Empire of the Dark Ami
by amiwakawaiidesu
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.)
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CHAPTER TEN
(November 16, 1997)
Luna stared at the computer screen for a long moment, unable to comprehend why Sailormercury could possibly want to throw herself off her apartment balcony. Artemis, meanwhile--many blocks away at Minako's house--wondered why Luna had suddenly stopped chatting with him:
TsukiNeko2: Luna, are you still there?
TsukiNeko1: Artemis, something has happened to Sailormercury! Contact the other Senshi immediately, and ask them to join me at Ami's apartment!
TsukiNeko2: Hai!
Without even bothering to shut off Usagi's computer, Luna then ran over to Usagi's open bedroom window, hopped outside and started running directly toward Ami's apartment. Luckily for Luna, traffic was light on this early Sunday evening, so she managed to dart across the intervening cross streets with less hazard than usual. In the lobby of Ami's apartment building, Luna then hopped off the ground to push the 'UP' button of the elevator bank, and used a similar technique inside the elevator to press the buttons that took her up to the 14th floor.
Unfortunately, the actual door to Ami's apartment was locked, but Luna happened to find a neighbor's door open and climbed out onto the roof through that apartment instead; then--with her feline climbing ability--she let herself into the open window of Ami's living room.
Since Luna knew that Usagi was supposed to be with Ami, Luna's first priority was locating either one of the girls; however, both were missing, so Luna then looked for any clues to their current whereabouts.
Thankfully, Sailormercury's body wasn't lying smashed on the ground 35 meters below, but there was a nylon rope tied to a drainpipe next to the patio balcony--the end of which was lying loose and frayed with nothing attached to it.
But the definitive clue was Ami's minicomputer, left lying on the patio floor with a small note attached:
*LUNA~ACCESS FILE MERCURY999*
By the time the Senshi arrived--Rei, Makoto and Minako--this file had already cleared up much of the mystery for Luna. Opening the dead bolt on the front door with her leaping technique, Luna let the Inner Senshi into the apartment, then explained what she knew.
"Minna-san," Luna said, "Usagi and Ami have disappeared."
"Oh my goodness!" said Makoto.
"When?" asked Rei.
"How?" asked Minako.
"Within the hour," Luna explained. "A dimensional portal opened near Ami's patio, and Usagi was taken through the portal by two strange individuals--a blue-haired woman, and a blue-haired boy. Mercury then pursued Usagi by jumping into the portal, but left her minicomputer behind to tell us what happened."
Rei and Makoto looked at Luna with disbelief.
"You're kidding," Rei said.
"Why would somebody want to abduct Usagi?" Makoto asked. "We haven't had any enemies for years."
But Minako was more willing to indulge Luna; she noted how the living room door was still open with the curtains flapping in the breeze, and also noted the nylon cable tied to the drain pipe just outside the open door.
"Is this the rope Mercury used when she jumped?" Minako asked Luna.
"I assume so. Presumably, the rope was cut when the portal closed behind her."
Rei and Makoto moved to look at the rope, then finally began to accept the reality of the situation.
"This really is serious," Makoto said.
Rei nodded, agreeing with Makoto. Inside, though, Rei couldn't help but wonder if this wasn't all just an elaborate joke on Usagi's part, and Usagi wouldn't come leaping out of a hall closet any second now, laughing at Rei's gullibility.
*"I just hope this isn't one of Usagi's pranks,"* Rei muttered to Makoto. *"If it is, she is *so* dead..."*
* * * * *
Although Luna now knew about the portal, and knew where Usagi and Sailormercury had gone, she still had a number of serious problems to think about. Would the portal ever open again, so the Inner Senshi could rescue their friends? And if not, was there any way to force the portal open?
But overriding everything else at the moment was the simple matter of what to tell Dr. Mizuno, and Tsukino Ikuko. With tomorrow a school day, a lot of questions would be asked if Usagi and Ami suddenly went missing.
"Dr. Mizuno is working a late shift at the hospital," Luna told the Inner Senshi; "I remember Usagi mentioned that, before she left to spend the night here. So we have a little time to think of what to tell her."
"What *can* we tell her?" Rei asked. "Our friends are in another universe, for God's sake!"
"Actually, we don't know where the portal went," Luna said. "It might be a portal to the basement of the Game Center Crown, for all we know. But I'm not registering the energy from Usagi's brooch or Ami's henshin stick anywhere nearby...
"Anyway, it will take time for me to understand this portal phenomenon; and even if I understand it, there's no guarantee I can force the portal open again."
The Senshi looked at each other, then looked at Luna and sighed.
Then the front door opened, and a very tall woman with short blond hair addressed the group.
"Why the long faces?" Haruka asked.
Luna and the Inner Senshi spun around as one, and were startled to see Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru standing in the doorway.
"Michiru?" Minako said. "Hotaru? Setsuna? What are you doing here?"
"We felt a disturbance from outside the Solar System," Michiru said, "centered on this apartment."
"Is Usagi in danger?" Hotaru asked.
"You could say that," Luna said, as the Outer Senshi let themselves into the apartment. "She was abducted through a dimensional portal, and disappeared along with Sailormercury."
"And tomorrow's a school day," Makoto noted. "If Ami misses even one day of school, she probably *will* kill herself."
The Outer Senshi then looked around the apartment much as the Inner Senshi already had done, and asked for clarification of the situation as Luna understood it. All the Outer Senshi agreed that Sailormercury seemed remarkably calm during the crisis--since she'd remembered to leave the minicomputer behind with important information--and Haruka even ventured the opinion that Usagi was lucky Ami was the Senshi who was closest when the portal opened.
"Hey!" Rei said. "I resent that!"
"Gomen nasai," Haruka said. "I meant no offense. I was only thinking of how…ah…scatterbrained…our princess can be."
The Inner Senshi and the Outer Senshi exchanged thoughtful glances, and were forced to nod their heads in agreement.
"True," Rei admitted. "She can be a bit of a baka sometimes."
"Luna," Setsuna said, finally, "I have a thought. Do you not still possess the disguise pen?"
"Well, yes..." Luna said. "But how would that help?"
"It won't help get the girls back," Setsuna said, "but it might help us to hide the disappearance of the girls from their parents. You'll need access to this apartment to study the portal phenomenon, and Dr. Mizuno most likely won't let strangers stay here if she thinks her daughter is missing. But with the pen, one of us could pretend to be Ami, so Ami's mother wouldn't know anything was wrong."
"And one of us could be Usagi!" Minako said. "Oh, pick me! Pick me!"
"You need to be in school yourself," Luna said. "It would hardly make sense for you to cut school, just to impersonate Usagi."
