It was late at night at the Hikawa Shrine. Rei was in the room of the sacred fire, mumbling in chants while the flame blazed before her. The girl had just woken up after having the same nightmare that she had a couple of days prior and was still desperately trying to decipher the meaning behind it, despite having no luck whatsoever.
"Why do I keep having that same ominous dream?" Rei thought to herself. "What does it mean? What is it trying to tell me?"
As Rei continued to stare and read into the sacred fire, Yuichirou watched her from outside the room, worried about Rei.
Then, someone tapped on Yuichirou's shoulder and spoke it in a ghostly voice.
"Yuichirou...~ ~ ~."
Yuichirou was so startled that he couldn't help but let out a scream but quickly composed himself, not wanting Rei to hear him. Luckily, it was only Rei's grandfather.
"Don't worry, my boy, it's just me," Rei's Grandpa chuckled. "Now, what was it you were peeking at so late at night? Is it something naughty?"
"It's not what you're thinking, Sir!" Yuichirou squeaked. "I was just concerned about Rei's health, is all!"
Rei's Grandpa looked inside the room and saw Rei. "Yes, she's been staying up late every night doing this lately, but it's not like she's going to stop just because we tell her, too," he said. "Why don't we let it go?"
"But how can I do that?!" Yuichirou protested. "At this rate, Rei's going to turn into an insomniac!"
Rei's Grandpa then smiled kindly. "Yuichirou, my boy, there's only one truth to this situation," he said. "It's not up to us to ask what answer Rei's looking for; the thing to do is to let her keep searching for that answer until she finds it. Her destiny is her own, and it's something she needs to do. I understand that more than anyone, and that's why I can let it go."
The little man then when on his way. Yuichirou knew that Rei's Grandpa had a point, but being the person he was, and because he cared a lot about Rei, he still felt that he should find some way to help her. So, he went into the kitchen and grabbed a few cups of noodles and a kettle, and went back into the room, bursting in.
"Heya, Rei! I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you some tea and some instant noodles!" Yuichirou said. "A little something to help you since you're working so hard!"
Unfortunately, Rei didn't respond as she continued to mumble her chants while staring at the fire. But, not wanting to give up, Yuichirou raced back into the kitchen and returned with an armful of snacks.
"Rei! I've brought you all of your favorites!" Yuichirou spoke merrily, pretending to be an advertiser. "Delicious three-minute "It's Curry"! Quick microwave spaghetti with meat sauce! And your personal favorite: an omelet lunch with a tuna sandwich! There's also a late-night friend, grilled rice balls, and a natto roll! And lastly, for dessert, nata de coco, and bananas!"
However, despite it all, Rei still took no notice, keeping to her ritual.
Yuichirou felt exasperated and a bit upset. "Oh, Rei. What are you trying so hard to divine?" he thought. "Do you even know that I'm here wanting to help you? If there's anything I can do, I'm here for you."
Then Rei made several signs with her hands while speaking her signature sutra.
"Rin, Pyo, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!"
Rei finally began to see something in the fire as she finished, which made her gasp, while a small gust of wind made her hair billow. Yuichirou, seeing this, noticed that a few strands of Rei's hair were blowing dangerously close to the fire. Thinking that her hair would catch fire, Yuichirou rushed over to Rei to try and save her. When he did, Rei immediately snapped out of her trance, finally taking notice of Yuichirou.
"Yuichirou? What are you doing here?" asked Rei.
"Um, I, uh," stammered Yuuichirou. "I was just -"
Rei then smiled kindly. "I'm sorry, but whatever it is, can it wait?" she asked. "I'm in the middle of an important divination."
Yuichirou was silent for a brief moment. Then he understood and decided to leave Rei be. But before he left the room, he untied his sash and left it on the floor behind her.
"Here. You should tie your hair back with this," Yuichirou said. "You don't want it to get burned."
"Thank you," said Rei.
As Yuichirou left the room, he couldn't help but feel enamored with Rei's beauty but also feeling helpless. "It's no use," he sighed to himself. "She won't stop. I can't do a thing to help her."
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The following day, Rei was waiting to cross the tracks to walk home. She was so tired; she couldn't help but let out a huge yawn.
"Geez. These all-nighters are taking their toll on me," Rei sighed. "Maybe I should skip the study session today.
The arms of the crossing soon raised, and Rei set off again. However, she didn't know that Yuichirou was watching her from afar, noticing how tired she was.
"Poor Rei. She looks so exhausted," Yuichirou spoke worriedly.
"Poor Rei. She looks so exhausted," a familiar voice parroted. "And having said that, Yuichirou stood there and looked on as Rei walked away, down the street. To be continued."
Yuichirou jumped and found that standing behind him, and having to be the source of the voice, was Usagi.
"Usagi, what are you -?"
"Look, I understand, Yuichirou," Usagi interrupted. "You want to watch over the one you love. I know that feeling all too well. But, then again, you're quite the handsome devil. The pride of Japan!"
Yuichirou blushed. "Well, I'm not all that," he said humbly. Then he shook his head, refocusing. "Look, you've got it all wrong! I'm only concerned about Rei like any other friend would be."
