Chapter 13 – Chibi-Chibi's mystery? The big noisy chase

"What are you guys doing?" Seiya asked when he noticed Makoto, Minako, Usagi, Ami, and Rei up a pole. He had been out for a walk with Taiki, Yaten, and Taipa.

"Oh, what a cute little puppy." Taipa said noticing the dog. She walked over to him and started petting him.

"Big puppy." Yaten said pouting.

"That's not a puppy, it's a monster!" Minako said as she, Usagi, Rei, Ami, and Makoto climbed down.

"Now where did she go?" Usagi asked as she started wandering off. Curious everyone else followed her to try and find out what was going on. After making a few turns Usagi finally spotted Chibi-Chibi standing in the middle of a street. "There she is!" She said watching as all sorts of people were greeting her.

"Hi, how are you doing?" A delivery boy on a motor bike called as he drove past her waving.

"….doing…" Chibi-Chibi repeated as she waved back.

"Please visit me next time, okay?" An older woman asked as she walked up.

"….okay…" Chibi-Chibi repeated.

"Oh? You have a cute doll, don't you? Your baby?" Asked another lady wearing a business suit.

"Chibi-Chibi's Chibi!" Chibi-Chibi said with a smile.

"Oh? That doll!" Yaten said suddenly.

"What?" Seiya asked looking at Yaten strangely.

"No. It's unlikely…" Yaten said shaking his head slightly.

"Oh?" Chibi-Chibi said as she saw a 500 yen coin on the ground and bent over to pick it up.

"She found money!" Rei said sounding surprised.

"What's she going to do?" Ami asked.

"You ask like you're expecting her to turn it into a bird or something!" Taipa said wondering what they were doing following such a little girl in the first place.

"Chibi! Chibi! Chibi!" Chibi-Chibi said as she headed off out of the police station where she'd left the coin.

"She's great! Chibi-Chibi-chan acts like Chibi-Usa-chan, doesn't she?" Rei asked.

"So, she's Chibi-Usa-chan's child?" Minako suggested.

"What are you saying? She's your younger sister, right?" Seiya said walking up behind Usagi and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Let me see!" Usagi said as she started laughing.

"Sounds strange, right?" Taiki said thinking a bit more about it.

"Don't worry! Never mind! Never mind!" Minako said

"By the way, why are we following the little one?" Seiya asked.

"Don't know!" Taiki, Yaten, and Taipa answered at the same time.

"There she goes again!" Usagi said as she took off after Chibi-Chibi.

"We're here, at the world of sweets!" Usagi said when Chibi-Chibi stopped in front of a mansion.

"What's that?" Seiya asked wondering what ridiculous thing Usagi had gotten herself involved with this time.

"That's my story!" Usagi said gleefully.

"She's going in!" Minako said.

"Anyway, let's follow her!" Usagi said as she took off after Chibi-Chibi.

"Kiriyama? I've heard it somewhere…." Taiki said as he stopped to read the nameplate on the front gate.

"Taiki-kun, come on!" Taipa called back.

"Any way you look at it, why isn't there anybody in shuch a big house?" Minako asked.

"Hey look! This stone sitting here might just be very pricey!" Rei said looking at one of the decorative sculptures sitting around.

"It's not a stone, but a modern art carving." Yaten said looking at it.

"What? Is it really expensive?" Usagi asked looking at it too.

"Its current price would be 15 million yen!" Yaten said brushing his hair back. Rei fell forward in shock and hit her head on the stone. When the stand it was sitting on started wobbling, she, Usagi, and Yaten all grabbed in an attempt to keep it from falling.

"Incredible!" Yaten said with wide eyes as he took in some of the other sculptures and paintings on display in the house. That was when they heard a little girl laughing.

"It's Chibi-Chibi's voice!" Usagi said as she took off after Chibi-Chibi. The rest of them had no choice but to follow.

