At the Hikawa Shrine, Usagi and the others enjoyed a break from their study session by watching a concert on TV. The one singing was a man with bright brown hair wearing a white suit. As he finished his song, the girls went wild with screams as they cheered.
"Wow, that's crazy," murmured Rei in amazement. "Those girls are like ants in a pile of sugar."
"Don't those fan-girls have anything better to do?" asked Makoto.
"Sounds funny coming from you, Mako," chuckled Harusuke. "I'm surprised you haven't gone goo-goo eyes and said, "He looks just like the guy who broke my heart."
"What do you mean by fan-girls?" asked Ami.
"They're girls who're obsessed with their favorite celebrities," explained Usagi. "Some even follow them all over the world."
"What would they do if they caught up with them?" wondered Ami.
"Oh, they don't do anything much; they just want to be near them," said Rei. "Just thinking about all that running around and screaming would wear me out."
"Yeah. I don't even understand why anyone would do it," agreed Usagi. "Don't you think so, Minako?"
Minako, who had been quiet the whole time, didn't answer, her eyes focusing squarely on the TV screen. Usagi then snapped her fingers in front of Minako's face to get her attention.
"Hey, Minako! Earth to Minako!" she barked.
Minako then blinked. "Wh-What? What's up?" she asked.
"You OK there? You looked like you were zoning out," said Usagi."
"You're not turning into one of those rabid fans drooling over that guy, are you?" questioned Rei with a teasing grin.
Minako smiled. "Of course, I'm not," she spoke innocently. "I don't even know who he is."
"Of course, you do, Minako," said Artemis. "It's Jinta Araki-"
But the white cat was rudely interrupted as Minako slammed his head to the floor, pinning him down.
"Who has time to get obsessed with pop stars?" Minako continued. "After all, we'll be in high school next year, so we won't have time to be doing things like that."
As they went back to studying, Minako happened to glance over at the TV, now showing a female reporter coming up to the singer. "That was Jinta Araki's new hit single: "Blue Crisis Love!" I'm here with the man in question after serenading the world with his beautiful voice," she turned to the male. "So, Jinta, do you have anything to tell our viewers at home as well as your other raving fans?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," said Jinta. "I'm looking for someone to play as the heroine in a blockbuster movie that will be shooting this week. The first round of public auditions will be happening tomorrow at the Minato Cultural Center at four-thirty pm. There will also be a swimsuit competition, so make sure you bring your best, and let's get heated up for the summer." He then looked towards the camera and gave a flirtatious wink. "I'll be waiting, my sweet heroine."
Minako quickly wrote down the information, so she wouldn't forget while making sure not to show her excitement.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
The next day everyone was over at Rei's place for study hall. Usagi, Rei, Ami, and Makoto were busily at work solving math problems when Artemis came into the room, noticing that a certain red-bowed blonde wasn't there with them.
"Hey, has anyone seen Mina?" Artemis asked.
"She said she was running a fever," replied Rei. "So, she's gone home to rest."
Artemis then scowled suspiciously, knowing that was a lie. "I know what she's up to," he thought to himself. "I wouldn't put it past her if she did."
He then left the room about to look for Minako when he ran into Harusuke.
"Let me guess; you're going to go look for Minako, right?" Harusuke asked the white cat. "Over at the Minato Cultural Center?"
Artemis was surprised. "Wait, how did you know that?" he asked.
"Come on. It was pretty obvious given Minako's behavior yesterday," said Harusuke. "I mean, come on. I pretty much know how all of the girls think, and Minako's no exception. So if it's all the same to you, I'll be going with you."
Artemis answered with a nod, and the white cat along with Harusuke dashed away to the Minato Cultural Center."
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Meanwhile, Minako had just arrived at the cultural center. There were many girls around her, each talking excitedly about getting their chance to win.
"Well, here I am. So far, so good, I guess," Minako spoke nervously to herself. "If I can see Jinta Araki in person, I'll tell him what a big fan I am."
Then, Minako felt someone tap her shoulder, making her jump while turning around, surprised to see Harusuke and Artemis.
"H-Harusuke! Artemis!" exclaimed Minako. "H-How did you guys know that I was here?"
"We're pretty good at figuring you out, Minako," said Artemis. "Plus, it was obvious."
"But what I want to know is that why didn't you tell any of us about this?" wondered Harusuke. "The girls and I would have supported you."
"Well, I didn't want to admit to everyone that I'm a devoted Jinta fan-girl," Minako admitted sheepishly. "You heard how everyone was talking the other day. I was too embarrassed."
