Mercury's Song Part Four written by Mike Koos -------------------- If anything, Ami decided, having Tsukino Usagi as a friend was allowing her the opportunity to see or experience things she'd never encountered before. Like a shopping mall, for example. After their first meeting, Usagi had taken her to the Crown Game Center and introduced her to the world of video games. Oh, Nabiki had had a game or two on her laptop - all card games such as Solitaire, which Nabiki claimed had come with the laptop's operating system - but neither she nor Nabiki thought much of playing card games, with either real or electronic cards. A little later in the afternoon, she would discover that an actual *youma* had been masquerading as one of her juku instructors in a plot to steal everyone's energies, and that she herself was Sailor Mercury - the second Sailor Senshi to appear, according to a talking *cat* named Luna. The first Senshi was Usagi, as Sailor Moon. In addition to fighting youma, the Senshi had another purpose: to find the Princess of the Moon, whom Luna assumed had been reincarnated and was most likely unaware of who she truly was. Ami wondered if the 'original' Senshi who had lived a thousand years ago - if what she knew of the Sailor Mercury whose appearance she shared was any indication - had likewise been reborn, but she dared not ask Luna much about it. Luna might wonder how she knew about her 'predecessor' or where she had gained her knowledge... that trail would lead to Jhusenkyou, and the discovery that Mizuno Ami was in truth a *boy* cursed to wear the form of the previous Sailor Mercury. She didn't want to think about how Usagi and Luna would react to the news. Would they force her to quit being Sailor Mercury? Not that she *could* spend much time speaking with Luna. Her insane fear of cats would barely allow that. Usagi had acted as a go-between these past few days, relaying everything between her and Luna. Ami knew she couldn't continue 'speaking' to Luna in this manner. If she was going to continue being Sailor Mercury, she would have to stay closer to Luna. She'd had a small handful of ideas as to how she could do that, but none of those ideas were guaranteed to work... Usagi watched her friend stare in wonder at the whole of the mall around them. This outing had been her idea, an effort to get the apparently very introverted and quiet Ami to 'open up' and have some fun. And a trip to the nearest mall seemed like a good choice, more so since Ami had admitted she'd never been inside a mall before. What kind of life had Ami led? Ami *was* dedicated to her studies, but what had she passed on in the past fourteen years in favor of those studies? "I can't believe how crowded it is in here," she heard Ami say. She studied her friend's expression; Ami was truly and honestly awed, somewhat like the way she had behaved when she'd visited the Game Center for the first time. "You really haven't been in a mall before, have you? You've been missing out on a lot." Ami's cheeks colored slightly. "Not really," she spoke hesitantly. "But... I've been... reading about places like this." Inwardly, she winced, knowing how ridiculous that had sounded. "It's not healthy for a girl to stay inside all day, doing nothing but reading," Usagi remarked, eyes shut, as though she were lecturing Ami. "I......" Ami let her voice trail away. Wasn't that *precisely* what she had been doing of late? Staying in and reading more often than not, as opposed to training? Despite the fondness she had developed for reading - it was a good way to add to her knowledge, after all, and she *had* come to enjoy whatever mystery stories she could find - she knew that letting long periods of time pass without maintaining her skills as a fighter was unadvisable. She'd let herself get caught up in her studies, which was understandable, given how she excelled at it. But just as she wouldn't slack in doing her schoolwork, Ami had no intention of abandoning her training. And now that she was a Sailor Senshi, it would definitely be useful. "...Yes, you're right," she said, a vague hint of indecision and depression briefly apparent in her voice. Now, what could she do about renewing her training? The closest dojo she was aware of was the Tendo Dojo in Nerima... and as for running through her usual training regime in her apartment, that wasn't exactly a good idea, either. Chances were more than likely that she would end up being thrown out, or ruin the apartment. Perhaps both, on second thought. No, the only worthwhile choice was to find a dojo closer to her home. Usagi had caught the hesitation in her friend's voice, however brief. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked, concerned. "I'm sorry..." Ami glanced at her. "No, it's all right, Usagi-chan. I was thinking of something else." She fell silent, as did Usagi. Ami couldn't help but continue to stare in amazement at each of the stores they passed, as well as the large number of people out to shop in the mall. One of the descriptions Usagi had used to describe a mall to her placed the collection of shops a step above ordinary shopping districts, with which Ami was already familiar. But this... this mall was proving to be more impressive than any shopping district she had visited. Everything was designed to catch the shoppers' eye, whether it was the stores themselves or what they were selling. She noticed a computer store and made her way toward it, with Usagi in tow. As her eyes brightened with interest at the sight of the store's window, Usagi decided it was a decent time to change the subject. "How much money did you bring?" Usagi hadn't brought much in the way of money, herself, but if Ami wanted to look around in a computer store, maybe she had more money. "Only two thousand yen," Ami said without looking away from the window display. "I usually set aside most of my allowance--" "Why?" interrupted Usagi. "I plan to eventually buy myself a computer, either a full desktop model or a laptop." Usagi blinked. "But those things are SO expensive!" They were, at that - certainly much more than a game system, like the one Shingo was trying to get their parents to buy. Ami was setting aside a portion of her *allowance* to 'eventually' get something that cost perhaps anywhere from one to four hundred thousand yen? Couldn't she ask her parents to buy her a computer? The rumors that Ami came from a wealthy