"I could make that sacrifice," Minako replied.
"Actually," Michiru said, "why not just let me be Ami, and let Hotaru be Usagi?"
"Oh, could I?" Hotaru asked Michiru excitedly.
"It's Luna's pen," Michiru replied "It's her decision."
Luna considered the matter for a long moment before responding; Michiru would be entirely believable as Ami since both of them were very brilliant and generally soft-spoken. But could Hotaru really portray Usagi?
Although Luna had come to respect Usagi's inner strength over the years, there was no escaping the fact that Usagi was indeed a clumsy baka more often than not--so much so that her general goofiness would be difficult for anyone to duplicate.
"Are you sure you're up to it, Hotaru-chan?" Luna asked.
"Hai!" Hotaru said. "I'd love to be Usagi!"
"Very well, then," Luna said, borrowing Rei's communicator to call Artemis (still at Minako's house), and ask him to bring over the disguise pen. The pen, Luna explained, was lying underneath a pile of manga in Usagi's bedroom--a fact which Artemis found mind-boggling, though he agreed to bring the pen as soon as he could find it.
And so it was that Luna finally had her first quiet moment alone to reflect on the days events, as she waited for Artemis to arrive.
I'm afraid I have to agree with Rei, Luna thought, sitting on the edge of Ami's patio and looking at the lights of Minato-ku; if this is one of Usagi's pranks, I'll kill her myself!
* * * * *
Although the disguise pen didn't work perfectly at first (Hotaru ended up looking like Usagi, only with violet eyes and Hotaru's voice), Luna eventually discovered that the secret was to be very specific in the phrasing of one's transformation phrase; thus, "Moon Power, transform me into Tsukino Usagi, with Usagi's voice and blue eyes!" worked much better.
"We could always get them contact lenses," Artemis suggested, after Michiru and Hotaru had successfully transformed into Ami-M (Michiru) and Usagi-H (Hotaru).
"No, I think they look fine," Haruka offered.
"Oh, Hotaru!" Minako squealed, "you look so *kawaii*!"
Usagi-H bowed, causing her twin blond ponytails to fly about realistically.
"What about our clothes?" Ami-M asked Luna. "Are you sure this is what the girls were wearing? We don't want Dr. Mizuno to be suspicious."
"I remember," Luna said. "Ami was wearing a sweatshirt and pants, and Usagi was wearing a long skirt and sweater, just like that."
"We're probably set, then," Ami-M said. "But you should all probably leave now--except for Luna. Otherwise, Ami's mom will think she's having a party here."
"Well, Ami is 18," Usagi-H observed. "That's almost old enough to drink."
"20 is old enough to drink," Ami-M responded, with the tone of a mother speaking to her child.
"True."
"All right, minna-san," Artemis said, "let's go."
The Inner and Outer Senshi nodded, but Haruka lingered just a little longer than the others, pausing to give Ami-M a passionate farewell kiss. Since Ami-M looked exactly like Ami, the Inner Senshi all gasped in shock.
*"You look good that way,"* Haruka whispered; *"you should wear your hair short more often."*
"Oh, go on already," Ami-M said, giving Haruka a playful shove.
"Ja ne, 'Ami-chan'," Haruka said, giving Ami-M a sly wink before leaving along with the others.
* * * * *
After the others left, Ami-M and Usagi-H were left alone with Luna in Ami's apartment, feeling very much like strangers in another person's home.
"Michiru-mama," Usagi-H said, "this feels weird."
"Call me 'Ami-chan'," Ami-M said. "But I understand…
"Perhaps we just haven't gotten used to our roles yet. Now let's think: what would Usagi say if Ami suggested they should study their English?"
Usagi-H thought for a moment, then started crying.
"English? WAAAAAAA...!!!"
"Very good, 'Usagi-chan'."
Luna rolled her eyes, but--inwardly--she had to admit that sounded a lot like Usagi.
In the time they had left before Dr. Mizuno returned, Ami-M and Usagi-H then took the opportunity to learn as much about their roles as possible, asking Luna questions, and also studying the girls' textbooks and other school materials.
"I wish Chibi-Usa were here," Usagi-H said, sitting on Ami's bed. "If we ever meet again, she'll never believe I did this."
"I'm sure you'll meet her again," Ami-M said. "Is she the reason you were so excited about doing this?"
"Well, yes," Usagi-H admitted, sheepishly. "But that's not wrong, is it, Michiru-mama? Chibi-Usa and Usagi were such good friends to me, I feel I owe them something in return."
"That's fine," Ami-M said. "But just remember, for this to work you really have to believe you're Usagi."
"Hai."
"And call me 'Ami-chan',"
"Oh. Hai, Ami-chan."
The phone in the living room then started ringing, and Ami-M went to answer it, followed by Usagi-H and Luna.
"It's for you," Ami-M said to Usagi-H, with surprise; "it's Mamoru-san."
Shocked, Usagi-H took the handset and held it to her chest.
"Mamoru!" Usagi-H exclaimed; "what do I say--!?!"
"Actually," interjected Luna, "Usagi calls him 'Mamo-chan'--but I suggest you tell him the truth. Better to tell him now than later."
Usagi-H nodded, and slowly lifted the receiver to her ear.
"Hello?" Usagi-H said, speaking into the mouthpiece.
"Usako," Mamoru said, "I got this number from your mother; are you all right?"
"Why do you ask?" Usagi-H asked.
"I had a terrible feeling earlier, at work--a feeling something was wrong; but I couldn't get free to call until now..."
"Actually, Mamoru-san," Usagi-H said, "this isn't Usagi; this is Hotaru, impersonating Usagi."
"What? Why?"
Usagi-H then went on to explain the whole rather complicated situation, including the fact that Luna was going to remain at Ami's apartment as long as necessary to study the portal phenomenon. Mamoru seemed to understand, but Usagi-H could hear the pain in his voice as she spoke with him; he clearly wanted to help, but even Luna didn't know where Usagi and Ami had gone, and Mamoru could hardly invite himself to come visit Ami's apartment in the middle of the night. Dr. Mizuno would never approve of *that*!
"Will you promise to call me," Mamoru asked, "the moment Luna knows anything?"
"Of course," Usagi-H said. "By the way, Luna says I should call you 'Mamo-chan', if that's all right."
"That's fine," Mamoru said, "Usako. Oyasumi nasai."
" Oyasumi nasai," Usagi-H replied, before hanging up the phone.
"I wonder if that's why Minako wanted to play Usagi?" Ami-M asked.
Usagi-H and Luna both blushed.