"So, I take it that you're going to go through with this contest then," said Harusuke. "What happens if you win?"
Minako smiled with confidence as she struck a pose. "Then the world will get a taste of a Pretty Guardian Teen Idol!" she said with a wink. "Plus, it'll be a surprise for the others, so please don't tell anyone, pretty please?"
Harusuke and Artemis were hesitant, but with one look from Minako's pleading face, they knew that they couldn't refuse.
"Well, I suppose we could keep quiet for now," said Artemis.
"But only if you'll allow us to stick around to keep an eye on you," said Harusuke.
Minako squealed in delight and tackled Harusuke in a hug. "Thanks, you guys! You're the best!" she gushed. "Now, let's get me signed up!"
As she went over to the table to sign up, Harusuke and Artemis couldn't help but heave exasperated sighs.
"It's not like we could say no," said Artemis. "She would have gone to audition either way."
"Well, since we're letting her do this, let's support her as much as we can while keeping an eye on her," said Harusuke. "Who knows? Maybe if she wins, she'll let me be her agent, and you can be the pet slash mascot or something."
As the two went over to join Minako, they didn't know that a familiar member of the Witches 5 had arrived, having to have chosen her next target for a pure heart.
"So, Jinta Araki aka Akazin is a popular and upcoming teen sensation that's talented as a singer and as an actor," Mimete thought to herself. "And, he's also looking for a girl to play as the heroine for his upcoming blockbuster. This contest could be a good opportunity the way I see it. Whoever wins has got to have a pure heart of love for Jinta. And if the winner doesn't work out, I'll take Jinta's pure heart instead."
With a snap of her fingers, she quickly changed her appearance to the likeness of an ordinary girl wearing a white shirt with a picture of Jinta on it and a pair of pants while having long, flowing hair. She then went over to sign up for the contest too. As she came up, Minako saw Mimete and immediately shot a heated glare at her.
"Hold on a minute," she spoke in a cold demeanor.
Mimete flinched. "Y-Yes? Can I help you?" she asked, trying to be innocent.
"Minako, what's the matter?" asked Harusuke, puzzled as well as worried.
The red-bowed blonde seemed to pause dramatically until her eyes sparkled. "That shirt she's wearing! She's wearing the very first shirt they made of him!" she squealed excitedly. "It's a collector's item! You really must be a die-hard fan!"
"O-Oh... yes, I am," Mimete spoke. "I bought it a long time ago. Guess that makes us both devoted fans."
"Whew. That was close," Mimete thought to herself with relief. "For a second there, I thought my cover got blown."
Just then, a woman's voice came from the loudspeaker.
"Attention! Auditions are about to begin!" the voice said. "Contestants, please report to the auditorium."
"All right! Let's do this!" said Minako, pumping herself up. "If I want to realize my dream, I've got to give it my all!"
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
In the auditorium, the swimsuit competition was now underway. The competing girls had to stand on the stage while wearing their swimsuits and answer the producers' and directors' questions. Minako was on the stage wearing her swimsuit and a button with the number two-fifty-one while Harusuke watched on in the audience.
"Hi! My name is Minako Aino," she greeted. "I'm a fifteen-year-old middle school student full of energy! I'm great at all sports, especially volleyball, and even have a killer technique known as the Flying Somersault Receive!"
The judges nodded with interest. Then, a brunette young woman in a red business suit asked the first question.
"Some of the scenes in the movie will involve kissing," she said. "How do you feel about that?"
"I'm OK with it," replied Minako. "I won't tell my parents just in case they freak out. After all, kissing is the best part of acting."
Harusuke rose a brow at this, thinking the question was a bit too direct and was a bit put off by Minako's response. However, all of the judges laughed, thinking Minako's reaction was adorable.
A man wearing a blue suit and glasses with a brunette bowl-cut hairstyle asked the following question.
"If you get chosen for the part, and the director invited you to dinner, what would you do?"
A cross-popping vein formed on Harusuke's head as he looked over at the judge, clearly appalled. "What the hell kind of question is that?!" he mentally screamed. "That is all sorts of creepy!"
But Minako answered the question anyway. "Well, that'll be fine by me," she said. "I'm not a picky eater. I'll eat anything placed in front of me." She then had a thought as she glanced away sheepishly. "Oh... But I don't care for shiitake mushrooms."
"Minako! Please watch your phrasing!" Harusuke mentally screamed again. "You're seriously giving the judges the wrong impression!"
