Sailor Moon Revealed:
Chapter 1
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the property of the talented Takeuchi Naoko-sensei who deserves full credit for creating the world in which Sailor Moon exists. I make no claim to the characters and no profit is being made from this work. As no information exists on Minako parents (that I know of) and very little about Ami's, I'm making them up as I go along.
Tsukino Ikuko smiled to herself as she surveyed her house and decided that it was spotless. The floors had buffed, the carpets had vacuumed, the rugs had been aired and now smelled of fresh air and sunshine, the bathroom gleamed white enough to blind the unwary and the kitchen was clean enough to impress even a professional restraunter. The only possible flaws lay in the rooms belonging to her two children, both of which looked like disaster areas but which Ikuko considered none of her business. It was up to Usagi and Shingo to clean their rooms and she wasn't going to do it for them.
Happy with a job well done, she looked up at the clock and was surprised to see that it was still early. She had a few hours to herself before her husband or her children returned home. She pondered what to do with herself for all of a minute before grinning and sneaking up to the second floor and retrieving one manga from her private collection. Technically they were just romance manga, but they were rather ecchi. They weren't full blown hentai, but they were highly suggestive and Ikuko didn't get to read them as often as she liked. They were a guilty pleasure and one she planned to indulge in while she had some time to herself. She had just put one foot on the bottom step when she was interrupted by the shrill ring of the phone.
Ikuko swore silently to herself and detoured to pick the phone up; wishing that whoever was calling had waited an hour or so. Still no hint of that coloured her voice as she picked up the receiver and spoke. "Moshi-moshi. Tsukino residence."
"Ah, Tsukino-san, I was hoping to catch you at home," Hino Amuro replied and Tsukino blinked in surprise. She had met Rei's grandfather once or twice and talked to him on the phone on several other occasions. He had never called except when looking for Rei though and Ikuko knew that Usagi and all her friends were at Makoto's apartment for a study session.
"What can I do for you Hino-san?" Ikuko asked, a trace of her confusion and curiosity creeping into her voice. "If you're looking for Rei, she's with Usagi and the other girls at Makoto's, studying. I know, I heard them arguing in the background when I checked up on them earlier."
"Actually, I need to talk to you about Usagi," he said.
"Why, is something wrong?" Ikuko asked, her heart jumping into her throat.
"No, nothing's wrong," Amuro said. "At least not immediately. This is rather difficult to talk about and I'd prefer to do this face to face rather than over the phone. Would you be able to meet with me at my shrine, say about four p.m. tomorrow. This is rather important."
Ikuko's brow creased in worry. "Yes, I can get there," she said. "If it's that important, would you like my husband to attend as well?"
"If it's possible, but I don't won't to impose to greatly."
"Is Usagi in any kind of trouble?" Ikuko asked, her heart starting to rise in her throat again. "She hasn't gotten involved with a something has she?"
"Tsukino-san, I can't really say anymore until we meet face to face, but I assure you that to the best of my knowledge, your daughter is in no immediate danger."
Ikuko took a deep breath and tried to calm away the knot in her stomach, but with little success. "Very well Hino-san. I'll take your word for it and I will see you at four p.m. tomorrow."
She received directions to the Hikawa Shrine and then said her farewells to the old priest before going to sit on the couch. She turned on the T.V. and stared at it without really seeing what was one. She thought briefly of continuing with her earlier plan to read one of her secret manga stash, but that had lost its appeal and instead Ikuko considered what might be wrong with Usagi. As much as they fought, she did truly love her daughter and she dreaded the thought of anything ever happening to her. She leaned back stiffly on the couch and chewed her thumb in worry a and it was in that pose that Shingo found her when he returned home.
It was the arrival of her son that snapped Ikuko out of her funk and for the rest of the day it was like she hadn't been worried at all. She said nothing to Usagi about the phone call when the odangoed blonde returned home and she didn't even say anything to Kenji when he arrived home either. But inside she was determined to go to the Hikawa Shrine the next day and found out just what was going on.
Dr. Mizuno Ryoko sighed as she headed back to her office, wishing that she could have had something else than the standard cafeteria fare. It filled a hole and allowed her to get through her afternoon apointments without any embarrasing noises coming from her stomach, but that was the best that could be said about it. Even the wasabi was rather bland. She was about to pass the receptionist's desk and head into her office when the receptionist, who had been talking on the telephone. "Dr. Mizuno, there's a phone call for you on line 3. Something about your daughter."
