"COMING OF AGE"

Chapter 2: "The Unwelcome Guest"

A Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

In a room near the Royal Chambers that was usually used to entertain close friends, Helios, Protector of Dreams, and the Princess Usagi sat at a table. Usa, her long legs curled up underneath her as she sat on the chair, typed into a computer work station as Helios watched her. She was doing her homework and he was ostensibly helping her, though the teen was smart enough to do her own homework. As such, he was merely keeping her company.

Suddenly she stopped typing and glanced at him. Her red eyes twinkled and her full mouth pulled into a warm smile. Helios accepted the look gratefully, but grew concerned when it lingered.

"Maiden," he gently prodded. "You must concentrate."

"I am," she replied, playing the coquette that she recently learned to play so well.

"On your homework."

"You're much more interesting."

"Discipline, Maiden," Helios told her. "The ability to focus on a task and see it through to the end. It is a skill you will need."

"That's easy for you to say," Usa frowned.

"I find you no less attractive than you do me, Maiden," Helios persisted, brushing the white hair from his eyes. "But I am able to focus upon the task at hand, despite wishes to the contrary. You must resist the desire to give into temptation that is your lineage."

"Are you saying I'm just like Mom?" Usa bristled. "That's a rotten thing to say."

"My respect for the Queen is unquestioned," Helios explained. "But she retains a youthful mind and that youthful mind, like yours, is too easily swayed by pleasant sensations and experiences."

"Well I like that!" the Princess huffed. "Just how dim do you think I am?"

"Easily distracted is not an equivalent to ignorant, Maiden," Helios said. "I meant no offense. Now please return to your geometry work."

Usa turned back to her screen, then paused and looked back at him with a cocked eyebrow.

"I'm working on history," Usa said.

Helios glanced at the screen and realized she was right. The look of genuine, embarrassed surprise on the face of the Dream Guardian caused Usa to snort and she quickly melted into giggles at her love's expense. When she calmed enough, Usa reached out and caught her love's hand, giving it a squeeze. It took a few more moments for her giggles to die out, though.

"What amuses you, Maiden?" Usa heard Helios say. Impossibly, though, the voice came from the door behind her. The Princess turned and looked behind her. Helios stood in the doorway, looking at her with benign curiosity.

"Helios?" Usa asked. Then she turned back quickly. The Helios she had been sitting across from for nearly an hour was gone. Confused, she turned back. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Helios asked, walking over to her.

"You were sitting right across from me! You've been there for an hour, helping me study!"

"Maiden, I have been with your father for much of this hour."

Usa turned back and stared at the empty seat across from her. A chill ran up her spine.

"Then who was here?" she whispered.


"Back to Brasilia?" Cere gasped.

"Isn't it wonderful, Chica?" her Aunt Pilar effused on the vid-com monitor. "Won't you be so glad to come back to your native country?"

"But I like it here," Cere said.

"That's nice to hear. But wouldn't you rather be back home, in familiar surroundings," Pilar contended, "with family again?"

The other Amazons winced privately. Being orphans, or a reject in Palla-Palla's case, family was always a sore spot with them. They looked anxiously from the woman on the computer screen to Cere.

"I have responsibilities here, Aunt Pilar," Cere began.

"I'm certain we can iron all of that out, dear," Pilar persisted.

"Look, don't waste your time making the trip here from Sao Paulo, Aunt Pilar," Cere tried to say.

"Dear, I'm already here!" Pilar announced. Cere seemed to go pale. "And I'll be over as soon as I can get settled. You'll be back in Sao Paulo in no time."

"But . . .!"

"Good-bye, dear," Pilar sang and ended the communication. Cere stared in amazement for a few moments, then sagged back in her chair in frustration.

"Who the Hell was that?" Ves demanded.

"My Aunt Pilar," Cere scowled.

"Are you going to go away?" Palla-Palla asked, tears bubbling in her eyes and a forlorn terror in the tone of her voice.

"No," Cere replied firmly.

"She seems to think you are," Jun countered.

"She can think whatever she wants," Cere said sourly.

"Cere, I didn't know you had any living relatives," Jun told her.

Cere sighed loudly. "Aunt Pilar is my mom's older sister. She's part of the 'in' society in Sao Paulo, although I always got the feeling that she wasn't nearly as important as she made out. But she knows all the important people and attends all the gallery openings and seasonal balls."

"I always thought your folks came from money," Ves judged. "So how did you end up in Quatro Pai if your folks were loaded?"

"My folks weren't 'loaded'," Cere bristled. "Daddy was a diplomat. We were well off, but we weren't rich."

"Sounds like you were rich," muttered Ves.