Thankfully, Minako's turn was over, and it was Mimete's turn. She was wearing a pink one-piece swimsuit and a button that had the number two-fifty-two on it.
"H-Hello there," she said a bit shyly. "My name is Miya Hanzo. It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," said another judge. "Why don't you tell us your reasoning for coming to this audition today?"
"W-Well, the thing is," stammered Mimete. "I came here because I want to meet my idol, Jinta. I'm one of his biggest fans, and being with him in a movie would be a dream come true."
The judges were amazed at Mimete's response, and all applauded. Even Minako was impressed.
"Wow, she wants to get that part," Minako said to herself. "Looks like I got some competition."
Soon all of the girls were finished with their auditions, and the host soon came to the stage.
"The first round of judging has now concluded," she said. "We have chosen five participants to advance to the next round."
Minako was worried. "They'll only pick five of us?" she thought to herself. "I know I was confident before, but now I'm don't think I made it in. And all I wanted was to see Jinta up close."
The host then made the announcement. "The five numbers chosen will be number sixty-eight, number one-thirty-seven, number twenty-four, number two-fifty-two, and lastly, number two-fifty-one! Those selected, please come forward!"
Minako then gasped, realizing that her number got called. She then stood with all the other chosen girls as the audience clapped and cheered.
"These girls will be moving on to the second round of judging tomorrow," went on the host. "And as you already know, the winner will appear with Jinta Araki in a movie scheduled to be released next year. So stay tuned!"
As the audience continued to applaud, the only one who wasn't clapping was Harusuke, who was frowning.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
A little while later, Minako got herself ready in the waiting room. She was feeling a mix of emotions at this moment, part of her feeling excited and another worried. Then, Harusuke came into the room.
"Minako, I need to talk to you for a second," said Harusuke. "It's about this whole thing with the contest. I think you should drop out."
Minako was surprised. "Wait, drop out? But, why?" she asked.
"Come on, Minako, you know why! There was a bunch of red flags going off in there!" said Harusuke. "Those producers were all sorts of sketchy when they were asking those questions! I can't even believe you answered them!"
"Well, that's what you're supposed to do when you're an idol," said Minako. "You take everything in stride when it comes to cringy questions and move on from it."
"Not when it comes to people like that! Especially that guy in the blue suit!" protested Harusuke. "He practically reeks of something bad. Look, I get you're a strong and capable girl with big goals and want to meet this Jinta guy, but I'm just looking out for you."
"But Harusuke, it's my dream, and this may be the only way for me to get there," said Minako firmly. "Besides, we don't know for sure that I'll end up winning or not. Then again, I wouldn't put it past them if I won. I got good looks and a terrific figure! I'm aiming for the top, and no one can stop me! If I quit now, I may not get another chance like this or meet Jinta. So I can't pass this up!"
Harusuke sighed. "I understand in wanting to follow your dream, but is it worth selling yourself to whoever you want to please?" he asked. "You're only a third year, and you're a Sailor Guardian. You've got friends and family here, and if you go through with this, the normal life you have right now will be gone. You'll have to leave Juuban and will probably never see us again. Not to mention with sketchy guys like those producers, I'm worried something will happen to you that you won't be able to get yourself out of.."
Minako looked up at Harusuke, realizing that he had made some good points.
"But, then again, I guess I am overprotective. I mean, we don't even know for sure you'll win as you said before," Harusuke relented. "But if you want to keep going and see this through, I guess I have no right to stop you. However, if you do win, make sure you think carefully about what you want to do, and know that you're still young, so you have plenty of time to follow your dream. Just don't give up who you are or sell yourself just for the glory of fame."
Harusuke then left the room, leaving Minako by herself.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
As soon as he was outside the room, Harusuke let out a big sigh as Artemis came up to him.
"Couldn't convince her, could you?" the white cat said.
Harusuke shook his head. "Nope. At least, I don't think," he replied. "Maybe I was a bit too naggy with her," He then scowled. "Except when it came to those pervy directors! I wanted to destroy those punks!"
"I know, I heard them," said Artemis. "But knowing Minako, I'm sure that she thinks that she can handle them and still intends to follow through with her dream. You have every right to be concerned, Harusuke. I'm worried for Minako, too, but for now, I think it would be best if we watch how things play out."
"But Artemis, you know if she wins, she might quit being a Guardian," pointed out Harusuke. "We'll be a member down, and we need all the help we can get with the Death Busters. Are you OK with that?"
"Believe me, I'm as worried about that as you are, but the only one who can make that decision is Minako," said Artemis. "Besides, we don't know for sure if she'll win this contest or not. So all we can do is be prepared and support her, no matter the outcome. Until then, we wait."
