Author's Note: As a reminder, this story takes place in 2010. Just something to keep in mind for reference, that year Apple had just released the iPhone 4 while Samsung released the first of its Galaxy series. When I describe their communicators, imagine them being closer to our modern-day smartphones.
Tsukino Usagi
A couple of days after Rei joins them they gather back at her shrine, at Mizuno's request. She comes to gather Usagi after school, and between her and Luna Usagi has no chance of escaping. She tries not to look too put out when she gets to Hikawa Shrine. Rei leads them into the big building, to a different room than the last time they were there. It looks much more lived in and personalized, and Usagi concludes this must be her room.
"So what did you want to talk about, Mizuno-san?" Rei asks once they're seated around the low table.
The other girl digs into her bag and pulls out a couple of newspapers. "I doubt either of you have been reading the papers, but lately there have been mysterious disappearances from the new theme park, DreamLand," she says, flipping to the relevant pages. "And not just that, but my computer has been picking up some readings from that area of Tokyo. I think it warrants an investigation, at least."
"Well, sure, I guess we can do that," Usagi says. "We'll have to go tomorrow though, because it's a little late now."
Rei nods. "I can meet up at noon, if that's okay with you two," she haltingly suggests.
"Sounds great to me," Usagi agrees.
"Same here," Mizuno nods. "Well, I'll be leaving then. That's all I needed to say, and I've got other things to do." She stands, and with a backwards wave leaves the room.
Usagi watches her go, and then turns to Rei. "I don't know about you, but that seemed kinda pointless. She could've just gathered us tomorrow and then we could've gone straight there," Usagi grumbles.
Rei smiles. "I don't mind. I'm not doing anything besides chores, anyways."
"Yeah but I could've gone to the arcade," Usagi pouts, slumping over the table.
"Perhaps this will help," Luna chimes in, standing and doing her flip. Three objects land on the pillow the cat was just sitting on. She picks them up and sets them on the table. "These are communicators you can use to talk to each other, so that you don't always have to meet up to discuss Guardian business."
Usagi picks one up. They're small rectangular devices that look remarkably like the new smartphones that have been coming out lately, except they're much thinner and more sleek-looking. At the top and bottom is maybe a centimeter of shiny, blue-tinted metal, with a small button embedded in the bottom section. The rest of the space between is filled with a screen, currently black. On the right side of the device is a small button, while the left has two close together. Usagi turns it over and there's a small square camera, and below it in the center is a tiny Mercury symbol. She looks back at the pile, but Rei pushes a different communicator, tinted a soft pink, towards her. "This one is yours," she says with a smile.
"These are pretty neat, Luna," Usagi remarks, pressing the button on the side. The screen turns on, a small golden moon appearing in the center as it loads. When the screen appears she sees a dozen little applications already installed. 'It may look like those smartphones,' Usagi thinks, 'but it's way cooler, and much neater than my crap flip phone.'
Luna looks proud of herself. "Thank you. They're also hooked up to the Moon System, so you shouldn't encounter any of the issues other phones might. With these, you'll have a much easier time communicating, I think."
"We can give Mizuno hers when we see her tomorrow, and then these meetings won't be necessary," Rei says.
Usagi nods in agreement. "If that's all then, I'll get going as well," she says as she stands. "See ya tomorrow, Rei-chan."
"Bye, Usagi-chan."
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At noon the girls meet up out in front of DreamLand, and Usagi passes over Mizuno's communicator. She takes it and looks at it curiously. "I could've messaged you two with my supercomputer, you know. Or my actual phone," is all she says. Then, as they enter she outlines her plan. "The park's layout is centered around the castle, with rides and shops surrounding it. We'll start on the left and work our way around to the right, looking for anything suspicious. If we don't, we can consider my readings just an abnormality and the kidnappings a result of humans."
"So you mean we're going to go to an amusement park but not have any fun, basically?" Usagi asks incredulously. "That's so lame."
"We're here to work, Tsukino," Mizuno admonishes. "Now let's get this over with. I still have things to do later today."
Usagi shares an exasperated look with Rei but doesn't offer any more complaints as she follows the genius inside. She resigns herself to a boring day of walking, but at the very least Rei will be there to suffer with her.
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After an hour of walking and nearly half the park Usagi insists on them taking a break. Mizuno hesitates, but when Rei joins in she's finally won over and they grab some drinks before settling on a nearby bench. "Ah, this is nice," Usagi sighs, leaning back.
"We're wasting time," Mizuno grumbles.
"I don't see why you need to drag all of us around anyways," Usagi argues. "All you're doing is looking at that computer of yours. We're not doing anything."
Mizuno's eyes narrow. "This is Guardian business, and you're Guardians. If I'm going to do this then so are you. Besides, we may not have found anything yet, but if we do there could be a monster and I'm not going to take care of it by myself."
