A Sailor Moon Fanfiction: The Pledge of the Sun.

Chapter 16

It was around evening in the town of Juuban. Usagi, Harusuke, Rei, and Ami were walking around a park admiring the scenery with Ami as their guide.

"Wow... it's so nice and quiet here," said Rei as she gazed into the lake.

"I'll say. This is the perfect place to have a date," agreed Usagi.

"Of course, you of all people would say that Usagi," chuckled Harusuke. "But I will agree that this park is one of the most beautiful I've seen. Although I'm kinda surprised that you know a place like this, Ami."

"Really? I guess I never told you," said Ami. "I sometimes come here to read on my way to cram school."

They soon came up to a man tending to the tulips in a flower garden. He was a bit old for his age, wore a gray button-down with tan pants with white shoes, and wore a white safari-style hat.

"Hello Mr. Kokuritsu," greeted Ami.

The old man turned around, and when he saw Ami, he smiled warmly. "Ah. Ami. Good to see you," he said.

Ami then introduced him. "Guys, allow me to introduce an old friend of mine," she said. "This is Mr. Kunitachi Kokoritsu, the caretaker of this park."

"No way! Really?" gasped Usagi with wonder. "You're in charge of taking care of this whole enormous park all by yourself?"

Kunitachi's smile then turned into a sad frown. "Yes, I am, but... I'm afraid I won't be for much longer," he said.

"What do you mean?" asked Ami.

"The landowner of this park has sold it to a developer," Kunitachi continued sadly. "They plan to build a large business complex here."

The teenagers looked at Kunitachi feeling surprised, but at the same time feeling sorry for the old man.

"That's such a shame," said Ami.

"I know. Especially for the wildlife that's living here," said Kunitachi. "Once this place is gone, the animals have no place to live. It makes you wonder where they'll go once this place is gone. It's quite the problem."

"It's too bad," said Usagi. "This is such a nice park."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" asked Harusuke. "Like, have you tried to reason with the developers or get a petition or something?"

Kunitachi shook his head. "Believe me, boy, I tried," he said. "But the developers wouldn't listen. Oh well, there's nothing we can do about it. So we'll have to accept it and move on."

And with that, Kunitachi sadly went back to tending his tulips while the teens watched on with worry. Rei, however, had other things going on in her mind.

"If this place is closing down," she thought. "Then I'd better find a date and enjoy it while I still can."

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Meanwhile, Luna searched for Usagi and the others at the Game Center, unaware they were at the park, but she couldn't find them anywhere.

"Geez. Where did those kids go?" she wondered to herself. "I haven't seen them all day."

Then there was trouble. Luna wasn't looking where she was walking. She didn't realize until she heard the sound of a horn. The black cat had walked in the street, but a large truck came speeding. Luna let out a shriek of terror, and it seemed that she was going to be roadkill, but at the last moment, someone whisked her away and got her back on the sidewalk just in time. Luna was dazed and confused, but luckily she wasn't hurt.