Harusuke wanted to protest, but he knew that Artemis was right.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
In another room, Mimete was also getting ready for the second round. As she was primming herself up, Tomoe appeared in the" shadows.
"Mimete, how are things going on your end?" asked Tomoe.
"Rather smoothly, Tomoe," said Mimete. "I've infiltrated this contest and managed to find not one but two possibilities of finding a talisman."
"Is that so?" said Tomoe. "Well, in that case, you're going to need another one of these." A Daimon Egg appeared in his hands and made it hover towards Mimete. "Make sure that you get those pure hearts, Mimete. I fear that Kaolinite, as well as the master, are growing impatient, so for your sake, I hope you find the last talisman."
"No need to worry. I will, Tomoe," reassured Mimete. "I will not fail. Just leave everything to be."
Tomoe then stepped back into the darkness and disappeared, and Mimete resumed getting ready for the second round.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Minako was soon ready and was on the stage with the rest of the girls. However, as she made her way to the stage, she couldn't help but think about what Harusuke had said to her, making her start having second thoughts and feeling bad.
"I wonder if I was too selfish with him," Minako thought to herself. "He did bring up some good points, but it's too late to back out now. What should I do?"
Just then, Jinka Araki came on the stage, and upon seeing him, Minako forgot all about being worried, feeling starstruck.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it's now time to decide who will be the heroine for my movie," announced Jinta. "I'm sure that you're all dying to know who it is, which is why I'd like everyone here to participate in that choice."
The spotlight then shone on an electronic circular meter behind them.
"The young lady who gets the support of eighty percent of you, the audience, will be the winner," explained Jinta. "Now then, let's get started on our first contestant!"
The spotlight then shone on the girl, who was number sixty-eight. While she remained on the stage, Minako and the other contestants left to wait their turn. Number sixty-right gave her introduction and waited for the audience for their vote. Unfortunately, the circular meter only filled almost halfway with red lights.
"Oh, sorry, number sixty-eight, but you're out of the running," said the announcer. "Next contestant, please!"
As number sixty-eight sadly left, number one-thirty-seven made her way to the stage next. She gave her introduction next, and the meter behind her lit up, but only a little more than halfway, which meant she was out of the running, too. Next, number twenty-four took her turn and didn't get enough votes, leaving only Mimete and Minako remaining.
"OK. I gotta stay calm," Minako said to herself. "I'm up after the next one."
As Mimete walked past Minako about to take her turn, she looked over at her and smiled at her. "May the best girl win," she said. "And good luck."
Minako was surprised, but she felt relieved to hear her say those words. "Th-Thanks," she said. "I appreciate it."
"Yes, make sure you do your best, foolish human," Mimete thought to herself. "Because the moment you win, I'll snatch your pure heart and take it to the professor!"
Mimete then took her turn, standing confidently on the stage before the audience. "Hi. M-My name is Miya Hanzo. This morning I ate some eggs, one of my favorite foods, and in the future, I want to follow my dream of becoming a great actress who can handle any role," she said, maintaining her cute persona. "So, please vote for me. It would mean a lot to me."
The audience then voted, and the meter began to fill up until almost three-quarters of the circle was ablaze with red lights, but it wasn't enough.
"Oooh! Sorry, but sadly, you're out of the running!" said the announcer. "Will our next contestant please come forward!"
Minako took a deep breath and steadied her nerves as she walked onto the stage, putting on her best smile. "I'm number 251, Minako Aino, a third-year student at Shiba Koen Middle School in Minato," she said, taking a polite bow. "I hope you'll consider me."
"This will be our final contestant!" said the announcer. "Will Minako be the heroine? You decide! Cast your vote, now!"
The audience then began casting their votes, and the circle started to light up. Harusuke and Artemis watched on in the audience, waiting with bated breath. The ring slowly lit up more by the second, growing closer to the seventy-five percent mark, until it pushed past it, barely going over eighty percent. Minako gasped as she looked back, believing that she would win, but then, the meter dropped back to a bit behind seventy-five percent.
"Ooh! You were so close there!" said the announcer. "Which means, unfortunately, we don't have a winner at this time. However, we thank all of those who participated in these auditions!"
At first, Minako was surprised, but she walked respectfully off the stage, taking her loss in stride. She was a bit disappointed.
"Darn, so much for my dream of becoming a Pretty Guardians Teen Idol," Minako said to herself. "But I guess I should be happy. I mean, after all, I got to see Jinta, so I guess that's OK. And who knows? Maybe I'll meet him sometime in the future."