"That doesn't mean we can't have fun in the meantime," Usagi retorts. "This is so –!" She cuts off as her gaze catches on a bear approaching them. "Holy shit!" Mizuno and Rei look at what spooked her and tense up on the bench beside her.
"Th-there's an animal in here," Rei stutters, subtly trying to move Usagi in front of her.
"We need to call someone," Mizuno mutters, frozen, though her wide-eyed gaze doesn't leave the animal.
There's a soft chuckle nearby. "I'm sorry if we startled you, but that won't be necessary." A pretty woman stands before them in a beautiful pink and gold dress. She has a soft and earnest expression on her face that immediately puts Usagi at ease. "They're not real, you see," she goes on to explain, resting a hand on the bear at her side. "They're remote controlled." She waves her hand around the apple she's holding in her other hand, and after glowing for a second the bear walks away. She waves her hand over it again and other smaller animals appear.
"Wait, are they animatronics?" Mizuno asks, suddenly interested. She approaches the woman curiously. "How are you controlling them? It's a wireless connection, obviously, but how are your movements translated into commands for them? Or are they simple on/off commands? What language are they programmed in?"
The woman takes a nervous step back. "I'm sorry, I don't know," she admits apologetically. "I'm just the Candy Princess." Mizuno takes her seat again, disappointed. She hums her displeasure as she leans back, crossing her arms and no longer looking at the Princess, who seems taken aback by the sudden cold shoulder. "To make it up to you," she says, smiling, "how about I invite you to my House of Sweets, where we'll have a party. It starts at 2, if you'd like to come."
Usagi brightens. "That sounds amazing."
"We'll think about it. Thank you for the invitation," Rei interjects, standing. "Come on, girls. We still have more of the park to visit." She doesn't give Usagi any choice, dragging her along behind her with a tight grip on the girl's arm. Usagi puts up a token of protest that Rei immediately hushes, and Usagi is so stunned by the forward behavior that she lets the other drag her without any more complaint. Mizuno, at least, gets up and follows of her own accord.
Rei doesn't relax until they're out of the Princess's sight, and then she finally slows. Usagi jerks her arm out of the girl's grip as soon as she can. "What was that about?" she asks, annoyed.
Rei darts a nervous glance around before leaning in to reply. "I was getting some serious dark vibes from that princess. I don't think we should go to that party."
Usagi blinks, surprised. She glances back where they came from, but the Princess is nowhere to be found. "I didn't sense anything," she mutters.
"Maybe so, but Rei-chan's spiritual awareness is much greater than yours," Luna chimes in from wherever the cat had vanished to earlier. Usagi scowls down at her but Mizuno is speaking before she can retort.
"Then all the more reason to go to the party," she says. "If this Princess is suspicious, then we should follow her, and if she tries anything we can do something about it."
Rei looks hesitant but eventually nods in agreement. Usagi checks her watch. "Well, the party doesn't start for another 45 minutes, so what should we do until then?" she asks.
"Obviously we keep checking out the park," Mizuno says, but then pauses. "Though that's not much time, so perhaps we should split up. I'll go with Luna. I'll be looking at my computer the whole time anyways, so I don't need either of you, and if we find anything we'll call." She walks off, Luna trotting behind her, before either of them can protest.
Usagi shares a look with Rei, but the other girl just shrugs. "We might as well," she sighs.
"Wait, I have an idea," Usagi interjects with a grin. Rei only gives her a curious look before shrugging.
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A ten minute wait later finds both girls on the back of a kid's train. Usagi chuckles almost uncontrollably. "Isn't this a great idea?" she asks Rei, who's sitting behind her.
"It's not a bad one," she admits. Usagi's eye twitches when she hears it, but she doesn't make a comment about the backhanded compliment.
"I think Mizuno would agree," she mutters. "After all, it's efficient and she's all about that."
"Well, we aren't walking," Rei amends.
"Exactly."
Usagi makes a show of looking around the areas of the park they go through, but she has no idea what she's looking for in the first place and she can't sense things like Rei or Mizuno's computer so she just kind of gives up to enjoy the ride. It's a nice Saturday, and Usagi is determined to enjoy at least some of this trip. After all, it's not every day she gets to go to an amusement park, and she spent quite a bit of her allowance on the admission ticket.
She loses track of time this way, and it isn't until they hear an announcement on the park's speakers that they remember they're supposed to attend the party at the House of Sweets. "Driver, we need to get off!" Usagi shouts, standing from her seat.
"Sorry," the driver, a big animatronic panda, says, "no stopping until we get to Candy Cross Station."
"Shit," Usagi mutters under her breath as she takes a seat.
"Mizuno will be fine," Rei tells her from behind, her tone reassuring. "And Luna is with her. We'll join them as soon as possible." Usagi nods, though she can't relax for the rest of the train ride.
