Sailor Moon: The Brawny Girl In Love, Sailor Jupiter

He had a horrible day at school today. At least, it seemed horrible. When you're dead tired from a half-night's lack of sleep, everything seems horrible. He wasn't alone, either. Usagi really looked tired and Ami was just as exhausted. He wouldn't be surprised if Usagi got yet another detention from sleeping in class.

The worst part of it though, was Naru's depressing reticence. She would only speak when asked a question, which she would answer in a melancholic monotone. Her gloomy replies usually discouraged further questions.

Ryoku walked alone back to his apartment, with his bookbag in hand. He just wanted to go home, climb up on the roof and practice swordplay until the sun went down.

Walking up to his front door, he opened it and tossed his stuff inside. The bookbag landed on a nearby chair and slid off onto the floor. He didn't feel like changing his clothes; his light brown school uniform was good enough to practice in. He closed the door and started for the ladder he always climbed to the roof, when he remembered to check his mailbox.

There was only one envelope. And it was from his sister.

Abandoning practice for time being, he quickly went inside and sat down in the chair his bookbag had slid off a few moments ago. He opened the envelope and took out the letter inside.

"Hey, Ryo-chan! Miss me?" Ryoku read aloud, half-grinning to himself. You have to ask? he thought to himself and continued. "I miss you, too.

"Anyway, I've got some news for you. I think I've done it this time. I've gotten into yet another fight today, and I think they're considering transferring me."

''I had a feeling it was only a matter of time. You always did have a bit of a temper... though it may or may not be as bad as Rei-chan's....''

"They haven't told me where yet. I'm hoping it'll be your school they transfer me to, but you never know. I doubt they're so heartless as to transfer us to different schools... but then again, they did transfer you while they kept me here....

"At any rate, by tomorrow, we'll see what happens to me. Take care of yourself, Ryo-chan, and I might be seeing you soon. Your loving sister, Mako-chan."

Ryoku looked over the letter again and half-grinned to himself again. "We'll see, indeed. Something tells me that I will be seeing you... very soon.

"I'll be looking forward to it."

The next morning, Usagi took off for school like a shot, running full-speed for school in a most likely futile attempt to not be late for school. She was in such a hurry that she had forgotten something very important to her. If it weren't for Luna chasing behind her with it, she would've been very sorry for leaving home without it.

"Stop! You forgot this!" Luna shouted, carrying the pink bunny-adorned lunch bag in her mouth.

"Sorry!" Usagi shouted behind her. "Can you bring it to me at school?" She quickly rounded the corner while still looking behind her at Luna. That turned out to be a big mistake as she crashed into a group of three tough-looking guys, sending the one in the middle flying to the ground. "Oh! I'm sorry!" she quickly apologized.

From the look on the guy's face, he wasn't in a charitable mood. "You broke my leg bone!" he growled, sitting on the ground as he held his leg.

"Hey," one of the others added, stepping threateningly towards her and backing her into the brick wall behind her. "How are you gonna pay for this, missy?" She was about to reply in a very frightened voice that she didn't have any money, when she was interrupted by a female savior. A very tall female savior.

"Knock it off!" the tall, ponytailed brunette shouted, coming up from behind the three guys. The white blouse and light brown skirt school uniform somehow seemed... familiar, but since Usagi knew she had never seen the uniform before, she dismissed the thought as silly. Besides, there was something more important to worry about.

"What was that?" the guy approaching Usagi demanded, turning towards the tall girl.

"I saw the whole thing," the brunette replied coolly. "Trying to con a girl out of her money by bumping into her. You stink."

"What?!?" the other guy exclaimed, grabbing the brunette's blouse collar. "Hey, don't push us!"

The brunette's green eyes narrowed as she grabbed onto the guy's hand and forcefully removed it from her collar. She then flipped him over her shoulder and threw him hard into the ground.

"You little...!" the guy near Usagi yelled as he charged the brunette. He launched a punch at her, but she easily sidestepped the attack. As he started to sail past her, she brought her knee up into the guy's stomach, knocking all of the wind out of him. He hit the ground and didn't move.

By now, the guy Usagi had bumped into was now staring at the brunette girl in fear. She had easily taken down his two friends, who could fight way better than he could. He didn't have a chance.

After the brunette took out the two attackers, she folded her arms and staring coldly at the last guy.

"Holy...!" he stammered and ran like mad.

"Wow!" Usagi breathed, her eyes wide open in amazement.

"You all right?" the tall girl asked.

"Yeah.... Thanks," Usagi replied, still a little shaky from the experience.

"Take care, then," the girl said over her shoulder as she turned and walked away. As she turned away, Usagi noticed the girl's earrings.

"Rose earrings? They're so pretty," she said to herself. Then, she frowned contemplatively as a thought crossed her mind. ''Why does she remind me of someone I know? The way she looks, her behavior, the way she fights.... Who does she remind me of?''