"Say, you're Minako, right?" said a voice. "The last girl to audition?"
Minako looked up, and her eyes almost came out of her sockets in shock, and her heart nearly stopped. The voice belonged to Jinta Araki himself, who now stood before her. She felt so excited that she almost swooned.
"J-Jinta Araki!" Minako stammered, her cheeks going pink. "I can't believe it! It's you! It's such an honor to meet you!"
Jinta smiled kindly. "The honor is all mine," he said humbly. "And although you may have lost, I'm sure that there'll be other opportunities for you in the future."
"Th-Thank you! That means a lot to me!" said Minako giddily. "Also, I'm one of your biggest fans, and you'll always have my support!"
"Thanks, but you'll forget about me someday," said Jinta. "Everyone will forget about me eventually. But that's OK. The memories of how you felt will remain. Girls will learn about true love once they move on from celebrities and focus their feelings on someone who will be more than a memory. But for now, I appreciate having your loyal support. I don't plan on being a teenage idol forever."
Minako's eyes twinkled with admiration, feeling as light as air.
"Also, there's something else that you should know about," went on Jinta. "I couldn't help but watch your audition back at the swimsuit competition. I couldn't help, but I felt you were saying what they wanted to hear. If you want to make it an idol, you should understand that you can't always please anyone. There will be some who will take advantage of you if you sell yourself just to gain affection. But the most important thing you can do is be yourself and not lose sight of who you are. That is the true secret to being an idol."
Minako was now silent, more amazed than she was swooning. Those words struck a chord inside her, and she remembered back when she and Harusuke talked before. Then, realizing that he had been right, she began to feel a little guilty.
Then, suddenly, there was the sound of mocking laughter that made both of them jump. They turned around and saw Mimete, who had now shed her human disguise.
"That's a lot of pretty words, Jinta, but those words can only get you so far," sneered Mimete. "Since you haven't picked a winner for your so-called heroine, I'll just go ahead and take your pure heart instead!" She then summoned her Daimon Egg and threw it to the ground, making it explode in a pink cloud. "Now, come forth, Daimon U Tahime!"
At her command, a Daimon burst forth from the pink cloud. The creature had green skin and pointed ears like a goblin had short blue hair and red eyes with no irises. Her outfit comprised a long elegant purple dress with a bright puce-colored cloak with lights and had a metal hat in the shape of a microphone on her head. The Daimon took a breath and began to sing in a high-pitched voice, letting out an ultrasonic wave. Everyone in the audience covered their ears, writhing in agony, fleeing in fear. Minako and Jinta both held their ears, too, feeling themselves growing weaker by the second.
"Now, U Tahime! Go get Jinta's pure heart!" ordered Mimete.
Obeying her command, U Tahime went over to Jinta, grabbing him by the scruff of his collar and sucked in deeply, taking the air out of Jinta's lungs. His pure heart soon came out of his mouth, and the Daimon swallowed it whole in a single gulp.
"N-no! Jinta!" winced Minako, still reeling in agony.
"Aw, don't cry for the poor thing," said Mimete, turning her attention to Minako. "You going to be joining him on your way to hell."
Mimete summoned her staff and aimed it straight at Minako about to attack her, but then a familiar ball of sunlight came shooting down from above, forcing Mimete to jump back to avoid it.
"Who did that?!" Mimete demanded crossly.
Her answer came from above as Solaris stood on top of the stage lights.
"When it comes to music, everyone loves listening to it and feeling the joy it brings!" Solaris proclaimed. "It's an art that brings people together, and you dare to silence an idol's voice? I am the knight with the brilliance of the sun and the courage of a warrior who fights for love and justice! I'm Solaris the Sun Knight! And now, in the name of the sun with my blinding rays, I'll scorch you!"
"Solaris, you're here!" gasped Minako gratefully.
Mimete clicked her tongue in annoyance. "You're just as annoying as ever!" she growled. "U Tahime! Get him!"
The Daimon unleashed an ultrasonic wave while singing again, and Solaris jumped out of the way to dodge as he landed on the stage. Artemis then came up to Minako without either of them noticing.
"Minako! Sailor Moon and the others are on their way!" the white cat whispered. "You and Solaris will have to hold them off until they get here!"
"Right!" nodded Minako.
She then hurried backstage and took out her pen while holding it up.
"VENUS STAR POWER MAKE UP!"
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Transformation sequence: Minako.
