Chapter Thirty-three: The Fog of War
Plankton had said that the Mermalair was hidden inside the Shady Shoals Rest Home, the tall building in the middle of Bikini Bottom. If it wasn't secret like he said, then maybe many fish hung around down there, distracted by the machines, making their dreams ripe for infiltrating.
CereCere couldn't wait to unleash havoc upon Bikini Bottom.
Sure, the Guardians were down there, too, but they'd be defeated as long as CereCere and Fisheye used the Lemures and robots.
CereCere pulled open the rest home's door, and they walked inside. Wrinkly fish littered the place, playing checkers with chess pieces, wheeling their motorized chairs in circles. A round geezer in a superhero's costume (must be delusional, thinking he was a superhero, likely how he ended up in a rest home) snored on the couch, a thin human with a giant nose tugging at his sleeve.
The big-nosed one groaned. "C'mon, ya old coot, we'll be late for our doctor's appointments."
A caretaker fiddled with the television's antenna, muttering that he didn't get paid enough to wash these old fish's butts and be a repairman, cook, and janitor at the same time.
Fisheye raised an eyebrow. "The Mermalair's in a place like this? Did Plankton trick us?"
"This is one of those things that's so out there, it's impossible to make up," CereCere said. "Plankton thinks we're a little stupid—more stupid than him, at least—but he knows we're not stupid enough to fall for a lie like that. So it must be true. Look around carefully. The entrance could be anywhere."
"I'm not seeing anything but a bunch of old people." He fanned his nose. "Smelling them, too." He pointed to the man snoring on the couch, his friend begging him to wake up. "They look like superheroes. Let's ask them."
"Augh, I can't believe you fell asleep as soon as you sat down," the big-nosed one said. "You shouldn't have sat in the first place, but no, you wanted to see if the T.V was working even when it clearly isn't."
CereCere and Fisheye walked toward the duo. The caretaker zipped in front of them, CereCere nearly slapping the fish out of instinct.
"Excuse me," the caretaker said. "Who are you? You can't just waltz in here."
"We can, and we did," CereCere said. "You can do that at any rest home." She thought. She'd never heard of a rest home before coming to Bikini Bottom, whittling away her time training and performing for the circus. The caretaker didn't know her from Adam, so she could be whoever in front of him. Since she was here…
"Not here," the caretaker shot back, CereCere almost darkening at the man's aggression, a contrast from the Japanese. "Here, you have to make an appointment. We have famous people here."
"Who?" Fisheye said.
"What's it to you?" The caretaker glanced at the two superhero costume-clad men. All the answer they needed.
CereCere shrugged. "Not much. We're only the T.V. repair people."
The round human's eyes shot open. "T.V. repair people?" His eyes darted to CereCere and Fisheye. "Don't give them any trouble."
"We didn't get any call from a television repair company," the caretaker said. "Usually, they'd call first before they came and stared at the T.V. for a few minutes and then told us that they wouldn't be able to help and be useless."
"We were in the neighborhood and heard through our T.V. repair heroes network that you had a problem with the reception that no one could figure out how to fix," CereCere said, "so we decided to drop by and help you out. Thing is, we need our payment in advance."
The caretaker took in CereCere, her bare clothing. "You don't look like you're here to repair anything."
"Like I said, we just dropped by. We were off-duty but needed some extra cash."
"Off-duty. Like police officers."
"Yes. Our services are just as urgent. What would people do without T.V.? It's essential for life."
"These two have their priorities straight," the round geezer said.
The caretaker scowled. "Fine. Anything to get Mermaid Man to stop complaining about where the funny little men with the coconuts are."
"How about a down payment first?"
The caretaker stomped behind the double doors leading to the cafeteria, mumbling about robbers taking over the world.
CereCere gestured toward herself. "We'll need the remote control."
Mermaid Man bounded onto his feet. "Gladly."
"Wait, ya old coot," the big-nosed one said. "Do these guys look like they repair T.V.s for a living?"
Mermaid Man stopped, stopped, damn it, and squinted. "Um…erm… You know my eyes are going bad, son." He held a remote control, and CereCere snatched it away. Perhaps the remote was the secret to reaching the Mermalair, especially since Mermaid Man was obsessed with the television. The big-nosed one must be the sidekick, Barnacle Boy, who was decades past boyhood.