"Worried?" repeated Usagi. "Why would you be?"
Yuichirou then explained. "Rei's been giving up sleep and staying up, trying to divine something with the sacred fire. She claims that the night helps her concentrate better at night. I'm just worried that she's going to ruin her health."
Usagi then teasingly grinned. "Sounds to me that's a real obsession," she said. "Something that even a doctor can't fix."
"Does that mean that you know what's going on with her?" Yuichirou asked.
"Of course, I do! After all, I am a girl," said Usagi. "She's lovesick!"
Yuichirou felt like he got slammed with a ton of bricks, almost face-faulting in surprise. "L-Lovesick?!" he screeched, immediately growing protective. "So who's the guy, huh?!"
"Come on, Yuichirou. You're so dense," Usagi giggled. "It's you, of course! Rei's been trying to divine whether the two of you would make a good married couple!"
Yuichirou's head was boiling like a kettle as his face went red. "Rei's thinking about me? She might be thinking about marrying me?!"
Usagi laughed as she blushed as well. "How sweet! You're blushing like me when I start fantasizing about marrying Mamo! But don't tell Rei what I said! She might get mad!"
But Yuichirou didn't care as his worry evaporated in an instant, his heart burning ablaze with love and oblivious to the people that were staring at him. "Yes! Rei loves me! I'm King of the World, and it's great to be young!"
While Yuichirou and Usagi were acting giddy in love, a streetcar came rolling by. Riding on top of it was Kaolinite, getting ready to put another plan into action. As she rode on the car, she conjured up another egg and implanted it on the roof of the streetcar, the egg disappearing on the metal surface.
"There. Now by using this streetcar, I can automatically check the people who get on and off," Kaolinite said to herself. "All I have to do is wait until someone with a pure heart gets on."
And with a bright red flash of light, she was gone.
Yuichirou felt much more cheerful, now feeling on top of the world, but his mood would soon change, for he saw a sight that made his face pale and his heart stop. Not too far away, Rei stood with Harusuke, the two chatting away together.
"Come on, Harusuke. I told you, I'm fine," Rei reassured. "I was just staying up last night, is all. You don't need to get bent out of shape because I let out a yawn."
Harusuke then touched Rei's cheek. "Then how do you explain these bags under your eyes?" he asked, looking concerned. "How could I not be worried about you? Maybe I should walk with you so you don't keel over from insomnia."
Rei couldn't help but blush. "Oh, Harusuke. You're such a worrywart, but I suppose I'll take you up on your offer."
The two of them then went on their way. Yuichirou couldn't help but feel deeply shocked, feeling his enthusiasm deflating like air from a balloon.
"No way! Harusuke was just touching Rei on the cheek!" Yuichirou gaped. "Could-could that those two are-" He then shook his head, trying to calm down. "No. No, it can't be. Harusuke and Rei are just friends. Harusuke's most likely worried about Rei as much as I am; there's no way they could be dating! Even though Harusuke's cool, smart, and quite good looking, and he's always been around Rei and stuff, but it's not like they're going out, right?"
But even Yuichirou had a hard time believing his own words as he continued to fret. So much so that he wasn't watching where he was going and accidentally stepped onto the street. At that moment, Haruka came driving by on her motorcycle, and when she saw Yuichirou, she braked to a stop.
"Whoa! You OK there, buddy?" Haruka asked.
Yuichirou looked up. "Oh, no! I'm all right," he reassured her. "I just wasn't paying attention!"
Haruka then recognized the boy. "Say, you're Yuichirou Kumada from the Hikawa Shrine," she said. "You looking for Rei or something?"
"O-Oh no! I'm not!" Yuichirou gulped, getting defensive. "Besides, Harusuke left with her not too long ago. So I'm just doing - stuff."
Haruka then looked up and saw Harusuke and Rei walking ahead.
"Aren't you going to catch up with them?" asked Haruka.
"N-No! I've got things to do!" stammered Yuichirou. "Like I have to go shopping for snacks for their study hall tonight!"
"I see," Haruka smiled from under her helmet. "But you'd better be careful. Harusuke's quite the player when it comes to those girls, as well as a good-looking guy. If he wanted to, he could steal Rei away from under your nose."
Yuichirou immediately flinched, feeling his heart twang from shock as Haruka drove away.
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Destruction was everywhere. The sky dyed with red, and the smell of death hung in the air in Juuban, with Rei being the only one alive.
"Oh, no! Not again!" Rei cried as she braced for what was coming next.
As she predicted, the wave of destruction came straight towards her, destroying everything and everyone in its path, and just when it was about to swallow her whole -.
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"Rei! Time to get up!"
Rei's eyes snapped open as her head shot up, having to have once again fallen asleep while having that same nightmare.
"Are you feeling alright?" asked Artemis. "You look like you haven't been getting enough sleep lately."
"If you're feeling tired, maybe you should get some sleep," suggested Ami. "There's no need for you to overdo it just because there's a test coming up."
Rei quickly put on a brave face. "There's no need to worry," she said. "If that's all that was on my head, I'd have nothing to worry about. I'm fine." She then got up. "Let me go and wash my face real quick. That'll wake me up."