Minako holds up her hand as golden stars swirl around it, alighting her fingernails, turning them into a shade of bright orange. 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 Minako is enveloped in yellow light. Then she sweeps the pen over her head as banners of golden stars emit from it. Minako then holds up the pen above her head as the banners of stars form a spiral around her body. They disappear into the ground, forming a circle of stars, and burst into more stars going upwards, enveloping Minako's body. Then Minako emerges wearing the same outfit as Sailor Moon's, the center bow, boots, and rims on the gloves colored orange, her back bow, yellow, and her center bow, blue. She then opens her eyes as she strikes her signature pose.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
"Mimete! You are an enemy to all fans of Jinta Araki for what you've done!" said Sailor Venus as she stepped out from the shadows. "He may forgive you for what you did, but I, an ally to idol fans everywhere, won't! I am Sailor Venus! And in the name of Venus, I'll punish with the power of love!"
"Oh, give me a break! All of your preachings are making me sick!" scoffed Mimete. "U Tahime! Get them both!"
U Tahime let out another ultrasonic shriek, firing a wave towards Sailor Venus. The Guardian of Love jumped out of the way and used her signature attack.
"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"
Her chain of hearts appeared twirling around her, and at her command, launched itself straight towards the Daimon and wrapped itself around it. Solaris then followed up, wielding his sword, preparing to swing, but the Daimon broke free of the chain with ease and unleashed another ultrasonic wave, which went in all directions. Sailor Venus and Solaris screamed in agony as the force sent them flying while feeling the shockwaves' immense pain. Solaris managed to recover, but Sailor Venus hit the ground, tumbling to a stop.
"Sailor Venus!" Solaris cried. "Are you OK?!"
Sailor Venus struggled to get up, shaking the dizziness out of her head. "I-I think so," she mumbled.
"How pathetic. Risking your life for someone like him," Mimete cackled. "I don't know whether to call you foolish or stupid."
"What do you mean by that?!" demanded Solaris.
"I would have thought it would be obvious," said Mimete. "This Jinta character is nothing more but a fake. A false persona just to make himself look good so no one would judge him. After all, that's how it is with you humans. You desperately strive to be famous just to get people to like you, but the truth of the matter is people will always be judgemental and put you down. So, you create a false persona while molding yourself into the celebrity that people want you to be. And the sad part? It wouldn't even matter. Even if you do get the love you deserve, people will grow bored with you, and as time goes on, you eventually fade away, forgotten by the world."
"You're wrong!" burst out Sailor Venus angrily. "That's not true at all!"
Mimete, U Tahime, and Solaris looked at Sailor Venus as she stood back up on her feet, glaring with determination.
"Jinta Araki is not a fake! He became the idol he is today to make people happy!" Sailor Venus continued. "He also never lost sight of who he was and stayed true to himself, which is why fan-girls all over the world love him and strive to be an idol like him! And, you might be right about people eventually forgetting about him with time; the feelings they felt as well as his will never fade away!"
Solaris was amazed. "Sailor Venus..." he murmured.
Then, Sailor Venus' body began to radiate with a yellow glow that grew in response to her determination.
"Jinta is an idol that everyone looks up to and can learn from someone like him, including me!" Sailor Venus went on. "It's thanks to him that I'm proud of being who I am, and I won't change myself to gain respect, and I will not let you mock him or the people that support him!"
At that moment, Sailor Venus' aura exploded, its light shining brightly, causing Mimete and U Tahime to shield their eyes. As this happened, Solaris' armor changed into Venus mode as he recognized this phenomenon. Sailor Venus then heard a voice inside of her mind.
"Well done, Sailor Venus. For staying true to yourself, you've unlocked the dormant powers within you. Now, hurry and shout your new phrase: Venus Planet Power Make Up."
Sailor Venus held up her hand and did just that.
"VENUS PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!"
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Transformation Seuence: Minako
The planet Venus appears, and Minako puts her hand up, her fingernails begin to sparkle in bright yellow, and her transformation wand comes to her hand spinning, now having a different design. Next, her body becomes silhouetted in yellow as yellow stars erupt from her wand while spinning around. As she stops, a yellow circle appears below her. Then, it explodes into several yellow stars, revealing Minako in her orange Sailor Uniform wearing orange heels, a pair of earrings, a blue bow in front, and yellow ribbon in the back, gloves with orange trims, and an orange skirt, choker, and collar. Minako then turns around, and in the middle of her forehead, her symbol appears, and her tiara materializes. Her transformation finished; she assumes her final pose, her sign and planet appearing in the background against a starry sky.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
"She did it!" Artemis gasped while watching from afar. "Sailor Venus unlocked her planet powers, too!"