Barnacle Boy reached toward CereCere. "That's not the T.V. remote. That's—"
His panic told CereCere all she needed to know. She pushed the button.
A crank pumped up the couch, revealing a tunnel. CereCere jumped down, Fisheye behind her. They slid down the tunnel.
Time to unleash more chaos.
While Sailor Pluto used her wits to take action, Sailor Mercury preferred to stay behind and plan her next move. Ami wanted to become more aggressive, so she'd tried, only for her to cause trouble.
In her selfishness, her desire to impress Setsuna, she'd forgotten about SpongeBob and had become reckless, attacking without studying the situation, the consequences of her actions.
Now SpongeBob was paying for her mistake. Setsuna must be disappointed.
Stop thinking about Setsuna. Focus on SpongeBob, on the mess you made.
Ami had let the funnel eat SpongeBob. Nevertheless, analysis froze her; she debated whether she should save SpongeBob by flying into the funnel or by studying its weaknesses before attacking.
If she attacked the funnel, then she might hurt SpongeBob. The sponge didn't feel physical attacks, but that didn't mean Ami's water couldn't hurt him.
Buzzing, the funnel contracted, like it was going to blast out SpongeBob or his remains, his tattered shirt, tie, and squeaky shoes bursting forth.
Setsuna raised her rod, likely thinking about how the speed at which SpongeBob fell determined the way to save him. She aimed her rod at the middle of the funnel. "Dead Scream." Energy blasted from her rod, halving the funnel. A crack traveled down and split the funnel open, revealing the falling sponge. Setsuna flew, grabbed SpongeBob by the arms, and carried him to the surface, near Bubble Buddy. Glitter filled SpongeBob's eyes.
She placed him on his feet, the sponge saying, "What little I saw of the famed underground of the underground was simply amazing. All the colors of the rainbow…" He shuddered. "Ooh, sparkly." He smiled at Setsuna. "Even though you did break part of the Mermalair, have no fear of punishment from Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. They will restore their lair to its former glory."
Setsuna forced a smile for SpongeBob. Ami cringed; Setsuna must be replaying Ami's foolishness. Chibi-Usa's and Hotaru's eyes burned into their backs, watching Ami's and Setsuna's reactions. The youngest Guardians hadn't helped, but they hadn't caused problems, either.
At least Ami's recklessness hadn't had other consequences.
Until the sirens went off, and the Mermalair flashed yellow and red.
Chibi-Usa whipped her head about. "Now what's happening?"
SpongeBob's eyes brightened more. "Congratulations! You've tripped the security alarm. We will now be subject to the Mermalair's defense system, compliments of the Mermalair's supercomputer that we're looking for." He squealed. "She probably won't like us after she figures out that we're the ones who are supposed to be saving the Mermalair."
Ami wanted to shrink into a nonexistent dot.
Clear balls fell from the ceiling. SpongeBob gasped. "Look. This time, you've activated the Orbs of Confusion." He clapped his hands. "This is so exciting."
Now the Guardians were going to be confused. Ami wanted to fall down the funnel and never come back up.
"Looks like every switch is activated, too. We'll soon be so confused we won't be able to function." He sounded too excited about the bad things that were about be befall the group.
Chibi-Usa turned toward the entrance. "I strongly suggest that we leave."
"I think we can destroy these." Hotaru pointed her Silence Glaive toward the orbs.
The Orbs pulsed out ultrasonic waves. Hotaru froze. Her eyes lost what little brightness they had, like she'd died.
Ami's mistake couldn't have been the indirect cause of Hotaru's death. Could it? If so, Ami needed to find hell and stay there.
Drool leaked from the corner of Hotaru's mouth.
Chibi-Usa gaped. "Is she regressing into a toddler?"
Hotaru grinned, like she didn't have sense. "Duh… Duh… Duh…" She said it over and over.
Ami's mind blanked. The Orbs' powers were gripping her.
Setsuna dropped her Garnet Rod, drool leaking from the corner of her mouth. Even her.
This couldn't be happening.
Chibi-Usa chuckled to herself, drooling. No, no, no.
This whole situation was kind of funny. Even the standing bubble was drooling, and it didn't have a mouth or a brain.
Everything around Ami was rippling like water even though she was underwater… Something else for her to study.