As soon as they get off they run off to the House of Sweets in the center of the park. When they get to the doors they're firmly shut. "No!" Usagi shouts, pulling at the door's handles. "Shit, we're too late."
"Usagi-chan!"
Usagi looks behind her as Luna runs up to them. "Where's Mizuno?" she asks.
"She went inside, but I've got a bad feeling about this place."
"Me too," Rei admits, sending a displeased look at the doors. "We need to transform."
Usagi nods, and after a quick check around them to make sure the area is clear, pulls out her brooch. "Moon Prism Power Make Up!"
"Mars Power!"
.
Mizuno Ami
Ami follows the crowd of people into the House, thoroughly annoyed with her fellow Guardians. They said they would be here, but when she called them she received no response and Ami had no choice but to go inside before the doors closed, leaving her to do all of the searching by herself. If she encounters the enemy and has to fight on her own, she swears she won't let them hear the end of it.
The path leads to a massive hall filled with all manners of sweets and candy. People immediately start flocking to the tables, but Ami just eyes it all critically. There's definitely something off about the place, but she can't quite put her finger on it. She pulls out her computer and starts tapping away, trying to analyze the readings in the area.
She's interrupted by the Princess walking out on stage. "Welcome all to my House of Sweets," she says sweetly. "It is my hope that you enjoy it so much…you'll never want to leave." Her voice turns sour and she takes a deep breath, exhaling a bright red mist over them.
Ami immediately covers her nose with her sweater sleeve, but it's no use. People start falling to the ground, asleep, and she doesn't last much longer once she can't hold her breath anymore. She falls to the ground, dropping her computer with a clatter. She can barely move, but she just manages to lift her head to watch the Princess.
The Princess is waving her hand around the apple in her hand, but instead of animatronic animals appearing she starts sucking the energy from the patrons. Ami feels it draining at her own energy and struggles to remain conscious, trying to convey at least something to her fellow Guardians. 'The apple…' she tries to project, passing out before she can receive a confirmation from one of the others.
.
Tsukino Usagi
'The apple…'
Usagi pauses, Mizuno's voice echoing in her head. "Did you –?" she asks, turning to Rei.
She nods. "Yeah. We need to get in there." She closes her eyes and brings her hands together. "Mars Fire Soul!" Her flames shoot through the door like paper, burning a hole large enough for them to get through. "Let's go!"
The girls charge in, running down the hall. Usagi knows they're probably headed into a trap, but they have no choice when Mizuno and dozens of people are likely in trouble. She turns a corner, Rei hot on her heels, and comes to an abrupt stop, causing her companion to nearly crash into her. Rei makes a noise of surprise before realizing why she's stopped so suddenly. The Princess stands across from them.
"It's nice to meet you, Sailor Guardians," she says, bowing politely. "But I'm afraid you stop here."
"You can't stop us!" Usagi snaps.
"Oh?" She cocks her head to the side, before it disappears entirely. Then her body starts spinning, her skirt turning clockwise to her torso's counter-clockwise. As it spins faster and faster the colors start to change from pastel to red, purple, and black. Then her head makes a reappearance, spinning as well. Her hair swirls around her face, though Usagi notices the new red crown atop her head.
"Get ready," she whispers to Rei behind her, feeling the girl shift into a more defensive stance.
"I am the Dark Princess," the former Candy Princess bows. "It's nice to meet…you." As she says she last word she exhales a dark red mist. Usagi and Rei can't avoid it and flinch back. Usagi subconsciously closes her eyes, and when she opens them they're no longer standing in the hall of the House of Sweets. They're standing in a green field of flowers, and in the distance she can see a forest. Luckily, when she glances around, Rei and Luna are still with her.
"What should we do?" Rei asks.
"If Mercury were here she could tell us where to go," Usagi groans.
"Just stay together, girls," Luna instructs. "We'll get out of this.
"Ah!" Rei shouts, and Usagi turns with a panicked expression.
"Sailor Mars!" she exclaims. There's a snake slithering away from the other girl, and two puncture wounds on her leg. Rei falters, dropping to her other knee as pain clouds her expression.
"I'll be fine," she tries to reassure her, though in Usagi's opinion she doesn't look to good. The girl closes her eyes, an intense expression on her face. She holds up a hand and a talisman appears between her two fingers. "I call upon the power of Mars. Evil spirit, be exorcised!" She places the talisman on her leg – where stone had started to spread from the snake's bite – and the spread shatters off. The wound remains, but at least Rei doesn't look as pained.
"Keep an eye out, girls," Luna warns them.
Usagi nods. "We should move on," she says. There had been a hall in front of them before they were caught in this illusion, and if it's only an illusion then it really doesn't matter what it looks like, right? Usagi mentally curses and wishes Mizuno were with them. She'd have known what to do.