Sailor Venus looked at her hands, seeing the power radiating from them. "Wow, this feels different than before!" she murmured with amazement. "I feel way stronger now!"
"U Tahime! Don't just stand there! Hurry up and beat her!" Mimete snapped, now able to see again. "Wipe her out with your Killer Song!"
U Tahime obeyed, letting out another ultrasonic shockwave using her voice.
"Sailor Venus!" yelled out Solaris, feeling worried.
But Sailor Venus stood her ground and countered with an attack out of her own. She gave a wink as a small heart appeared into her hand, and that heart changed into a metal sword.
"VENUS WINK CHAIN SWORD!"
She twirled the sword around her body, and with a mighty swing, the sword changed into multiple heart-linked chains of light that were longer and bigger than before. Sensing danger, Mimete teleported out of the way as the chains broke straight through U Tahime's attack and constricted her. Again, U Tahime tried to break free from the chains, but they held her tight this time, not budging an inch. Mimete then summoned her wand and got ready to attack Sailor Venus, but Solaris quickly intervened.
"CRESCENT BEAM!"
He fired and powerful beam of light knocking the wand out of Mimete's hand.
"Solaris! Now's your chance!" yelled out Sailor Venus.
"You got it!" Solaris acknowledged as he summoned forth his sword. "It's time we close the curtain on this show!"
He held up his sword high, its white blade brightly glowing as he drew a circle with it. The Guardian of the Sun then gripped his sword and shot forward, going for the finishing blow.
"SOLARIS CELESTIAL BLADE SLASH!"
U Tahime was sliced with his blade and was destroyed in an explosion of light, leaving only a microphone, Jinta's pure heart crystal, and the Daimon Egg. Mimete seeing the pure heart crystal, quickly rushed over to try and grab it, but Sailor Venus stopped her, using one of her chains to snag the crystal and pulled it over to her.
"Sorry, but you're not getting your hands on this crystal," said Sailor Venus.
Mimete seethed in anger. "This isn't over! Not yet!" she snarled. "You still have to deal with my Daimon's next stage!"
Then, the remaining Daimon Egg began to pulse in response, growing larger until it cracked apart and exploded as the Daimon reemerged. It was now a black, large, frog-like creature with multiple piercing red eyes. The Daimon took one look at the two Guardians and let out a roar while releasing a powerful ultrasonic wave, almost blowing Solaris and Sailor Venus back as they covered their ears.
"D-Damn! This thing is ugly as it is strong!" grunted Solaris. "We might be in trouble here!"
Solaris prepared himself to attack, using his Unicorn Saber, but Sailor Venus stopped him by grabbing his hand.
"Solaris, wait. I don't think that will work," she said. "We're going to need something stronger than that."
"Then let's wait for Sailor Moon and the others," said Solaris. "Maybe if we all work together, we can-
"They won't make it in time!" interrupted Sailor Venus. "We have to take this thing out now, and there's only one thing I can think of to do it. We have to fuse!"
Solaris looked across to Sailor Venus. "Wait, you mean use Planetary Alignment?" he asked. "You've never done it before! Are you sure we can use it?"
Sailor Venus answered with a nod. "I think we can. Sailor Jupiter was able to fuse with you after she got her powers unlocked, so why can't I?" she said. "Just do the same thing you did with her before. I know we can do it."
Sailor Venus then held out her hand towards Solaris, and Solaris took it. The two then closed their eyes, synchronizing with one another, hearing several heartbeats go through their bodies.
Mimete then gasped. "No! Not again!" she cried. "Daimon! Don't let them fuse! Kill them both!"
The Daimon then unleashed a powerful ultrasonic blast from its mouth, intending to destroy them both, but Solaris and Sailor Venus had already started glowing bright yellow as they yelled out at the same time.
"UNISON FUSION! PLANETARY ALIGNMENT!"
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Transformation: Unknown.
Solaris and Sailor Venus stood back to back, holding hands as their bodies radiated with light Solaris being gold and Sailor Venus's being yellow. They both hold up one of their hands, and their symbols appear above them, both of them overlapping one another. Then, the two let go, and they shoot into the air flying in a swirl, their bodies silhouetted with their respective colors. They fly closer together until they finally merge in a bright flash of gold and yellow. A girl's silhouette in gradient colors of gold and yellow flies through their overlapping symbols standing on top of them. Boots and gloves materialize around the girl's feet, along with clothes and armor mixed with Solaris and Sailor Venus's outfits colored yellow and gold. The girl opens her eyes and poses while Solaris and Venus's symbols appear in the background.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Artemis's mouth was hanging wide in shock. "I don't believe it! They fused!"