The ripples must signify the range that the Orbs were affecting. Ami had to get out of there before the confusion overtook her. How quickly Hotaru and Setsuna had become brainless. Ami wasn't losing her brain as quickly, but she had to move.
Not knowing where to run, Ami ran in circles, clutching her head and screaming because she was so confused she didn't know what to do.
Behind her and the rest of the Guardians, from the entrance, ran two familiar people, one with pink hair wearing a two-piece acrobat's outfit, the other with blue hair, in a jumpsuit. They reached for the Guardians and SpongeBob. Ami did the only thing she knew to do whenever she was confronted with strangers.
She released a jet of water from the palm of her hand, the water slamming into the two. They flew backward, crashed against the wall. The ripples reached them, and their eyes dulled. They began drooling, too.
What was going on? Metal surrounded Ami, and everyone was chanting, "Duh," and drooling.
Had to be something she could do. SpongeBob had said that switches were activated. These Orbs were operating because of switches? What kinds of switches? Switches like branches or switches like light switches?
Did this machine-filled place have trees and birds and flying clams? If Ami could climb a tree, then she'd get a good vantage point so that she'd understand what was happening. Why didn't this lab have trees? Made no sense.
Setsuna grasped Ami's wrist. Her eyes were watering, and she bit her tongue. Didn't that hurt?
"I-I'm trying to stay…" Setsuna ground out. Talking while biting your tongue. Befuddling things, this woman did. "Trying to keep my sense…" She shut her eyes, wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth. "So hard to resist. We, we have to move. Move quickly. Now." Grabbed her head. "Durr, I don't understand anything."
Ami had never heard Setsuna durr before. Another trait that Ami should copy. Or should she? Everything was nothing, the sky was not blue, the grass reflected the sea's waves.
"Duh, move Fisheye," said that girl who copied Chibi-Usa's hair color even though she hated Chibi-Usa.
"Derm, why me? Why you no move?"
"I'm the leader. Or am I? I don't know why I don't move. I don't know why I don't know."
How was Ami supposed to get anything done when everyone was stupefied? The mesmerizing waves compelled Ami to stay, confused with everyone else. But why? How durr-ing and stupid, with the scientific evidence that the theory of everything didn't exist.
Ami tried moving again, and she didn't move in circles this time but everything made more sense than it did before because Setsuna was drooling and durr-ing and thinking that, surely, the evidence of the atom with all the fixings wasn't real.
Ami found herself running. She bumped into a few walls—or were they walls?—and bounced off and danced because there were disco floors and Ami didn't know what disco was but the name disco sounded like something to dance to so she danced down the stairs, toward the bright, scientific rainbow funnel.
A switch hung above, so she reached but couldn't reach and nothing was happening even though she reached. Why? Why was she drooling? Drooling felt good but it was messy.
"Keep moving, lady," Setsuna said from behind Ami. Ami didn't know where Setsuna was coming from because Setsuna was everywhere and nowhere at once. Setsuna lifted Ami even though Ami could fly so why was Setsuna touching her where she didn't need to be touched?
Ami reached for the switch and Chibi-Usa and Hotaru and SpongeBob kept on drooling but then that guy who was copying Ami's hair color was near them and he stared at them for a little bit and then black spiky balls started flying from his jumpsuit like he was defecating in midair, and Ami hoped she never did such an inhumane thing in front of other people but then the results from the copycat's midair defecation started to swirl around Ami and cackle. His results were alive, too. More impressive than the number that he'd produced.
The balls engulfed Ami and Setsuna. Ami saw images of her father and her mother shouting in each other's faces. What could they have to argue about? They were happily married. They'd never fought in front of her. Maybe things between them had become so bad that they couldn't suppress their feelings anymore.
Ami was reliving the nightmares Fisheye had inflicted upon her at her home, above ground. Now the Orbs of Confusion were muddling her brain. Somehow, Ami flew in the real world, but the nightmare world captivated her, like watching a movie that chronicled her breaking life.
Why were her parents shouting at each other, the Orbs of Confusion activated? Why was she being reckless?
Regardless, her parents were right in front of her. She could stop their divorce, and she and her mother and her father could keep living as a family instead of Ami and her mother hardly seeing Ami's father.