Luna also stared after the tall brunette as walked away. A nagging suspicion nipped at her mind as the girl left their sight.

Usagi's thoughts suddenly became moot as another realization came to her. "Oh no! Now I'm really gonna be late!"

She went from 0 - 10 mph in 0.595 seconds.

The dark, silent gloom of the chamber was interrupted as Beryl entered. A pale light bleakly illuminated the room as she strode to the center and kneeled before the wraith-like darkness that loomed before her. She raised her hands, forming a small sphere of energy between them, and held it before her like an offering.

"Awaken from your sleep, our Great Master. I offer you this blessing of energy. Awaken, our Great Master!" Beryl intoned, then flung the energy at the dark structure. The energy was rapidly absorbed, and the darkness pulsated with life.

"THE HUMAN'S ENERGY HAS ROUSED ME FROM MY LONG SLEEP," Queen Metallia said, her wraith-like form pulsing in time with her speech. "I HAVE LONGED FOR THIS DAY. HOWEVER, THE DEPTH OF SLEEP IS STILL PRESENT IN MY MIND. YOU MUST FIND THE SILVER CRYSTAL."

"Yes," Beryl replied respectfully.

"I MUST HAVE THE SILVER CRYSTAL TO RETURN COMPLETELY."

"Yet, we have no clue to its whereabouts," Beryl sighed.

"WHEN THE SEVEN SHADOWS, SEALED WITHIN THE SEVEN RAINBOW CRYSTALS, COME BACK TO THIS WORLD, THE SILVER CRYSTAL WILL SHOW ITSELF. NOW, PLACE THE DARK CRYSTAL BEFORE YOU."

Beryl brought out the Dark Crystal that Nephrite created, and placed it in front of her. "Here it is, Great Master."

A pitch-black bolt of energy shot out from Metallia and struck the Dark Crystal, covering it in complete darkness. As the darkness lifted, the Dark Crystal appeared unchanged.

"THE DARK CRYSTAL HAS BEEN MODIFIED TO DETECT THE ONES WHO CARRY THE RAINBOW CRYSTALS INSIDE THEM. NOW, GO! FIND THE SEVEN RAINBOW CRYSTALS!"

"Yes!" Beryl shouted, bowing on her knees. "It shall be done!" She rose to her feet and exited the chamber. The room dimmed back to its usual silent blackness as she left.

Beryl returned to her throne and called her floating crystal to her as she sat. "Zoisite! Come here at once!" she shouted. Immediately, both Zoisite and Kunzite appeared before her. She didn't call for Kunzite to appear before her, but it didn't matter.

"You called, my Queen?" Zoisite asked as she and Kunzite bowed.

"Yes," Beryl said as she gazed into her crystal. "When the Seven Shadows, sealed within the Rainbow Crystals, come back to the world, the Silver Crystal will show itself."

"As I recall, the Seven Shadows were sealed off by our hated enemy," Zoisite said.

"Unfortunately so, Zoisite," Beryl explained. "The Seven Shadows were my finest warriors. Our hated enemy sealed the Seven Shadows within the seven fragments of the Silver Crystal and sent them to Earth. Those fragments are the seven Rainbow Crystals."

"The Rainbow Crystals...," Zoisite murmured to herself. "What became of the Seven Shadows?"

"They were reincarnated as humans, but have no memory of their former existence as the Seven Shadows," Kunzite explained.

"So, if we remove the crystals from the reincarnated humans," Zoisite began, folding her arms, "we will have the Silver Crystal. Furthermore, but our best warriors, the Seven Shadows, will return to us as well."

Beryl waved a hand over her crystal ball. "I have modified the Dark Crystal to respond only to the Rainbow Crystals." The crystal ball began to glow brightly as the long, black crystal emerged. "Here," she said as the crystal flew at Zoisite. She caught the crystal and glanced over it.

"I thank you," Zoisite said and bowed. She then thrust the crystal spinning in front of her. The crystal spun in place for a second, then stopped with one point sticking straight into the air. "Dark Crystal," she shouted, "show me the first of the Rainbow Crystal carriers!" Several small streaks of light shot up from the bottom end of the dark crystal and gathered at the top into a glowing sphere of light. The bright sphere of light then exploded into a swirling black funnel, upon which the image of a young man appeared. A young man with a yellow hooded sweatshirt over his white T-shirt, thick glasses and a blue baseball cap worn backwards. "On of the Rainbow Crystals is within this human."

"Lunch time!" Usagi exclaimed as she walked out into the school's lunch area, her lunch bag in hand. She planned to eat under one of the trees today, since the cool shade was so comfortable. As she walked over to the tree she was about to sit under, she saw the same ponytailed brunette she had met earlier, sitting under another tree by herself, eating her lunch.

"It's the girl with the rose earrings," she whispered, ducking behind the tree. She looked behind the tree at the girl. Earlier, she had heard from Umino about how the girl, Makoto, was transferred from her school for fighting and that everyone was keeping their distance. That explained how she was so good at beating up those bullies.

