SINS OF YOUTH
Chapter 7: "Answers Nobody Likes"
A neo-Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
Momentarily taking a break from her palace administrative duties, Luna ambled into the Royal Chambers. She' planned to take a moment to use the food replicators to make a cup of Chamomile tea with a hint of Mandarin orange and then be back to work. What she found was the King, the Queen and Diana huddled around Princess Usagi. Usa was in a frightfully anxious state and it was clear she had been crying. This instantly drew Luna's attention and she leaped up onto the counter near Diana, her vantage point overlooking the three humans sitting at the table.
"I tried, Pop!" Usa exclaimed, her demeanor dire and teetering on the precipice of despair. "I concentrated as hard as I could! But it just wouldn't happen!"
"Diana, what in the name of the great hunter has happened?" Luna whispered to her daughter.
"Oh, it's just dreadful, Mother," Diana replied, Usa's anguish her own. "The Princess was unable to transform into Sailor Moon during an emergency."
"Have you checked your crystal?" Endymion suggested, using his doctor's bedside manner to mask the anxiety he felt.
"Yes," Usa grimaced. In response, she summoned her pink crystal. The gem was dormant and lifeless, radiating no light at all. "I must have burned it out trying to communicate with Helios. Oh, Pop, what am I going to do?"
"Endymion?" Serenity asked, her eyes darting from the inert crystal to her husband. If anything, she seemed more frightened than her daughter was.
"That's very unlikely, honey," Endymion tried to reassure them. "Your mother and I both have done a lot more dangerous things than that when we were your age without our crystals going dead. I seriously doubt that's it."
"Then what is it?" Usa asked frantically. "Why can't I transform?"
Endymion was, unfortunately, stuck for an answer for that question. Fortunately Luna wasn't.
"It's quite simple," the black cat chimed in. Everyone turned to her.
"Luna?" Serenity gasped. "You know what it is?"
"I should say so," the cat replied. "In fact, so should you. You experienced much the same problem in your early years as Sailor Moon."
"I did?" Serenity asked, mystified. Usa stared at her mother with surprise.
"Indeed you did," Luna reiterated. Serenity continued to stare blankly and the black cat's irritation rose. "Perhaps if your mind wasn't cluttered with nonsense and useless information, you might recall it."
"IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO!" Serenity bellowed angrily.
"That aside," Luna replied, looking down at the Queen with disdain. "If I may explain: All senshi destined to ascend to absolute power on their native planet undergo a phase in their evolution where their power shuts down. It's an evolutionary fail-safe designed to prevent the senshi from becoming corrupted by their growing power."
"Really?" Endymion commented. "Designed by whom?"
"I really have no idea," Luna told him. "I know a great deal about the history of senshi in the universe, but I'm not THAT versed."
"So how long do I have to wait to get my powers back?" Usa asked.
"That, My Lady, is quite up to you," Luna told her. "You see, the fail-safe period is designed to teach the possessor of the crystal humility. It provides the budding queen a chance to learn to be a kind and decisive leader without the benefit of power. This also teaches the budding queen not to become too dependent upon the power of her crystal."
"Now I remember!" gasped Serenity. "When the Death Busters first appeared! I couldn't transform for a time. It took my first combining of spirit with Endymion to boost my crystal back into action."
"Precisely," Luna nodded. "And there was also the period against the Dead Moon Circus when you had to combine power with Helios in order to become Sailor Moon and wield an attack. If you recall, you over-extended yourself battling Pharaoh 90 and saving Hotaru from dying and your crystal went dormant for a time."
"So all I have to do is combine with Helios?" Usa perked up.
"Not necessarily," Luna warned. "You may be able to combine with Helios in order to become Sailor Moon. It may also be someone else. This teaches the budding queen the necessity of working with others in harmony, rather than trying to achieve everything yourself. As the power of your crystal grows, the temptation to do so will grow as well."
"But Cere and Jun may need me now!" Usa argued. "Can't we do this after we help them?"
"As I said, My Lady, that's entirely up to you," Luna told her. "When you've achieved what you need to achieve, you will evolve to the next level. But it can't be rushed or forced. To achieve these things, you must above all have patience and perseverance."
"Patience?" Usa gasped. "Great, I'm dead." She scowled and then got up. "I'm going to go look in on Jun."
Endymion and Serenity both patted the girl as she trudged away. When she was gone, Luna shook her head.
"Ah, youth," the black cat muttered. "They all want everything yesterday."
"Perhaps I should stay with her a while longer, Mother," Diana suggested.
"An excellent idea, my dear," Luna replied and nuzzled her daughter. The gray cat scampered out of the room.
"Luna," Serenity said suddenly. "If this 'power outage' is supposed to be a learning experience for future queens, why did mine go out twice?"
"Some of us are slow learners," Luna replied. Endymion struggled to suppress a laugh while Serenity glared at the smug little cat.