Ryoko felt her meal suddenly turn to lead in her stomach, but refused to let any of that show on her face. "I'll take it my office," she said, turning and continuing on her way. Once she was past the receptionist's desk and with the door to her office safely closed behind her, she allowed some of her anxiety to show on her face. Even if the receptionist's tone of voice hadn't been particularly urgent, Ryoko's over active imagination could quite easily present her with several possible scenarios, each more worrying than the last. She took a deep, calming breath before picking up the phone, sternly reminding her subconscious that it was most likely nothing before picking up the phone and activating the right line.
"Dr. Mizuno here," she said, inwardly proud of how calm and steady her voice came out sounding.
"Ah, Mizuno-sensei," a genial male voice said on the other end. "I'm glad that I was able to reach you. I'm not sure if you remember me, but my name's Hino Amuro, Rei's grandfather."
Ryoko remembered him quite well, even if they had only met once. But she was gifted with a phenomenal memory, so it wasn't that surprising. "I remember Hino-san," she said. "The receptionist said that you wanted to talk to me about my daughter. She hasn't gotten into any trouble has she?"
"No Mizuno-sensei, as far as I am aware, your daughter is perfectly fine. But there is something I would talk to you about concerning Ami that I would prefer not to do over the phone. I wonder if if it would be possible to arrange a meeting."
"Would some time tomorrow be acceptable?" Ryoko replied and she could almost here the old man smiling on the other end of the line. "It's my day off tomorrow and while Ami and I do have plans in the morning, I'm free in the afternoon."
"That would be perfect Mizuno-sensei. Would 4 p.m. at the Hikawa Shrine be convinient."
"I don't see any problem with it. I am afraid that I am going to have to ask for directions though. I've never been to your shrine before."
Rei's grandfather more than happy to oblige with directions and Ryoko scribbled them down on one of her prescription pads before ripping it off and putting the scrap of paper in her purse. Then she was forced to make a hasty farewell to Amuro as her afternoon apointments were beginning to arrive. They kept her mind off the problem of what could be wrong with Ami but they did not drive it from her mind entirely. As soon as the last patient was gone and the paperwork filed for the day Ryoko's overactive imagination once again kicked into overdrive again and she brooded all the way home.
It wasn't until she was at the door of her apartment that she snapper herself out of her dark mood and deliberately tried to make her face as cheerful as possible for Ami when she walked in. It worked fairly well, for Ryoko, along with her eidetic memory was also gifted with what is known as a 'doctor's face' that tells people exactly what it the owner wants it to. So Ami had no idea of what was churning in her mother's head while Ryoko willed the time to pass faster so that she could discover what this was all about.
Aino Sumire fumbled in her pocket for her lighter and a fresh cigarette as the opening credits for her favourite soap opera began to play. Finally she fished the lighter and not quite empty packet of cigarettes out of her purse, put one cigarette and lit is, taking a long drag once it was drawing properly and relaxed into the lounge, putting her feet up on the table infront of her. She had just got comfortable when she was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. She said several words under her breath that should not be repeated in print and reached out to grab the phone. Whoever it was had better be calling about something important to interrupt her soap operas and if it wasn't they were going to hear about it.
"Aino residence. What do you want?" she snapped.
"Aino Sumire-san," a vaguely familiar voice on the other end of the line asked.
"Yes. Who's this."
"I'm not sure if you'd remember me. Hino Amuro, Rei's grandfather. We only met once."
"I remember you," Sumire said shortly. What she remembered was that he had tried to flirt with her and she had turned him down cold, but he still didn't take the hint. "What do you want? If Minako's broken anything again tell her she's to pay for it out of her own money."
"Actually, I did want to talk to you about Minako, but she's not in trouble. It would be much easier if I explained in person. Would 4 p.m. tomorrow afternoon at my shrine be acceptable?"
Sumire thought for a moment and remembered that there was nothing on the next afternoon but reruns. "I can make it," she said gruffly. "Though if Minako's done something, it would be better if you just told me so I can ground her."
"I assure you Aino-san that all will be expalined tomorrow. Until then." And with that he hung up.
Sumire replaced the phone and immediately focused her attention back on her soap opera. It was just finishing the recap of the previous episode so her bad mood quickly dissapated and she put all thoughts about what Minako might have done out of her mind.