"Now, what do you want to play today?" An older gentleman asked Chibi-Chibi.

"Chibi-Chibi!" Chibi-Chibi said. "Doll! Doll!" She said as they all looked in the window to see her sitting there with an older gentleman. They couldn't see his face since his back was facing the window.

"There's someone!" Usagi said.

"It looks like she comes here often." Makoto said.

"Do you want to play doll?" The gentleman asked.

"….want…." Chibi-Chibi repeated.

"I see! That doll must be Jun Hou!" Yaten said suddenly.

"What's that?" Rei asked looking confused.

"An antique doll said to be worth 10 million yen!" Ami explained for her.

"What? 10 million yen!" Usagi said looking fearful.

"Chibi Chibi!" Chibi-Chibi said as she pretended to give her doll some tea with a fancy teacup.

"Perhaps that teacup is worth something?" Usagi asked looking very afraid now.

"It's Wedgewood Jasperware." Taiki said.

"Does that mean it's expensive?" Minako asked.

"A teacup set is about 100,000 yen." Yaten said.

"Please! Don't break it, Chibi-Chibi-chan!" Usagi prayed as the gentleman turned to face all of them.

"Oh!" Yaten said looking a bit surprised.

"It is really?" Seiya asked looking very surprised.

"Don't say thick eyebrows!" Minako said teasing, but Seiya looked horrified that Minako had said that.

"You shouldn't joke about that, Minako-chan." Taipa warned her.

"So, what's happening?" Usagi asked looking worried.

"He's the head of the Kiriyama Group." Taiki explained.

"What? The Kiriyama Group…that big zaibatsu?" Rei asked.

"Right. The same person known as the hidden leader of Japanese economic industries." Yaten said. "That's why there's so much treasure!"

"He's also the sponsor for our next concert." Taiki said.

"Ah, so that's why you know so much about him." Taipa said. She knew the boys weren't concerned with current economic conditions or anything to do with it.

"No way! Who's going to pay for it?" Usagi cried when she saw Chibi-Chibi drop a teacup and it broke on the floor.

"Who's there?" Mr. Kiriyama asked turning around. "Oh, is that right? You're Chibi-Chibi-chan's sister." He said after introductions were made and he invited all of them inside.

"Y…Yes." Usagi said looking nervous.

"And you ladies are her friends. Oh? And you're…" Yaten thought Mr. Kiriyama recognized them as the Three Lights so he was trying to look cool as he brushed his hair back, but that wasn't the case. "…new to me."

"Well, we met at a party the other day, we're the Three Lights." Taiki explained as Taipa grabbed Yaten's arm to keep him from falling off of his chair.

"Chibi Chibi!" Chibi-Chibi said.

"Right! It's good, isn't it?" Mr. Kiriyama asked looking over at Chibi-Chibi.

"Kiriyama-san, you really don't remember us?" Seiya asked looking disappointed.

"Well, sorry…no, I don't." Mr. Kiriyama said still looking over at Chibi-Chibi.

"We're super popular idols!" Yaten said pouting. There was a crash as Chibi-Chibi dropped another teacup causing Usagi to spit out her tea.

"Oh! There goes another 100,000 yen!" Usagi cried.

"Chibi Chibi!" Chibi-Chibi said and Mr. Kiriyama put a gentle hand on her head.

"That's okay. Don't worry!" He said. "When I'm talking with you, I feel young!"

"Oh? If you'd like, we'll come and see you anytime!" Minako said with a sly smile.

"You're impudent, Minako-chan!" Rei scolded.

"You look exactly alike! I could see it right away." Mr. Kiriyama said as he looked from Chibi-Chibi to Usagi. "The warm atmosphere surrounding Chibi-Chibi-chan….is exactly the same!"

"After all, they are sisters! Looking alike is natural!" Seiya said with a smile.

"Well, rather… I mean just more than sisters…" Mr. Kiriyama said, not sure quite how to explain it.