family aside, surely her parents would be more inclined to help their daughter buy something like that. Ami nodded, her attention still largely on the display. "Yes," she said, sounding almost disappointed. "I guess we could window-shop for a while..." Usagi suggested, sighing. "Window-shop?" "What we're doing now," she clarified. A silly grin came to her face. "C'mon, I'll show you," Usagi said, taking Ami by the wrist and leading her into the crowd. Why would anyone want to spend a lot of time window-shopping, as Usagi was insisting they do? The act more often than not involved staring at things you were not going to buy, or couldn't. she asked herself, rhetorically. The unfortunate truth of the matter, of course, was that she did not know much about the process of having fun. As far as her father was concerned, 'fun' involved nothing but constant practice of the martial arts and fighting, every single minute of the day. Practically any circumstance could be used as an excuse to 'test' Ranma's skills and conditioning, at least as far as the elder Saotome seemed to believe. Ami was therefore faced with the odd necessity of learning how to have fun. Usagi was perhaps her best example in that regard; in a slightly different sense, Usagi had just become her teacher. She knew better than to mention that comparison to Usagi, however. Her friend brought them both to a stop before the large display window of a clothing store. "Okay, here. See that green dress over there?" she drew Ami's attention to a simple, yet attractive aquamarine evening gown. "Third from the right. I think that one would be perfect for you." Ami nervously stared at the dress. "Usagi-chan, I don't know..." "Aww, come on. Since we're window-shopping, don't look at the price. Forget about whether or not you'd need it, or even what I think about it. Imagine what you'd look like in that dress, instead." she continued to stare. After all, as a girl, she only wore whatever clothes were absolutely necessary to be Mizuno Ami and nothing more. Her wardrobe consisted of what few clothes Kasumi and Nabiki had talked her into buying, or given her - in addition to the two Juuban Middle school uniforms she had bought after moving to Juuban - worn over basic pairs of underwear and sports bras. What reason would she have to wear such clothes as the dress Usagi had indicated to her? Granted, there were a few occasions in which she would be required to dress in a more formal manner, now that she thought about it. Perhaps a dance, or if someone in her juku classes was honored in an awards ceremony... For a brief second, an image of herself wearing the evening gown appeared in her thoughts. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Ami glanced at Usagi in time to see Usagi's smile. "Hmm?" "Oh, come on, Ami-chan - I can tell what you were thinking by the look you had on your face," Usagi commented. In response, Ami blushed once more. realized Usagi. Ami was definitely not a snob, as some still continued to believe - she simply was unsure how to deal with a lot of the world outside her textbooks. Well, Usagi thought, surely there was something she could do about that... "C'mon," she said at last. "Let's take a look at the shop next door." "But that's an antique rug store," Ami protested as she nonetheless followed Usagi to the neighboring shop's display. "We're just looking. That's the point of window-shopping. You don't have to buy anything, or need it! So what if it's not a style you'd want or if it's too expensive for you? The point is to have fun imagining what you'd do with the stuff you see in the windows, if you *did* buy them!" Ami hesitated. Usagi was going to odd extremes simply to prove her point... She noticed Usagi watching her with a curious expression. "...Usagi-chan?" Usagi laughed. "It looks like... you need more examples!" "What?" blurted Ami, her eyes widening. "N-no, that's okay. I do understand the concept." In desperation, she quickly scanned the shops in the immediate area. One shop caught her attention. "A bookstore!" she exclaimed, heading toward the shop in question before Usagi could react. It was Usagi's turn to scramble after her. "Hey!" By the time she entered the bookstore, she caught sight of her friend reaching for a book on a shelf above her head, to add it to the two books Ami already carried. Usagi thought. Nearly ten minutes later, she crossed paths with Ami on the way to the register. "Ami-chan," she said hastily. Her gaze found the small stack of books Ami held within her arms. "What did you buy?" Ami seemed ready to hide the books from Usagi's sight in embarrassment for a moment, then relented. "I'll tell you what," Usagi thought to offer. "I'll show you what I'm going to buy, if you'll show me what you're gonna get." Her friend visibly relaxed. Ami asked herself. There was a chance that Usagi's selection of books would give her an insight into the girl who happened to be Sailor Moon. She traded her stack of books for Usagi's, and began paging through the top book. Usagi did the same with Ami's books. To Usagi's dismay, every last page of the books Ami intended to buy was filled with nothing but words... no pictures. She remarked as much. Ami was likewise discovering that Usagi's books were little more than an array of manga. "But these are all manga!" she countered. The two girls stared at each other for a second before resignedly sighing in concert. "Sorry about that," apologized Usagi. "I guess I'm just too used to reading pretty much nothing but manga when I'm not in class. Do you read any manga?" "I... I did, when I was younger," Ami admitted after offering an apology of her own. Genma *had* allowed his son the luxury of reading a few manga books, to keep Ranma preoccupied when the boy wasn't training - until he decided that what little money they had could be 'better' spent on practically anything else, and that Ranma should spend every last moment of the day focused on nothing but his training. "But, I haven't read any in quite a long time." "Well, we oughta do something about that," Usagi murmured, peering closely at the titles of Ami's books, which she still held. Two mystery paperbacks - Ami liked mysteries? - a small, folding study guide for chemistry, and what appeared to be... a book about a particular style of the martial arts? Why would Ami be interested in the martial arts? True, becoming Sailor Mercury might