PINK REBELLION,
Part Two: "A City Full Of Runaways"
By Bill K.

It was late afternoon at the arcade. The after school crowd
had just begun to filter in and Motoki was finally busy. If it were
up to him, the place wouldn't open until three p.m. on school days.
But he didn't own the arcade and the owner was adamant about the
opening time.

As he scanned the crowd of regulars, Motoki noticed a little
girl. She had short cut brownish hair and looked about ten, but
could have been older. He kept staring at her for two reasons: for
one, she was searching the arcade, apparently looking for someone,
while Motoki was struck by her resemblance to Usagi's friend Ami
Mizuno. The girl could be Ami's younger sister, except Motoki didn't
know if Ami had one.

"Hi, hon'," Motoki said, approaching the girl. "Are you
looking for somebody?"

She nodded shyly. "Ami," the girl said. "Where is she?"

"I was wondering if you two were related," Motoki grinned.
"Are you Ami's little sister?"

"Don't be stupid!" the girl snapped angrily. "Where is she?"

Motoki was taken aback by the bold rudeness of this girl. It
took him a few seconds to recover, while the girl glared at him the
entire time.

"Well, school's out, so I don't really know where she'd be," he
told her.

"Then you're useless!" the girl fumed. Her eyes clouded over
and her short brown hair lifted up, blown by an unfelt breeze.

Out of nowhere, an invisible force slammed into Motoki. It
drove him off his feet and he slammed into the newly arrived Sailor V
Stars game. Motoki slid to the floor, unconscious. Several shrieks
came from the patrons. Everyone stared fearfully as the girl walked
out of the arcade. She paused and looked back threateningly at the
crowd of newly liberated school children, then left as mysteriously
as she came.
* * * *
"Transform," Makoto whispered, eyeing the four silhouettes she
was certain were the Amazoness Quartet.

"Maybe they're not bad this time," Usagi said hopefully.

"It doesn't hurt to play it safe," Makoto retorted. "Now
transform!" She held her wand aloft. "Jupiter Crystal Power Make
Up!"

"Moon Eternal Make Up!" cried Usagi.

Transforming in seconds, Eternal Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter
stood on the path. Jupiter immediately stepped protectively in front
of her princess.

"Sailor Moon!" Palla-Palla squealed happily. "Lookee, it's
Sailor Moon!"

The girl broke from her friends and began running toward them.
The other three instantly followed, trying to catch up with her.
They were all dressed in civilian garb, though of a strange design,
rather than their Dead Moon Circus costumes, but there was no
mistaking them.

"That's far enough!" Jupiter warned. When Palla-Palla kept
coming, her hand shot down to her side. "Jupiter! Oak Evolution!"

Palla-Palla shrieked in terror as electrical bursts exploded in
front of her. She shrank into a protective stance, covering her head
with her hands. The others pulled up a few feet from their partner.
Ves-Ves glared angrily at Jupiter, but Jun-Jun and Cere-Cere seemed
quite distressed. When they stopped, Jupiter withdrew her attack.

"Mistress Jupiter ma'am?" Palla-Palla whimpered. "Are you mad
at Palla-Palla?"

"Get down on your knee, stupid!" hissed Ves-Ves, smacking the
blue-tressed amazon in the back of the head.

"Owweeee!" cried Palla-Palla.

The others knelt down before Jupiter and Sailor Moon as one.
Palla-Palla seemed a little confused at first, but quickly copied
them.

"Forgive Palla-Palla, My Queen," Cere-Cere begged, her eyes
averted humbly. "She forgot where she was."

"OK," Sailor Moon replied uneasily. "Um, what's going on?"

Ves-Ves seemed to struggle to keep from giggling. Cere-Cere
shot her a dire glance.

"Forgive us for startling you, um . . . Sailor Moon," Jun-Jun
replied. "We're not the Amazoness Quartet you remember. We're from
the future."

"Really?" gasped Sailor Moon, a wondrous smile sprouting on her
mouth.

The three amazons stood up. Ves-Ves bent down and tapped
Palla-Palla on top of her head with a finger. Palla-Palla joined
them on her feet.

"The thirtieth century, to be exact," Jun-Jun continued.
"We've come here looking for the princess. Is she staying with you?"

"Princess?" asked Sailor Moon.

"Chibi-Usa's here, too?" asked Jupiter. Ves-Ves and Cere-Cere
exchanged amused glances.

"Yes, I guess that would be the name you'd know her as," smiled
Cere-Cere. "Have you seen her?"

"Why?" Jupiter asked suspiciously.

The four glanced at each other and silently reached the same
conclusion. Four hands dove into four pockets and Jupiter tensed,
but all they produced were four familiar looking pens. Each girl
held a pen aloft.

"Ceres Power Make Up!"

"Vesta Power Make Up!"

"Juno Power Make Up!"

"Pallas Power Make Up!"

And before the startled eyes of Jupiter and Sailor Moon, the
four amazons transformed. They each wore Sailor fukus - - Ceres'
skirt and boots were scarlet, Vesta's were maroon, Juno's were green
and Pallas' were blue. Sailor Vesta took a step forward from the
group and looked directly at Sailor Moon.