"Michiru-mama!" Usagi-H exclaimed. "You're terrible!"
Later--while the Outer Senshi returned to Ami's room to continue their research--Luna remained in the living room to continue her research with Ami's minicomputer; however, Luna (remembering that cats weren't officially allowed in the building) was forced to grab the minicomputer and hide when Dr. Mizuno finally returned home. Dr. Mizuno seemed oblivious to Luna's presence, though, as she walked directly to Ami's room, where Ami-M was practicing English sentences with Usagi-H.
"Hello, girls," Dr. Mizuno said. "How was your day? Did you get anything to eat?"
"We went out to eat," Ami-M said, "then we came back here to work on our English. Say something in English, Usagi-chan."
Usagi-H thought for a moment, then said proudly:
"'Good-bye. I am a book'."
Dr. Mizuno lifted an eyebrow.
*"She still needs a little practice,"* Ami-M whispered to Dr. Mizuno.
"Well, anyway," Dr. Mizuno said, walking over to Ami-M to give her a hug, "you girls don't stay up too late, okay?"
"All right, Mom," Ami-M replied.
"I love you," Dr. Mizuno said. "Oyasumi nasai, Ami, and Usagi-san."
"Oyasumi nasai," the girls replied.
After Ami's mother left, Usagi-H looked at Ami-M.
"Ami's mother seems like a very nice person," Usagi-H said.
"Well, it is natural for mothers to love their daughters," Ami-M said. "Don't you think?"
"Yes, Michiru-mama," Usagi-H replied, before catching herself. "I mean, 'Ami-chan'."
* * * * *
Ami-M and Usagi-H slept that night in Ami's room--sharing Ami's bed, with Luna sleeping in Ami's closet--and then woke up at an early hour to get ready for school. Usagi-H immediately pointed out that this wasn't like Usagi--who would rather sleep in late and be tardy--but Ami-M pointed out that Ami wouldn't let her best friend be tardy.
But Ami-M almost made a faux-pas of her own when she stood before Ami's bathroom mirror and considered applying some mascara and eyeliner.
"Michiru-mama," Usagi-H said, "Ami never wears makeup."
"What a pity," Ami-M sighed. "And she's so pretty, too."
"It's a good thing she's not *too* pretty, though," Usagi-H said slyly.
"Oh, Haruka would never cheat on me," Ami-M replied--though, ultimately, she decided against the makeup.
Ami-M and Usagi-H then gathered up their book bags, said 'ja mata' to Dr. Mizuno (who was still asleep), and headed off to school.
At Juuban High School--despite Usagi-H's initial trepidation--the actual day went surprisingly well. Naru did tell Usagi-H there was something different about her look today--something she couldn't quite put her finger on--but Usagi-H was spared from responding when Umino suggested that Usagi looked very cute today; in response to that, Naru gave Umino's forearm a twisting pinch.
"Ow!" cried Umino. "Gomen nasai!"
Perhaps the hardest thing for Usagi-H to manage was trying not to act too smart--something which all the Senshi agreed was crucial to an effective Usagi performance. Hotaru herself was home-schooled by the Outer Senshi so she found the chance to be with regular schoolchildren again very exciting--but she nonetheless decided to take a few naps in class anyway just to stay in character. And just before lunch, when she had to take a practice English test, she decided not to think too hard about any of the questions. This resulted in a score of 55%--which Hotaru thought was believably low, but which the teacher found suspiciously high.
"I'd suspect you were cheating," the teacher said, handing back the test, "but even you aren't dense enough to cheat and still flunk anyway."
"Yes, ma'am," Usagi-H replied--wondering just how absent-minded Usagi really was.
*"How did Usagi ever get into high school in the first place?"* Usagi-H whispered to Ami-M, once she returned to her seat.
*"Yeah,"* Ami-M replied, *"I've been wondering about that myself."*
Ami-M, for her part, had a much easier time impersonating Ami from an academic point of view; none of her teachers seemed to be the least bit surprised that she knew the answer to every question in every subject before everybody else. She did nearly slip up during lunchtime, though, when she came upon Naru showing Usagi-H, Makoto and Minako a pink outfit she liked in a fashion magazine.
"Oh my God!" Ami-M gasped. "Naru, you do *not* want to wear a pink outfit with your red hair and pale skin!"
"I tried to tell her that," Minako agreed, nodding wisely.
Usagi-H, Makoto and Naru, however, looked at Ami-M as if she'd suddenly been possessed by a youma.
"I mean," Ami-M said quickly, "that's what I've heard..."
Ami-M looked around desperately.
"Um, I think I have an overdue book at the library! Ja ne!"
Whereupon, Ami-M beat a hasty retreat.
Naru glanced at Usagi-H.
"Is Ami feeling all right?" Naru asked.
"Well it's all that studying, you know," Usagi-H suggested. "Makes her crazy."
"Well, at least *you'll* never have to worry about that," Naru said.
"Thanks, Naru-chan..." Usagi-H said--before she realized she'd been insulted.
"Hey!"
* * * * *
Eventually, the school day came to an end, and Ami-M walked Usagi-H home to the Tsukino residence; this was a moment Usagi-H had been dreading, since she didn't want to be apart from Michiru, but she summoned her courage as she remembered this entire masquerade was being done for the sake of the real Usagi and Ami.
"Konnichiwa, Ami-san," Ikuko said to Ami-M; "I hope Usagi wasn't too much trouble yesterday."
"No," Ami-M replied; "we had a very productive study session."
"Actually," Usagi-H admitted, "I did do pretty well on my English test..."
Usagi-H produced her test.
"Usagi," Ikuko exclaimed, "this is wonderful! 55%!"
Ikuko suddenly hugged Usagi-H, and Usagi-H glanced at Ami-M, who simply shrugged.
"I knew you could do it," Ikuko said, "if you'd just apply yourself!"
"Er...yeah."
"Tsukino-san," Ami-M said, "since Usagi benefited from our last study session, do you suppose she could stay over at my place again tonight?"
Ikuko considered that for a moment, then agreed.
"Oh, sure, why not; I know you're responsible, Ami-san."
"Arigatou," Usagi-H said to Ikuko, trying to remember how Usagi would act at home. "Um...can I take some cookies with me? Or some pie?"
"Oh, just take the whole pie," Ikuko said, handing Usagi-H the lemon pie she'd just baked, and adding a bag of candies and cookies for good measure. "But remember to share with Ami and her mother."
Ami-M then called Dr. Mizuno to confirm that it was okay for Usagi-H to spend the night again, and then set off with Usagi-H. As they were walking toward Ami's apartment, though, Usagi-H expressed concern about getting Usagi in trouble later.