have triggered an interest in learning to be a better fighter... yet, wouldn't Ami have started with something simpler? Not to mention the fact that merely reading about how to fight probably wasn't enough to turn Ami into a proper fighter, if she wasn't one already. Usagi hadn't yet had a chance to truly see how Ami fought as Sailor Mercury, though she knew she would soon have a chance. Whoever it was that they were fighting against... the bad guys had never given her much time to relax. Neither had Luna, for that matter. "Yes," Ami said in response to Usagi's question, intentionally lowering her voice. "I am a practicing martial artist." "Oh, really? Cool. That should help when... well, you know. How good a martial artist are you?" Ami briefly recalled a similar question asked of her by Akane. "Okay, I suppose." Usagi exhaled. Given Ami's ever-present modesty, her answer struck Usagi as being somewhat vague. "What color belt are you?" she persisted, trying to draw on what little she knew of the martial arts in the hope that she could coax Ami into talking about herself. The other paused to consider her answer. "I don't know. I haven't really thought about my training in that sense." Belts and rankings were more of a concern for the competition or sport versions of the martial arts; Ranma's standing within his father's class of musabetsu kakutou depended upon his ability to win a fight, no matter the situation, with skill and the potential to recall and execute fighting techniques. Ami knew from experience that she could face a challenge at any time, at any location, and not every opponent she encountered would honestly care what ranks she held. The monsters she was bound to confront as Sailor Mercury probably wouldn't care, at that. "Then... how can you tell when you're good enough, so that you don't need to train anymore?" "A good martial artist is always training, Usagi-chan," recited Ami, her eyes momentarily closing. "If you don't take the time to maintain your body and skills, you may have problems when you truly must call upon them." Usagi absorbed this information. "Does that include your studying?" "I suppose it does," came the reply she had expected Ami to give. As if it were that easy! Well... perhaps it was easier for Ami-chan, since she was so smart, Usagi thought for a second - then felt guilty for doing so. Ami had her own set of difficulties to work around; everyone expected her to excel at whatever she did, by default. She felt she could at least understand a fraction of the pressure Ami must have to endure - practically everyone, from her parents to her teachers and a talking cat, constantly wanted her to do better in whatever it was she was doing. Another stray thought crossed Usagi's mind - now that Ami stood by her side as the capable Sailor Mercury, would Luna still be as critical of *her*? - but she hurriedly squashed that thought. She'd never had a friend like Ami-chan... well, that she could recall. Sure, before she'd met Ami, Usagi had entertained the idea of somehow having Ami help her make herself appear more intelligent, but she couldn't bring herself to use her new friend like that. Ami-chan was so kind, considerate, gentle and innocent... she deserved to be treated like a normal person, not a human computer. Now, if only she could help Ami-chan break out of her 'shell' as well... "I didn't know you read mystery books, Ami-chan," was all Usagi could think to say while Ami paid for her books at the register. "Oh, definitely," her friend said, with a hint of pride. "I like the challenge of trying to solve each mystery before the characters do." Usagi blinked, not having an adequate reply. Less than two minutes later, both girls walked through the bookstore's doors, each carrying a small bag of books. "Oh... are we going to do some more window-shopping?" asked Ami, recalling what they had done before visiting the bookstore. Usagi felt her hand tighten around her change purse, which she had neglected to put away. "I don't know... it just isn't the same when you don't have that much money..." Ami gave her a dubious stare. "I thought you said that we didn't have to buy anything to window-shop?" Whatever words Usagi offered in response were lost in the sounds of a large crowd beginning to gather at the doors of another shop nearby. "I don't believe it!" someone exclaimed. "They really are having a fifty to seventy-five percent-off sale!" Usagi's eyes brightened. A considerable sale always meant the possibility of being able to buy something she couldn't normally get with her small allowance, even considering she had spent most of what little money she had left on a pair of manga volumes. All of her friends had better allowances than hers... She was pushing her way through the crowd and inside the shop almost before Ami could react. Ami sighed. she thought, noting a sign that read, 'Grand Opening.' Ami squeezed past shoppers eagerly picking their way through a dizzying array of clocks. She didn't doubt that anything that could ideally be turned into a clock or otherwise have a clock face of some sort attached to it actually *had* been mass-produced and was being sold in this curious store. Clocks met her gaze from every wall and aisle as she took a moment to study the whole of the shop, a habit borne of her martial-arts training. One had to be able to tell what advantages and disadvantages a fighter would have in any location, with a mere, unassuming glance. Now, where was Usagi? She felt someone's arm forcefully ram into her back, driving her to the floor. Ami frowned, her eyebrows furrowing. Her martial-artist's instincts assumed control in instances such as this; already, she felt her hands begin to clench into fists. "Watch where you're going, girl," the older woman standing above her growled, before moving on to another aisle. "There's no time to stand still during a sale!" Ami narrowed her eyes, feeling a growl of her own taking shape in her throat. The nerve! Did sales cause people to become rude and pushy? Clearer thought overcame the urge to catch the woman who'd pushed her and perhaps yell at her, as she might have done before becoming a girl. Confronting the woman - who didn't appear to be a fighter - in such a manner would be equally as rude and wasn't all that likely to accomplish much of anything. Suddenly, Usagi was there, helping her to her feet. "Are you okay, Ami-chan? I saw what