Curious, Usagi crept up behind her and peeked around the tree she was sitting under. She must've made too much noise, since Makoto whirled around as soon as she peeked around the tree.

"Who's there?" the brunette demanded, with a slight scowl on her face.

"Hi, there," Usagi answered, laughing a little nervously.

"It's you," she said, her expression lightening. "You're in this school, too?"

"I'm Tsukino Usagi!"

Makoto grinned as she gestured for her to sit beside her. "Why don't you come over?"

"Is it true you got kicked out of your old school for fighting?" Usagi asked bluntly, as she sat next to Makoto.

"Well... yes," Makoto replied deliberately.

"Anyway, I wanted to thank you for saving me."

"No problem. I used to do the same thing back at my old school. That's how come I got transferred in the first place." Makoto offered her some of her lunch. "Would you like one?"

"Thank you!" Usagi said and grabbed a couple. "Hey, these are delicious!" she mumbled, having quickly finished of one of the rice balls. "Your mom's a real good cook!"

"I made them myself," she replied, her smile faltering a little.

"They're very good!"

"I'm glad you're here. I don't know why, but everybody seems to be avoiding me," Makoto said with a small frown.

"Say, Mako-chan...," Usagi began. "Sorry, can I call you Mako-chan?"

"Sure."

"Can you teach me how to make those?" she asked pointing toward the remaining rice balls.

"Sure," Makoto replied with a grin.

"Don't worry about everyone avoiding you," Usagi said reassuringly. "Even though the gossip network here is very fast, it's usually forgotten within a few days. It's happened to a couple of friends of mine, too." The bell signaling the end of lunchtime sounded. "And just when we were becoming friends," she whined.

Makoto laughed a little at the blonde girl's complaining. "Well, why don't we meet again after school. I have to meet someone at the arcade and...."

"Oh! Sure, I'll go to the arcade with you!" Usagi said excitedly. After all, any chance to see Motoki again shouldn't be wasted.

"All right, already!" Makoto said, wincing a little at her enthusiasm as she got to her feet. "I'll see you later, then."

"Bye, Mako-chan!" Usagi waved as she stood and started for her own classroom.

"Hey, Mako-chan," Usagi said, as they walked up to the entrance to the Crown Video Arcade, "how come you're not wearing our school uniform?"

"This one feels better," she replied, grinning. "Besides, I don't think they have a uniform for a girl my height."

"Oh, I see," Usagi said, grinning herself and entering the arcade. "I come here almost every day." The two girls walked toward the Sailor V games, while Usagi scanned the room for Motoki. He wasn't there.

"Is Motoki-oniisan away today?" Usagi wondered aloud.

"Who's that?" Makoto asked over her shoulder as she continued toward one of the games. "Oniisan?" Her expression then turned sly. "Let me guess.... Your brother?"

Usagi blushed slightly at Makoto's remark. "No. He's...."

"Oh, so he's a guy you've got a crush on?"

Her expression then turned to chagrin. "Uh... me? Like Motoki-oniisan? He's just this guy that works here...." Makoto just shrugged and sat down at one of the Sailor V games.

"Usagi-chan...," Ami said from behind. Usagi turned to see her and Rei standing behind them, with Luna in Ami's arms. "I knew you'd be here."

"What's up?" Usagi asked, walking up to them while Makoto continued playing.

"That girl's bugging Luna."

Usagi glanced back at Makoto. "That girl? Mako-chan?"

"Yes," Luna replied.

"You're overreacting, Luna."

"Damn it! I died! No fair!" Makoto shouted at the large 'Game Over' plastered on the game's screen.

"Mako-chan," Usagi called to the brunette as she sweatdropped a little.

"What's up?" she replied as she turned from the screen.

"I wanna introduce you to my friends."

As Makoto stood up, Ami and Rei were surprised at the girl's height. Both of their eyes came up to about the level of her chin. Makoto also looked at little surprised at seeing the girls, or at least Ami in particular, but the surprise lasted less than a second.

"Hello," Makoto said, smiling.

"Nice to meet you," Ami and Rei both replied, smiling as well.

"She just transferred into Juuban Junior High today. This is...," Usagi paused for a moment. "Say, Mako-chan, I forgot to ask you what your last name was."

"Oh, it's...," Makoto began.

"So, they finally kicked you out of Shikai, Mako-chan?" someone said from behind them. The four girls turned to see Ryoku standing a short distance behind them, with a large half-grin that his friends weren't used to seeing on him. "I knew it was only a matter of time, though I was expecting it a whole lot sooner."

Usagi, Ami, Rei and Luna all shared a puzzled look. "So, Mako-chan's from the same school that Ryo-kun came from?" Ami asked.

"Must be, since he knows her," Rei replied.

"I thought that school uniform looked familiar," Usagi added.