"M…More than sisters?" Usagi repeated sounding worried, almost as if she thought he might be thinking that Chibi-Chibi was her child.

"You have the same aura! What a coincidence!" Mr. Kiriyama said. "Oh, please forget about it…" He said realizing it probably didn't make much sense.

"Master, a guest has arrived." One of the servants said as he entered.

"I wonder… There shouldn't be a guest in my schedule…" Mr. Kiriyama said.

"Oh, we would like to excuse ourselves now!" Usagi said standing up. She didn't want to keep him from his business.

"I'm sorry, but please visit me again! Oh, that's right!" Mr. Kiriyama said as he walked over and took a lid off of the candy dish that was sitting there. "Please take some home!"

"As I thought, you got them here all right!" Usagi said looking excited at the sight of the candy.

"….right…" Chibi-Chibi repeated.

"That was a weird house…" Yaten said as they started on their way home.

"What did we come here for?" Rei asked Usagi.

"We just followed you, Usagi-chan!" Minako said wondering the same thing.

"Well…..Chibi-Chibi-chan often disappears…" Usagi said.

"Yes, and…?" Makoto asked.

"And whenever she comes home, she always has a lot of sweets!" Usagi explained.

"Yes, and?" Seiya asked.

"So, I figured there must be a world of sweets…" Usagi said.

"Excuse me?" Rei asked, not believing what she had just heard.

"You've got to be kidding me." Taipa said as she shook her head.

"….and, I was sure I could get into that world if I followed Chibi-Chibi-chan!" Usagi finished.

"Usagi-chan, that is absolutely unscientific!" Ami said.

"Frankly speaking, very stupid!" Yaten said sounding a bit rude.

"That's all right! It was fun!" Seiya said with a shrug.

"And great sight-seeing too!" Taiki agreed.

"Yaten-kun's right though. It's still a stupid theory." Taipa said with a sigh.

"Momma must be worried about me, so I'll go home! Chibi-Chibi-chan!" Usagi said looking around for the little girl.

"Oh? She isn't here!" Makoto said.

"Did you leave here there?" Rei asked Usagi.

"I'll go and get her! See you!" Usagi said as she took off back towards Mr. Kiriyama's house.

"We should be going as well." Taipa said as she ushered Yaten, Taiki, and Seiya away from the other girls. "I have a bad feeling abou this." She said once Ami, Makoto, Rei, and Minako were out of hearing range.

"What do yo mean?" Taiki asked.

"This Kiriyama-san, he's an outstanding individual, just the sort…" Taipa said trailing off.

"…that becomes a target of those searching for star seeds." Yaten finished realizing where Taipa was heading with that.

"Then, Odango…" Seiya trailed off as he headed back towards the manion with Yaten, Taiki, and Taipa in tow. After seeing Sailor Lead Crow and Sailor Aluminum Siren were already there, the three boys went off to transform while Taipa hid to watch what was going on.

"I won't forgive you for disturbing an old man's love for a small child!" Sailor Moon said as she appeared. "Agent of love and justice...pretty sailor soldier…Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"

"Sailor Antique-chan! Go get her!" Sailor Lead Crow commanded the soon-to-be-phage.

"Good-bye!" Sailor Aluminum Siren said as they stepped back into a phone booth and disappeared.

"Sailor Antique-chan!" The phage said after transforming.

"Chibi Chibi!" Chibi-Chibi said as she ran out in front of the phage.

"Hey! You came back for the doll?" Sailor Moon asked looking surprised.

"Chibi!" Chibi-Chibi said just before she fell. In one hand she had been carrying the doll and in the other a bag of round candies which were now scattered on the floor. The phage stepped forward and nearly slipped on the candies.

"How embarassing to be slowed by beads!" The phage said. "Come on! Take this sword! There!" He said taking a swing at Sailor Moon. Luckily she was able to grab the sword between her two hands. "How saucy!" He said.