Rei then left the room, leaving the others feeling puzzled and worried.
"I hope that Rei's OK," said Luna. "She hasn't been acting right lately."
Usagi then smiled cheerily. "We should cut her a little slack," she said. "After all, life is too short. But, a girl's gotta love, you know?"
"Love who?" puzzled Ami.
"Do you know something that we don't, Usagi?" asked Minako.
"Just call it a woman's intuition," replied Usagi.
"I'm not so sure that's something we should count on," said Luna. "Especially since your intuition hasn't served you well on your tests."
Usagi glared at Luna pouting while everyone laughed, except for Harusuke and Makoto.
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Rei soon finished washing her face and was going back to the others, but as she came down the hall, she saw Harusuke and Makoto standing just outside the door.
"You don't look lovesick to me," said Makoto, inspecting her. "I've seen you look happier, even when things aren't going very well, which leads me to believe that you're worried about something else."
"Yeah. And knowing you, it's most likely about our enemy and the Daimons," said Harusuke. "Rei, if something's troubling you, please don't keep it to yourself. You should tell us about it."
Rei kindly smiled. "Thank you, Mako, Harusuke," she said. "I appreciate your concerns, but the thing is, I'm just as much in the dark as you two are. I don't know what's causing this anxiety, but it's just a matter of time before -"
"Come on, stop your worrying!" interrupted Makoto. "The Guardians will be ready for action and will stop whatever comes our way!"
Harusuke then smirked. "But the Guardians will have to get past a tougher opponent first. Our exams."
Makoto gulped at a loss for words. Then Rei began to giggle, and Harusuke and Makoto followed suit.
"Thanks, you guys," smiled Rei. "I feel a lot less worried now."
"Glad to hear it," said Harusuke. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go out for a little bit. We're running a bit low on snacks, so I was going to walk to the store. I'll be back in a bit."
"You sure you don't need a buddy, Harusuke?" asked Makoto. "One of us can walk with you if you want."
"No need. I'll be alright," said Harusuke. "Besides, I could use some fresh air and a good walk."
Harusuke was just about to take off when he stopped realizing something. "Say, Rei, have you seen Yuichirou anywhere?" he asked. "I've noticed that he hasn't been around."
"I think he went out for a jog," Rei hummed thoughtfully. "For some reason, he seemed pretty agitated."
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Meanwhile, Michiru was at Juuban Park playing a beautiful melody on her violin as the night wind blew gently in her hair. As she played, Haruka came up to her, appearing despondent.
"Is something wrong, Haruka?" Michiru asked.
"Michiru, I'm worried," Haruka spoke gravely. "Is what we're trying to do here nothing but a waste of time?"
Michiru stopped playing. "What kind of question is that?" she asked. "That's not like you at all."
Haruka gazed up into the sky. "I've just been thinking. What if it's already too late, no matter what we do?" she wondered. "What have we been doing this for, and are doing more harm than good?"
Michiru then gently took Haruka's hand to comfort her. "Haruka, we were already aware of the consequences when we started," she spoke firmly. "The cogs of fate cannot be stopping. A new awakening will come soon, and until then, all we can do is keep searching for the three talismans. But to do that, we have to sacrifice everything."
Haruka then held Michiru close, her fingers intertwining with hers as she hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I guess the moonlight is making get into my head too much."
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Harusuke soon got to the store and bought all the snacks he needed for the girls. He was now walking home, carrying two bags of snacks, humming a tune. Then, as he passed an intersection, he happened to walk past a vending machine, seeing a particular snack inside of it.
"Hey, that's one of my favorites!" Harusuke said to himself. "Well, since I'm here, I might as well treat myself."
Harusuke set his bags down and dug into his pocket, taking out a one-hundred yen bill, but as he was about to put it into the machine, a strong gust of wind blew it right out of his hand, fluttering high into the air.
"Oh, no!" Harusuke cried. "Come back here!"
But it was no use. The wind carried the bill so high that Harusuke couldn't see it anymore. Harusuke felt a bit depressed, slumping a bit in sadness. Then he heard a voice.
"Harusuke? Is that you?"
The male Tsukino looked up and saw Michiru walking towards him.
"O-Oh! Michiru," Harusuke blinked. "What are you doing here?"
"I was just on my way home," said Michiru. "You seem a bit depressed. What's the matter?"
"Oh, I was going to buy something from this vending machine," explained Harusuke. "But some lousy gust of wind blew my yen right out of my hand, and it was my only one, too."
"That's quite a shame," said Michiru. Then she took notice of Harusuke's bags. "But don't you have enough snacks already?"
"Oh, no. Those aren't for me," replied Harusuke. "Those are for Usagi and the others. We're having a study session, and I figured I'd get some snacks for everyone. Especially since my sister's a bit of glutton."
Then Michiru went up to the machine and took a look at it. "Tell me, which one were you going to get?" she asked.
Harusuke pointed to the snack in question, and to his surprise, Michiru pulled out a hundred-yen bill and deposited it into the machine.
"Wait, Michiru, what are you doing?" Harusuke asked.