"ANYONE WITH TWO PESOS IN THEIR POCKET WAS PROBABLY RICH TO YOU!" Cere bellowed. Jun put a hand on her shoulder and calmed her. "But we were well off. And we always had invitations to all the cultural glamor spots in the city because of Daddy's position." Cere darkened. "The air car accident ended all of that."

"Couldn't your Aunt Pilar take you in?" Jun asked.

"She wouldn't take me in," Cere replied. A shadow of repressed anguish draped over the girl's expression. "A ten year old girl would have been too much of a burden to her. She had more important things to do - - than take care of me."

"Real piece of work," Ves sympathized gruffly. "So all of a sudden she wants to take care of you? Why?"

"I don't know," Cere said. "I don't care, either."

"Maybe she regrets not being there for you earlier," Jun suggested.

"Or maybe she misses you," Palla-Palla added.

"Maybe, maybe, maybe," Cere responded. "Doesn't matter. My life's here. My 'family' is here. And I'm seventeen and I can make my own decisions. And I'm not going back to Sao Paulo - - certainly not with her."

Ves glanced at Jun and the smile on her face was mirrored by the smile on her sister. Palla-Palla was more demonstrative, lunging for Cere and catching the girl around the neck with a bear hug.

"Watch it!" Cere fussed. "You'll damage my coiffure!"


King Endymion was, as usual, in front of his vast bank of computer screens, surveying the palace, the city and the surrounding area. He always liked to put some time in front of the computer each day, no matter what else needed his attention. Protecting his family and the city he loved, that was King Endymion's obsession. All the monitors showed business as normal in the palace and the city.

"Things seem quiet," Endymion mused. "Maybe you should get on to dinner before Serenity gets mad. She's very indulgent regarding this obsession of yours. You shouldn't press your luck."

Suddenly the picture of the outer door to the computer room came up. Endymion saw Rei Hino standing at the door even as the computer announced her presence. Endymion engaged the door and it opened.

"Am I bothering you, Endymion?" Rei asked, sweeping into the room. As usual, she was in her priest robes.

"Actually I was just about to go to dinner," Endymion replied. "What did you want to see me about?"

Rei scowled. She seemed more cross with herself, though, than with him.

"Have your monitors picked up anything," and Rei hesitated, "unusual?"

"Unusual how?"

"I don't know," Rei confessed in frustration. "Something just - - doesn't seem right."

"Are you having a premonition of danger?"

"Not a premonition," Rei shook her head. "But - - something's here - - in the city - - in our midst. I don't know what, but I can feel - - something."

"You can't be any more specific?"

"No. I was hoping something might be happening somewhere in the city that was unusual, and I could use the visual cues from that to spark some recognition of what I'm feeling. Otherwise it will just remain a vague feeling."

"Maybe it's nothing," Endymion ventured.

"It's never 'nothing'," Rei replied. "I've been at this too long. Something is here, in this city, that doesn't belong. And I'd rather not find out too late that its intentions are malicious."

"Would it be possible that the yurei has come back?"

"No, Sailor Moon sent it to the after life. This isn't the yurei." Rei expelled a breath. "I just can't place what it is!"

"Maybe you're focused too hard on the problem," Endymion said, giving the monitors one last cautious glance. "I know. How about you dine with Serenity and me tonight?"

"How is yelling at your ditz of a wife going to help me focus?" Rei grinned.

"It'll take your mind off of it," Endymion explained as he rose. "If you're not constantly focused on trying to force a recognition, it may come to you."

"Is SHE cooking?" Rei asked.

"Of course not," Endymion smiled. Rei was still hesitant. "We might even be graced by an appearance from Usa - - provided she isn't occupied with trailing Helios all over the palace like a little puppy."

"I wondered what those puddles of drool were in some of the halls," Rei smirked. "All right, Endymion, I accept."

Endymion nodded and they headed for the door. And, just before it closed behind him, Endymion snuck another glanced at the monitors - - just in case.


In her room, Usa worked diligently at her computer work station. Unnoticed and unacknowledged, since she had unrestricted access, Diana wandered into the room. Observing her friend and charge hard at work, Diana smiled.

"Ah, there's one thing I never have to remind Usagi of," Diana thought. "She's always been very industrious when it comes to finishing her homework."

Leaping up on the bed, the gray cat walked over and peered at the screen.

"That isn't your homework," Diana remarked with surprise.

"I finished that an hour ago," Usa mumbled. Her concentration on the screen was so intense that Diana feared she'd burn a hole through the screen.

"What are you looking at so intently?" Diana asked. "Are those palace surveillance records?"

"Yeah."

"How did you obtain access to those? Only your father and palace security are supposed to have access to those."