Makoto's expression brightened at the sight of him. "Ryo-chan!" she exclaimed as she started running toward him. When she was a few feet away, she leaped at him. He caught her in midair and started spinning while holding her up in the air by her waist and staring into her face, laughing while she held onto his arms and laughed with him.

"It's so good to see you again, Mako-chan," he said, setting her down and giving her a big hug.

"I missed you, too, Ryo-chan," she replied, squeezing him tightly.

"Did you notice the similarity?" he whispered, not wanting his friends to hear.

"Between Ami-san and Keiko-chan?" Makoto whispered back. "Yeah, you were right. It is amazing."

The others continued to stare at them. "Ryo-chan?" Ami said, blinking in bewilderment. "Maybe... Ryo-kun's her old boyfriend?"

"Well, she did say she was meeting someone here," Usagi said. "It must've been him."

"That's pretty obvious," Rei replied.

Usagi was about to give a reply of her own, when Ryoku and Makoto both walked up to them, each with one arm about the other. One look at the two of them together made her finally realize who she reminded her of. The same height, almost similar hair color, and even a small resemblance....

"Your last name is Kino, isn't it?" Ami asked, apparently noticing the same thing Usagi did.

"Yeah," Makoto replied with a nod. "Kino Makoto. So, you three are the friends Ryo-oniichan told me about."

"Oniichan? How come you never told us you had a younger sister?" Usagi asked.

"Never asked," Ryoku and Makoto replied simultaneously. "That's just like you, Ryo-chan," Makoto continued, smirking at her brother. "You never tell anybody anything unless they ask for it. No wonder you're so good at keeping secrets."

"Whatever you say, Imouto-chan," he replied flatly with a slight emphasis on the 'younger sister' part.

"At any rate," Usagi continued. "Mako-chan, this is smart Mizuno Ami-chan and mean Hino Rei-chan."

"Who's mean?" Rei countered.

"You are," Usagi replied.

"I didn't catch that. Who?"

"You are!"

"What year, what month, what day, what hour, what minute and what second was I mean?"

"You just talked mean!"

"They always like this?" Makoto asked her brother.

"Except during those blessed rare times when they aren't," Ryoku replied dryly.

"You two must be great friends," Makoto said to Usagi and Rei.

The two stared at her in surprise. "No way!" they both shouted.

"She always picks a fight whenever we run into each other!" Rei continued.

"Who did?" Usagi countered.

"You did!"

"Did not!"

"Did, too!"

"Pot calling the kettle black," Ryoku muttered to himself.

"You'd think you two were sisters or something," Makoto commented. "After all, the more you fight, the closer you are to each other." Usagi and Rei both gave a start at that while Ami, Ryoku and Luna laughed at their expressions.

"She got them on that one," Ami commented.

"At least now they'll shut up for a while," Ryoku added.

"You're cute," Makoto said as she walked over to Ami and reached out to pet Luna, who gratefully accepted the attention.

"That's my cat, Luna," Usagi explained. "She must really like you a lot." Makoto started laughing as she began to scratch Luna under her chin and she began to purr. Suddenly, a large commotion over by the crane game grabbed the group's attention. Quickly, they all went over to see what was going on.

The guy playing the crane game was a young man with a yellow hooded sweatshirt over his white T-shirt, thick glasses and a blue baseball cap worn backwards. By the time all of them had reached the crane game, the young man had won another prize and a Sailor V doll was placed into an open bag next to his feet. Beside it was another bag, already full of dolls that he had won before. Now he was after yet another prize.

Makoto watched him from the side, while Ryoku watched her expression turn dreamy. ''Oh, great. Here she goes again.'' Usagi, Ami and Rei watched the crane drop down into the mound of dolls and come up with three more dolls: a Sailor Mercury, a Sailor Mars, and a Sailor Knight.

"Wow!" Usagi, Ami and Rei all exclaimed at once.

"Usagi-chan!" a dark-haired girl next to Usagi said in greeting.

"Umi-chan," Usagi replied, nodding to the girl.

"Did you see him?" Umi asked. "They call him 'Crane' Joe, because he's an expert at the crane game. Whenever he plays the crane game, he always wins every single doll in the machine!"

"Really?" Usagi asked. "Isn't he neat, Mako-chan...." She cut off when she noticed the dreamy look on Makoto's face. "Uh, Mako-chan?"

"He's exactly like him...," she breathed. "Senpai...."

"Mako-chan?" Usagi shouted waving her hand in front of Makoto's eyes. "Hello? Mako-chan? Mako-chan??? Hey!" Still no response. She was still staring dreamily at the guy.

"Senpai? Hey, Ryo-kun, is your sister always like this? Staring at guys and talking about some upperclassman she used to know?" Usagi asked.

"It happens often enough," Ryoku replied dryly, but this time with a fond half-smile on his face.