When was the last time Ami had seen her father? Sending his paintings wasn't the same thing as seeing him in person. Besides, he hadn't sent many recently.
Because he doesn't care about you, Ami.
Where had that voice come from? Maybe the Orbs of Confusion could talk, able to be understood, unlike her arguing parents, whose voices echoed but were muffled simultaneously.
Dream… Those spiky balls had put her to sleep. She was sleeping in midair. With Setsuna still carrying her. Was Setsuna watching a movie of her own life?
Her father disappeared, replaced by a different man who locked his dirty lips on her mother's. Ami had to stop this strange man, but she couldn't move. Could her confusion be rendering her immobile?
The man looked at her, his eyes blank. Cruel. "That's not your daughter, is it?"
"No, not at all."
Ami lost her breath, her heart shattering.
"All she does is study. What kind of daughter has she been to me?"
They could see her but talked about her like she wasn't there, like their insults didn't pierce like spears.
"When my husband left me, she shut herself inside her room and studied all day and night. She left me alone when I needed her most."
Hadn't Ami comforted her mother as best she could? She hadn't been reclusive…had she?
Either the Orbs of Confusion were still working, or Ami was genuinely confused. She could no longer tell what was real, what mind-state was real, what wasn't real. Her mother and this stranger looked lifelike. Ami could slap the man for suggesting that she wasn't her mother's daughter.
Ami could cry for her mother disowning her for a man who'd leave as quickly as her real father had.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ami's father appeared, painting.
He's not painting for you. That voice again. He's painting for his new family, his new daughter. She's giving this painting to her, not you. You're not his daughter anymore.
Ami's head throbbed. Her confusion and torn heart were because of the nightmare, not the Orbs.
Ami's mother and father had moved on, leaving Ami to fend for herself, to make sense of everything that had happened when she couldn't do it alone. Her mother and father had found others to love them.
Because you weren't there to love them when they needed you.
Ami had shut herself in her room, studying, like her mother had told that stranger. Ami had no one.
In front of her appeared Usagi, Mamoru, and Chibi-Usa, teasing, embracing one another.
Loving one another.
Ami didn't have anyone who loved her. She pined after love. But who'd love her?
Fisheye appeared. He would do. If her mother could love a stranger, then so could Ami.
She stood on her toes to show that she loved him. For him to show that he loved her.
"Ami!"
Ami's eyes shot open. When had her eyes closed?
She was back in the Mermalair, hovering alongside Setsuna. With her Garnet Rod, a sweating Setsuna struck the spiky balls, dissipating them.
The Orbs of Confusion kept emitting their waves, but Ami didn't feel as confused. Perhaps they were wearing off.
Here Setsuna was, saving Ami again. Showing that she loved Ami.
All this time, Ami had had someone who loved her. She didn't need to go searching for it. Just by being herself, she'd made friends with people who'd die for her, whose love for her conquered the Orbs' confusing effect and Fisheye's induced hallucinations to save her. Something that Ami hadn't been able to do herself.
"Ami, you were dreaming." Setsuna struck more Lemures. Below, Fisheye grit his teeth. He couldn't reach them from the floor. Chibi-Usa shook her head rapidly, and Hotaru's eyes cleared. The younger Guardians were coming out of the Orbs' haze. SpongeBob still drooled, though.
Thanks to Setsuna, several Orbs had shattered, weakening their effect. The Lemures were attacking in full force, strengthening. Perhaps the Orbs had been affecting them, too.
CereCere glowered. "Fisheye, don't give up. You're underwater, in your home. You can't let the humans take it over."
Fisheye's eyes sharpened. "That's right. This is my home. I won't let these humans destroy it like they destroy everything else." He outstretched an arm, and more Lemures flew from his sleeve.
"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" A trail of hearts slammed into Fisheye, bending him over and nearly felling him onto his face.
Fisheye whipped around, facing Chibi-Usa. Glanced at Hotaru beside her, the Guardian of Destruction aiming her Glaive toward Fisheye. Ami focused on CereCere. The trapeze artist had been indirectly responsible for Ami's hallucination. She'd end CereCere and Fisheye for deceiving her.
Despite his earlier declaration, Fisheye stepped back, outnumbered and outpowered. The Amazoness Quartet hadn't given the Amazon Trio powers of their own.
Fisheye had been a fish. Could he, too, gain powers underwater?