In the fog of the forest they see a figure start to approach, and all three of them pause defensively. For several moments the person is indistinguishable, but as they grow closer the fog thins and Usagi can make out a familiar figure…riding a horse. "Tuxedo Mask?" she asks, confused. On one hand she wants to trust him because he's helped her several times before, but on the other hand…how could he be in the illusion with them?
"Who's that?" Rei asks. "He's cute, but he could be the enemy?"
"No," Usagi immediately protests, but then hesitates. "I don't know," she admits.
Tuxedo Mask stops next to them. "Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, take my hand." He reaches a hand out to them, right in front of Usagi.
'It sounds just like him,' she thinks. 'He could be trying to help us.' She reaches a hand out to hesitantly place in his own. 'It feels real,' she realizes, 'so he must be real too.'
Then the image is shattered and Usagi blinks when the scenery abruptly changes back into the hall from before. The Dark Princess still stands before them, though the apple in her hand is now rolling on the floor towards Usagi. A single rose sticks from the ground before her.
"Don't fall for her traps, Sailor Moon! Finish her," the real Tuxedo Mask shouts from a window above them.
"Right!" Usagi shouts, mentally cursing herself for nearly falling for it. Then she remembers Mizuno's voice from earlier and slams her boot down on the apple, crushing it as she proclaims loudly, "I won't let you get away with this, luring people with sweets just to steal their energy. I am Sailor Moon, Guardian of Love and Justice. In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"
The Dark Princess opens her mouth and Usagi knows what's coming. "Run!" she tells Rei, pushing the other girl forward. They take off sprinting down the hall to avoid being trapped in another illusion.
"Here, Sailor Moon!" Rei shouts, pointing to a set of large double doors. The girls crash through and then pause in the entryway, stunned by all the people lying around the room. "Mizuno!" Rei shouts, spotting their companion's blue hair. They rush over to her prone body and Usagi crouches, gently nudging at the other girl.
"Hey, wake up, Mizuno!"
It takes a moment but then they hear a groan from the girl as her eyes slowly open. "There you are," she mutters. Usagi helps her sit up. "About fucking time. Did you get the apple?" she asks.
Usagi nods. "Yeah, crushed it earlier."
"Good. That's probably why my energy is coming back to me," she says.
"You need to transform," Rei tells her, her tone urgent. "The Dark Princess likely isn't far behind us."
Mizuno sighs before nodding. "Mercury Power Make Up!" She transforms before their eyes, blue lighting up the area, and once she's finished she stands with them. "Alright, let's defeat this stupid monster and get out of here."
"I've found you," the Dark Princess sings out, and the girls turn to find her standing in the doorway.
"Perfect timing," Usagi mutters under her breath.
"Distract her?" Rei asks, and when Mizuno nods in agreement she darts to the side.
Mizuno steps forward. "Mercury Bubble Spray!" The area is filled with fog and Usagi loses sight of Rei. Then she hears the other girl's voice.
"Evil spirit, be exorcised!"
"Now's your chance, Sailor Moon!" Mercury hisses. "While the thing can't move!"
She nods, reaching for her tiara. The mist is thinning enough that she can just barely make out the Princess's shadowy figure. "Moon Tiara Action!" She throws it and her aim is on point, striking the monster. The mist disappears entirely through her attack and they watch as the Princess starts crumbling to dust. But, to their shock, so does the castle around them. Usagi's eyes widen. "I don't want to get crushed!"
Mizuno grabs her arm and starts running for the door, Luna and then Rei hot on their heels. "But what about the people?" Rei asks, and Usagi can hear the worry in her voice.
"Let the authorities take care of them," Mizuno calls back dismissively, letting Usagi run freely.
They finally clear the castle, though they do end up a little dusty in the process. Once they're in the open they immediately run for cover between some nearby buildings. "That was close," Mizuno mutters, immediately dropping her transformation. Usagi and Rei do the same.
"Yeah," Rei agrees.
Usagi slumps against the nearby wall. "You know, I was hoping that, once we were done investigating, we could properly enjoy the park. But now I'm too exhausted to," she bemoans.
"You can't talk," Mizuno argues. "You weren't the one who actually had their energy drained today. And I've still got a ton of things to do." She starts to head out of the small alleyway. "I'll see you girls around."
They watch her go, and while Usagi contemplates what she wants to do Rei turns to her, curious with a touch of hesitation. "Are you sure you're too tired to do anything? Because I wouldn't mind going on a few rides," she offers.
Usagi looks up at the other girl and considers it. "Maybe just a few," she relents, and the other girl smiles and reaches a hand down to help her up.
"This'll be fun," she says as she starts leading Usagi out. "By the way, now you can tell me all about this Tuxedo Mask guy."
Usagi nearly misses her footing. "I can do what now?" she asks, her voice a little high, while Rei just giggles and carries on.