Michiru smiled. "I'm treating you, of course," she said. "After all, you deserve it for taking care of your sister and your friends."
"B-But, you don't need to buy it for me!" Harusuke protested, blushing a bit. "I mean, I'd feel bad for making you want to pay for it."
"It's no problem," Michiru spoke kindly. "Think of it as a reward for being such a good person."
Around that time, Yuichirou happened to be jogging close by, trying his best to get his mind off of things. Then he saw Harusuke with Michiru, which surprised him.
"It's Harusuke! But who's that girl he's with?!" Yuichirou wondered. "She's freaking gorgeous!"
"But I feel bad," Harusuke said. "I mean, it's my fault things ended up like this, and I hate to put you through the trouble."
"It's no trouble at all. Really," reassured Michiru. "You should learn when to accept things like this."
Harusuke paused but then conceded. "Well, I suppose you're right," he said. "But just so you know, I am a guy, and a guy got to make sure to take responsibility."
When Yuichirou heard this, he was so shocked that he almost went pale, but anger quickly took over as he seethed with fury.
"I can't believe what I'm hearing! Harusuke's cheating on Rei with another girl!" Yuichirou thought. "And what's he talking about responsibility?!" But, then, he had a thought that made him even more horrified as well as angrier, as he clenched his fist with fury. "What if he and that girl did what I think they did?! If they did, Harusuke's not only a cheater, he's a two-timing jerk! He's only a middle school student, and he's already gone and got her -! It's unforgivable!"
Yuichirou then took off running, not waiting around to hear the rest of Harusuke and Michiru's conversation.
"I'll make sure to pay you back, Michiru," said Harusuke. "I'd feel bad if I wasn't able to."
"It's no problem at all. You don't have to worry about paying me back," smiled Michiru as she handed him the snack. "After all, it's just a hundred-yen. Besides, you deserve it for being so sweet."
"A-All right then," Harusuke spoke, blushing a bit. "Anyway, I'll see you later. Usagi and the others are probably wondering where I'm at."
"See you later, Harusuke," Michiru waved. "Make sure you get home safely."
Harusuke answered with a wave as he picked up his bags and went on his way. As Michiru watched him leave, Haruka stepped out.
"You seem to be interested him for some reason," Haruka said.
"Oh, am I?" Michiru teased. "You're not jealous, are you?"
"Yeah, right. Like I would be," Haruka scoffed lightly. "Besides, he's already got a group of girls following him already."
"I suppose he does," said Michiru. "Although, he has yet to realize this as of yet. He is a bit adorable, but he's a bit naive when it comes to the opposite sex."
Haruka couldn't help but smile, too. "You're right about that," she said. "And I can't help but worry about the poor guy. If he's not careful, that kid's going to end up in a difficult position that'll most likely lead to trouble. Trouble for him."
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The next day, it was raining hard. Water came pouring from the sky like cats and dogs. Harusuke walked about under his umbrella, heading for Rei's place for another study session.
"Geez. What's the deal with all of this rain?" Harusuke complained. "I'm all for showers, but this is one I'd rather avoid."
Then someone stepped in front of him, barring his way, that, someone, being Yuichirou, having no umbrella and soaked to the bone.
Harusuke couldn't help but feel surprised. "Yuichirou! What are you doing out in the rain like this?!" he exclaimed. "You're going to catch a cold if you don't get somewhere dry!"
But Yuichirou just stood there, glaring at Harusuke, not forgetting what he saw the other night.
"Yuichirou, is something wrong?" asked Harusuke. "You look upset."
"Just come with me," Yuichirou spoke curtly. "We need to talk."
Harusuke was puzzled, but he followed Yuichirou anyway, all the way to an abandoned lot. When they got there, Harusuke felt even more confused and a little worried.
"So, mind telling me why you led me to a place like this, Yuichirou?" Harusuke asked.
Yuichirou then faced Harusuke, his hands balled up into fists. "Tell me, Harusuke. Who was that girl you were talking to the other night?"
Harusuke stared at Yuichirou. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
"Don't lie to me!" snapped Yuichirou. "I saw you the other night! You were talking with another girl about taking responsibility for something!"
Harusuke flinched, remembering back to the other night. "Wait, are you talking about Michiru?" he asked. "What about her?"
"So you do know her. That proves it," Yuichirou scowled. "In that case, Harusuke Tsukino, I challenge you!"
Yuichirou then grabbed his coat, ripping it off and tossing it aside. Then he put up his fists, taking a fighting stance.
Harusuke stepped back in surprise. "Y-Yuichirou! What are you doing?!" he exclaimed.
"What do you think?! I'm challenging you to a fight!" Yuichirou snarled. "So put 'em up, and let's go!"
"But why do you want to pick a fight with me?!" Harusuke cried. "Did I do something to make you angry with me?"
"Why don't you ask your heart about that?!" Yuichirou snapped. "Now, get ready because here comes the pain!"
Yuichirou then lunged straight for Harusuke, swinging with his right fist, but Harusuke stepped to the right making Yuichirou's punch miss. Yuichirou stumbled and slid on the ground, falling face-first into the mud.