When he finished cleaning out the arcade's crane game machine of all its dolls, Joe left, taking his four bags of dolls with him. He was on his way to visit one of the downtown hospitals where he liked to donate at least one of his bags of dolls for hospitalized children. After all, he wouldn't know what to do with so many dolls, so he might as well donate them.

After playfully leaping over the railing of the bottom half of the stairs he was descending, and falling on his behind due to too high a fall, a figure appeared above him from out of a shower of flower petals. At first, he thought that he must've banged his head as well as falling on his butt, but the absence of both a headache and a lump on his head told him otherwise.

"I found you," the blonde female replied as she floated down to the ground.

"What the...?" Joe stammered nervously, getting to his feet. His bags of dolls were lying to one side as he warily backed away from the woman.

"This'll only take a moment," she said as she flung a long, black crystal spinning in front of her. When the Dark Crystal stopped spinning, it began to emit pulses of energy at him.

"Why... why do I feel so strange? What's happening to me?" Joe wondered to himself as the pulses of energy began to envelope him and penetrated through him. Suddenly, he felt a surge of power as the energy from the Dark Crystal found the Rainbow Crystal within him. He began to scream as the power of the Red Rainbow Crystal began to overload his senses.

"Hold it!" Makoto shouted from the top of the stairs, her arms folded.

"Oh, and who's this?" the woman asked mockingly.

"Why don't you pick on someone of your own kind?" Makoto challenged. The woman growled as she grabbed the crystal in front of her. "What are you doing?" the tall brunette continued as she ran between the woman and Joe, who was clutching painfully at his chest.

"If you dare to interfere with me, you will be sorry!" the woman warned.

"Not as sorry as you're gonna be!" Makoto shouted and charged at her. She threw one punch after another, while the woman dodged each one easily.

"Not bad," she said condescendingly, as she hovered away from Makoto.

"Leave him alone!" Makoto ordered.

"How barbaric," the woman said mockingly as she smirked.

Makoto charged at her again, but she was still dodging all of her attacks. Getting an idea, she pulled off one of her rose earrings and flung it at the woman. The earring flew past her as she dodged that one as well, but that was what Makoto wanted. While the woman was dodging the earring, she leaped at her and attacked with a palm strike that connected with her face. The force of the attack spun her around so that her back was to Makoto.

"How dare you injure my face!" the woman growled angrily. Makoto just stood in a defensive fighting position, waiting for her attack.

"Mako-chan! There you are!" Usagi shouted, as she and Ryoku appeared at the top of the stairs where Makoto had appeared earlier.

"A fight?" Ryoku said concernedly just before he leaped off the top of the stairs and landed in a defensive fighting crouch beside his sister.

"What's going on?" Usagi shouted as she and Luna ran down the stairs and over to where Joe was still clutching at his chest. As Makoto and Ryoku turned to see if he was all right, the woman leaped away and vanished before they could turn back.

"Where'd she go?" Ryoku asked, getting to his feet.

"I don't know," Makoto replied, shrugging. "We'd better go see if Joe's all right."

"Are you okay, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked.

"She never laid a hand on me," Makoto said smugly.

"That's because she was too busy dodging," Ryoku remarked with a half-smile.

"That's what you think," Makoto retorted, also smiling.

Joe began to groan as the pain in his chest subsided. "Are you okay?" Ryoku asked. Usagi put a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him.

"Let go of me!" Joe snapped, as he pushed her hand away. "Don't get close to me!" He got to his feet and strode irritably away, abandoning his bags of dolls.

"Is that all he's got to say? What a jerk!" Usagi remarked.

"See if I ever help him again," Ryoku muttered.

Makoto just wordlessly started following him. Ryoku shook his head and sighed irritably as he started to follow his sister, stopping only to pick up the rose earring Makoto threw.

"Hey!" Usagi shouted after them, "does this mean I can keep all these dolls?"

"Usagi, be serious," Luna admonished.

Usagi blinked at Luna's tone of voice. "What's going on?"

"I felt something."

"Felt what?"

"I felt an evil aura from the woman that she was fighting," Luna said as she stared after Makoto. "She might be with the Dark Kingdom."

"No way!" Usagi said in disbelief, then frowned. "But... that means.... Mako-chan's in trouble! Mako-chan! Ryo-kun! Wait up!" she shouted, chasing after them.

"Took her long enough...," Luna muttered and started trailing after Usagi.

Ryoku stopped after hearing Usagi shout and waited as she ran up to him. "Could you yell a little louder, please?" he asked flatly. "I don't think they heard you up in Hokkaido."

"Sorry," Usagi said apologetically.

Ryoku nodded. "Come on. I don't want to let this guy out of my sight."

"Hey, wait up!" Makoto shouted at Joe as she continued to follow him.

He stopped in front of a small restaurant and glanced at her on his shoulder. "How long are you going to follow me?"

"But it looks like someone is after you," she replied. "So, I'll be your bodyguard."