she did. Somebody should tell her not to push people around like that!" "I'm fine, Usagi-chan," Ami intervened. She made sure to straighten her clothes before dusting herself off. "It's nothing to worry about." "If you say so," Usagi replied, though not entirely convinced. Ami decided to change the subject. "Why did you come in here? This is a clock shop." Her friend's excitement had returned. "But if they're selling everything at fifty to seventy-five percent off," she said, drawing Ami's attention to the nearest shelf of clocks, "we should at least check it out. Maybe they might have something you'd wanna get." Ami reluctantly took another brief glance around the store. "I... don't really need a clock. I have enough clocks at home, plus the watch my cousin Kasumi gave me." She raised her left wrist, giving Usagi a clear view of the watch. "Oh." Usagi's face fell for a brief moment. "But we can still look, right?" "I suppose we can. It never hurts to look... right?" Ami directed a questioning glance toward her friend. Usagi grinned. "See? You're getting the hang of it already." She missed the apprehension and indecision that washed over Ami's features for less than a second. wondered Ami. Ami again followed Usagi's lead as they began wandering from aisle to aisle, stopping to examine any clock which caught their attention. She dwelled in passing on the set of price tags pasted to one of the clocks - one stamped with what had to be the original price, canceled out with a red marker, and the other tag displaying the... markedly lower sale price. Ami realized with a slight amount of surprise. Most clocks usually weren't that expensive, she recalled from her visits to the marketplace with Kasumi. *Watches*, perhaps, but... She glanced downward at the beautiful silver watch fastened around her left wrist. Kasumi and the other members of the Tendo family had done so much for her as 'Ami...' There had to be a way she could repay them for their kindness... but how? Well, whatever she chose to do, Ami knew it would have to be something more significant than a wall clock that cost less than a thousand yen. She mentally snorted at the thought, then returned her gaze to the clock and its small price tags. As a momentary distraction, she decided to compute the percentage by which this particular clock's price had been marked down. All at once, Ami found a cat not a foot from her face... and coming closer. Ami instinctively yelped and scrambled around the shelf at the far end of the aisle, leaving Usagi to hold the cat clock she'd been attempting to show Ami hanging in the air. Usagi blinked, withdrawing the clock. The realization of what had just happened hit her. "Omigosh!" she apologized. "I'm SO sorry, Ami-chan! I forgot! I didn't mean to..." "D-don't worry about it. You just caught me by surprise," Ami shakily reassured her, keeping the clock Usagi held squarely in sight. She warily stepped back toward her friend. The clock had been molded and painted to look like a black cat. Ami strained to force back her fear. Hopefully, she could keep that instinctive urge to run under control long enough to examine the clock. "Don't you think it looks like Luna?" Usagi risked asking her a question. Ami always maintained that she was working on overcoming her fear of cats; Usagi saw no reason to doubt that, but if this was the way Ami reacted to cats *now*, what would happen if Ami lost control of her - what was that word Ami had used? - ailurophobia? And what in the world had happened to Ami that would give her such a severe fear of cats? Shingo, Usagi recalled, had overcome his own fear - but Ami's fear was somewhat worse, as far as Luna was concerned. Ami would have to put much more effort and time into eliminating it. Luna had instructed Usagi that in instances such as this, it was best to 'distract' Ami if at all possible... trying to encourage her to talk, for example. Ami took a closer look at the clock. The cat seemed to stare at those who looked at it with an almost menacing glare, a lone paw raised as if ready to take a swipe at the first person to come close. She shuddered, reminding herself once more that this clock was just that - a clock, not a cat. It wasn't as if the manufacturers had known about her fears and chosen this form to frighten her at a later date. "I'm not sure it looks like Luna, however," Ami replied. Not that she had been able to stare at Luna long enough to fix the cat's appearance properly in her mind, at any rate. Usagi smirked. "Well, *I* think it does. Besides, it's still cute." Ami forced a smile. "Perhaps you should buy it and compare." True cats, she knew, were more likely to be considered 'cute' than a mere clock. "Aww, and it's really cheap, too!" Usagi read the price tags, then started to wail. "But I spent most of my money at the bookstore!" She sniffled. "If I could get a cute new clock like this, I might be able to wake up on time! I'm already breaking the record for being late to school..." Ami gave her a curious stare. "Usagi-chan, are you sure simply buying a new clock is the answer? You might try going to bed at an earlier time, for example." Constant training had left Ranma with the instinctive habit of waking up fairly early in the morning; if he tried to sleep in, his father would nonetheless drag him forcefully out of bed to spar and train. Usagi stood on the tips of her toes to peer over the top of the aisles, making a vain attempt to ensure that no one would be listening to her as she spoke. Eventually, she lowered her voice. "I can't. Luna wants me to be ready to go anywhere in the evenings." "Oh," said Ami. Usagi did have a point - from all indications, the... *youma* executed the worst of their plans at night. Worse still, there was a higher power somewhere out there, possibly being a guiding force behind the youma. No doubt she and Usagi would be squaring off against that force late some evening in the days to come, along with any of the other Sailor Senshi whom Luna hoped would soon make an appearance. Ami wasn't sure if she was looking forward to meeting those 'other' Senshi - but at the same time, more allies would definitely help their fight against the youma and their superiors. She and Usagi likely weren't ready for a major fight just yet, anyway. A little time would hopefully give Ami a chance to explore her abilities and powers as Sailor Mercury, and develop more 'special