PINK REBELLION
Chapter 10: "The Showdown"

By Bill K.

"You don't have to walk me back to Hotaru's house, you know,"
Usa grumbled. Usa and Usagi were walking down the street as dusk
approached.

"Yes I do," Usagi responded. "I don't want my baby to get hurt
in a strange, unfamiliar environment."

"It hasn't changed that much since the last time I was here."

"And besides, you're so big and beautiful, you'll just
naturally attract unwanted attention from unsavory males." Usagi
grinned proudly. "I know all about that."

"Why, do you have to protect Rei, too?" Usa asked. Usagi
glared at her and the pink-tressed teen couldn't smother a smirk.
"I'm not a baby, Usagi. I can take care of myself - - better than
you can, probably."

"All right," huffed Usagi, throwing up her hands. "I'm sorry
for caring so much!"

Usa let out a breath of frustration. "No you're not,
unfortunately." Usagi turned to her. "That's the whole problem.
You care too much! You're smothering me, Usagi - - well, you will."

Usagi got that forlorn look on her face and Usa felt like a
heel again.

"I'm sorry if I'm hurting you," Usa sighed. "You're not all
bad. You just can't seem to grasp that I'm fifteen! This is why I
didn't want you to know I was in this time! You - - complicate
things."

"What things? Are you in some sort of trouble?"

"Not yet, but I probably will be when I get back. You just
need to give me some space so I can do this."

"All right, Chibi. . ." and she stopped when Usa glared at her,
"I mean, Usa. I'll trust you. You seem to know what you're doing
and what you want to accomplish. I won't interfere." Usagi turned
to go, then looked back. "Thank you for meeting Mom. It meant a lot
to her and to me."

Usa watched Usagi walk off.

"It meant a lot to me, too," she whispered.

Usa turned to go up to the door. She knocked and was greeted
by Setsuna.

"Good evening, Usa," Setsuna smiled. "Did you and The Princess
correct your difficulties?"

"I don't think that much time exists," Usa frowned. She
entered, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned back
to Setsuna.

"My good young lady," Setsuna said calmly and earnestly, "if
you would accept some advice from an old and future friend: Do not
take for granted that those you cherish most will always be there.
Some day you will turn around and they will be gone and then you will
regret all the time wasted on petty disagreements and trivial
matters."

Usa looked at Setsuna, a lump forming in her throat. She had
to be talking about her and Usagi. She couldn't possibly know that
in the thirtieth century it had been three long, lonely years since
she'd seen her dear Puu - - could she? Seized by an overwhelming
impulse, Usa flung her arms around Setsuna and hugged her tight,
burying her face in the tall woman's chest.

"When you're right, you're right," Usa sniffed, clinging to the
woman. "I'll remember that. I swear I will." She felt Setsuna's
hand patting her comfortingly on her back.

"Hey, Usa!" Momoko called down from upstairs. "Come on up!
We've got pizza!"

"Coming!" Usa called back and she pulled away from Setsuna.
Giving the woman a look of intense gratitude, the girl ascended the
stairs.

"Did you get everything smoothed out with Usagi?" Momoko asked.
She, Hotaru and the four amazons were seated in a circle on the
floor. A pizza box was near Jun-Jun and Palla-Palla was absently
playing with her dolls.

"I think I made it worse," frowned Usa. "Why do people always
take what you say wrong?"

"I don't know," Momoko replied. "It sure would make things a
lot less complicated, wouldn't it?"

"Palla-Palla thought you'd be happy," Palla-Palla said. "You
got to be with your Granny without having to make her forget you.
Palla-Palla wishes she knew her Granny."

Usa stared, stunned. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" Palla-Palla asked blankly.

"It's one of her powers," explained Jun-Jun. "Palla-Palla can
get visions of things happening in other places. When she transforms
into her senshi form, she has telekinetic powers, too, but her
visions happen no matter what form she's in."

"So you were spying on me?" bristled Usa.

"Palla-Palla's sorry," whimpered Palla-Palla.

"Back off, Princess!" snapped Ves-Ves. "Her visions just
happen! It's not something she can control! So stop being rude to
her, your royalness!"

"Look who's talking!" huffed Usa. "I don't call her stupid!"

"Hey, Palla-Palla's as close to me as two sisters can be without
being blood," Ves-Ves replied with a warning tone. "That means I'M
the only one who's allowed to be rude to her, got it?"