"Do you think I should have been more stupid in school?" Usagi-H asked.
"Well, maybe a little..." Ami-M replied with a chuckle. "Usagi isn't really 'stupid', though; it's just that her mind is usually somewhere else."
"That sounds more polite than calling her a baka."
"Indeed."
Continuing to walk along, Ami-M paused for a moment before continuing.
"I don't know if you've noticed," she said, "but Mamoru is following us."
"He is?" Usagi-H asked, fighting an urge to look. "Oh, I feel so awful for him! Shouldn't we see if he's all right...?"
"It's your decision," Ami-M said. "But remember: he and Usagi are intimate."
Usagi-H blushed.
"I hadn't thought of that. Perhaps it would be awkward."
Some more minutes passed, then Usagi-H asked a question.
*"Michiru-mama,"* she whispered, *"have you ever been with a man yourself? I mean, in *that* way..."*
Now it was Ami-M's turn to blush, but she answered honestly.
*"Haruka is quite enough for me,"* Ami-M whispered back, *"but we don't necessarily expect you to be like us, if that's what you're getting at."*
*"Hai. That's what I was getting at."*
A few minutes later, Ami-M and Usagi-H arrived at Ami's apartment, and Dr. Mizuno was glad she was actually able to catch them before she left for work again. Having woken up late in the morning, Dr. Mizuno decided to make dinner for Ami just in case she was home before it got too late, and Usagi-H was inwardly happy that she'd resisted the temptation to further delve into her role by dawdling at the Game Center Crown. In the event, Dr. Mizuno's homemade meatloaf was quite good--so much so that Usagi-H first expressed surprise that it was so good--then embarrassment for implying that she thought it might be otherwise.
"Oh, that's all right," Dr. Mizuno said; "people are surprised I can cook, but I actually forced myself to learn when I first got married, since I thought a mother should know how to do that."
"I think it's wonderful," Ami-M offered.
"Oh, you always say that," Dr. Mizuno said. "But you're very sweet, both of you."
Shortly thereafter, Dr. Mizuno left, and Luna emerged from her hiding place.
"Everybody seems to love Usagi and Ami," Ami-M said, as she helped Usagi-H wash the dishes. "It'll be hard to go back to being us again."
"Don't you think we like you?" Luna asked the Outer Senshi.
"I'm sure you do," Ami-M said, "but we Outer Senshi do stand apart from the rest of you. Our mission is different, and we can't afford to get too close to anyone."
"That seems very sad."
"It is our way," Ami-M said, pausing to smile at Usagi-H. "But at least we have each other."
Just then, a yowling sound came from the front door.
"Oh, I hope you don't mind," Luna said, "but I asked Artemis if he could come help with my analysis."
"I'd better go let him in," Usagi-H said, hurrying to let the white cat into the apartment.
"Konnichiwa, minna-san," Artemis said. Then he said to Luna, "You said you needed some help with the subspace field equations?"
Luna nodded, but then--before she could answer--a blazing white light came pouring through the living room windows, and Ami's minicomputer started beeping loudly.
"The portal is opening!" Luna announced.
Unfortunately, even the Outer Senshi were too stunned to react; by the time Ami-M reached the living room door to slide it open, the portal had already closed. However, it had left something behind.
"Help!" came a strangely familiar voice from beyond the patio. "Help me--!!!"
"That sounds like Artemis," Luna said, glancing at Artemis.
"Hotaru," Ami-M said, "henshin yo!"
Usagi-H nodded, and both Outer Senshi quickly spoke their transformation phrases.
"Saturn Crystal Power, Make-Up!"
"Neptune Crystal Power, Make-Up!"
Whereupon the 'Inner Senshi' transformed into their true selves as Outer Senshi. Taking this as their cue to find cover, Luna and Artemis then darted under a nearby coffee table, but continued to watch closely as Sailorneptune ventured out to the patio to investigate, with Sailorsaturn following close behind. Once she reached the patio, Sailorneptune seemed confused for a moment--unable to identify the source of the catlike shrieking they'd just heard--but then she finally leaned over the edge of the patio and saw a frightened white cat clinging precariously to the side of the building. With Sailorsaturn looking on protectively, Sailorneptune reached down to grab the cat by the scruff of its neck, then carried the cat inside the apartment.
"I guess it really was Artemis," Sailorneptune said, holding the cat at arm's length.
"Hey, that's not me!" Artemis protested, emerging from under the coffee table.
"All right," Sailorneptune said to the strange cat, "then who are you?"
The strange cat appeared too frightened to respond, glancing back and forth between Sailorneptune and Sailorsaturn.
"Baka neko," Sailorsaturn muttered, bringing her Silence Glaive close to the cat's head. "Speak!"
"All right, all right, I'll talk!" the cat said, hanging helplessly in Sailorneptune's grip. "My name is Artemis! But how did I get here? I was just with Kuroiami a moment ago..."
The Outer Senshi looked at each other in confusion, then looked at Luna.
"All right, 'Artemis'," Luna said, hopping up on top of the coffee table. "Where did you just come from?"
"Mugen Palace," the cat replied, "the same as you!"
Sailorsaturn drew back the Silence Glaive.
"Do you mean Mugen Academy? But that was destroyed years ago..."
But Luna was now nodding sagaciously.
"I understand," Luna said to her friends; "this Artemis--let's call him 'Artemis2'--comes from a parallel universe. Perhaps the same parallel universe where Usagi and Ami are."
"Why, that bitch..." Artemis2 muttered, suddenly seeming to realize something.
"What are you muttering about?" Sailorneptune asked.
"That bitch Kuroiami must have sent me here! She said she'd take me back to the Moon with her, but instead she zapped me back here instead!"
"This is all very confusing," Artemis said.
"It is now," Luna agreed, "but we'll see if we can't make some sense of it. Sailorsaturn, do you think you could find some paint or a marker or something that we could mark Artemis2 with? I'd like to make sure we don't confuse him with Artemis1."
"Hai," Sailorsaturn said, heading off to Ami's room, and returning a few seconds later with a big black marker.
Sailorneptune then set Artemis2 down on a kitchen counter and held him there while Sailorsaturn--transferring the Silence Glaive to her left hand--drew a wide black stripe down his back.
"That will do," Luna said. "Now, Artemis2, you'll tell us everything you know about this 'Kuroiami', the dimensional portal you came through, and the world you came from."
"Everything?" Artemis2 asked, nervously--looking up at Sailorsaturn as she held the Silence Glaive menacingly.
