[Scene: A hotel lobby, in front of a burning ballroom that has been frozen in time. Beryl and the Shitennou are watching the room through sheer barricades of dark magic. Slowly, time resumes in fits and jerks and then the crowd inside surges toward the exit.]

Kunzite: [eyes glowing white, extinguishing the flames] ATTENTION EVERYONE! THERE HAS BEEN A MINOR EXPLOSION CAUSED BY A RUPTURED GAS LINE, BUT THE DANGER HAS PAST AND THERE IS NO NEED TO PANIC!

[The crowd becomes still and quiet at Kunzite's hypnotic suggestion. You can hear sirens.]

Jeddy: Great.

Beryl: This place is going to be crawling with firefighters in about three minutes. Which isn't nearly as delightful as it sounds.

Kunzite: Then we need to work fast. [To Beryl] Use your dark healing magic to heal any human who is gravely wounded. [To Jeddy] There are many who are unconscious, and therefore untouched by my mind control. Restore their energy, then use your powers of illusion to rewrite their memories. [grabs Neffy by the arm and steers him toward Zoi's parents] Come. We need to find Zoisite.

Neffy: I'm telling you, he burned up!

[They walk up to Zoi's parents. Zoi's father seems unable to decide whether to assist Zoi's mother, who is as still as a statue with her mouth open and her arm raised, or Mamoru, who looks dangerously close to bleeding out. He steps toward Mamoru, but Kunzite stops him.]

Kunzite: What happened here?

Chief Midori: There was a ruptured gas line. It caused a minor explosion. But the danger is past, so there is no need to panic. [looks at Neffy, who is chuckling into his hand] Why is this funny?

Neffy: Because my brother is a idiot. [Kunzite gives him a steely gaze] Maybe you should have thought to ask your questions *before* you worked your mojo, that's all I'm saying.

[Kunzite gives him a dismissive look before snapping his fingers in front of Zoi's mother, bringing her out of suspended animation.]

Renee: [grabs Kunzite in a fit of hysterics] WHERE IS MY SON! WHERE IS MY SON!

Giancarlo: [places his arms around her to sooth her] Renee. Be calm. Think of the baby-

Renee: [shrugs him away like an ugly coat] NO! WHERE IS MY SON!

Kunzite: Look at me, Mrs. Cappelli. [his eyes glow white] Everything is going to be okay as long as you lower your voice and remain calm-

Renee: [grabs his lapels] DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO REMAIN CALM AFTER SOME GIANT GHOST ATTACKED MY CHILD!

Giancarlo: A giant ghost? [takes her into his arms] Renee, cara mia, I think you should lie down.

[Jeddy rushes over and flings a handful of magical energy at her skull]

Renee: NO! Not until I find out what that thing did with my son!

[Neffy and Kunzite exchange glances and communicate telepathically.]

Kunzite: *I'd forgotten that Zoisite's immunity to mind magic stems from her genetic mutation.*

Neffy: *That's right. Mind control doesn't work on her.*

Jeddy: *We are just going to have to kill her.*

[Kunzite snarls at Jeddy]

Kunzite: *We are NOT killing my mother-in-law!*

[Neffy looks over at Beryl who is crouching over Mamoru, while Usagi looks up at her with pleading eyes. She steps away, and Mamoru is still bleeding and unconscious.]

Neffy: *Shouldn't you be patching him up a lot better than that?*

Beryl: *I can't. For the same reason I couldn't heal Zoi up fully. His blood is laced with White Magic. To heal him fully, I'd have to stop his heart and overwhelm him with Dark Energy, but that would take up too much time and energy, the effects would be permanent, and people would notice. Best to simply get him stable and wait for him to recover on his own.*

Kunzite: [Takes hold of Renee and drains her energy just enough to make her listless.] Renee, listen to me. I want you to tell me everything that you think just happened here.

Renee: There was a surprise party. We brought Zoi here and he got upset and told everyone to leave. I thought he was just throwing a fit since he didn't want a party, but then this huge ghost appeared, but nobody seemed to notice it except for me and Zoi. He said it was the "Death Phantom" and it came to kill everyone unless he took an oath of obedience. And then he started throwing fireballs around-

Jeddy: The Death Phantom was throwing fireballs?

Renee: No. Zoi...my son was throwing fireballs...my son...was throwing fireballs...My god, you're right. I'm losing my mind.

[Giancarlo pulls up a chair for her and she sinks into it.]

Beryl: It's ok. This is perfectly normal for a woman in her third trimester who has just suffered a terrible shock. Please go on.

Renee: Why? It's all nonsense.

Beryl: It helps to talk it out.

Renee: All the doors vanished and that thing came after my son, but I threw myself in front of him and everything went black. That's all I remember.

Neffy: Did you see any teenagers?

Renee: This is a sweet sixteen party. Of course I saw teenagers!

Neffy: A pair of kids in coveralls and goggles.

Renee: Should I have?

[Kunzite wanders away without another word. Beryl, the Shitennou and Chief Midori follow after him.]

Chief Midori: The nonsense she was spouting, it is all true, isn't it.

[Kunzite doesn't answer. He just gives him a blank stare.]

Chief Midori: My son. Is he-

Neffy: Dead? Yes, Pops. I'm afraid so.