Sailor Moon X by Starling Sinclair

Chapter 14: The Bad Guys Are on Instagram?

7/16/19

The week since returning from the cruise had been quiet. With no youma attacks and a semi-regular work schedule as Crown geared up to reopen, Usagi almost remembered what normal life was like. Only the 6 am training sessions reminded her that everything had changed. (Minako was still insistent on that ridiculous start time.)

At 6:20 am on Thursday, Usagi sauntered upward on the endless steps of Cherry Hill Shrine, sipping on a Sakura Frappuccino (one of the only coffee beverages she could handle) and scrolling through her Instagram. She was already late, so there was no point in stressing even more. Because of her distraction, she managed to trip on the top step and narrowly avoided a ball yeeted at her head.

"See what I mean? How does she do it?" Rei the ball thrower wondered aloud. "She manages to always conveniently fall."

"Did you just throw a baseball at my head?" Usagi demanded with righteous indignation.

"Only because you're late," Rei responded. "Besides, it missed."

"Hmm, that's really interesting," Makoto said. "She tripped over her own feet fist-pumping on the ship if I remember right. I thought it was on purpose."

"Mako-chan! You're finally here!" Usagi screeched in glee, then spun toward Minako to continue, "I'm sure you were so busy showing her the ropes you didn't even miss little ole me."

"Actually, Makoto has been teaching me a few things," Minako said, dusting off her hands.

Usagi's face fell. "Damnit."

"I was hoping maybe she'd have better luck with you than we did," Minako continued.

Usagi groaned. A small, temporary training ring had been erected in the courtyard so as to avoid bothering any early morning visitors.

"What are you drinking?" Rei asked, noticing the beverage in her hand.

"Coffee," Usagi answered.

"That is not coffee," Rei said flatly. "Coffee is not… pink."

"Sakura coffee is," Usagi retorted, then held the cup out the Rei. "Wanna taste?"

"Back on task, you two," Minako instructed, clapping her hands for emphasis. "Makoto, let's see what you can show Usagi."

Usagi dragged her feet. She set her drink beside Rei, then joined Makoto.

"Okay," Makoto started. "Hit me with your best shot."

Usagi just stared at her. "Um…"

Makoto stared back. "You don't usually start the engagement, do you."

Usagi shrugged. "No?"

"Okay, then try not to get hit," Makoto told her, then started swinging at her.

Usagi squealed and took a step back to avoid Makoto's punch. As she did so, she tripped, missing Makoto's roundhouse kick.

Makoto offered Usagi a hand up as she complimented, "That was actually pretty good."

"Really? Because I thought it was pretty clumsy," Usagi replied.

"Well, it was that too," Makoto admitted. "But, from what I've gathered, you're not great at classic fighting. So, we need to use your strengths to our advantage."

"So, we just bank on her being clumsy?" Rei asked.

"Harness her natural defensiveness," Minako obverved.

"Exactly," Makoto agreed with them, then looked back at Usagi. "Before we can teach you to punch, we need to teach you how to fall."

"I thought I was already pretty good at that," Usagi grumbled.

"Well, at hitting the ground, sure. But, falling has a lot of wasted energy. If you can harness it, you can push it back at your enemies. Or at least not hurt yourself when falling," Makoto explained.

"That sounded either very zen or very sciencey. I'm not sure which one," said Usagi, eyeing her.

Makoto laughed. "Maybe a bit of both?"

So the morning continued with Makoto teaching Usagi how to fall, how to recognize when she was going down,; and how to roll out of a fall. Momentum, core muscles, and balance were key. Usagi had at least two of those three necessary skills. After an hour or so, Usagi had vastly improved in the art of falling. In fact, it almost seemed like dodging.

Makoto decided it was time for a break, so the girls went inside to relax. Rei brewed tea and brought snacks (fruit, of course), while Makoto and Minako discussed a training schedule and Usagi played on her phone.

"So," Minako started. "On to business."

Usagi groaned all over again.

"Our first priority is finding the remaining Sailor Senshi: Sailor Mercury," Minako summarized. "She's the brains of the team, and honestly, we could really use her."

"So there are five of us in total?" Makoto asked.

Minako nodded and continued, "Next, Rei, have you had any luck in locating any of the crystal shards?"

Rei shook her head. "There's a strong magic that protects them, like there is for us. Even with the sacred fire, my abilities aren'tt strong enough to locate them," she explained.

With a nod, Minako continued, "Onto general Dark Kingdom activity. Luna?"

The cat looked far too cozy on her pillow. She shook her head. "Since the cruise, it appears that the Dark Kingdom has been keeping a relatively low profile."

"Or- we've gotten worse at detecting them," Rei said, scowling.

"Have they always been super active?" Makoto asked.

Minako shrugged. "Their activity ebbs and flows. It really just depends on whatever plan they're working on at any given time."

"Well, I have a lead," Usagi offered.

Rei rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? You attract magical jerkwads almost as much as your boss does."

"Hey!" Usagi protested. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What did you find, Usagi-chan?" Luna prodded.

Flipping her phone around for everyone to see, Usagi showed her Insta feed. "So, there have been reports of a haunted house on Isshiki Beach. See?"

Sure enough, they saw picture after picture of a large mansion located just up a rocky bit of shoreline. It was called Pension Adams, and all the photos were tagged #HauntedBeach.

"It's even got its own hashtag and everything!" Usagi preened.

"I don't think the Dark Kingdom shows up on Instagram," Minako said.

"I thought the same thing too! But the cruise totally has an Insta presence," Usagi defended.