"Yes," Luna said to Artemis2. "Everything. I must insist."
by amiwakawaiidesu
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.)
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CHAPTER TEN
(November 16, 1997)
Luna stared at the computer screen for a long moment, unable to comprehend why Sailormercury could possibly want to throw herself off her apartment balcony. Artemis, meanwhile--many blocks away at Minako's house--wondered why Luna had suddenly stopped chatting with him:
TsukiNeko2: Luna, are you still there?
TsukiNeko1: Artemis, something has happened to Sailormercury! Contact the other Senshi immediately, and ask them to join me at Ami's apartment!
TsukiNeko2: Hai!
Without even bothering to shut off Usagi's computer, Luna then ran over to Usagi's open bedroom window, hopped outside and started running directly toward Ami's apartment. Luckily for Luna, traffic was light on this early Sunday evening, so she managed to dart across the intervening cross streets with less hazard than usual. In the lobby of Ami's apartment building, Luna then hopped off the ground to push the 'UP' button of the elevator bank, and used a similar technique inside the elevator to press the buttons that took her up to the 14th floor.
Unfortunately, the actual door to Ami's apartment was locked, but Luna happened to find a neighbor's door open and climbed out onto the roof through that apartment instead; then--with her feline climbing ability--she let herself into the open window of Ami's living room.
Since Luna knew that Usagi was supposed to be with Ami, Luna's first priority was locating either one of the girls; however, both were missing, so Luna then looked for any clues to their current whereabouts.
Thankfully, Sailormercury's body wasn't lying smashed on the ground 35 meters below, but there was a nylon rope tied to a drainpipe next to the patio balcony--the end of which was lying loose and frayed with nothing attached to it.
But the definitive clue was Ami's minicomputer, left lying on the patio floor with a small note attached:
*LUNA~ACCESS FILE MERCURY999*
By the time the Senshi arrived--Rei, Makoto and Minako--this file had already cleared up much of the mystery for Luna. Opening the dead bolt on the front door with her leaping technique, Luna let the Inner Senshi into the apartment, then explained what she knew.
"Minna-san," Luna said, "Usagi and Ami have disappeared."
"Oh my goodness!" said Makoto.
"When?" asked Rei.
"How?" asked Minako.
"Within the hour," Luna explained. "A dimensional portal opened near Ami's patio, and Usagi was taken through the portal by two strange individuals--a blue-haired woman, and a blue-haired boy. Mercury then pursued Usagi by jumping into the portal, but left her minicomputer behind to tell us what happened."
Rei and Makoto looked at Luna with disbelief.
"You're kidding," Rei said.
"Why would somebody want to abduct Usagi?" Makoto asked. "We haven't had any enemies for years."
But Minako was more willing to indulge Luna; she noted how the living room door was still open with the curtains flapping in the breeze, and also noted the nylon cable tied to the drain pipe just outside the open door.
"Is this the rope Mercury used when she jumped?" Minako asked Luna.
"I assume so. Presumably, the rope was cut when the portal closed behind her."
Rei and Makoto moved to look at the rope, then finally began to accept the reality of the situation.
"This really is serious," Makoto said.
Rei nodded, agreeing with Makoto. Inside, though, Rei couldn't help but wonder if this wasn't all just an elaborate joke on Usagi's part, and Usagi wouldn't come leaping out of a hall closet any second now, laughing at Rei's gullibility.
*"I just hope this isn't one of Usagi's pranks,"* Rei muttered to Makoto. *"If it is, she is *so* dead..."*
* * * * *
Although Luna now knew about the portal, and knew where Usagi and Sailormercury had gone, she still had a number of serious problems to think about. Would the portal ever open again, so the Inner Senshi could rescue their friends? And if not, was there any way to force the portal open?
But overriding everything else at the moment was the simple matter of what to tell Dr. Mizuno, and Tsukino Ikuko. With tomorrow a school day, a lot of questions would be asked if Usagi and Ami suddenly went missing.
"Dr. Mizuno is working a late shift at the hospital," Luna told the Inner Senshi; "I remember Usagi mentioned that, before she left to spend the night here. So we have a little time to think of what to tell her."
"What *can* we tell her?" Rei asked. "Our friends are in another universe, for God's sake!"
"Actually, we don't know where the portal went," Luna said. "It might be a portal to the basement of the Game Center Crown, for all we know. But I'm not registering the energy from Usagi's brooch or Ami's henshin stick anywhere nearby...
"Anyway, it will take time for me to understand this portal phenomenon; and even if I understand it, there's no guarantee I can force the portal open again."
The Senshi looked at each other, then looked at Luna and sighed.
Then the front door opened, and a very tall woman with short blond hair addressed the group.
"Why the long faces?" Haruka asked.
Luna and the Inner Senshi spun around as one, and were startled to see Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru standing in the doorway.
"Michiru?" Minako said. "Hotaru? Setsuna? What are you doing here?"
"We felt a disturbance from outside the Solar System," Michiru said, "centered on this apartment."
"Is Usagi in danger?" Hotaru asked.
"You could say that," Luna said, as the Outer Senshi let themselves into the apartment. "She was abducted through a dimensional portal, and disappeared along with Sailormercury."
"And tomorrow's a school day," Makoto noted. "If Ami misses even one day of school, she probably *will* kill herself."
The Outer Senshi then looked around the apartment much as the Inner Senshi already had done, and asked for clarification of the situation as Luna understood it. All the Outer Senshi agreed that Sailormercury seemed remarkably calm during the crisis--since she'd remembered to leave the minicomputer behind with important information--and Haruka even ventured the opinion that Usagi was lucky Ami was the Senshi who was closest when the portal opened.
"Hey!" Rei said. "I resent that!"
"Gomen nasai," Haruka said. "I meant no offense. I was only thinking of how…ah…scatterbrained…our princess can be."
The Inner Senshi and the Outer Senshi exchanged thoughtful glances, and were forced to nod their heads in agreement.
"True," Rei admitted. "She can be a bit of a baka sometimes."
"Luna," Setsuna said, finally, "I have a thought. Do you not still possess the disguise pen?"
"Well, yes..." Luna said. "But how would that help?"
"It won't help get the girls back," Setsuna said, "but it might help us to hide the disappearance of the girls from their parents. You'll need access to this apartment to study the portal phenomenon, and Dr. Mizuno most likely won't let strangers stay here if she thinks her daughter is missing. But with the pen, one of us could pretend to be Ami, so Ami's mother wouldn't know anything was wrong."
"And one of us could be Usagi!" Minako said. "Oh, pick me! Pick me!"
"You need to be in school yourself," Luna said. "It would hardly make sense for you to cut school, just to impersonate Usagi."