"Hey, let's not fight," Hotaru said. "We're all friends here."

Ves-Ves and Usa glared at each other, then allowed it to die.

"OK, Hotaru," Usa said quietly. "I'm sorry I dishonored your
home this way. So what were you all doing while I was gone?"

"Talking about the future," Hotaru answered. Hotaru sighed.
"And it seems like everyone here has met Queen Serenity but me." Usa
shot Momoko a furtive glance.

"I didn't say anything about the thirtieth century!" Momoko
said. "I know what Queen Serenity told me!"

"She meant what we all wanted to be or do in the future,"
Cere-Cere added.

"I wonder what she's like," Hotaru said.

"Beautiful," Palla-Palla replied absently.

"Imposing," Ves-Ves said.

"She's like - - love come to life," Momo grinned. "Of course
you see her more than any of us, Usa. You've probably seen her bad
side."

"Can we talk about something else?" Usa asked, sitting down
between Hotaru and Momoko.

"Sure," smiled Cere-Cere. "The subjects are boys, make up
hints, boys, our dreams for the future, fashions and boys."

"Slanting the vote again?" Jun-Jun asked. Cere-Cere shrugged
innocently.

"I vote boys," said Ves-Ves. "Make up hints are for sissies."

To her amazement, the room erupted in girlish laughter.
* * * *
Usagi was almost home when she ran into the other senshi.

"Where have you been?" Rei asked pointedly.

"I had something to take care of with Usa," Usagi said. The
others instantly picked up on her depressed mood.

"What's up, kid?" Minako asked. "You forget your house key
again?"

"It's Usa," Usagi admitted. "What could I have done to make
her like this?"

"Well you two have always fought, you know," Makoto said. "Is
it that much different now? It's sort of like you and Rei."

"Sure, she was always a brat and she's never respected me, but
I always felt deep down that she loved me - - or at least liked me.
It doesn't seem like it now. She's always so touchy and defensive."

"Usagi," Ami began, "I'm not a professional psychiatrist, but
I've read a little about it. It's normal for a gulf to form between
parents and children in their teens. And in your case, maybe it's
not what you've done to Usa so much as what she's done to herself."

"What do you mean?"

"Usagi, what's been Usa's dream ever since she was five and
before that?" Ami smiled charitably.

"To eat every peppermint stick she can get her hands on?" Usagi
replied.

"Her dream, not yours," Rei chided. Usagi responded with a
wagging tongue.

"Usagi, Usa's always dreamed of being a lady," Ami said. "And
even though she didn't come right out and say it, I think she's
always wanted to be one lady in particular - - her mother, Queen
Serenity."

Usagi digested this like it was the first time she'd made the
connection.

"Queen Serenity has always been her image of the perfect person
- - someone to aspire to. And as she grew and learned of everything
you accomplished over a thousand years to bring Crystal Tokyo to what
it will be, undoubtedly you became more and more idealized in her
mind. It's probably gotten to the point where she has such a high
standard of you in her mind that there's no possible way she can
achieve it."

"Wow," gasped Usagi.

"And that can lead to frustration and self-loathing,
particularly in the emotionally vulnerable teenage years. And some
of that self-loathing can be transferred back onto the idol. Every
word or action from the idol that isn't seen as direct praise can be
viewed as criticism, making the subject defensive and retaliatory."

"Or shy and withdrawn," Minako said. "Methinks you speak with
a little more experience than what you read in a book, Dr. Mizuno."
Ami blushed self-consciously and Minako put her arm around her.

"Well, she does accuse me of trying to make her feel guilty,"
Usagi said.

"There, you see," Makoto added. "You just have to cut her some
slack," and the girl grinned warmly, "and stop being so perfect."

Usagi grew a tentative smile on her face. "Wow. Nobody's ever
told me that before."

Rei glanced at the darkening sky. "You three want to pack it
in for the night?" Usagi glanced at Rei, the question on her lips.
"We were looking for Sakiko. She's become a threat to herself and to
everyone around her."

"Can't we spend a little more time looking?" Ami appealed to
them. "The poor little girl's all alone."

"We're not going to be as effective in the dark," Minako said.
Since her words failed to sway everyone, Minako deferred to Usagi.
"What do you think, Usagi?"

"It wouldn't hurt to look one more time," Usagi offered
timidly, "would it?"

"Not at all," smiled Ami.

"I guess not," Rei softened.

"Hey, we might get lucky," Makoto grinned.