techniques' than her Shabon Spray. She had surmised from her first - and thus far, only - use of the Spray that it was primarily a defensive maneuver with a few obvious tactical uses. Ranma, by default, had been trained to focus more on offensive maneuvers while fighting. It stood to reason that she would need more than her skill in the martial arts in this battle... Her skills and the Shabon Spray would be enough for the time being, but now that she could call upon the powers of Mercury... her potential as a fighter was wonderfully and considerably increased. She enjoyed being Sailor Mercury... not as a result of the amazing physical boosts her body received when she transformed, but the fact that it felt *right* to her; that Sailor Mercury was who she was supposed to be, regardless of her fears that there might well be someone else who had been destined to become Sailor Mercury, a girl who might never experience that destiny or would show up sooner or later to receive her Mercury powers, herself. Ami shook her head. "Usagi-chan, if it's truly important to you, I can stop by your house every morning to help insure that you get to school on time." Usagi's home was a mere two blocks from her apartment, after all - a benefit when it came to 'getting together' for Senshi-related business. "Really?" Usagi had the amazing ability to perform an emotional about-face at an instant's notice. Here, she had shifted from being miserable to being overjoyed. Very much so, at that. The sincere hope she saw in Usagi's eyes took her by surprise. "Thank you, Ami-chan!" * * * * * The sound of the front door chime was enough to temporarily draw Tsukino Ikuko out of her normal morning routine... or what was left of it. For some reason, she had the distinctly nagging feeling that she wasn't putting her time to its best use. Kenji, her husband, and Usagi and Shingo were making better use of their time - that her daughter had managed to wake up and get ready for school earlier than usual had come as a pleasant surprise - but none of the other members of the family had as many concerns to worry about each day as her. Ikuko was already taking care of a few of the chores she normally scheduled for the afternoon, and was even entertaining the idea of starting her preparations for dinner. There were a handful of problems with the thought of preparing a simple dinner this early in the day, of course, but it was far more important that she get all the daily chores done as soon as possible. Her brow furrowed as she dashed to the front door, asking herself exactly why she was rushing through her schedule today when she normally did not. Then, the answer came to her; Ikuko felt foolish for even questioning her reasons. Deciding to put the time she would have normally spent peering through the peephole to better use somewhere else, Ikuko instead pulled the door open. A familiar sapphire-haired girl greeted her. "Ah... good morning, Mrs. Tsukino." Oh, yes - Usagi's newest friend, the Mizuno girl. Nearly everyone had heard about the young genius or was gushing about Ami's scholarly accomplishments. Again, Ikuko hoped for a second that Ami's habits or intelligence might make an impression on her own daughter... Mrs. Mizuno must be wonderfully proud of Ami, mused Ikuko. Not that Ikuko believed Usagi should become a fully-dedicated scholar like Ami, but that Usagi did need to make an effort to better herself. So, too, did Shingo, in some aspects. "Is Usagi-chan awake...?" the girl ventured. Ikuko blinked. "Oh my, yes. She left for school about fifteen minutes ago." Clearly, Ami hadn't expected Usagi to wake up and leave early for school, from the look of surprise that formed on the girl's face. Ami had likely come here with the intention of walking to school with Usagi. The young genius didn't seem to be in any sort of rush, either, now that Ikuko thought about it. Inwardly, Ikuko found herself frowning. Ami very likely had no reason to rush; in fact, if Ami did happen to be late, Ikuko wondered if the school might just decide to delay classes until Ami arrived. Her husband's hurried sprint around the dining room table brought an end to her train of thought concerning Ami. "I can't believe what time it is!" Kenji exclaimed, speaking through a half-slice of toast from the breakfast table. "I really have to leave for work, dear. I'm wasting too much time as it is!" That said, he scrambled out the front door, Ikuko and a slightly perplexed Ami stepping to the side to let him pass. "I'll bet he forgot his lunch," exhaled Ikuko, as Ami gave her a curious stare. "Oh, well; I don't have the time to worry about it. I have a lot of cleaning to do, the laundry and--" She realized Ami still stood outside on the front porch. "I'm sorry, Ami-chan. I have a lot of work to do. Please excuse me..." The last, Ikuko said while closing the door. Ami remained standing on the porch for another moment, silently watching the door almost as though expecting Usagi's mother to open it again. Quite a lot of people in Juuban were apparently in a considerable hurry this morning, from the larger number of people she'd seen on the streets while she walked, or even rushing about the apartment mansion in which she lived. The Tsukino family, Ami noted, was likewise hastening to get most everything done - enough so that Usagi had begun her morning far earlier than she'd claimed she normally did the day before. Whether or not Usagi's younger brother Shingo had also left early, Ami didn't know. Not everyone was in a rush; there had been the occasional bystander with little choice but to wait on the sidelines, trying to determine what was going on. She'd questioned a few of them in the hope that they might have a clue to offer her, but they were nearly as puzzled as she was. The thought of asking Luna if *she* could make sense of this... desire to hurry crossed her mind as she left Usagi's yard - with Usagi already well on her way to school, Luna was the only other member of the Tsukino household she could ask to learn about what had happened there in the last twenty-four hours - though she filed it away for later use. Even the idea of approaching Luna made her pulse and breath quicken... and she couldn't guarantee Luna was 'unaffected' as well. Ami smiled, then sobered slightly. The large number of people affected hinted at a mass influence of some sort. But what could cause that effect, among so