"Incoming communication," the environmental computer announced. "Chief Nakamura is waiting for King Endymion on vid-com."
Endymion sighed. "I better take this." He leaned over and kissed Serenity. "Don't kill her. We still need Luna's organizational skills."
"She doesn't have to talk to organize," Serenity replied, shooting Luna a peevish glare.
Jun-Jun woke up in a palace infirmary room. She glanced around in confusion and found Ves and Palla-Palla sitting by her bedside. Then she noticed Hotaru hanging back in the back of the room.
"What happened?" Jun asked.
"Don't you know?" Ves queried her.
"If I knew, I wouldn't ask," Jun grimaced. "Last thing I remember was," and she thought, "being in that club Cere was in."
"You honestly don't remember anything?" Ves persisted. Jun didn't like the suspicion in her sister's eyes.
"No, I don't," Jun reiterated. "What happened?"
Ves looked at Palla-Palla. She didn't want to be the one to tell the story, and the task was beyond Palla-Palla.
"Come on! What happened?" Jun demanded.
"You reverted to," Hotaru began reluctantly, "to your old self."
"My old . . .?"
"Circus days," Ves replied curtly. Jun went pale.
"Like Cere?" Jun gasped. "Did I hurt anyone?"
"You attacked the club owner," Hotaru said softly. "When I tried to stop you, you - - well, you turned on me."
Jun looked to Ves for confirmation. She found it in her sister's eyes.
"Just like Cere," Jun said, her voice choked with emotion. She glanced over at Palla-Palla. The teen was terrified, barely holding on. She looked like Jun suddenly felt. Then the door hissed open and Usa walked in.
"Usa?" Hotaru asked, concerned for her friend. "Did you find out what happened?"
"I'll tell you all later," Usa replied. She crossed over to Jun. "You OK?"
"I'm beginning to wonder," Jun murmured. "Princess, I didn't consciously revert back to the Circus days. But my mind is a total blank from when we were talking to the bar owner to now!"
"That fits with someone or something controlling you," Usa said, her belief in Jun stark and unwavering. "I'm sure that's what happened."
"I'm sure of it, too," Hotaru joined in. "And furthermore, I think it has some connection with that club. They both seemed to happen there."
"Then let's go tear that place apart and see what we find!" Ves exclaimed.
"Wrong," Usa shook her head. "First off, you or Palla-Palla can't ever go near the place. Not until we find out what's going on. You'd just be running the risk of being taken over like Cere and Jun were."
"So who says they won't take over either of you?" Ves demanded.
"She's right, Ves," Jun sighed. "Think about it. Hotaru was there when they got me. Why take me over when both Hotaru and the Princess are bigger guns? Unless whoever is doing this is specifically targeting us Asteroids."
"Good point," Usa said as Ves nodded thoughtfully. "Besides, your reps aren't too good right about now. The last thing you need is being seen tearing a club apart looking for some phantom enemy."
"So what do we do?" Palla-Palla asked timidly.
Usa scowled. She turned to Hotaru. "You have any ideas?"
"Yes," Hotaru nodded, deep in thought about the puzzle. "Let me look into it a little. I'm still convinced it has something to do with that club. And it can be investigated without physically being there." She turned back to Jun. "I'll let you all know what I find out. And Jun, I'm very sorry for what happened."
"I'm sure you did what you had to do," Jun told her. "And if I ever revert to my 'Circus days' again, please don't hesitate to do anything necessary to stop me."
In his office, Endymion was again informed by his computer of the incoming call waiting for him from Chief Nakamura's office. Knowing the peripheral details from Ami and his daughter as to what had happened, the call wasn't unexpected.
"Your Majesty," Chief Nakamura nodded stiffly, as he always did. "Are you aware of the incident involving the Princess's bodyguard, Jun-Jun?"
"Yes, Chief," Endymion replied, trying not to sound fatigued. The entire dilemma was beginning to wear on him.
"According to the report I received, the suspect was taken to the palace infirmary for medical treatment. Is she still there?"
"She is."
"Your Majesty, I recommend that she be put in holding when she's discharged from the infirmary," Nakamura strongly suggested.
"Chief, I don't consider her a danger, either of flight or of any further attack," Endymion countered.
"May I remind Your Majesty that she's already attacked one person and was ready to attack one of her own team."
"Chief," Endymion sighed in spite of his best efforts, "sufficient suspicion has been raised to believe that both Jun-Jun and Cere-Cere were not acting of their own free will in these incidents. They may have been controlled by an outside force."
"My people working on the case have looked into that," Nakamura said as diplomatically as he could manage. "There has been no substantial evidence beyond the testimony of the suspects of any outside agency enacting any physical, psychological or external coercion on them. But assuming they have been controlled somehow, that makes it even more imperative that they be confined - - just in case it happens again."