"It's not like I've got homework to do," Minako smirked. And
off they went.

"Man, it looks like it's going to rain," Usagi commented,
eyeing the sky as she and her friends strolled through another
neighborhood searching for leads to Sakiko.

"Yeah, look at the way those clouds are swirling," Makoto
remarked. "And the wind's picking up."

"Have you sensed anything yet?" Ami asked Rei hopefully.

"No," Rei sighed. "And none of these neighborhoods look
familiar. Where could she be? How far can a little kid get in half
a day?"

"She got all the way from the inn to Tokyo by herself," Ami
replied. "With her PKE level, teleportation may not be out of the
question."

"PKE?" asked Usagi, dumbfounded.

"Psycho-kinetic energy," explained Ami.

"Psycho-what?"

"Brain power!" huffed Rei. "You know, what you lack!"

"SHUT UP, REI!"

"You really think she can teleport?" Minako asked.

"Right now, I wouldn't put anything past her," Ami replied.

"That's just great," sighed Minako. "She's a killer and a
grasshopper."

"Minako," bristled Ami.

"Hey, do I have to remind you again that she killed her
father?"

"And do I have to remind you that he was beating her at the
time?"

Minako swallowed uncomfortably. "OK, well that doesn't change
the fact that she was ready to kill me, and almost ended up killing
you."

"Sakiko tried to kill you?" gasped Usagi. "When did this
happen?"

"This afternoon," Ami said uncomfortably. "I didn't want to
worry you."

"Oh my! We've got to find her!"

"Well we may have to wait," Makoto said. "The sky looks like
it's going to open up any minute."

A gust of wind tore through the group.

"I'm afraid you're right," Ami said, disappointed. They turned
and began to head off. Then Usagi noticed someone missing. She
stopped and turned back.

"Rei?" she asked. Rei was standing there, staring ahead in the
direction they'd been headed. Her raven hair whipped in the wind as
she stood like an oak in a hurricane.

"There," Rei whispered, pointing to a boarded up shop on the
corner. The girls gathered around her.

"Look at the clouds," Minako pointed out. The black clouds
seemed to swirl above the storefront like it was the eye of the
storm. The winds seemed to intensify with every passing second.

Ignoring the whipping wind and the menacing clouds, Usagi
pulled the brooch from her blouse and thrust it in the air. Her
comrades dutifully mirrored her action, producing their henshin
sticks. The sound of the five transformation phrases was lost in
the whistling wind, but whatever entity who needed to hear did hear,
for in moments Sailor Moon and her senshi stood on the deserted
corner.

"Let's go!" shouted Sailor Moon over the howl of the wind. As
she ran, one hand was between her legs to keep her miniskirt from
blowing up immodestly.

Fighting against the wind, the five girls raced across the
street and to the storefront. As they neared it, Venus spotted a
loose board over one window. The gap was small, but large enough for
a child to slip through.

"Go away!" they heard someone bellow from inside as they got
within a foot of the window. Mercury recognized the voice as
Sakiko's and was about to call out to her.

Suddenly the wall exploded outward, as if smashed by a giant
invisible fist. Rubble combined with the force and slammed into the
five girls, flinging them backward into the street.

Hotaru had been asleep for only a short time. Her eyes snapped
open.

"Princess," she whispered, a sick dread possessing her tiny
frame. Furtively she glanced around the room. Usa was safely curled
up on the floor next to Cere-Cere. She remembered their boasts to
stay up all night had begun to evaporate when Palla-Palla drifted
off. So if Usa was safe . . .

Hotaru scampered over to Usa and nudged her. She tried three
times, but Usa proved as sound a sleeper as her mother. With no more
time to waste, Hotaru headed out of the room. In the hall she met
Momoko, who was returning from the bathroom.

"Where are you off to?" Momo inquired.

"Sailor Moon needs my help," Hotaru said, her brow creased with
concern. "If Usa asks, would you let her know?"

"Sure," Momo nodded, concern clouding her face over. "Hey,
good luck, huh?"

Downstairs, Haruka pulled the curtain back from the window and
peered out while Michiru fixed on the television news report and
Setsuna placidly knitted.

"Man, that's some storm whipping up," Haruka said. "Any
weather alerts out?"

When no answer came, Haruka turned to the others. She saw them
looking at Hotaru framed in the doorway.

"Sailor Moon needs us," Hotaru said bluntly.

Continued in Chapter 11