian of Mars then unleashed an array of rings made of fire at the two Spectre Sisters, but with a wave of her hand, Petz was able to generate a strange barrier that deflected Mars' attack with ease, much to hers and Sailor Moon's surprise.
"Now it's my turn!" Calaveras cried out as she readied her whip. "I'll take care of you!"
But Petz stopped her. "Hold on! I'm your older sister, so let me have the fun first!"
"So now you want to act like the older sister? Please!" scoffed Calaveras. "You sure you're not too old to handle the job?"
"Show some respect, Calaveras!" Petz snapped crossly, clearly insulted. "I've earned this, so mind your place!"
"Please! The only thing that you've earned was middle-age!" Calaveras countered.
Then, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Venus appeared, surrounding the two sisters.
"Damn it!" Petz and Calaveras cried. "We're outnumbered!"
"That's enough sibling rivalry for one day," Sailor Jupiter said firmly. "Just who the heck are you people?"
"And don't even think about running off," Sailor Mercury scowled. "Because this time..."
"We're going to make you tell us!" Sailor Venus finished. "So, you better start talking!"
Back in the fight with Tuxedo Mask and the Droid, the battle seemed to be at a stalemate, neither side giving in an inch until Tuxedo Mask threw his cane, disarming Avocadora. At the same time, a random cart came shooting out and rammed into her, knocking her to the floor. Tuxedo Mask looked to his left, wondering where it came from, only to see Harusuke peeping out from an aisle, making a v sign with his hand. Tuxedo Mask smiled and looked back towards the ordango superheroine.
"Now, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask yelled.
Sailor Moon seizing her opportunity, her Cutie Moon Rod at the ready, took aim and fired.
"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
A stream of sparkles of light erupted from the rod and blasted the Droid reducing her to a pile of ash, the gem turning black, earning her the victory.
Calaveras and Petz could see that they had no chance, now that their Droid was gone, and decided it was time for them to leave.
"You have forced us to retreat for now," began Petz.
"But make no mistake, you'll pay for this with interest!" Calaveras spoke with venom.
The two then vanished. At the same time, all of the rotting and decaying products in the supermarket returned to their luster. The people there also returned to normal, none of them having any memory of what happened.
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A little later, in Mamoru's apartment, Usagi was busy making the curry while Mamoru and Chibiusa watched worriedly. As she was chopping the onions, Usagi couldn't help but cry.
"Stop your crying!" scolded Chibiusa. "You'll get the curry all watery!"
"I don't have control over it!" sobbed Usagi. "Onions always make me cry!"
And this wasn't the first instance of Usagi being her clumsy self. However, through it all, and despite making a big mess like her first attempt from way back, Usagi managed to finish and severed both Chibiusa and Mamoru. The rice looked perfectly normal, but the sauce and meat looked a bit redder than usual, which worried them both.
"Well, it might look bad, but the taste is all that counts, right?" Usagi asked nervously. "Have some faith in me."
Usagi then took a spoonful of curry, popped it into her mouth, and started to chew. Mamoru and Chibiusa observed Usagi dreading what would happen. Usagi chewed for a few seconds until she swallowed. Then she smiled.
"Hey! It's delicious!" Usagi gasped in delight.
Mamoru and Chibiusa then took some spoonfuls from the curry as well, and they thought it was good too.
"You're right," Mamoru said, feeling impressed. "It is tasty."
"Well, guess we'll be good to go tomorrow!" Usagi said proudly.
"Yeah! You did alright, Usagi!" Chibiusa said, between bites.
And the three continued to enjoy the curry, feeling happy that tomorrow's party would go well, thanks to Usagi's well-earned effort.