That Tiny Thing?

***

Aiyana violently shoved Usa into her bedrooom, slamming and locking the door behind her. The minute the door was closed, Usa went into it.

"I'm not trusting you!" she yelled at Aiyana. "You've been cavorting through the palace with all those people, just as allied as you please! And then you try and tell me that you're on my side? No, I don't believe it! I don't trust you at all. I don't know why my father does; he never trusts anyone that easily."

Lady Serenity narrowed her eyes. "Why does my dad want to trust you so much?"

Aiyana shook her head. "I helped him. I told your parents that the Omega were coming. I gave them time to prepare, evaluate, evacuate."

"No," Lady Serenity said, cocking her head to the side. "That's not why. There's something else."

"What makes you think so?" Aiyana asked, trying to keep her voice as level as possible. Her heart was pounding. She really didn't want to tell Usa that she was her father's daughter...if the girl even believed her - which wasn't likely - then she would be either enraged or depressed, both dangerous ingredients to a teenage mind.

"My dad isn't like my mom," she answered. "You know, when you first arrived, it was my mother who kept you alive. She told the Senshi to doctor you first, then worry about prison. Suddenly, my dad trusts you? My dad has never been so sure about any other person - except my mother." She jolted, her head straightening quickly. "Are you having an affair with my father?!"

Aiyana cackled. "Stupid girl," she scoffed. "Your father is about thirty years older than me. What would he want with me? What would I want with him?" She sighed and eyed the younger girl. "If I weren't on your side, you would be dead by now. You have a big mouth and a small brain - a deadly combination."

"How dare you!" Usa was heavily flustered. "I've had training as a Sailor Senshi, and I have magical powers - powers you don't have! I could toast you right now!"

Aiyana couldn't help but chuckle at the princess's admission. If she only knew...

That was about all Usa could take. She flew at Aiyana - frilly pink dress and all.

The younger girl had the element of surprise and toppled Aiyana, landing a soft punch on the older girl's left cheek. She wasn't getting the other one. Aiyana's hand shot up to stay Usa's left fist, then easily pushed the smaller girl from on top of her. Usa went rolling across her plush carpet.

She didn't stop. Instead, she came at Aiyana with more force. Aiyana was surprised at how quick her moves were - although they were nowhere near as fast as Aiyana or any of her colleagues', they were much faster than Aiyana expected the princess's to be. She sidestepped a high roundhouse meant for her head and caught the girl's balled-up fist, which was on the way to her eye.

"Usa," she said, "you can't possibly think you can beat me."

"Let me go!" the thirteen-year-old screamed. A golden crescent mon mark glowed angrily on her forehead.

"We definitely don't need this at the moment! Usa, stop!"

"No!" The crescent moon glowed brighter, intensifying to a blinding light. "Let me go!"

***

"Where are those girls?"

King Endymion paced across the Kogusunasu's kitchen, his forehead etched with worry lines. Rei was still in the hospital, under the knife at that very moment. They were releasing fluid pressure on her brain caused by the accident and sewing up a huge gash she had received in the stomach. At the moment, Minako was preparing dinner in the kitchen with Neo-Queen Serenity's help, who was dressed as an ordinary civilian. The comet-tail hairdo was a dead giveaway to her identity, but besides that, she appeared to be a normal citizen.

"I..." Serenity frowned and shifted her weight at the table. "Endymion, Usa is exercising her powers."

Minako and Endymion turned to look at Serenity. "You're not serious!"

"Where is she?"

"Where's Aiyana? Is she with her?"

"I...I don't know all that. All I know is she's using her powers...I wonder what's happening." Serenity's eyes popped open wider. "What if she's hurt? What if they're torturing her?"

"Oh, no." Endymion groaned softly. "Usa...Keiko..."

***

"What the..." the empror turned his eyes towards the ceiling. "What is that dangblasted girl doing?"

"Girl?"