"Because the princess has run away from Crystal Tokyo," she
said earnestly, "and it's our duty to follow her wherever she may go
and protect her with our lives."
* * * *
"So," Haruka began, her gaze never leaving Usa, "how is Usagi?"

"Same old 'baka-Usagi'," Usa grinned nervously. "You know how
she is."

"Um hmm. Was she happy to see you?"

Usa looked down. Her features seemed to cloud over. Michiru
and Setsuna noticed as well. But she perked right up, breaking out
the hereditary Tsukino megawatt smile.

"Yeah. She fussed over me so much I almost couldn't get away
to see Hotaru. That's mostly why I came."

Hotaru smiled at her friend and Usa returned the gesture.

"Did she say how long you could stay here?" Haruka asked
calmly, her gaze still never leaving the girl.

"Well, she didn't say," Usa replied, glancing down and quickly
up again. "But I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I stayed over with
Hotaru, since we're such good friends - - that is, if it's all right
with you."

"That'd be great!" squealed Hotaru. "Can she?"

Setsuna was about to reply, but Michiru's hand on her leg
stopped her. Michiru was focused on Haruka. She knew her lover well
enough to hang back and allow the woman to play out her plan.

"Sure, if it's OK with Usagi," Haruka replied, then grinned.
"Maybe we'd better call her and check. You know how Dumpling
worries."

"Um," Usa replied urgently, wracking her brain for something to
mollify Haruka.

"She doesn't know you're here, does she?" Haruka asked
pointedly. She gazed directly into Usa's eyes, calmly, but with the
superior physical presence of an adult who won't brook a teen's lies.
"She doesn't know you're visiting Hotaru. She may not even know
you're here from the thirtieth century."

"That's not . . ." Usa began to protest.

"Don't lie to me, kid. I can smell a runaway at twenty meters.
I ran away from home myself, so I know all the tricks."

"Papa!" Hotaru gasped angrily. She was stunned by Haruka's
bold accusations and hostile manner, and turned to her friend to lend
support to the angry denials that were sure to follow.

Usa's brow knit. She stiffened with anger and frustration,
focusing her attention on her lap. She was trapped and she couldn't
see a way out.

"Usa?" Hotaru asked, stunned.

"All right," Usa replied with great reluctance. "I ran away."

"Why, Small La . . ." Setsuna began, then caught herself. "I
mean, Usa?"

"Because she doesn't trust me! I'm fifteen years old and she
treats me like I'm five!"

"Serenity?" Michiru asked.

"Yes, and Daddy too! I'm supposed to be Sailor Moon! She was
saving the planet when she was fourteen, but she won't even let me
out of the palace! And the people she expects me to work with! Oh,
you don't know!"

"I know her, kid," Haruka replied. "She's got a pretty good
head on her shoulders mostly. If she's holding you back, it's got to
be for a good reason."

"Sure, take her side!" snapped Usa. "Besides, it's not just
that! I wanted to see Hotaru again!" and tears dribbled down her
cheeks. "It's so lonely there! And-and Hotaru's my best friend ever!
I couldn't stand it any longer! I had to come back and see her!"

"Because I'm not in Crystal Tokyo?" Hotaru asked softly.
Michiru looked at the girl, stricken. Haruka grimaced. Usa's hands
flew to her mouth.

"I'm sorry!" she gasped, crying anew. "I shouldn't have said
anything!"

"It's all right," Hotaru said, wearing a sad grin and patting
Usa's knee. "I was always so sick, you know, before . . . I never
really expected to live forever." Usa dived at the girl and hugged
her, while Haruka and Michiru looked on, heartbroken. Setsuna kept
her own counsel.

"So why did you come to this moment?" Michiru asked, glancing
nervously at Hotaru. "Or should we not ask?"

"Well, I really can't tell you anything specific," Usa said,
sniffling and wiping her eyes. "But something big's going to happen.
And I'm going to handle it and prove to Mama that I can be Sailor
Moon! And then she'll have to let me!"

"You know this will happen?" Setsuna questioned her. "Did you
read this in your history texts in the future?"

"Yes," Usa said firmly, then faltered. "Well, what was there.
There wasn't much detail to the story. There was just a small bit
about this, um, thing happening, and Sailor Moon handles it. And I
figured it didn't say it wasn't me, so it could be me."

"Your logic is sound, Usa," Setsuna replied. "Please accept
this warning, though. It is dangerous to know the future. Such
knowledge can affect your every action. If, for example, you know
you are destined to win, you could grow over-confident and lose, thus
altering history and throwing the time line into chaos."

"You don't have to tell me, Setsuna," Usa said, staring at her
hands with a haunted look. "I already know just how awful it can
be."

"If you haven't told Usagi you're here," Michiru interjected
maternally, "I'm assuming you don't have anyplace to stay?" Usa
shook her head. "Then how about you stay here tonight." Usa and
Hotaru both lit up with wide smiles. "I'll just call Usagi and let
her know . . ."

"NO!" cried Usa. "Please don't! If Usagi knows I'm here, then
Mama'll know in the future and she'll come get me! Please don't tell
her!"