He clutched his chest as another spasm of pain washed through his body. "I don't remember getting in anybody's way," he said flatly, annoyed at her persistence.

"I bet the arcade owners are a little ticked that you ripped them off at the crane game."

He gave her a considering glance. "Impossible," he replied.

"Tell me the trick with the game," she asked, blushing slightly.

"You can't do it," he said as another spasm of pain cut through him. This one was worse than the first.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned as he walked to the restaurant's entrance.

"Nothing!" he barked irritably, opening the door. "I want to have coffee by myself." He walked inside, leaving her to stare through the glass door at it closed behind him.

"What a jerk!" Usagi shouted, as the door closed completely. Luna just sighed in exasperation, as Ryoku shrugged the shoulder that she wasn't sitting on in reply.

"That's the good part," Makoto said dreamily, as she continued to stare through the door. "He's just like my long-lost senpai...."

Usagi continued to stare at her in chagrin. "She's totally stuck in girl-in-love mode," she said aside to Luna and Ryoku.

"Tell me about it," Ryoku replied flatly.

Inside the restaurant, Joe was having a cup of coffee when the pain in his chest came back stronger than ever. ''What's happening to me? Feels like my heart's trying to burst out of my chest!'' He stared breathing heavily and clutched at his chest again as the pain slowly began to subside again. He turned to look out the window when the pain became bearable. Sitting outside on the edge of a planter was that tall brunette girl who had saved him a short while ago and two others. The boy looked as though he was her brother, and the blonde girl was probably a friend of hers. Only the brunette was staring at him; the others were just keeping her company.

"Usagi-chan, you don't have to stick around me," Makoto said as she saw Usagi yawn. "You look like you're bored."

"It's okay," Usagi replied, laughing as she cut off her yawn. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you just yawned," Ryoku pointed out.

"That doesn't mean I'm bored," Usagi replied.

"As you say," he replied with a shrug.

All three turned to the window as they saw Joe signaling for Makoto to come inside. Immediately, Makoto and Usagi were on their feet.

"He wants you to come in," Usagi said excitedly. "Good going!"

A hesitant look crossed Makoto's face. "What do I do...?"

"What else do you think you should do?" the blonde girl protested. "Go on!"

"Mako-chan always did have great timing," Ryoku commented as Usagi started to push her towards the restaurant entrance.

"Wait!" she shouted as Usagi started pushing her through the entrance.

"I won't," Usagi said sternly, then grinned. "And good luck!" She gave her one last shove and went back to sit next to Ryoku and Luna.

"You handled that nicely," Ryoku said, as he watched his sister walk over to where Joe was sitting. "That last shove was just what she needed to get her going."

"Really?" Usagi asked.

"Yes. But don't go getting any ideas," he replied. "Just because I'm her brother, it doesn't mean the same thing will work on me."

"Oh.... What makes you think that that's what I was thinking?" Usagi asked sheepishly. Ryoku gave one of his half-grins in reply.

"Hi, Joe," Makoto said as she walked up to his booth.

"Have a seat," he said, gesturing for her to sit across from him.

"Thanks," she said, sitting down as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Don't get me wrong," he told her as he put down his cup. "I just can't stand being watched from outside all the time."

"Are you angry?"

"Not really. Maybe a little embarrassed, though. After all, having to be rescued like that...."

"Oh," Makoto replied, looking down at the table.

"It's because of my psychic power that I'm good at the crane game," he told her.

"Psychic power?"

He moved a hand over to the ashtray on the table. He spread his fingers as he faced his palm at the ashtray. Suddenly, the ashtray began to float shakily into the air a few inches off the table.

Makoto just stared at the ashtray in astonishment as her eyes went wide open in surprise. "No way!" she exclaimed as the ashtray settled back down on the table.

Joe just grinned at her surprise. "I had this strange power ever since I was a kid," he explained as he pushed his glasses back with one finger. "Get it? That's why I said you can't do it."

"Isn't that kind of like cheating?"

"I don't care," he replied indifferently. "Why not put my power to the best use?"

Makoto looked at the ashtray sitting idly on the table. The one that had been hovering in the air only a few moments ago.... "You think so?" she said uncertainly.

"May I help you?" a female voice asked.

"Large curry rice.... No, I'll have milk tea," Makoto said as she looked to see who was taking their order. It was the woman who had attacked them earlier. "You again?" she shouted at she tried to get to her feet, but was blocked by the table.

"What?" Joe gasped.

"Leave us alone!" Makoto ordered as she tried to leap at her. The woman just grinned as she wordlessly threw her against the wall of their booth. The same force knocked over the bench that Joe had been sitting in, sending him tumbling onto the floor, while Makoto landed on the overturned bench.

"It's her!" Luna exclaimed as she, Usagi and Ryoku saw some woman attacking Makoto and Joe.

"She's after them again!" Ryoku growled as he and Usagi charged into the restaurant.