"Hacked in," Usa said, still closely studying the images on her computer. Diana could see they were recordings of a conversation Usa and Helios had earlier.

"MY LADY!" gasped the gray cat.

"Diana, don't," Usa scowled, looking at her for the first time. "I'm on the trail of a mystery here that may need Sailor Moon's attention. I don't have time to call Pop and ask for permission." Going back to the screen, Usa suddenly became excited. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed.

"What sort of 'mystery'?" Diana asked. But before Usa could respond, a small window opened in the bottom right corner of her screen. In it was a real time picture of her father.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said, "but dinner's ready."

"I'm kind of in the middle of something, Pop," Usa offered.

"It can wait," Endymion replied - - in THAT tone - - then closed the window. Usa flopped back onto her chair and blew at her pink bangs.

"NOW what did I do?" she grumbled.

"You ARE being ironic, aren't you?" Diana looked at her askance.

In the royal chambers, Endymion came over to the table. Serenity and Rei were already seated. The table was adorned with a generous meal for four. Endymion seated himself as Serenity began serving the food.

"So what was she doing that was so important THIS TIME," Serenity asked.

"Something on her computer," Endymion replied. "Our little girl is becoming quite the computer whiz. Do you know she's managed to bi-pass the security lockout on the door to Helios' quarters?"

"So THAT'S how she did it," Serenity marveled as Rei smirked to herself. "Good girl." Then the queen realized she'd said that out loud. "Um - - I mean - - I'll have a talk with her."

"Well it's not surprising, I suppose, given who her father is," Rei commented. Then she glanced at Serenity. "It's a cinch she didn't get it from you."

"Shut up and eat, Rei, or I'll have you arrested," Serenity glared.

"For what, Bubble-brain?"

"I'm Queen around here. I don't need a reason!" And Serenity stuck her tongue out at the priest.

"OK, I'm here. What did I do?" Usa sighed, entering the chamber.

"Is it too much to ask to have a simple family dinner with ALL of the family present, Princess Brat?" Serenity demanded with a cocked eyebrow.

Usa scowled and slunk into a chair. "Hi, Aunt Rei."

"Hi, Muffin," Rei said, her amusement at Usa's theatrics unconcealed.

"By the way, Usa," Endymion began, handing a plate of food to his daughter, "those security lockouts on the personal quarters doors are there for a reason. I would appreciate it if in the future you respected them, for Helios's personal right to privacy if nothing else."

"Yes, Pop," Usa sighed dramatically. "Boy, it's so obvious you've never been in love."

Serenity and Endymion exchanged amused glances while Rei winked at them both.


Later that evening, Usa was back in her room. A game was on the computer, but she wasn't wholly concentrating on it.

"Helios requests to see you at your door," announced the environmental computer. Usa was up like a shot and to the door in seconds.

"Hi, Helios," Usa smiled invitingly.

"Good evening, Maiden," Helios smiled back, nodding to her. "Are you otherwise occupied?"

"No, why?"

"It is a beautiful evening, Maiden," Helios explained, "and I wish to stroll the grounds and enjoy that evening. And I can think of no better augmentation to that than to have you by my side, enjoying it with me. May I escort you?"

"Sounds great," beamed Usa.

Outside, the pair strolled leisurely through the ornate garden Queen Serenity had sculpted. The scents from the flowers combined with the soft moonlight and the gentle warmth of May to create a uplifting experience. Her hand holding her partner's, Usa seemed to let herself drift along, blissful and unassuming.

"You are quite beautiful by the moon's light, Maiden," Helios said.

"Well aren't you the smooth talker," Usa grinned.

"It is true, Maiden."

"I never said I didn't believe you."

Suddenly, on a path between azaleas and crocus, Helios whirled Usa to him. Chest pressed to chest, the girl looked up into his pale blue eyes, her lips slightly parted with surprise.

"Maiden," Helios said, a passion burning in his blue eyes, "I have tried - - tried to be true to my word to you father. Tried to sublimate the longing that burns within me for you. But I am weak. I need you."

Usa swallowed.

"Come with me, my love," Helios pleaded. "Let us be away. Let us be married in our eyes if no one else's. Let us run to our own little corner of the universe, where we will exist surrounded by nothing and no one but each other and our love for each other. What say you, Maiden?"

"Oh, it's the dream I have every night," Usa beamed. Then the girl sobered. Pivoting, she gently pulled out of his arms and turned away. "But before I give you an answer, there's one thing I have to know."

"What is that, my love?" Helios asked. Usa turned to him. She looked him directly in the eye.

"Just who are you?" Usa asked. "Really?"

Continued in Chapter 3