Endymion turned introspective, frowning the entire time.
"May I also remind Your Majesty of the record of the two suspects," Nakamura added, "both before AND after their 'reform'."
"I'm aware of their history, Chief," Endymion said curtly. "Perhaps you're not aware of all the good they've done in the past few years. Confinement might not be the best thing for either of them, or for their two step-sisters should it be determined that they're actually not responsible for these acts."
"Balance four against millions, Your Majesty," Nakamura mulishly contended. "You have my recommendations."
Endymion thought, frowning again. "They're confined to the palace," he said finally, "but not to a single room. I'll take responsibility for them not hurting anyone else."
"As you say, Your Majesty," Nakamura nodded and ended the call.
Michiru paused at the doorway to Hotaru's bedroom. Haruka had been lingering there for a while. She glanced at Haruka, then looked over to the object of Haruka's scrutiny. Sitting at her desk, hard at work on her computer, was Hotaru. The teen diligently worked the computer board, pausing every so often to post one of her findings to a PDA next to her terminal. If Hotaru sensed her two guardians hovering in the doorway, she didn't acknowledge it.
"Hotaru," Michiru spoke up. "Yutaka called. He was wondering if you were free tonight. Would you like to speak to him?"
Hotaru paused for a moment. Though torn, she quickly returned to her work.
"I can't, Michiru-Mama," she said softly. "Tell him - - tell him that The Princess needs me. He'll understand."
"Is everything all right between you two?"
"Yes," Hotaru replied. "I'm just involved in senshi business, and I can't get away."
Before departing, Michiru touched Haruka's arm. Haruka glanced at her, instantly grasped her meaning and nodded. Only then did Michiru move off.
"Anything I can help with, Firefly?" Haruka offered.
Hotaru paused. "Do you know anything about a club called Tanaka's Palace?"
"Over on Avenue D?" Haruka asked. Hotaru nodded. "I never been there. I know the area. The crowd's a little young for me - - and I never was much of a drinker or a socializer. Why?"
"Usa and I think there's something or someone in that club responsible for what happened with Cere and Jun. I asked King Endymion if there was anything disreputable about the owner or any of the staff, but he told me that CDP doesn't have any records of anything. Do you know how long it's been a club?"
"Sorry. Michiru and I haven't been planet-side very much the last few hundred years," Haruka grinned sheepishly. "What makes you think it's something with the location?"
"What else could it be?" Hotaru asked. "If it isn't someone in that club, it has to be something."
"You're sure it's not them?" Haruka asked. Hotaru turned and looked at her, aghast. "I know you want to believe in them, Firefly, but they've given into temptation once. For someone who's done that, it's that much easier to give in again."
"No, Papa," Hotaru shook her head. "You didn't see Jun. It was like she became a whole different person. It can't be something as simple as slipping back into old ways. I know it's the easiest thing to believe, but I'm sure it's not."
A smile began to sprout on Haruka's face. "OK, Firefly," she chuckled. "You convinced me. So if it isn't a who doing this, it's a what. What are your options?"
"Something chemical?" Hotaru guessed. "But what? And why did it only affect Jun and Cere?"
"What else?"
"A device of some kind that's controlling their minds?"
"That goes back to who and we've already decided that no one in the club is likely to have something like that," Haruka concluded. "And again, why only them?"
"We figure that who or whatever is doing this is specifically targeting the Asteroids."
"That brings us back to a 'who', doesn't it? Haruka suggested. "I thought you eliminated everyone associated with the club."
"I did," Hotaru reasoned, "unless there's something about one of them that I don't know."
"Could it possibly be anything else?"
"Well, the only other thing I can think of is something," and Hotaru hesitated at the thought, "supernatural."
Instantly Haruka turned introspective.
"Did you think of something?" Hotaru asked. By now, Michiru had rejoined them.
"It was centuries ago," Haruka puzzled. "Michiru, didn't that area that Tanaka's Palace is in now used to be housing?"
"Yes," Michiru answered, her brow knit. "Wasn't it apartments and residential homes until the twenty-fifth century?"
"Yeah, and didn't we get called out there once?" Haruka asked, grasping at memories that wouldn't all come.
"Yes," Michiru nodded. "It was a year or so after the Great Disaster. Some residents were complaining about a yurei."
"Really?" gasped Hotaru.
"It turned out to be nothing," Michiru continued. "Serenity took us all out there, but Rei couldn't find anything. Still, the stories persisted and eventually the housing unit went abandoned."
Instantly Hotaru bolted from her chair and ran for the door.
"Hotaru?" Michiru inquired after her.
"I have to talk to Hino-Sensei!" the teen called back as she raced out the door. "I may be late! Don't wait up!"
With a bemused look, Michiru turned to Haruka.
"Well, you heard her," Michiru said.
"Yeah, like that's going to stop me," Haruka volleyed back.
Continued in Chapter 8