"Help!" Joe exclaimed as he started to crawl out of the restaurant, hoping that that crazy woman wouldn't see him.

"You're just gonna leave her behind?" Usagi demanded as Ryoku ran past them.

"I don't care!" Joe shouted. "She just followed me!"

"What?" Usagi shouted, appalled that he was only trying to save himself. "And you call yourself a guy?"

"It's none of my business!" Joe retorted. "Besides, I can't stand a huge girl like her!" He pushed past her and ran out of the restaurant. Usagi glared after Joe for a second, then ran over to check on Makoto and Ryoku, with Luna trailing behind her.

Makoto and Ryoku both stood between the woman and the exit, hoping to keep her away from Joe. She just looked at the two siblings in contempt and thrust her hand towards the window. The window exploded outward, shards of glass littering the pavement outside. Luckily, there was no one there to be injured by the sharp glass shrapnel. The woman leaped out the window and started chasing after Joe.

Usagi stared out the shattered window, trembling slightly. She's with the Dark Kingdom after all.

"Usagi, maybe you should check on your friends," Luna suggested.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Usagi said, snapping out of her fear. She went over to Ryoku and Makoto, who both looked like they had been thrown around a bit by that woman. "Hey, Ryo-kun, Mako-chan! Are you two all right?"

"Aside from having been tossed around like I was nothing?" Ryoku muttered. "I'm fine."

"It was the same thing all over again," Makoto muttered, staring at the ground with both hands clenched into fists.

"Mako-chan...?" Usagi asked, concerned.

"Damn it!" Makoto shouted, getting to her feet, and ran after the woman.

"She's fine," Ryoku told to Usagi, who was staring after her with a worried expression on her face. "Come on, we'd better go after them." She nodded as they all joined the chase.

"Spare me!" Joe pleaded as he slowly backed away from the woman chasing him. He had run all the way to the park before she had caught up with him. He was hoping that since the sun had set a half-hour ago, he had finally lost her. No such luck.

"There is no need to run," the woman told him. "You are one of us."

"One of you?" he asked, puzzled. In response, the woman brought out the Dark Crystal and began to finish what she started. Once again, the power of the Red Rainbow Crystal began to wash over him, and a red glow began to shine around him as he screamed in pain.

"I will have the Rainbow Crystal."

"What's going on?" Makoto shouted as she ran up to them. She watched as the Red Rainbow Crystal floated out of him and into the woman's hand.

"This must be it," the woman whispered to herself.

"Hold it!" Sailor Moon shouted as she and Sailor Knight appeared.

"Sailor Moon!" Makoto exclaimed in surprise.

"You are a little too late, Sailor Scouts," the woman laughed derisively.

"Who the hell are you?" Knight demanded.

"Let me introduce myself," the woman stated as she began to rise into the air. "I am Zoisite, one of the Dark Kingdom's four Generals." A shower of flower petals began to swirl around her. "Now, take care of them, Gesen," she said, then vanished.

"She disappeared?" Makoto said in surprised.

"What was that all about?" Knight asked. "I didn't see any youma before she left." Sailor Moon was about to answer when she noticed that the red glow hadn't left Joe yet. A swirl of energy began to envelope him. When the energy dissipated, a monster stood in his place. "Ah, now I see," he said, taking out his swords from behind his back.

The monster looked like he had just stepped out of a video game, complete with video game controllers on each arm. The whole outfit was red and silver, including the helmet. The visor over his face kept them from seeing any facial details.

"She turned him into a youma!" Sailor Moon said as she slowly backed away from him. The creature pressed a few buttons on his wrist and the head of a large spiked mallet appeared.

"Wonderful," Knight muttered and raised his swords in a defensive position. The creature took a few swings at both of them. Sailor Moon succeeded in dodging each attack, but Knight got hit by the last attack and when flying into a nearby tree. He slumped over, partially unconscious, as he slid down the tree.

"Sailor Knight! Are you okay?" Sailor Moon called out, but he didn't answer. The creature strode over to her and raised his giant mallet overhead.

"Hold it!" Makoto shouted, grabbing the monster and lifting him over her head. "What do you think you're doing to my idol, Sailor Moon?" As she held the creature helpless over her head, a glowing green symbol appeared in the center of her forehead.

"That mark!" Luna exclaimed in shock. "The sign of Jupiter!"

Makoto threw the creature into a nearby bush, while Sailor Moon gaped at her in amazement. "Awesome...," she breathed in surprise.

"That's my sister," Knight said proudly as he slowly got to his feet.

The creature jumped to his feet and pressed a few more buttons on his wrist. Where the giant mallet used to be, a giant pair of gripping claws appeared and was aimed right for Sailor Moon.

"Watch out!" Makoto shouted, but she was too late. The claws grabbed Sailor Moon and pinned her arms to her sides. Another set appeared and shot out, grabbing Sailor Knight and pinning his arms to his sides, causing him to drop his swords.