"It's obviously Princess Lady Serenity," said the empror, shaking his head. "She tried that bit earlier to throw against the door. Her magic is weak."

"At will," Delta Hojo added. "When she throws it spontaneously, it's stronger...driven by emotions. And...all of that power isn't coming from the princess."

"What do you mean by that?"

"There are two other magical sources somewhere else that are reacting to Princess Lady Serenity's power. There's one that cannot be located, but the other...is inside the palace, sir. The scientists picked up on her power immediately and found that something else is actually besting the princess's. There is something in this palace with immense amounts of power."

"What is that?"

"We're working on it, your majesty."

***

"Usa!" Aiyana shook the younger girl hard. "Stop that!"

"I can't! I'm not doing it by myself!"

"What?" Aiyana released her. Usa's crescent flickered.

"My mom...my mom was helping me. Her power was with me, I felt it! And...the ginzuishou."

"The what?"

"The Maboroshi no Ginzuishou. Didn't Daddy tell you about it? Did he tell you to protect it while you were here? If he really trusted you-"

The Maboroshi no Ginzuishou...

A very powerful stone...

In my wife's line forever...

Key to the universe...

"Shimatta!" Aiyana's head reeled. "This is about to get a lot, lot worse."

"What do you mean?"

"Usa, you've got to tell me where the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou is - and quickly! We've got to-"

"Wait. No. I'm not telling you anything!"

"Usa, you have to. The Zeta-"

"Zeta schmeta. Now that you know the ginzuishou has power, you want it. Do you think I'm going to let you find it so that you can hand it over to your allies downstairs? No!"

"Usa, you have to!"

"I don't have to do anything!"

"Augh! Stubbornnes must come from your mother's side because I'm not half as stubborn as you are!" Aiyana through her hands up, turning to begin pacing the room. "The Zeta are probably all over that power." She whipped around to Usa. "Usa, we've got to get to the ginzuishou before they do! Now for the last time, where is it?"

"I'm not telling you!"

"Stop playing games, you little busu!" Aiyana screamed.

"WHAT - wait a minute. Back up." Usa looked suspiciously at Aiyana, much in the way she had earlier when wondering atbout her father's trust. "What did you mean by that? About stubbornnes coming from my mother's side?"

Aiyana's eyes widened, slapping her hands over her mouth as she noticed her blunder.

Realization washed over Usa's face, and her eyes widened, too. She slapped one hand over her mouth, and pointed the other at Aiyana accusingly. "You don't - you can't - that's – I don't believe you!"

"Usa, I—"

Usa sank onto her bed, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I don't believe you! I don't believe you. I don't believe you..."

***

"Your highness, we've located the source of the extra power." The First Zeta was grinning with glee. "It's located in a special holding room on the fourth floor of the palace."

"So get it out! What is it?"

"Whatever it is, it's immensely powerful. The Epsilon are tearing into the holding room right at this moment. Don't worry, your highness, we'll have it out in no time."

A messenger ran into the throne room, sidled up to the First Zeta, and began whispering. The Zeta's smile rivaled the light of the moon.

"Your highness, we've discovered it! The source of the power is a small silver crystal-"

"-this small silver crystal."

The empror and the rest of the room's company turned around. Flanked by two large Psi warriors and six of the twenty-two Epsilon was Prince Tamashiiro himself. He smiled and held up a small, round, silver-colored crystal, nestled between his index finger and thumb.

The emperor's eyes widened. "That tiny thing?"

"Don't be fooled by its size. This 'tiny thing' is immensely powerful."

"Surely there's got to be something about an object this important in the annals of this place."

"There most certainly is," Prince Tamashiiro said. "The Delta already researched the power of this crystal. Its powers are unlimited - the only parameters to its force are the limitations of the user." The prince chuckled. "It's even got it's own name. Made it easier to search for, at least."

"And what's that?"

"The Maboroshi no Ginzuishou."