The fusion now stood before the Daimon, unaffected by the ultrasonic waves as she glared with a fiery determination. The Daimon roared as it charged straight towards them, intending to swallow them whole, but the fusion leaped into the air, avoiding it, and clenched her hand, generating power.
"NOVA BEAM!"
A powerful beam of light erupted from her fist and blasted the Daimon square into its eyes, making it howl in agony as it recoiled. The fusion then gave it a sharp dropkick square onto its back, making it fall flat on its back, its eyes bugging out in agony. The fusion then vaulted herself off of the Daimon, landing on her feet, and held out one hand, making a bow and arrow materialize in it. As she pulled the arrow back, aiming, its head growing and turning heart-shaped as it radiated with overwhelming power.
"SOLARIS VENUS CRESCENT ARROW!"
The fusion let the arrow fly as it shot forward with a twang. It shot through the air at an incredible speed, cutting through the air. As the Daimon turned around recovering, the arrow pierced directly into its forehead, and on contact, multiple beams of light erupted from its body, causing it to howl in agony. It exploded with a mighty kaboom in seconds, its body fading to ash. When the light dimmed down, the Daimon Egg was all that remained, which cracked and crumbled into dust while releasing a dying puff of pink smoke.
Mimete was now beside herself with rage as the fusion looked up at her, aiming another arrow at her.
"I'll get you for this!" snarled Mimete. "I promise I will!"
She then disappeared. Sailor Moon and the other Guardians arrived at that moment, and when they saw the fusion standing on the stage, they were surprised.
"Who is that?!" gasped Sailor Mercury.
"Hold on a minute. Those colors and the armor design..." Sailor Mars gasped, recognizing the fusion. "Could it be...?"
The fusion smiled as she dispersed her arrow. "Oh, hey, girls," she spoke in Solaris' voice. "A little late to the party."
"Well, it's as they say, better never than early," the fusion then spoke in Sailor Venus' voice.
"Wow! Sailor Venus! Solaris! You two fused!" Sailor Moon cried excitedly as she and the others ran up to her.
"So this is what it looks like outside of the fusion," Sailor Jupiter spoke as she inspected the fusion. "I gotta say, you guys look pretty awesome together."
The fusion could only laugh as she scratched her cheek shyly.
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
After that, Solaris and Sailor Venus returned to normal and returned Jinta's pure heart crystal to where it belonged. The two were now walking out of the center with their friends.
"Sorry you didn't make it, Minako," said Harusuke. "You were pretty close to winning."
"Yeah, it was pretty disappointing," said Minako. "But, I'm OK with it. I'm sure I'll get another opportunity someday. Right now, let's go home. I'm pretty beat."
They were just about to leave when they heard someone call out to them from behind.
"Excuse me, young lady. May I please have a moment?"
Harusuke and Minako turned around and saw the man in the blue suit walking up to them. Upon seeing the man, Harusuke couldn't help but scowl.
"Can I help you?" asked Minako.
"Yes, I was hoping that I could speak with you to offer you a proposition," said the man. "While it is a pity you didn't get the role, I do have a role that would be perfect for you. Sure, we might need to make some changes, but if you're interested, we can go ahead and discuss the details in a more - suitable location."
Harusuke glared. Even Usagi and the other girls could see that the man couldn't be trusted and was all sorts of sketchy. Harusuke was about to tell the man to take a hike, but Minako raised an arm, stopping him. She then spoke to the man.
"I appreciate the offer, and it does seem like a good opportunity for me," said Minako. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to say no."
The man was surprised, as were Harusuke and the others.
Minako then bowed respectfully. "I'm sorry, but right now, I need to focus on my studies," she went on. "After all, I'm only in my third year. Thank you for the offer."
Minako turned on her heel and walked away, leaving the man speechless.
"I'm surprised you turned him down like that," Harusuke spoke to Minako. "I would have thought you'd accept his offer."
Minako smiled. "Oh, don't worry. I haven't given up on my dream of being an idol," she said. "But, I'll achieve that dream my way while not losing who I am. After all, that's the true secret to being an idol. Besides, I'm not ready to give up my current life just yet. So, for now, I'll stick to being Minako Aino, but someday, it'll be Minako, the Pretty Guardian Teen Idol."
Minako then walked on ahead of her friends, feeling confident as she was happy that she had made the right decision.