"A haunting doesn't mean Dark Kingdom activity though," said Minako.

Rei eyed Usagi suspiciously then added, "Also, how is this not a ploy to go to the beach?"

"The beach is a bonus," Usagi chirpped.

"What are you proposing, Usagi?" Luna asked as the voice of reason.

"Look, Isshiki Beach is only a couple hours away," explained Usagi, still defensive. "We could just make a day trip out there. Check it out, then, if it turns out to be a bust, play at the beach, or if it's not a bust, stop a youma! I call this a win-win scenario."

"We literally just got back from vacation less than a week ago," Rei said in disbelief.

"An interrupted vacation. So we totally owe this beach trip to oursevles," Usagi retorted.

"Is there anything besides the haunting that has lead you to believe this is some Dark Kingdom ploy?" Makoto asked. "Hashtags seem super obvious for a nefarious plot."

"Dude, how many of the plots have been discreet like at all? Like, really, the Dark Kingdom is bullshit at gathering energy," Usagi said. "Anyway, like three influencers were hospitalized after visiting for fatigue."

"Now that, is something to note," Luna said. "Usagi has a point. We maybe should check it out."

"Okay then," Minako said. "Usagi and I will go to this mansion and investigate."

"You and me?" Usagi said. "Just the two of us?"

"Luna and Artemis as well," Minako added.

"What about Rei? She's so good at feeling for energy…" Usagi said.

"Well, some of us have to work, you know," Rei said. "I'm still making up for the cruise we didn't take."

"Mako? What if it is a monster, and we need back up?" Usagi continued.

"I'm pretty backed up on orders," Makoto said, rubbing the back of her head, "but I could try to find some time…"

"We won't engage if it is a ploy," Minako said. "We're just there to investigate. Besides, I did this on my own for a long time. Artemis and I have a knack for these things."

Usagi sighed and chanted to herself that it was still the beach.

"So, let's leave now," Minako said.

"What! Now? I don't even have a swimsuit!" Usagi pleaded.

"But you said this wasn't about the beach," Minako teased.

Usagi groaned before burying her head in her arms on the table.

That night, Usagi had the strangest dream.

She had always had strange dreams. Those had started long before she became Sailor Moon. Recently, they had intensified, as if being Sailor Moon channeled them better. Sometimes, it felt as if she were dreaming visions of a life long lost..

She woke with a start, gripping her chest. Her heart hurt from some phantom memory she couldn't place.

"I'm sorry," said a voice in the darkness.

Usagi whipped her head around to see a strange woman poised on the edge of a chair, looking completely out of place amongst the laundry piled in beside her and Mamoru's overnight bag at her feet. The woman was beautiful, though a little hazy. Ghostly and ethereal, she wore a formal sleeveless white dress, almost like a western wedding gown. Her hair was long and silver, and done exactly as Usagi did her own. The woman placed her hands in her lap and smiled at Usagi.

Usagi blinked. Hard. Then looked beside her to see Mamoru still deeply asleep.

"No need to wake him," the woman told her gently. "This is... a dream, of sorts."

"This is a weird dream then," Usagi said.

The woman laughed, and it was like bells. A cloud shifted in the sky, allowing moonlight to shine in through the window. The woman turned her head towards the light, and Usagi could see she wasn't fully there. She was translucent, thought the moonlight seemed to make her more tangible.

"Who are you?" Usagi asked.

The woman looked toward the floor with a sad smile. "I am what's left of Queen Serenity."

"Queen Serenity," Usagi repeated, the name both profoundly familiar and foreign on her lips.

"I don't have much time, but I came to bring you this."

Queen Serenity held something in her hands, an offering of a precious heirloom. Usagi stepped out of bed and padded over. The floor was cool beneath her feet, and it made everything feel less dreamlike. She realized she should probably be afraid.. This was a ghost and a dream, but, there was something familiar about this queen. Something like home.

Usagi took the item from the ghost woman. It was about the size of a flashlight, and a stick with a pink handle. A crescent moon was attached to the top. A golden inlay similar to her transformation brooch was just below the crescent head. Power thrummed through it.

"You're going to need that in the coming days," the Queen said. "You have the unique ability to save those trapped by the dark energy. You can heal and rescue. Restoration over destruction. You must remember that. My only regret is that I couldn't get this to you sooner."

Usagi held the wand to her heart and blinked. Exhaustion was settling in; the edges of her vision were going black. The dream was fading. Usagi stumbled back to her bed.

The Queen stood and walked over to Mamoru. She gazed down at him fondly. "I'm glad you found him," she said. "I'm sorry I never told you..."

Usagi's phone chimed, and she sat up in bed. Mamoru mumbled and rolled over. She rubbed her eyes, looking to where the dream ghost had been seated. Her laundry (and Mamo-chan's bag) lay undisturbed. What a strange dream. Also, who the hell was texting her this early?

As she reached for her phone on the nightstand, something fell to the ground. Usagi looked down and saw the pink and gold crescent wand.

AN: So, I apologize for this chapter being on the shorter size. This bridge chapter spiraled out of control, and my beta recommended making this the stopping point in order for the final pass to be more manageable.

I want to do shout out to all my reviewers: Ghost Man (oh man, your reviews bring me such delight), phillynz (thanks for sticking with me so long!), and ameriar! (Also, hey Elmund! Thanks for continuing reading!)

The biggest thank you to Smokingbomber for beta-reading, and thanks to my hubby who wanted my attention and fell asleep while waiting for me to post this chapter and won't hold it against me.