"Tickle! Tickle!" Chibi-Chibi said as she tickled the phage's belly with a feather. The phage started laughing and couldn't stop. He ended up walking backwards.

"Look what you did, kid!" The phage said as a vase crashed on the floor. He then cried.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" Sailor Moon said looking at the broken vase.

"You broke it! You broke it! You broke my stuff!" The phage screamed.

"Sorry! How much? I'll compensate!" Sailor Moon said falling to her knees.

"500 million yen!" The phage yelled. Sailor Moon's eyes widened.

"5…500 million?" She repeated, hardly able to believe it.

"This Venetian glass costs tens of thousands of yen each!" The phage said walking over to one of the displays and picked up a glass goblet. He threw it and Sailor Moon scrambled across the floor trying to catch it before it broke.

'Where are they? They should be here by now.' Taipa thought as she looked around for the Starlights, but didn't see any sign of them anywhere.

"Stop! Don't waste!" Sailor Moon cried as she managed to catch the glass.

"This is Daisen's Coffee set, several hundred thousand yen! Here!" This time the phage through a teapot and a cup. Sailor Moon was barely able to catch both. "This…" He paused when he saw Chibi-Chibi crawling between his legs.

"Chibi Chibi!" Chibi-Chibi said as she crawled away.

"This costs severa million yen, Omary's vase!" The phage said holding up an expensive vase. Sailor Moon caught it by the tips of her fingers just in time to see Chibi-Chibi throw the doll she'd been carrying around.

"Hey! Don't imitate him!" Sailor Moon yelled. "Wait!" She cried as she attempted to catch the doll. She managed to get it before the doll hit the floor, but the vase tumbled from her hands and broke.

"Chibi Chibi!" Chibi-Chibi said as everyone's eyes wided in horror as the broken pieces scattered.

"What violence! I won't forgive you, Sailor Moon!" The phage said angrily.

"What are you saying? You're the violent one!" Sailor Moon shot back. "What matters is not the price of the goods…but the heart of the people who use them!"

"Don't pretend to understand! I'll finish you off!" The phage growled. "Sailor Antique-chan Power!" There was a flash of light and he reappeared on a toy horse. Chibi-Chibi clapped enjoying herself.

"Star Sensitive Inferno!" Sailor Star Healer attacked as the Starlights arrived. "Oh! Bakara's chandelier!" She cried when her attack sent the toy horse flying right into the chandelier.

"That was nothing!" The phage said, back on his feet, until the chandelier crashed down on his head.

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Star Maker yelled.

"Now!" Sailor Star Fighter yelled.

"Yes!" Sailor Moon said as she took out her tier. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

"Beautiful!" The phage yelled as he turned back into Mr. Kiriyama.

"Kiriyama-san!" Sailor Moon cried as she ran over ot make sure he was alright.

"Oh! Bakara's chandelier…" Sailor Star Healer said again with a sigh.

"Healer, all that has form breaks down some day!" Sailor Star Maker said with a soft smile.

"Good job, Chibi-Chibi-chan, you kept that doll safe!" Sailor Moon said gently.

"Good! Good!" Chibi-Chibi repeated as she left go of the doll and it crashed to the floor. All three of the Starlights looked horrified. After they gathered their jaws off the floor they took off in silence with Taipa following them.

"What took you guys so long?" Taipa asked when she caught up with them.

"We were waiting to see how well she would do on her own." Taiki said, referring to Sailor Moon.

"You should know by now that Sailor Moon is not dependable, especially when she's on her own." Taipa said folding her arms over her chest.

"She lasted longer than I thought she would." Yaten said.

"I still feel bad for the people of this world, especially if she is their only hope." Taipa said with a shrug.

"Now who's being harsh?" Taiki teased her. Taipa just shrugged again. She wanted to say it was her job, that she would be the one doing Sailor Moon's final judgement, but she knew the three of them would know what that meant and because of that they would know who she really was.