"I could make that sacrifice," Minako replied.
"Actually," Michiru said, "why not just let me be Ami, and let Hotaru be Usagi?"
"Oh, could I?" Hotaru asked Michiru excitedly.
"It's Luna's pen," Michiru replied "It's her decision."
Luna considered the matter for a long moment before responding; Michiru would be entirely believable as Ami since both of them were very brilliant and generally soft-spoken. But could Hotaru really portray Usagi?
Although Luna had come to respect Usagi's inner strength over the years, there was no escaping the fact that Usagi was indeed a clumsy baka more often than not--so much so that her general goofiness would be difficult for anyone to duplicate.
"Are you sure you're up to it, Hotaru-chan?" Luna asked.
"Hai!" Hotaru said. "I'd love to be Usagi!"
"Very well, then," Luna said, borrowing Rei's communicator to call Artemis (still at Minako's house), and ask him to bring over the disguise pen. The pen, Luna explained, was lying underneath a pile of manga in Usagi's bedroom--a fact which Artemis found mind-boggling, though he agreed to bring the pen as soon as he could find it.
And so it was that Luna finally had her first quiet moment alone to reflect on the days events, as she waited for Artemis to arrive.
I'm afraid I have to agree with Rei, Luna thought, sitting on the edge of Ami's patio and looking at the lights of Minato-ku; if this is one of Usagi's pranks, I'll kill her myself!
* * * * *
Although the disguise pen didn't work perfectly at first (Hotaru ended up looking like Usagi, only with violet eyes and Hotaru's voice), Luna eventually discovered that the secret was to be very specific in the phrasing of one's transformation phrase; thus, "Moon Power, transform me into Tsukino Usagi, with Usagi's voice and blue eyes!" worked much better.
"We could always get them contact lenses," Artemis suggested, after Michiru and Hotaru had successfully transformed into Ami-M (Michiru) and Usagi-H (Hotaru).
"No, I think they look fine," Haruka offered.
"Oh, Hotaru!" Minako squealed, "you look so *kawaii*!"
Usagi-H bowed, causing her twin blond ponytails to fly about realistically.
"What about our clothes?" Ami-M asked Luna. "Are you sure this is what the girls were wearing? We don't want Dr. Mizuno to be suspicious."
"I remember," Luna said. "Ami was wearing a sweatshirt and pants, and Usagi was wearing a long skirt and sweater, just like that."
"We're probably set, then," Ami-M said. "But you should all probably leave now--except for Luna. Otherwise, Ami's mom will think she's having a party here."
"Well, Ami is 18," Usagi-H observed. "That's almost old enough to drink."
"20 is old enough to drink," Ami-M responded, with the tone of a mother speaking to her child.
"True."
"All right, minna-san," Artemis said, "let's go."
The Inner and Outer Senshi nodded, but Haruka lingered just a little longer than the others, pausing to give Ami-M a passionate farewell kiss. Since Ami-M looked exactly like Ami, the Inner Senshi all gasped in shock.
*"You look good that way,"* Haruka whispered; *"you should wear your hair short more often."*
"Oh, go on already," Ami-M said, giving Haruka a playful shove.
"Ja ne, 'Ami-chan'," Haruka said, giving Ami-M a sly wink before leaving along with the others.
* * * * *
After the others left, Ami-M and Usagi-H were left alone with Luna in Ami's apartment, feeling very much like strangers in another person's home.
"Michiru-mama," Usagi-H said, "this feels weird."
"Call me 'Ami-chan'," Ami-M said. "But I understand…
"Perhaps we just haven't gotten used to our roles yet. Now let's think: what would Usagi say if Ami suggested they should study their English?"
Usagi-H thought for a moment, then started crying.
"English? WAAAAAAA...!!!"
"Very good, 'Usagi-chan'."
Luna rolled her eyes, but--inwardly--she had to admit that sounded a lot like Usagi.
In the time they had left before Dr. Mizuno returned, Ami-M and Usagi-H then took the opportunity to learn as much about their roles as possible, asking Luna questions, and also studying the girls' textbooks and other school materials.
"I wish Chibi-Usa were here," Usagi-H said, sitting on Ami's bed. "If we ever meet again, she'll never believe I did this."
"I'm sure you'll meet her again," Ami-M said. "Is she the reason you were so excited about doing this?"
"Well, yes," Usagi-H admitted, sheepishly. "But that's not wrong, is it, Michiru-mama? Chibi-Usa and Usagi were such good friends to me, I feel I owe them something in return."
"That's fine," Ami-M said. "But just remember, for this to work you really have to believe you're Usagi."
"Hai."
"And call me 'Ami-chan',"
"Oh. Hai, Ami-chan."
The phone in the living room then started ringing, and Ami-M went to answer it, followed by Usagi-H and Luna.
"It's for you," Ami-M said to Usagi-H, with surprise; "it's Mamoru-san."
Shocked, Usagi-H took the handset and held it to her chest.
"Mamoru!" Usagi-H exclaimed; "what do I say--!?!"
"Actually," interjected Luna, "Usagi calls him 'Mamo-chan'--but I suggest you tell him the truth. Better to tell him now than later."
Usagi-H nodded, and slowly lifted the receiver to her ear.
"Hello?" Usagi-H said, speaking into the mouthpiece.
"Usako," Mamoru said, "I got this number from your mother; are you all right?"
"Why do you ask?" Usagi-H asked.
"I had a terrible feeling earlier, at work--a feeling something was wrong; but I couldn't get free to call until now..."
"Actually, Mamoru-san," Usagi-H said, "this isn't Usagi; this is Hotaru, impersonating Usagi."
"What? Why?"
Usagi-H then went on to explain the whole rather complicated situation, including the fact that Luna was going to remain at Ami's apartment as long as necessary to study the portal phenomenon. Mamoru seemed to understand, but Usagi-H could hear the pain in his voice as she spoke with him; he clearly wanted to help, but even Luna didn't know where Usagi and Ami had gone, and Mamoru could hardly invite himself to come visit Ami's apartment in the middle of the night. Dr. Mizuno would never approve of *that*!
"Will you promise to call me," Mamoru asked, "the moment Luna knows anything?"
"Of course," Usagi-H said. "By the way, Luna says I should call you 'Mamo-chan', if that's all right."
"That's fine," Mamoru said, "Usako. Oyasumi nasai."
" Oyasumi nasai," Usagi-H replied, before hanging up the phone.
"I wonder if that's why Minako wanted to play Usagi?" Ami-M asked.
Usagi-H and Luna both blushed.
