THE CHALLENGE OF LADY KITSUNE

Chapter 8: "The Same Old New Threat"

A neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

Six girls on the verge of womanhood strolled through the busy throngs of Crystal Tokyo's center of retail and entertainment commerce, The Promenade. They turned heads because they were attractive. They turned heads because they were exuberant and their exuberance at life and their enjoyment of each other's company radiated out and affected those around them. These days, nothing seemed to multiply faster in the citizens of Crystal Tokyo than someone having fun.

Plus the group had a celebrity among them. Instantly recognizable with her flowing pink hair done up in rabbit-ear gathers atop her head and trailing nearly to the ground, the Princess Usagi was quickly the center of attention everywhere the six went. As they walked down the Promenade together, a woman in her thirties cut into their path.

"Oh my goodness!" the woman gasped in adoration. She had black hair pulled back from a common face and respectable, if quiet, clothing. Usa stopped and listened patiently. "I never in my life imagined I would ever meet you in person!"

"Well that makes two of us," Usa replied with an understanding smile. "I never imagined I'd ever meet you in person, either."

"I've followed you my entire life!" the woman continued, star-struck. "I remember the day you were born, they canceled school so we could all go to the palace if we wanted! It was the happiest day in the whole country!" She clutched Usa's hand like she was clutching gold.

"Well, I've always said they were just looking for a reason to have a party that day," Usa grinned. The woman seemed aghast.

"No!" she exclaimed. "The people love you! You're the hope of a new generation! You'll be such a help to your mother and father, and you'll help bring a new and even better era to Crystal Tokyo and the world! You mustn't downgrade yourself like that!"

Usa put her free hand on top of the hands clutching her and looked the woman right in the eye.

"I'll try as hard as I can never to let you down," she told the woman. Then she very gently disengaged the woman's hands from hers. "Thank you for all your kind words. It's been a pleasure to meet you."

"Just like your mother," the woman cooed. Usa and her party moved on.

"So what's that been, nine so far?" Cere asked as they walked.

"Three in the restaurant," Palla-Palla dutifully reported, "and six while we walked around. That makes nine."

"Sorry," Usa offered. "Maybe I should ask Aunt Minako for disguise tips."

"It's OK, Princess," Jun chuckled. "It's not like this doesn't happen every time we go out with you."

"I don't know how you stand it," Ves remarked. "All these people always gawking at you and fawning all over you everywhere you go, acting like you're the hottest thing since - - well, since your Mom, I guess. Don't you just want to get in their faces and tell them to back off and get a life sometimes?"

"Aunt Minako calls it 'the price of fame'. I'm understanding it more and more each year. I'm important to them. Just my being in the world seems to make them feel better. Every time I accomplish something, it's like they've accomplished something - - as long as it's something good, that is." Usa grew self-conscious. "Sometimes I do wish they wouldn't expect so much out of me."

"You were going to stop that," Hotaru gently reminded her.

"Yeah, I was, wasn't I?" Usa grinned ruefully. As they passed a group of teen girls, several pointed and squealed.

"Maybe we just need to get off of the Promenade," suggested Ves. She pointed to a building. "How about we duck in here?"

"Magno-skating?" Cere asked incredulously.

"It's fun!" protested Ves. "Kino-Sensei has been teaching me how to do it. She says it's a great way to be athletic and feminine."

"Because we all know how feminine you are," snickered Cere. Ves shot her an evil look.

"I'm game," Usa shrugged. "It might be fun. And if I'm out here much longer, I'm afraid I'll create a mob scene."

Inside the six teens were donning the special footwear for the magno-skating rink. The few patrons who were already there stared in amazement the moment they recognized Usa. Ves already had her gear on, while Jun worked hers on and Cere eyed them suspiciously. Just then, Palla-Palla walked up to Ves.

"Palla-Palla has never done this, Ves-Ves," the girl said anxiously.

"Want me to show you how?" Ves asked.

"Think about how it's done," she told Ves. Ves complied and Palla-Palla closed her eyes. She was very still for a few moments. Then her eyes opened and her demeanor was much more confident. "OK. Palla-Palla knows how now." And she began donning the footwear.

"She always gives me the creeps when she does that," Cere murmured to Jun.

"Why?" Jun asked.

"Who knows what she's seeing when she's rummaging around in your head like that."

"Got something to hide?"

"Hundreds of things," Cere sniffed, an eyebrow raised. "And don't act like you don't, either. Like who has been sneaking pieces of candy out of Palla-Palla's stash, for instance?" Jun's eyes momentarily widened in shock.

"It's like ice skating," Hotaru remarked, scanning the rink. "But there's no ice."

"Here's how it works," Usa explained. "There are a series of magnets in the soles of the footwear you put on. They alternate between positive and negative poles. There are also magnets in the floor of the rink, laid out the same way with alternating positive and negative poles. When you go out on the rink, the like poles repel each other and lift you a few centimeters off the floor. But the unlike poles attract each other and keep the floor from repelling you over the wall. By pushing off with your feet, you can glide along the floor just above the surface."