"Yuichirou, calm down!" begged Harusuke. "I'm not going to fight you, so stop this already!"
"No way! I'm just getting started!" barked Yuichirou, getting back up. "You'll pay for what you've done!"
"But I don't even know what it is I did!" protested Harusuke. "Let's just talk things out!"
But Yuichirou wouldn't listen as he gunned for Harusuke again, only for him to dodge, causing him to fall to the mud. This exchange continued until Yuichirou was covered in mud, while Harusuke didn't have a single scratch on him. However, Yoichirou was far from unbeaten as he got back up for the umpteenth time.
"You're good, Harusuke! I'll give you that!" Yuichirou panted. "But I'm not leaving until I teach you a lesson!"
"Yuichirou, knock it off already!" Harusuke spoke. "I don't know what it is you think I did, but it's not what you think! So calm down already!"
"You're still going to play dumb?!" Yuichirou snarled. "I can't believe how far you'll go to deny it! If you refuse to admit what you did, I'll keep fighting until you do!"
Yuichirou then charged at Harusuke again, but a familiar voice shouted out.
"Yuichirou, what do you think you're doing?!"
Harusuke looked up, and Yuichirou looked back and saw Rei standing outside the lot, dumbfounded and shocked. However, due to looking back at Rei, Yuichirou tripped over a rock with his foot, planting his face firmly in the mud. Rei then rushed over to Harusuke throwing her umbrella and schoolbag aside.
"Harusuke, are you alright?!" Rei asked. "You're not hurt, are you?!"
"No, I'm fine," reassured Harusuke. "But Yuichirou seems to be in worse shape than me, and I didn't even do anything."
Rei then glared at Yuichirou. "Yuchirou, what's the meaning of this?!" she demanded. "You need to explain yourself, right now!"
Yuichirou then got up, his face turned towards the ground, and his matted and wet hair, hiding his eyes. "I see. So, you're defending him now, Rei?" he spoke in a low voice.
Rei was now confused. "Yuichirou, what are you-?"
"Stop. Don't say another word," Yuichirou interrupted coldly. "I understand completely." He then walked over to Harusuke, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You win today, Harusuke Tsukino," he said to him. "You may be a two-timing playboy, but you got the better of me as a man. If you had any decency left in you, you would stop making poor Rei suffer. You should break it off with that Michiru girl, no matter how much responsibility you have."
Harusuke's eyes went wide as saucers, not believing his ears, and Rei was so utterly embarrassed that her face went pink with shame, completely speechless.
"Anyway, that's all I wanted to say," Yuichirou said. "And Rei, I wish you nothing but happiness."
"But Yuichirou! I-!" Harusuke stammered.
But Yuichirou had already walked away, leaving Rei and Harusuke dumbfounded.
Harusuke then turned to Rei. "Aren't you going to go after him, Rei?" he asked. "He doesn't understand anything!"
Rei turned away in a huff. "Don't be stupid. I could care less what he does," she scoffed. "That stupid idiot."
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Back at the Hikawa Shrine, Usagi and the others were lounging around studying, Harusuke and Rei being the only members absent. At this point,
"It looks like it's finally stopped raining," said Luna. "I wonder why Rei hasn't come back yet."
"Harusuke, too," said Artemis. "I hope those two don't come home soaking wet."
Usagi slyly grinned, snickering. "I noticed Yuichrou's not around either," she cooed. "Maybe the two of them are getting cozy if you know what I mean~."
Everyone else didn't seem so sure. Just then, Makoto then came running up, very upset.
"Guys! We have a problem!" Makoto cried. "Yuichirou's leaving the shrine! Everyone come quickly!"
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Yuichirou spoke to Rei's Grandpa, now carrying a small sack of his belongings over his shoulder.
"But why are you suddenly leaving on a journey, my boy?" asked Rei's Grandpa.
"I'm sorry, but I'd rather not say," Yuichirou spoke politely. "Please forgive me."
Rei's Grandpa was silent, keeping his eyes fixed on Yuichrou. Then he smiled warmly. "Well, you have a long and eventful life ahead of you. I wish you good luck."
"And I will never forget the debt I owe you, master," said Yuichirou. "Goodbye."
Then he turned on his heel and started walking away, only for Usagi and the others to come up to him.
"Wait, Yuichirou, what happened?" asked Ami.
"Where are you planning to go?" wondered Usagi worriedly.
"I would prefer to keep it to myself if you don't mind," Yuichirou spoke quietly. "Until then, farewell."
Yuichirou then broke into a run leaving the Hikawa Shrine behind him. As he headed for the stairs entrance, Rei and Harusuke just happened to reach the top of them, and when Yuichirou ran past them, he didn't say a word, not even glancing at them. Rei and Harusuke then looked back, watching as Yuichirou left.
"What's going on?" Harusuke asked. "Is Yuichirou running away or something?"
"He said he was leaving and going on a journey," explained Rei's Grandpa as he walked up. "Although he didn't say where he was going, I'm afraid."
"Rei, you have to go after him!" protested Minako. "Please go, stop him!"
"Forget about him!" huffed Rei. "That coward didn't even face me, stupid Yuichirou!"