He raised a trembling hand. Trembling with anger or with fear? "Come on," he whispered.
A blue orb appeared in his outstretched hand, the palm facing Ami. A jet of water beamed from Fisheye's hand. He had copied Ami's Shine Aqua Illusion.
Ami wasn't going to let Setsuna defend her this time, make sure that an imitator of her attack wouldn't distract Setsuna.
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" The train-sized water jetted out of Sailor Mercury's hand, drowning Fisheye's attack. Above, CereCere moved, but Ami didn't look; she was focused on destroying Fisheye for manipulating her dreams, exploiting her loneliness, convincing her that no one loved her.
The Dead Moon Circus wasn't out to only destroy the Moon Kingdom. They aimed to fill the world with nightmares.
Dreams were too important for Sailor Mercury to let villains transform them into nightmares. Dreams gave people hope. Dreams gave people goals. Dreams gave people things to live for.
Dreams made people better.
Ami studied a lot so that she would increase her knowledge. When the time came to apply that knowledge, to save and protect her friends, she would understand their enemies' and her friends' strengths and weaknesses, how to use the environment in which they fought to their advantage.
Ami's dream was to become more knowledgeable, to use her power of intelligence to know the enemy better than the enemy knew itself, to wield that knowledge like a sword and strike down the enemy.
Fisheye hollered. A female holler mixed with Fisheye's. CereCere?
Black energy blasted upward. That black energy…from Sailor Saturn? Ami hadn't heard Sailor Saturn call out an attack.
Smoke filled the area. Two silhouettes flew, darting through the smoke and then disappearing. Had CereCere and Fisheye survived not only Sailor Mercury's Shine Aqua Illusion but also Sailor Saturn's attack?
The blast of energy sliced through the air. A shattering noise boomed, and shards rained. Ami shielded herself under her arms, shards bouncing off, some cutting her.
Below, SpongeBob stopped drooling, his eyes clearing. Ami peered up. Sailor Saturn's attack had destroyed the Orbs of Confusion, stopping their effects.
Setsuna still hovered beside her. "Are you okay?"
Despite her newfound strength, Ami found herself blushing. "Yes, I am. A-are you?" She'd caused the mess, was unsure whether Fisheye and CereCere were finished.
"I am. They tried to make me think that guarding the Space-Time Door made me neglect my friends, but I quickly realized that dream wasn't real." Setsuna's eyes softened. "You saved me from Fisheye. Thank you."
Warmth took root in Ami's chest. "You're welcome. I, I mean, it's our job to protect one another. So you don't have to thank me or anything."
"Ami, there's no need to be embarrassed. Everyone makes mistakes. You don't have to prove yourself to me or anyone. I like you the way you are. That's why I was excited and honored that you wanted to team up with me. Twice."
The warmth in Ami's chest blossomed. Setsuna liked Ami for being Ami. Such a simple fact, such a big deal.
"What happened?" SpongeBob said. The smoke was clearing, making him visible. "Why was I drooling?" His wiped his mouth on his sleeve, Bubble Buddy scrubbing at his nonexistent mouth.
"I don't know what happened." Chibi-Usa clenched and unclenched her hands, making sure that they existed. "I was really confused and then I was sort of confused and then I wasn't confused."
"My understanding of what happened is your understanding of what happened, Chibi-Usa-chan," Hotaru said.
SpongeBob snapped his fingers. "That's right, we had the blessing of being cursed by the Orb of Confusion. Multiple ones, at that. Not everyone trips the Mermalair's alarm, guys. We should be proud."
Ami's tripping the alarm had led to her destroying her fears, so maybe her recklessness hadn't been entirely bad, bringing her and Setsuna closer, boosting her confidence.
Nevertheless, she wouldn't be reckless again. Things may have turned out well this time, but maybe not next time.
"Anyway, we'd better keep going," Setsuna said. "The Dead Moon Circus left, but that doesn't mean they've given up. They may be waiting for a more opportune time to attack."
Ami had overcome her nightmare, but she had a long way to go. With her knowledge, her intelligence, she'd become a full-fledged Guardian and protect her friends.
Sure-footed, she faced the tunnel leading to the Mermalair's main chamber, the direction in which their enemies had retreated.
She would not let the Dead Moon Circus manipulate anyone's dreams again.