many people? Most likely, the youma. Some sort of terrorist plot couldn't be discounted, at the same time. She'd read of things like plots to infect or poison large cities by doing something to the water supply, for example. On the other hand, Ami knew she'd had a glass of water before leaving for school... Perhaps some people were naturally immune? Making everyone rush about without seemingly realizing it sounded more like someone's idea for a practical joke than a terrorist plot, however. What did it accomplish, really? Disabling people made more sense, if whoever was behind this wanted to pull off a crime or make a demonstration as a result. As for the youma... all of their schemes had thus far included attempts to steal some form of energy stored within or generated by the human body. She had had to deal with Garoben's efforts to take her 'mental energies' herself, and Usagi had described her previous adventures as Sailor Moon for Ami's benefit. Ami took a moment to step back and study the harried pace of the cars and pedestrians while they passed her. What kind of energy could the youma collect from all this... madness? she pondered. Kinetic energy, definitely - but unless they were somehow gathering it from everyone at once, a lot of that expended energy was going to waste. She sighed. If only there was some way she could trace the energies, see if they were going somewhere they shouldn't... she amended a few steps later. The door to her homeroom was locked. Ami peered through the small window inset in her classroom's door at what she could see of the darkened room. This wasn't right... normally, the room had a fair number of students inside by this time, waiting for the final bell to ring. She read the sheet of paper taped to the door again. All of her classes were cancelled for the day, though that didn't entirely make sense to her. Nearly every classroom in the school had a similar sign posted on their door, in fact; there were few people, faculty or students left to wander the halls. Usagi's homeroom - 2-1, four classrooms from hers - was also locked and dark. If this seeming desire to get through the day's work as fast as possible, along with the rest of the odd behavior she'd seen this morning, was any indication... Ami didn't doubt that Usagi had already left along with most everyone else. But then, Ami thought with a quiet chuckle, Usagi would be quick to leave school at the first opportunity even if she *wasn't* affected by the 'need' to rush. Ami shook her head. With the possibility of a youma plan affecting the Juuban ward, it was her duty as both a martial artist and a Sailor Senshi to investigate, along with Usagi. It stood to reason that her juku classes would also be cancelled, leaving her with the rest of the day to search for whatever clues she could uncover. Usagi had more experience in dealing with the youma - and could also speak to Luna without hyperventilating, if necessary. But where would Usagi be? The Game Center? The shopping district? Or... maybe Usagi had returned to that clock shop in the mall? With so many people suddenly worried about their time, the thought of her friend possibly trying to buy a clock did make a slight amount of sense. After briefly stopping to exchange her school shoes for her street shoes, Ami made her way past the students still standing in the halls and courtyard - it was good to know that she wasn't the only person watching others race around in a hurry, wondering what was going on - and turned onto the sidewalk outside the walls bordering the school's grounds. Ami was aware that as Ranma, she previously would have been inclined to charge blindly into the streets, trying more or less to stumble upon whatever was the cause of this strange turn of events. Now, she knew better; she would investigate everything she could, first, determine who was behind it all... and *then* she'd make her charge. She frowned as a car sped past her, her hair and uniform fluttering in the car's wake. Clearly, it wasn't safe to use the roads... or even take a bus, a choice Ami had been considering, risk or no. The shopping district was a fair distance from Juuban Middle, leaving her with two alternatives. Taking the bus was preferable to calling attention to herself with her accustomed method of breaking into a mad dash toward her goal. Other people would concern themselves less with a boy sprinting through the streets than a girl - particularly a girl many knew, such as the personable and mild-mannered scholar, Mizuno Ami. And since it wasn't feasible to carry a supply of hot and cold water along with a full change of clothes for each of her forms everywhere she went... Unfortunately, as a boy, Ranma had discovered that he couldn't transform into Sailor Mercury. The henshin pen refused to appear in his hand, and even when he had thought to leave the pen out before changing forms, he had been unable to trigger the transformation. she thought, moving another few steps away from the edge of the sidewalk as a delivery truck very nearly plowed through the lane nearest her, Ami immediately lapsed into a run at the fastest speed she could manage, while taking care not to strain her uniform. As Sailor Mercury, she was capable of even greater speeds while running - but she didn't want to let anyone know the Senshi were coming, just yet... * * * * * Ami forcefully skidded to a halt on a quiet side-street just short of the main thoroughfare in the shopping district - then nearly stumbled as she realized what she was doing to the semi-expensive pair of shoes she wore. She winced. Well, most of the girls' shoes in her small wardrobe were somewhat expensive. The simple pair of flats Kasumi had helped her buy for everyday use cost a slight bit more than she'd anticipated. Quickly scanning the street for a place to sit, she found a long bench, allowing what weariness she felt to show ever so briefly as she dropped onto the bench to examine her shoes. "Ami-chan!" Ami glanced up to find a cat running toward her. In less than a heartbeat's time, her body had moved almost of its own accord, leading her to dive behind the bench in fear. Sapphire eyes peered between the wooden slats at her would-be attacker, a black cat with unusually expressive brown eyes and what appeared to be another black cat - this time, one made of plastic - bound with yarn to its back. Recognition finally began to set in. "Luna!" exclaimed