"Come on, Rei! Don't be stubborn!" Usagi urged. "Yuichirou would come back in a second if you talked to him! He won't come back unless you stop him!"
"That idiot jumped to conclusions and wouldn't even hear me out!" Rei snapped. "He can go jump off a cliff for all I care!"
"How can you say that?! Yuichirou was only trying to do what's best for you!" said Harusuke. "He just got overprotective and was only looking out for you!"
Rei bit her lip, and her eyes began to fill with tears. "Then why did he run away from me?!" she snapped tearfully. "Why didn't he believe me until the end?!"
Harusuke then gently touched Rei's shoulder and turned her around. "I don't know, Rei," he spoke gently. "I think that's something you need to talk to Yuichirou about. However, I'm partially responsible for this, so I should probably help clear things up. Besides, he's a good friend, and we can't just let him go, not like this. If you let him go with the way things are, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. So, I'm going to go look for him and try to smooth things over."
Harusuke then took off, running down the stairs disappearing from view. As she watched him leave, Rei began thinking about what Harusuke said and about Yuichirou. She was still angry with him, but inside, she still cared about him and didn't want to see him go.
Usagi then gave her a hard slap on the back, snapping her out of her train of thought. "Come on, Rei! Hurry up and go after him already!" she said. "You can make things right!"
"Yeah! Go quickly," urged Makoto. "I'll hold on to your bag."
"You can do it," encouraged Minako.
Rei looked at her friends. "Thank you, everyone," she whispered as she took off running down the stairs joining the search for Yuichirou. But as she made it down the stairs, she found that Harusuke was waiting for her.
"So, I take it you're going to help me look for Yuichirou now?" Harusuke asked with a teasing grin.
Rei laughed. "Just shut up and help me find him."
The two then took off searching for Yuichirou, hoping that they would find him before it was too late.
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Yuichirou wandered around town, feeling betrayed, lonely, and miserable. As he walked, he began to think back on the memories he made with Rei and Harusuke. He could remember how kind Rei had treated him and what a good friend Harusuke was. He also remembered how much he cared and loved Rei and how happy she looked when Harusuke was with her.
Yuichirou soon came to the station and waited for the streetcar to arrive. In a few minutes, the streetcar pulled up, the doors opening up. At the same time, Rei and Harusuke arrived, and when they saw Yuichirou about to board, they quickly raced over, hoping to stop him before it was too late. But then, as Yuichirou started to enter the car, the car suddenly began to glow. Yuichirou stepped back in surprise as the vehicle began to levitate. Then, as the driver jumped clear, the streetcar started to bend and warp, shrinking down in size until it transformed into another Daimon.
The creature was a humanoid woman wearing a blue train conductor's outfit with brown pumps with wheels on the sides. She also had pink hair, railroad crossing arms for shoulder pads, a battery on her back, and two resonators sticking out from her hat.
"All passengers, please board quickly at this time," the Daimon said. "Our next stop will be your final destination."
"It's a monster!" cried Yuichirou. "I've got to get out of here!"
He turned around to try and run away, only to be cut off by Kaolinite, who just appeared from out of nowhere.
"Looks like we've finally caught one," Kaolinite smirked. "Toden! Retrieve this man's pure, loving heart!"
"As you wish, Kaolinite," Toden winked.
Toden then raised her armpit, revealing a black star tattoo, and shot a beam straight into Yuichirou's chest. Yuichirou let out a cry in agony as the beam tore into his chest. Harusuke and Rei had seen everything and knew that they had to take action.
"Rei! Let's transform!" Harusuke urged. "Yuichirou needs help!"
Rei answered with a nod and took out her transformation pen while Harusuke exposed his bracelet.
"MARS STAR POWER MAKE UP!"
"SOLAR PRISM POWER BLAZE FORTH!"
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Transformation Sequence: Rei
Rei's hand is held up as red sparkles swirl around it, alighting her fingernails, turning them into a shade of bright red. Her transformation stick appears spinning, and she takes hold of it, the star on end as well as the symbol glowing. It begins to turn as Rei is enveloped in red light. As she held up her pen while spinning around, long bright tongues of flame erupted from it, forming several rings around her body. They tighten around her body, and in a brilliant flash of light, her outfit forms having to look just like Sailor Moon's, but she is wearing red pumps along with a pair of red star-shaped earrings, the center bow is purple, and the rims of her gloves, her skirt, her choker, and collar are red. After that, Mars finishes with her signature pose.
Transformation Sequence: Harusuke.
Harusuke holds up his hand as the stone on his bracelet shines bright in golden light. The stone lets out three pulses, the symbol of the Sun glowing inside of it on the third pulse. Harusuke is enveloped in silver and gold light as he jumps into the air, his clothes disappearing. The symbol of the sun appears just above him and goes down, phasing through his body, making his silver jumpsuit with gold lines on the sides materialize. Two smaller sun symbols go over his feet to his kneecaps, and his gold and metal boots and silver kneecaps appear. Around his waist, a ring of light wraps around it, forming a belt with a gold belt buckle in the shape of an oval. Harusuke then spreads his arms wide as two more light rings envelop his arms and hands, making gold gloves appear. The symbol of the sun appears in front of him now, and crashes into his chest, making his chest piece like before, now thicker and having shoulder guards. Finally, a helmet materializes above Harusuke's head, the design slightly different as he reaches and grabs hit, putting it on his head, not having a mouth protector. Harusuke opens his eyes, punches his hands together, and strikes his signature pose, the symbol of the sun appearing behind him with a star-filled background.