"That's wonderful!" gasped Hotaru.

They looked out onto the rink. Ves was already out on the rink, flying around with the speed of a cheetah. She expertly juked around another couple and angled back to the group.

"You've been practicing," Jun smirked.

"Sure have! I love doing this!" Ves exclaimed. "Kino-Sensei was right again. I haven't had this much fun doing something since the days we used to beat up the Chulos back in Sao Paulo!"

"You skate like a hockey player," sniffed Cere.

By now Palla-Palla was on the surface. She made a few tentative moves forward, imitating the mental images she'd read from Ves's mind. When she didn't fall, the girl gained confidence and began elongating her strides.

"Look at Palla-Palla," marveled Cere.

"Palla-Palla is doing it!" she happily shouted. Ves moved to join her.

"Well if she can do it, I guess I can," muttered Cere. The teen ventured out onto the rink tentatively. But without the benefit of what Palla-Palla had gleaned from Ves, Cere's initial movements were very shaky and uncertain. Anxiously she took two strides forward, then lost her balance and face-planted onto the rink surface.

"What was that you were saying?" Jun asked, her chin propped onto her palm and an expression of amusement on her face.

"IF I GET A BRUISE FROM THIS, VES IS GOING TO PAY BIG TIME!" Cere howled.


In Minako Aino's quarters, Ami Mizuno was attaching a sonic stimulus lead to the area of Minako's upper arm that was fractured. Minako lay in her bed, in her quarters because she adamantly refused to go to the infirmary, eying the device with unconcealed suspicion.

"So this is going to fix me up?" Minako asked.

"It will repair the fracture in your humerus," Ami replied, her eyes on her work at all times. "The ultra-sound will induce cellular reproduction and the bone will knit more quickly. Because of the calcium drain, I've given you a calcium booster shot as well. Fortunately the fracture was small and the bone didn't completely break."

"So this will fix me up?" Minako asked again. "Yes or no will do."

Ami looked at her for the first time, peering disdainfully over her glasses. "It will repair the fracture in your humerus," she repeated. "Your condition is a bit more complicated for a simple 'yes or no' response. You still have ligament and deep muscle damage in your right pectoral area that has to be treated, plus these abrasions on your neck and arms." Ami glanced at Minako's neck. "Usa didn't do this, did she?"

"No, I had Artemis scratch me up when I faked the encounter with Lady Kitsune," Minako admitted. "Had to make it look good."

Ami scowled and looked away.

"You don't approve of what I did," Minako observed.

"No, I don't," Ami replied. "What you did was bold and proactive, but it was also reckless and dangerous. You were injured, Minako."

"Got to give her credit," Minako shrugged, then winced with pain. "Usa's quicker than even I thought. That Tiara Attack was on me before I could dodge it. I saw it coming, but . . ."

"Minako," Ami interrupted. "What if someone else had been injured during your skirmishes with Usa?"

"I was careful," Minako protested.

"And what if Usa hadn't reacted to this as you hoped? What if she'd seen it as another example of how untrustworthy she feels she is with responsibility and power? What if she began to question her ability even more?"

"Why would she do that?"

"Because she saw her confidence-building 'victory' as a sham," Ami responded.

"Well she didn't," fumed Minako.

"Minako, you took a huge gamble. You put yourself in danger. You put others in danger. And you put Usa's psyche in danger. I can't argue with the results. And I can't really argue with your assertion that Usa was perhaps in a desperate situation. But your penchant for high-risk high-reward strategies aren't always warranted. There were other ways to get Usa back to where she was. They may have taken longer, but they would have been just as effective and far less risky."

"Well, you've probably thought this out right down to the last decimal, so I'd be a fool to say you're wrong," Minako admitted. Then she looked Ami right in the eye. "But you're wrong."

Ami responded by pushing a button on the sonic stimulator. Minako jumped as if the device bit her.

"That hurt!" Minako growled.

"I never said the procedure was painless," Ami replied smugly.

"King Endymion desires entry," announced the environmental control computer. Minako exhaled and signaled for him to be ushered in.

"Minako," Endymion said. He nodded to Ami.

"I can come back if necessary," Ami offered.

"It's OK," Endymion shook his head. "I'm not going to say anything that you don't need to hear."

"I thought Serenity convinced you not to spank me," Minako quipped.

"She did," Endymion replied, unaffected by her attempt at humor, "and I'm not."

"But . . ." Minako prodded.

"I would," and Endymion paused to search for the right term, "appreciate it if you wouldn't do something like this again - - for the sake of the city, the palace and everyone in it."

"I didn't go too far!" Minako stubbornly maintained. "But I guess I can - - try - - to fulfill your request." She scowled. "Since you are king and everything. I guess that counts for something."

"Thank you," Endymion replied wryly.

"Besides, I don't think I'm going to need to 'go all drastic' again," Minako added. "I think Usa's going to be just fine from now on."

"I hope you're right," Endymion concurred. "And after you've recuperated, I'd like to discuss some of the ways you beat palace security. This little stunt of yours pointed out some blind spots - - and I don't like blind spots."