Ami, a little too loudly. Luna grimaced, looking about them in the hope that no one had heard Ami's outburst. Fortunately, the street seemed empty. "I wish you wouldn't do that," she scolded. Ami circled around the bench and resumed her seat, her concerns about strange behavior briefly forgotten. "I'm sorry, Luna," she apologized without making direct eye contact. Luna decided to risk taking a seat upon the bench next to her, forcing her to increase her mental reassurances. "I *am* working on trying to overcome my fear, but..." She sighed. Before Luna could comment on how well the Senshi of Mercury was fighting her fear at that very moment, Ami pressed forward. "Why do you have that clock tied to your back?" Despite her mind's tendency to block out past experiences with cats, the cat clock tickled something within her memories... ah, the clock Usagi had tried to show her in the clock shop the day before. Had Usagi returned to the mall later that evening to buy it? Luna raised a single claw to slice at the yarn. She was careful to let the clock slide only a few inches from her back to the bench, as Ami's ailurophobia would tend to keep the girl from reaching out to catch the clock. However, it couldn't be helped. "I've been carrying this everywhere, looking for you. There's something strange about this... clock, and I thought you might be able to analyze it." "I'll try." Ami stared at the clock for several seconds before reaching a hand out to gingerly pick it up. How was she supposed to analyze something in detail if she could hardly bring herself to hold or look at it? The sound of Luna withdrawing her breath provided a temporary distraction. "Wait - I almost forgot." She launched herself into a graceful mid-air flip. A small blue rectangle resembling a fold-up calculator or pocket organizer with the Roman symbol for the planet Mercury engraved on the cover in gold materialized within the zenith of Luna's flip, and immediately floated to Ami's free hand. Ami gave the 'calculator' a curious stare. At first glance, it did indeed remind her of the pocket organizers she'd seen in passing at the mall... though none of those models resembled a miniature laptop computer as much as this handheld did, with a full keyboard and color screen that - amazingly enough - wasn't an LCD. A bit too elaborate for a pocket organizer, perhaps... Suddenly, the screen came to life, displaying the rotating, rendered symbol of Mercury and the words 'Press any key to continue...' in full color. "What is this?" "That... is your Mercury pocketbook supercomputer." Luna was practically beaming; she knew Ami would appreciate the computer and put it to good use. "Along with your visor, which you can access while you're transformed, it should prove very helpful to you." The cursed martial artist was unsure how to respond. "Did you give Usagi-chan one of these computers as well?" she asked after some thought. Luna snorted. "Usagi doesn't know how to use a computer. I know that you have the necessary knowledge and experience, however." A perplexed look flashed for a second through her eyes. "Besides which, I have the feeling that that was meant for you." Aside from the fact that it bore the symbol of Mercury, of course. Ami did know how to use a computer fairly well - which was remarkable to her, because a few months ago she hadn't known how to use one, either. Another moment of silence passed. Ami turned her attention from her new supercomputer to Luna. "......Thank you, Luna." Her breath caught in her throat. some part of her mind yelled. She fought to regain control of her breath, again insistently repeating her mental assertion that Luna wasn't truly a cat, in an effort to override her fear. None of the 'tricks' she had developed for that purpose were guaranteed to work at all, though this particular trick had thus far worked better than the others; the improved sense of calm that had become a part of her since her visit to Jhusenkyou helped her find and maintain her peace notably easier than before - which was important in fighting the irrational panic triggered by her fear. One of the most common methods that she had found in her research to rid herself of her fear was to confront and directly attack the fear. That fit her normal style of fighting, though Ami wondered if that was the way she should face this particular fear. Usagi and Luna were only aware that her fear of cats was worse than normal... but the Nekoken trigger, hidden within her, was *not* a 'normal' phobia. Luna noticed Ami shudder and decided to change the subject. "Why don't we open the clock?" she suggested. "You can use the Mercury computer to scan the machinery inside." Ami nodded, tapping a few keys on the keyboard to activate the scanning array, marveling for a second at the computer's sophistication and power before setting it in her lap. She warily turned the clock over in her hands... and found herself beginning to breathe a slight bit easier. The clock looked less like a cat from the rear than the solid outline of a cat... why spend too much time molding features on the back of a clock if it would, more often than not, wind up against a wall or otherwise be unseen? With more confidence behind her movements than before, Ami unlocked the small metal clasp that held the door in the clock's back closed, expecting to find a collection of gears and other machinery. Before she had pulled the door a third of the way open, a marble-sized ball of energy burst free from the compartment, stopping to make a circle around Ami's head before disappearing into the sky. Ami subconsciously raised a hand to her cheek. "What...? That felt like..." "Darkness," concluded Luna. "Evil." The sphere of energy hadn't had enough of a presence to allow her a concrete sense, but she *had* sensed something she had yet to fully translate into words. Not malice, but... foreboding? A quiet, confident and assured hatred? She didn't know. Obviously, Luna's senses for this sort of thing were more advanced than... "Ah!" she exclaimed, trading the clock for her computer. With any luck, it had logged the energy presence and already come to an analysis. "Just as I suspected. This clock is empty." Ami glanced downward with a start. Luna had moved from gazing into the clock's hidden compartment to peering over Ami's arms at the Mercury computer's screen - and was only now realizing her mistake. "Yaaaaahhh!!" Ami