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Toden soon finished extracting Yuichirou's Pure Heart Crystal and was just about to retrieve it when two voices cried out.
"Hold it!"
Toden and Kaolinite looked up, and much to their displeasure, they saw Solaris and Sailor Mars standing on the station's roof.
"How dare you try and take that man's, Pure Heart!" Sailor Mars scolded.
"And in case you haven't noticed, this is a public station!" Solaris added. "Since you're technically a streetcar, it's time that someone put the brakes on your evil ways!"
"I am the pretty guardian who fights for love and passion, Sailor Mars!"
"And I'm the knight with the brilliance of the sun and the courage of a warrior, who fights for love and justice! I am Solaris!"
"And not only can we ever forgive you, but in the name of the Sun and Mars, we'll chastise and punish you!" the two finished.
Kaolinite then quickly teleported next to Yuichirou and snatched his pure heart crystal away, which distracted the two Guardians as Yuichirou fell to the ground, unconscious. Toden summoned a rope cable and flung it straight at the two, taking advantage of the situation. Solaris and Sailor Mars dodged it, only for Toden to whip it around, redirecting it, and clamp it onto Sailor Mars around her waist.
"All standing passengers, please use the assist straps!" Toden cackled as she began to swing Sailor Mars around.
"Hey! You let her go, right now!" barked Solaris.
Toden then smirked mischievously, doing just sending Sailor Mars flying. Solaris immediately took and caught her just before she hit the building next to the station. While the battle raged on, Kaolinite inspected Youchirou's crystal, and much to her disappointment, it was an ordinary pure heart crystal. Then a voice cried out.
"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"
A familiar chain of hearts made of light whipped the pure heart crystal out of Kaolinite's hands and set Sailor Mars free. Sailor Mercury also jumped up and caught the crystal just in time. As Kaolinite held her hand in pain, she glared as Sailor Moon and the others arrived.
"You people again!" Kaolinite snarled.
"Japan's trains are known for their safety and their perfect accident-free record!" said Sailor Moon. "And you dare to ruin their track record?! So, in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"
"I don't have time for your pretty speeches!" Kaolinite scoffed. "I've wasted enough time here, anyway!" She turned to her Daimon. "Toden, I'll leave the rest to you! Make sure you get rid of them!"
Kaolinite then teleported away, leaving Toden to go on the attack. Two large metal tracks shot out from her gloves and began spinning around the guardians, crackling and sparking with electricity, preventing them from moving.
"All passengers, we'll be departing shortly!" said Toden. "Your next stop will be the afterlife!"
Toden then began to transform. First, her railroad crossing arms retracted, her wheels split into two, a headboard appeared on her cap, a railing grill appeared on her hands, and a pantograph came out from her battery. Then while running on the rails, she charged straight towards the guardians, threatening to bash into them, but the Guardians managed to avoid the attack just in time.
Sailor Jupiter went on the attack, firing a large disc of lightning. "JUPITER SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"
That would prove to be a mistake, as Todan's pantograph absorbed the attack. Now charged with power, Todan fired an electric attack of her own, forcing the Guardians to duck to avoid it. The droid then leaped into the air and fired another set of tracks, making them land on top of the Guardians. Sailors Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter got trapped underneath them, the electricity shocking them. Toden got back onto the tracks and started charging for them once again. But she didn't realize that Solaris and Sailor Mars avoided them and were only shocked by the electricity. Once Toden was close enough, Sailor Mars seized her chance and took out an ofuda.
"EVIL SPIRIT, BE EXORCISED!"
The fire guardian then threw the ofuda, making it land right in the middle of Toden's forehead. Immediately, Toden came to a screeching halt, her body now paralyzed and the electricity cut off.
"Now it's our turn!" said Sailor Mars. "We'll teach you what happens when you try to steal a good man's Pure Heart! Solaris, are you with me?"
"You bet I am!" Solaris grinned. "Let's teach this Daimon a lesson!"
At that moment, Solaris' prism began to glow brightly in red, as flames began to spark from his body while he activated his power once again.
"SOLARIS MARS POWER RANK UP!"
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Transformation Solaris: Mars Mode
The gem in Solaris' bracelet glows brightly in a bright red light, the symbol of Mars shining inside the prism. Next, Solaris is enveloped in bright red light, as long tongues of fire shoot out from his bracelet and encircle his body as he spins around, similar to Rei. First, the ropes of fire wrap around his body, creating a sphere. Next, his boots emerge from the flames, red while retaining the silver. Then his belt is revealed, also being red, along with his right and left gloves and chest, while keeping the silver. At the center of Solaris' chest, it changed to silver, and the dot had changed to the symbol of Mars. Finally, the head of Solaris emerges from the lightning, the helmet slightly different in design. A faceplate covers his mouth as he strikes his signature pose, while the background shows his symbol and Sailor Mars overlapping each other in a red and gold background.