"I can't move!" Sailor Moon shouted fearfully, while Knight tried to force apart the claws that held him.

"Hold on!" Makoto shouted.

"Wait!" Luna shouted, placing a green transformation pen in front of her. "You're one of the Sailor Scouts."

"What?" Makoto exclaimed. "Luna's talking?!?"

"No time to explain," Luna said. "Just take this pen and say, 'Jupiter power, make up!'"

Makoto knelt down, picked up the transformation pen and stood, raising the transformation pen in the air. "Jupiter power, make up!" Within moments, she transformed into Sailor Jupiter.

"Mako-chan is...!" Sailor Moon gasped in disbelief.

"My sister is a Sailor Scout, too!" Knight added in similar disbelief. "Sailor Jupiter.... I guess it runs in the family."

The creature pressed another series of buttons, causing another set of claws to appear. He aimed this set at Jupiter and fired.

"Look out!" Sailor Moon shouted, as Jupiter leaped over the claws.

"Supreme thunder!" Jupiter shouted, sending a large lightning bolt hurtling at the monster, electrocuting it. The blast destroyed the two claws that held Sailor Moon and Knight captive.

"Not bad, Jupiter," Knight commented.

"One more time...," Jupiter said.

"I'm with you," Knight added.

"Don't!" Luna shouted. "That youma still has the heart of a human. He was originally human."

"So, what do you want us to do?" Knight asked.

"Heal the youma."

"Oh, now why didn't I think of that?" he asked sarcastically. "And how do we go about doing that?"

"He's getting ready to attack again!" Sailor Moon exclaimed as the monster began to recover from Jupiter's lightning attack. Luna leaped into the air, turning a backflip at the peak, and landed. In the space where she backflipped, a pink wand with a large yellow crescent moon at the end appeared. The wand landed in Sailor Moon's hands.

"That's the Crescent Moon Wand," Luna explained. "Say, 'Moon healing escalation'. It will return him to normal."

"Moon healing escalation!" Sailor Moon shouted, rotating the wand in a large circle in front of her, ending above her head. As she held the wand above her head, a white glow emanated from the wand and covered the creature, returning him to his normal form. He then collapsed into unconsciousness.

"Sailor Jupiter, you are the fifth Sailor Scout," Luna said. "Welcome to the team."

"Thank you, Luna," Jupiter replied, grinning.

"Sailor Moon, now we have five Scouts," Luna continued. "You must become the leader and protect the Princess."

"Me? Leader?!?" Sailor Moon exclaimed. "Why me? Why not him?" she asked, pointing at Sailor Knight.

Knight frowned thoughtfully for a moment. This was only the second time he had heard of this Princess that Luna said that they were searching for; the first time was at the embassy ball a while back. It seemed to him that she was the only one who was actively searching for her, but she did sound very important.

"The Crescent Moon Wand is the symbol of the leader," Luna chided. "It is a powerful treasure that must be guarded until we find the Princess that we are searching for."

Knight laughed at her discomfiture. "Looks like you've just been elected," he said, half-smiling.

"I recognize that half-smile," Jupiter said. "Ryo-chan, is that you?"

"Yes, and before you can ask, yes, that is Usagi-chan," Knight answered, pointing at Sailor Moon.

"Looks like I've got some catching up to do," Jupiter said.

The next day, Usagi, Makoto, Ryoku and Luna went to the arcade again. "So, she's staying with you?" Usagi asked.

"Now you know why I had the extra bedroom," Ryoku replied. "I knew it would be only a matter of time before she got transferred, too." He looked fondly over at his sister who was taking another shot at the Sailor V game... and losing. "Besides, it's just us now. We must stick together."

"I guess so," Usagi replied. "It must be great to have your sister living with you."

He nodded. "Especially since she's such a great cook. I have my dishes, but she can make anything taste good."

"Damn it! Damn it!!!" Makoto shouted angrily, banging on the arcade machine. "That stupid... Men are just a bunch of...." Usagi and Luna sweatdropped while Ryoku just sighed and shook his head.

"Hi, Usagi-chan. Hi, Ryo-kun," Motoki called out from behind.

"Hi, Motoki-oniisan!" Usagi answered while Ryoku merely nodded in greeting.

"I heard that Crane Joe came," Motoki said. "I wish I could've been here to see him."

"Really?" Usagi asked. "Anyway, I want you to meet my new friend, Kino Makoto-chan. She's Ryo-kun's sister."

"Oh, really?" Motoki asked. "Hello."

"He looks exactly like my long-lost senpai...," Makoto said dreamily.

"Didn't you say Crane Joe looks like him?" Usagi exclaimed in vexation.

"His voice just sounded like him," she sighed.

"Weird girl," Usagi muttered.

"Actually, one out of every ten guys looks like her long-lost senpai... at least to her," Ryoku said aside to Usagi and Luna.

"Does she always act like that whenever she sees a guy that reminds her of her senpai?"

"No comment."