"No problem. Ask Artemis in, too. He and I were a team on this and he came up with as many as I did," Minako told him.

"Out of curiosity," Ami interjected. "Was there ever a real Lady Kitsune?"

"Nope. Made her up," Minako proclaimed. Then she pointed at Ami. "See, thinking that somebody could have actually beaten Sailor V - - that was your first mistake."


At the rink, Hotaru was beginning to get the feel of skating on air, with an assist from her friend Usa. The two skated together, following the line of the wall surrounding the rink.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Usa," Hotaru offered up. "We were all worried about you."

"Sorry about that. Sometimes I can't quite keep the drama queen buried," Usa replied. She glanced over at Hotaru to size up the girl's mood. "So what's bothering you?"

Hotaru looked up at her, startled, then looked away with chagrin.

"I've noticed you've been troubled for a few days now. I've just been too busy to find out what it is," Usa told her. "That's my fault. I'm here now. Anything I can help with?"

Hotaru grimaced.

"I've still got some pull around the palace," Usa prodded.

"I don't know if it's anything you can help with," Hotaru murmured.

"I've still got two shoulders," Usa persisted. "One of them's yours."

The small teen sighed. "Yutaka was accepted to a training academy."

"Well, that's a good thing," Usa replied, puzzled, "isn't it? Doesn't he want to go?"

"Yes! He wants to go. He's really excited. And," Hotaru continued, summoning up her courage, "it's a wonderful opportunity for him. It's the chance he needs to get the training he'll need to become the maintenance and engineering expert he's always wanted to be. It's his big break."

"So what's wrong?" Usa asked as they continued to glide around the rink.

"The school's in Germany," Hotaru whimpered, trying desperately not to cry. "I-I mean, The European Union. That's what it's called now. I still have trouble thinking in thirtieth century terms sometimes. The European Union is so far, Usa, even with today's accelerated travel. And he's going to be studying for three or four years. I don't know how I'm going to be able to stand being separated from him for that long. But I don't want to stand in his way. That's not fair to him. And I can't go with him. I have responsibilities here."

Hotaru wiped her eye with her finger. Timidly she glanced over at Usa and found her friend grinning at her.

"What's so amusing?" she asked, a trace of hurt in her voice.

"I guess you do still have trouble thinking in thirtieth century terms," Usa marveled. "Hotaru, haven't you ever heard of holo-classes?"

"Like when one of the elders can't teach our class and we're taught by a holographic representation animated by computer?" Hotaru murmured.

"That's the concept, only it's a little more advanced than what we use," Usa explained. "In the thirtieth century, almost nobody teaches with students gathered in a classroom or a lecture hall except in elementary and secondary school. And they only do that for the social interaction it gives the kids. University level courses are taught in holo-classes. The teacher or professor gives the lecture in front of a camera and the image is transmitted narrowband to anyone who has bought the course. The teacher is then projected as a holographic image right into their home or office. Questions and discussions are transmitted back to the teacher the same way and tests are given over the computer. Nobody goes away to college in another city anymore. There's no need."

"You mean," Hotaru said softly, hope dawning in her breast, "that Yutaka can take the courses he needs and stay in Crystal Tokyo?"

"He's probably taking it in his bedroom at the palace," Usa chuckled.

And before her eyes, Usa watched her friend transform from a melancholy waif carrying the burden of Atlas himself on her shoulders to an eager girl suddenly excited about the prospect of life once again. She stopped on the rink, drawing everybody's attention. Usa circled back to her. At once she grabbed Usa's hands in hers.

"I've made a terrible mistake!" Hotaru grinned wildly. "I've got to go! I've got to see him! Oh Usa, I'm so sorry for cutting out on you, but . . .!"

"It's OK," Usa smiled charitably. "I think I can handle it. You go on."

Not waiting for anyone or anything else, Hotaru pivoted on the rink and sped to the gate. She barreled off of the surface, ripped her equipment off and quickly donned her street shoes.

"What's up with Hotaru?" Cere asked. She and the others had drifted over to Usa.

"Oh, nothing much," Usa smiled warmly. "She just found out that she's going to get to spend a lot more time with Yutaka than she thought she was."

"Well I know I'd like that a lot better than magno-skating," Cere quipped.

Sprinting out into the evening, Hotaru was focused only on how fast she could get back to the palace and apologize to Yutaka. No wonder he seemed so unconcerned about the distance from Crystal Tokyo to the Academy's offices. It was all just a misunderstanding and he was staying. Could life be any better?

There was a whistle in the air just before she was struck. Hotaru felt an impact and when she had recovered her senses, she found herself on the pavement of The Promenade, her arms and upper torso wrapped in a bolo. Patrons and sightseers were gasping in alarm and vacating the area. Hotaru looked up just in time to see a figure leaping down from the roof of the Magno-skating Rink. The figure was covered from head to foot in black and wore a black hood over her head. Hotaru's eyes popped.

"Lady Kitsune?" Hotaru whispered in amazement.

Continued in Chapter 9