"Michiru-mama!" Usagi-H exclaimed. "You're terrible!"
Later--while the Outer Senshi returned to Ami's room to continue their research--Luna remained in the living room to continue her research with Ami's minicomputer; however, Luna (remembering that cats weren't officially allowed in the building) was forced to grab the minicomputer and hide when Dr. Mizuno finally returned home. Dr. Mizuno seemed oblivious to Luna's presence, though, as she walked directly to Ami's room, where Ami-M was practicing English sentences with Usagi-H.
"Hello, girls," Dr. Mizuno said. "How was your day? Did you get anything to eat?"
"We went out to eat," Ami-M said, "then we came back here to work on our English. Say something in English, Usagi-chan."
Usagi-H thought for a moment, then said proudly:
"'Good-bye. I am a book'."
Dr. Mizuno lifted an eyebrow.
*"She still needs a little practice,"* Ami-M whispered to Dr. Mizuno.
"Well, anyway," Dr. Mizuno said, walking over to Ami-M to give her a hug, "you girls don't stay up too late, okay?"
"All right, Mom," Ami-M replied.
"I love you," Dr. Mizuno said. "Oyasumi nasai, Ami, and Usagi-san."
"Oyasumi nasai," the girls replied.
After Ami's mother left, Usagi-H looked at Ami-M.
"Ami's mother seems like a very nice person," Usagi-H said.
"Well, it is natural for mothers to love their daughters," Ami-M said. "Don't you think?"
"Yes, Michiru-mama," Usagi-H replied, before catching herself. "I mean, 'Ami-chan'."
* * * * *
Ami-M and Usagi-H slept that night in Ami's room--sharing Ami's bed, with Luna sleeping in Ami's closet--and then woke up at an early hour to get ready for school. Usagi-H immediately pointed out that this wasn't like Usagi--who would rather sleep in late and be tardy--but Ami-M pointed out that Ami wouldn't let her best friend be tardy.
But Ami-M almost made a faux-pas of her own when she stood before Ami's bathroom mirror and considered applying some mascara and eyeliner.
"Michiru-mama," Usagi-H said, "Ami never wears makeup."
"What a pity," Ami-M sighed. "And she's so pretty, too."
"It's a good thing she's not *too* pretty, though," Usagi-H said slyly.
"Oh, Haruka would never cheat on me," Ami-M replied--though, ultimately, she decided against the makeup.
Ami-M and Usagi-H then gathered up their book bags, said 'ja mata' to Dr. Mizuno (who was still asleep), and headed off to school.
At Juuban High School--despite Usagi-H's initial trepidation--the actual day went surprisingly well. Naru did tell Usagi-H there was something different about her look today--something she couldn't quite put her finger on--but Usagi-H was spared from responding when Umino suggested that Usagi looked very cute today; in response to that, Naru gave Umino's forearm a twisting pinch.
"Ow!" cried Umino. "Gomen nasai!"
Perhaps the hardest thing for Usagi-H to manage was trying not to act too smart--something which all the Senshi agreed was crucial to an effective Usagi performance. Hotaru herself was home-schooled by the Outer Senshi so she found the chance to be with regular schoolchildren again very exciting--but she nonetheless decided to take a few naps in class anyway just to stay in character. And just before lunch, when she had to take a practice English test, she decided not to think too hard about any of the questions. This resulted in a score of 55%--which Hotaru thought was believably low, but which the teacher found suspiciously high.
"I'd suspect you were cheating," the teacher said, handing back the test, "but even you aren't dense enough to cheat and still flunk anyway."
"Yes, ma'am," Usagi-H replied--wondering just how absent-minded Usagi really was.
*"How did Usagi ever get into high school in the first place?"* Usagi-H whispered to Ami-M, once she returned to her seat.
*"Yeah,"* Ami-M replied, *"I've been wondering about that myself."*
Ami-M, for her part, had a much easier time impersonating Ami from an academic point of view; none of her teachers seemed to be the least bit surprised that she knew the answer to every question in every subject before everybody else. She did nearly slip up during lunchtime, though, when she came upon Naru showing Usagi-H, Makoto and Minako a pink outfit she liked in a fashion magazine.
"Oh my God!" Ami-M gasped. "Naru, you do *not* want to wear a pink outfit with your red hair and pale skin!"
"I tried to tell her that," Minako agreed, nodding wisely.
Usagi-H, Makoto and Naru, however, looked at Ami-M as if she'd suddenly been possessed by a youma.
"I mean," Ami-M said quickly, "that's what I've heard..."
Ami-M looked around desperately.
"Um, I think I have an overdue book at the library! Ja ne!"
Whereupon, Ami-M beat a hasty retreat.
Naru glanced at Usagi-H.
"Is Ami feeling all right?" Naru asked.
"Well it's all that studying, you know," Usagi-H suggested. "Makes her crazy."
"Well, at least *you'll* never have to worry about that," Naru said.
"Thanks, Naru-chan..." Usagi-H said--before she realized she'd been insulted.
"Hey!"
* * * * *
Eventually, the school day came to an end, and Ami-M walked Usagi-H home to the Tsukino residence; this was a moment Usagi-H had been dreading, since she didn't want to be apart from Michiru, but she summoned her courage as she remembered this entire masquerade was being done for the sake of the real Usagi and Ami.
"Konnichiwa, Ami-san," Ikuko said to Ami-M; "I hope Usagi wasn't too much trouble yesterday."
"No," Ami-M replied; "we had a very productive study session."
"Actually," Usagi-H admitted, "I did do pretty well on my English test..."
Usagi-H produced her test.
"Usagi," Ikuko exclaimed, "this is wonderful! 55%!"
Ikuko suddenly hugged Usagi-H, and Usagi-H glanced at Ami-M, who simply shrugged.
"I knew you could do it," Ikuko said, "if you'd just apply yourself!"
"Er...yeah."
"Tsukino-san," Ami-M said, "since Usagi benefited from our last study session, do you suppose she could stay over at my place again tonight?"
Ikuko considered that for a moment, then agreed.
"Oh, sure, why not; I know you're responsible, Ami-san."
"Arigatou," Usagi-H said to Ikuko, trying to remember how Usagi would act at home. "Um...can I take some cookies with me? Or some pie?"
"Oh, just take the whole pie," Ikuko said, handing Usagi-H the lemon pie she'd just baked, and adding a bag of candies and cookies for good measure. "But remember to share with Ami and her mother."
Ami-M then called Dr. Mizuno to confirm that it was okay for Usagi-H to spend the night again, and then set off with Usagi-H. As they were walking toward Ami's apartment, though, Usagi-H expressed concern about getting Usagi in trouble later.