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Solaris and Sailor Mars squared off against the Daimon and attacked.
"MARS BURNING MANDALA!"
"FIRE SOUL!"
Sailor Mars unleashed an array of fire rings while Solaris released a powerful ball of flame. Both attacks ignited Toden on fire, making her howl in agony as the flames licked across her skin, not only weakening her but also incinerating the track she used to trap the other guardians.
Sailor Mars then looked at Solaris. "All right! Now, Solaris!" she called out.
Solaris gave a firm nod. "You got it!" he acknowledged.
The Guardian of Mars and the Sun clenched his fist and took a running start while being shrouded in flames. He then leaped into the air, and the fire took the shape of a fiery phoenix that let out a majestic shriek.
"SOLARIS MARS BLAZING PHOENIX!"
The bird made of fire then shot into Toden, resulting in a mighty explosion of flame as Toden let out a dying wail, leaving the streetcar and the crumbled up remains of the Daimon Egg. The Guardians quickly put Yuichirou's Pure Heart Crystal back inside his body. Unknown to them, Sailor Uranus and Neptune were watched from afar, having to have seen everything from on top of a building.
"They did a pretty good job," said Sailor Neptune. "Especially Solaris and that strange power of his. Wouldn't you agree, Uranus?"
Sailor Uranus didn't say a word as she and Sailor Neptune went away, disappearing into the night.
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After a while, Yuichirou woke up, finding himself lying on the station bench with Harusuke and Rei next to him.
"So, you're finally awake, Yuichirou," said Harusuke. "Thank goodness. You OK?"
Yuichirou quickly sat up, feeling started, but he felt a sharp pain go through his arm as he did.
"Take it easy, Yuichirou," chided Rei. "You're injured, so you shouldn't be pushing yourself."
"But what happened? What's going on?" Yuichirou asked, looking around. "What happened to the monster?"
Rei then laughed. "What are you talking about, Yuichirou? You must have hit your head and have a dream, right, Harusuke?"
"Sure looks that way," chuckled Harusuke.
Rei then dug into her pocket and took out the sash Yuichirou gave her, and used it to dress his wound.
Yuichirou was surprised. "Wait, isn't that my-"
"Next time, how about you give me an actual ribbon?" smiled Rei. "Can you stand up?"
"I think so," replied Yuichirou, as he stood up to test his legs.
"Listen, Yuichirou. I wanted to clear some things up with you," said Harusuke. "First of all, I'm not going out with Rei or anything like that. Secondly, there is absolutely nothing going on between Michiru and me."
"But I saw you the other night," said Yuichirou. "You two were talking about taking responsibility and stuff."
"Michiru was just buying something for me back at the vending machine," explained Harusuke. "When I said taking responsibility, I was only talking about paying her back, nothing more and nothing less."
Now Yuichoru felt terrible. "Is that so? Then it seems that I've may have misunderstood some things," he said sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Harusuke."
"That's fine, Yuichirou, but there's someone else who you need to apologize to as well," said Harusuke sternly. "Not only did you not trust Rei and embarrass her, but you also acted too rashly. Whether you like it or not, you don't have the right to tell anyone who they can or can't date. It's their decision and theirs alone, and you have to learn to respect that and support them."
Yuichirou stared at Harusuke and Rei, both surprised by his words.
Yuichirou then nodded, understanding. "Yes. You're right," he said. He then faced Rei and bowed. "I'm so sorry, Rei. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions and embarrassed you like that. Please forgive me."
Rei then looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Well, that's fine. As long as you understand," she spoke, trying to be tough. "Just make sure you don't do that again."
Harusuke then smiled. "Well then, now that we've gotten that out of the way, why don't we all head home? Rei's Grandpa's probably wondering where we are. I'll get your things, Yuichirou."
"And you can lean on my shoulder," said Rei.
"You two don't have to do that," Yuichirou said. "I can walk on my own and carry my stuff."
"Just shut up and let us help," Rei said with a smile. "After all, what are friends for?"
Then, Harusuke staggered a bit, almost falling over. Rei and Youichirou took notice of this and were a bit worried.
"Yo, Harusuke? Are you OK?" asked Yuichirou.
"Y-Yeah. I'm OK," replied Harusuke as he walked on. "Don't worry about me."
"It looks like I haven't fully recovered from using that Unison Fusion power," Harusuke thought to himself. "That power taxes a lot of my stamina."
Then, Rei took Yuichirou's bag from Harusuke. "I can carry Yuichirou's things, Harusuke," said Rei. "You have him lean on your shoulder."
"But Rei, it's OK," insisted Harusuke. "I can carry his bag."
Rei then held up a finger silencing him. "I told you I'd carry Yuichirou's things," she said firmly. "You lend Youchirou your shoulder unless you want me to get angry."
Harusuke then conceded. "All right then. As you wish," he said. "The last thing we want is to get you angry."
As the three set off for home, Usagi and the others, who had been hiding and watching the whole time, watched as the trio walked away as the moonlight shone above them.