Michiru looked helplessly at Haruka. The blonde thought for a
moment, then nodded her head silently.

"OK, we won't tell Usagi," Michiru gave in. Then she arched an
eyebrow. "But please do us the honor of not taking advantage of this
kindness?"

"Oh, I won't! I swear!" gasped Usa. "Thank you!"

"May we go upstairs now?" asked Hotaru. "We've got a lot of
catching up to do."

"All right," Michiru nodded, smiling warmly.

The two teens scampered up the stairs.

"And you two keep your hands off each other," Haruka called
after them playfully.

"PAPA!" Hotaru gasped, mortified. Usa missed a step and
stumbled to her knees on the stairs, then just lay there and stared
ahead, her cheeks a vibrant crimson.
* * * *
Coming home from the university library, Mamoru eased his car
along the side street to his apartment building. For the fifth time,
he glanced down at the biochemistry text that was on the other seat.
His hand drifted down to the book as his vision returned to the road.
Reassurance came from his fingertips; the two tickets to the Tokyo
premiere of "Hear My Song" the new concert film featuring the Three
Lights that he was going to surprise Usagi with were still there. He
remembered meeting one of them briefly at the end of the battle with
Sailor Galaxia, and he remembered Usagi often spoke highly of the
group.

And he remembered vividly just how much it made his heart sing
when Usagi smiled. He was planning to do a lot of singing Friday
night.

"What?" Mamoru gasped when he turned the corner.

His foot jammed onto the brake. The street was littered with
wrecked cars. They were shoved up against buildings, against utility
poles and each other, all mangled. There were injured people,
unlucky enough to be driving or walking when the accident must have
hit.

Then his attention was drawn further down the street. A little
dark-haired girl about ten walked down the centerline of the street.
She was five feet from a police car stopped in the intersection. Her
deep brown hair flew up slightly, as if tossed by a gentle breeze.
At first Mamoru thought the girl was one of the accident victims and
was wandering in a daze.

Suddenly the front end of the car buckled. Then it was shoved
violently to one side, coming to rest against the front of a
restaurant. The girl kept walking.

The girl approached another car. The driver was frantically
stripping his gears trying to put the car in reverse. The girl
glared at him angrily. Her hair began to rise.

"Stop!" The girl turned to the voice behind her. She found a
tall, rail-thin man in a tuxedo, cape and top hat. He wore a white
mask over his dark features and his dress and countenance suggested
all the mystery of the night. She stopped. None of the other,
ordinary people had been able to help her, but she could sense this
man was not ordinary.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked calmly, but with a tone that
expected obedience.

"I'm looking for Ami," the girl said, her face and posture a
swirling cauldron of anger and anguish, growing desperation and
whispering fear. "Do you know where she is?"

"Ami who?" Tuxedo Mask asked cautiously. It couldn't be Ami
Mizuno, could it? And yet, there was a mild resemblance.

"AMI!" roared the child angrily. When Tuxedo Mask didn't
respond, she turned back to the car. It flew away, swatted by an
invisible hand of immense power, and slammed into a parked car. And
just as suddenly, a whisper of red and green whizzed past the child's
face. She glanced down and saw a single red rose sticking out of the
asphalt. Angrily she whirled on Tuxedo Mask.

"If you seek aid, I will do all I can to help you," Tuxedo Mask
pronounced proudly. "If you seek to destroy, I will stop you. I am
Tuxedo Mask."

The child's face scrunched up into a petulant pout. Her eyes
blazed and her hair began to fly up. Tuxedo Mask drew his cloak
across himself as a shield just as he felt the impact of a powerful
unseen force. There was no question it came from the girl, but how
and what was it?

To the girl's surprise, Tuxedo Mask stood up to the force
crashing into him. It was a strain, but he resisted. She ground her
teeth together. Tuxedo Mask pushed against the increased force,
struggling to hold his ground. He tried to draw his walking stick,
but couldn't reach it. The force kept relentlessly hammering at him.
He could feel his heels begin to slip along the concrete sidewalk.

And suddenly he was airborne. Tuxedo Mask tried to execute a
backflip and push off against the wall to spring at the girl.
However, the force was too powerful and he slammed into the wall,
then fell limply to the ground.

Forgetting him immediately, the girl turned away. She looked
up into the violet dusk, the sun setting in the west. Tears began to
well in her eyes.

"Ami!" she wailed. "Where are you?!"

Nearly two-thirds of a mile away, Sailor Moon suddenly stopped
talking. Jupiter and the Amazoness Senshi stared at her, watching
the color drain from her face and her blue eyes stare ahead in horror
- - all except Sailor Pallas.

"King fall down," Pallas said distantly. "Go boom."

Like a shot, Sailor Moon pivoted and began running at top
speed.

"Sailor Moon?" Jupiter called after her.

"Come on!" Sailor Juno cried as the Amazoness Senshi bolted
after her. "I think the King's in danger!"

Jupiter quickly took off after them. As she ran, she pulled
out her senshi communicator and hit general send.

"Emergency!" she called out to Ami, Rei and Minako. "Mamoru's
in danger! We may need your help!"

continued in part 3