"Do you think I should have been more stupid in school?" Usagi-H asked.
"Well, maybe a little..." Ami-M replied with a chuckle. "Usagi isn't really 'stupid', though; it's just that her mind is usually somewhere else."
"That sounds more polite than calling her a baka."
"Indeed."
Continuing to walk along, Ami-M paused for a moment before continuing.
"I don't know if you've noticed," she said, "but Mamoru is following us."
"He is?" Usagi-H asked, fighting an urge to look. "Oh, I feel so awful for him! Shouldn't we see if he's all right...?"
"It's your decision," Ami-M said. "But remember: he and Usagi are intimate."
Usagi-H blushed.
"I hadn't thought of that. Perhaps it would be awkward."
Some more minutes passed, then Usagi-H asked a question.
*"Michiru-mama,"* she whispered, *"have you ever been with a man yourself? I mean, in *that* way..."*
Now it was Ami-M's turn to blush, but she answered honestly.
*"Haruka is quite enough for me,"* Ami-M whispered back, *"but we don't necessarily expect you to be like us, if that's what you're getting at."*
*"Hai. That's what I was getting at."*
A few minutes later, Ami-M and Usagi-H arrived at Ami's apartment, and Dr. Mizuno was glad she was actually able to catch them before she left for work again. Having woken up late in the morning, Dr. Mizuno decided to make dinner for Ami just in case she was home before it got too late, and Usagi-H was inwardly happy that she'd resisted the temptation to further delve into her role by dawdling at the Game Center Crown. In the event, Dr. Mizuno's homemade meatloaf was quite good--so much so that Usagi-H first expressed surprise that it was so good--then embarrassment for implying that she thought it might be otherwise.
"Oh, that's all right," Dr. Mizuno said; "people are surprised I can cook, but I actually forced myself to learn when I first got married, since I thought a mother should know how to do that."
"I think it's wonderful," Ami-M offered.
"Oh, you always say that," Dr. Mizuno said. "But you're very sweet, both of you."
Shortly thereafter, Dr. Mizuno left, and Luna emerged from her hiding place.
"Everybody seems to love Usagi and Ami," Ami-M said, as she helped Usagi-H wash the dishes. "It'll be hard to go back to being us again."
"Don't you think we like you?" Luna asked the Outer Senshi.
"I'm sure you do," Ami-M said, "but we Outer Senshi do stand apart from the rest of you. Our mission is different, and we can't afford to get too close to anyone."
"That seems very sad."
"It is our way," Ami-M said, pausing to smile at Usagi-H. "But at least we have each other."
Just then, a yowling sound came from the front door.
"Oh, I hope you don't mind," Luna said, "but I asked Artemis if he could come help with my analysis."
"I'd better go let him in," Usagi-H said, hurrying to let the white cat into the apartment.
"Konnichiwa, minna-san," Artemis said. Then he said to Luna, "You said you needed some help with the subspace field equations?"
Luna nodded, but then--before she could answer--a blazing white light came pouring through the living room windows, and Ami's minicomputer started beeping loudly.
"The portal is opening!" Luna announced.
Unfortunately, even the Outer Senshi were too stunned to react; by the time Ami-M reached the living room door to slide it open, the portal had already closed. However, it had left something behind.
"Help!" came a strangely familiar voice from beyond the patio. "Help me--!!!"
"That sounds like Artemis," Luna said, glancing at Artemis.
"Hotaru," Ami-M said, "henshin yo!"
Usagi-H nodded, and both Outer Senshi quickly spoke their transformation phrases.
"Saturn Crystal Power, Make-Up!"
"Neptune Crystal Power, Make-Up!"
Whereupon the 'Inner Senshi' transformed into their true selves as Outer Senshi. Taking this as their cue to find cover, Luna and Artemis then darted under a nearby coffee table, but continued to watch closely as Sailorneptune ventured out to the patio to investigate, with Sailorsaturn following close behind. Once she reached the patio, Sailorneptune seemed confused for a moment--unable to identify the source of the catlike shrieking they'd just heard--but then she finally leaned over the edge of the patio and saw a frightened white cat clinging precariously to the side of the building. With Sailorsaturn looking on protectively, Sailorneptune reached down to grab the cat by the scruff of its neck, then carried the cat inside the apartment.
"I guess it really was Artemis," Sailorneptune said, holding the cat at arm's length.
"Hey, that's not me!" Artemis protested, emerging from under the coffee table.
"All right," Sailorneptune said to the strange cat, "then who are you?"
The strange cat appeared too frightened to respond, glancing back and forth between Sailorneptune and Sailorsaturn.
"Baka neko," Sailorsaturn muttered, bringing her Silence Glaive close to the cat's head. "Speak!"
"All right, all right, I'll talk!" the cat said, hanging helplessly in Sailorneptune's grip. "My name is Artemis! But how did I get here? I was just with Kuroiami a moment ago..."
The Outer Senshi looked at each other in confusion, then looked at Luna.
"All right, 'Artemis'," Luna said, hopping up on top of the coffee table. "Where did you just come from?"
"Mugen Palace," the cat replied, "the same as you!"
Sailorsaturn drew back the Silence Glaive.
"Do you mean Mugen Academy? But that was destroyed years ago..."
But Luna was now nodding sagaciously.
"I understand," Luna said to her friends; "this Artemis--let's call him 'Artemis2'--comes from a parallel universe. Perhaps the same parallel universe where Usagi and Ami are."
"Why, that bitch..." Artemis2 muttered, suddenly seeming to realize something.
"What are you muttering about?" Sailorneptune asked.
"That bitch Kuroiami must have sent me here! She said she'd take me back to the Moon with her, but instead she zapped me back here instead!"
"This is all very confusing," Artemis said.
"It is now," Luna agreed, "but we'll see if we can't make some sense of it. Sailorsaturn, do you think you could find some paint or a marker or something that we could mark Artemis2 with? I'd like to make sure we don't confuse him with Artemis1."
"Hai," Sailorsaturn said, heading off to Ami's room, and returning a few seconds later with a big black marker.
Sailorneptune then set Artemis2 down on a kitchen counter and held him there while Sailorsaturn--transferring the Silence Glaive to her left hand--drew a wide black stripe down his back.
"That will do," Luna said. "Now, Artemis2, you'll tell us everything you know about this 'Kuroiami', the dimensional portal you came through, and the world you came from."
"Everything?" Artemis2 asked, nervously--looking up at Sailorsaturn as she held the Silence Glaive menacingly.
"Yes," Luna said to Artemis2. "Everything. I must insist."