screamed, stumbling backward over the rear of the bench, a move that sent Luna, the clock and her computer flying in three separate directions. Luna struggled to right herself as she neared the ground. Outwardly, the newest member of their team didn't project the image of a fighter, even considering that Usagi had mentioned in passing Ami was a 'practicing martial artist.' She didn't know whether or not that was true, though the quiet, gentle Ami did subconsciously carry herself somewhat like a fighter, moving with an almost feline grace. Ami also had a measure of hidden strength, enough to catapult her halfway across the street in a temporary surge of fear. Luna shook her head - both in an attempt to clear it and at the odd nature of Ami's problem. The girl's fear of cats hadn't really been a serious detriment for anyone - *yet* - but the possibility was still there. Luna thought. She sprinted back toward the bench, making a detour to pick up the Mercury supercomputer from where it had fallen. Something in her mind told her the compact was designed to survive worse impacts than simply being thrown against a concrete sidewalk. Luna paused, blinking once, and tried to find the thought again, but it had slipped away. Ami lay in an undignified pile behind the bench. Luna hopped onto the chair, carefully dropping the Mercury supercomputer beside her. "You shouldn't have done that," she scolded. "You might have damaged your computer. Or me." "I'm sorry." Ami pulled herself to her feet, grabbing her compact and giving it a thorough check for damage - all the while pointedly avoiding Luna's gaze. "Please, don't worry about it. I know you haven't yet been able to get your fear under complete control," Luna soothed. That thought brought a frown to Ami's face, one she hoped Luna wouldn't see. Discussing her ailurophobia was often frustrating, more so since it was one of the few things about herself over which she had little control. Luna's words had only served as a reminder. Time to get back to the subject at hand. "L-Luna? Where... did you get that clock?" She had her suspicions, but it was best to be sure. "Usagi's mother said she bought it at the mall for Usagi, yesterday, and Usagi-chan mentioned that the two of you had been looking at it earlier in the afternoon." "Something like that," Ami admitted after a pause. "Maybe we should investigate that shop, if the clock came from there," she suggested. "Hmmm..." Luna's voice brought her back from her thoughts. "We should find Usagi, first." Ami realized Luna was wanting to play it safe; when it came to confronting youma, she only had the Shabon Spray, her intellect and skill in the martial arts to depend upon. Usagi had the Moon Tiara Action - could she use her own tiara in a similar manner, Ami wondered? - more experience... and Luna. It made sense for her and Usagi to pay a visit to the shop together... the Sailor Senshi *were* a team. "But I don't know where she is!" Ami protested. "In the meantime, people may be getting themselves hurt with all this rushing about!" As if to prove her point, a bus careened onto their street and screeched to a rather uncomfortable halt on the sidewalk opposite the bench, bending a bus-stop sign to the ground in the process. They heard the sound of the bus' door hissing open to let someone stomp out. "Oh, yeah?" Usagi yelled, causing both Ami and Luna's eyes to widen in surprise. "Next time I need t'go somewhere really really fast, I'll WALK!" She sniffed, then made her way around the front of the bus. "Usagi-chan!" She wasn't that far from entertaining thoughts of using her Senshi abilities on the bus' driver, she supposed. Wasn't it the guy's *job* to drive everyone wherever they were going, as soon as possible? Maybe a near-miss with her tiara would accomplish something. Or at least a well-placed kick, since she was - to her satisfaction - getting better at kicking things in a fight. Ami was a martial artist; she was willing to bet her friend could help her improve her fighting skills, as opposed to Luna's 'you-should-already-know-this' attitude or the cat's seeming belief that Sailor Moon could somehow vastly improve herself as a fighter between fights. Not that she *really* wanted to fight, of course, but when everyone was demanding she do just that, being able to last longer in a fight would help quite a bit. Having others fight with her, like Ami-chan, was also a welcome change. Ami repeated her call. "Usagi-chan!" Usagi glanced up as her friend appeared at her side and began dragging her across the street to a bench... where Luna was waiting for them, she noticed. "Ami-chan? What are you doing here?" Usagi blinked, her anger toward the bus driver evaporating. Ami nodded. "I'll let Luna explain." Thankfully, the explanation was quick. Luna noted that Usagi couldn't stop fidgeting anxiously as the girl sat between her and Ami - where Ami had intentionally placed Usagi. Usagi could have an annoyingly short attention span on occasion; now, with Usagi clearly affected by whatever schemes the youma were executing, Luna feared that her charge would rather worry about a schedule than the threats at hand. She hoped Ami's usual calm and rationality would counter whatever was influencing Usagi. "So you guys think the youma are up t'something, and they're using that clock shop we went to yesterday?" Usagi asked, taking Luna into her arms. "That's just like them. C'mon, we gotta get them!" Suddenly, she bolted to her feet and started running in the direction of the mall. Ami drew herself up with a sigh. She could certainly handle such a run, but Usagi wasn't in the best physical shape to accomplish the same. she told herself, hoping that Usagi and the others afflicted by whatever it was the youma had done retained the common sense not to strain their bodies past their physical limits. Usagi wasn't transformed, yet she was intent on making the sort of full-tilt charge into danger Ami would once have made... Oddly enough, Usagi had barely shown any signs of strain or weariness when Ami found her in mid-run. Ami had been startled enough that her thoughts of stopping Usagi were forgotten in favor of keeping pace with the other girl, instead. Luna stared at Ami in disbelief from her perch in Usagi's arms. She knew Usagi wasn't normally capable of such a long-distance dash - perhaps as Sailor Moon, Usagi could manage the run, although Luna wasn't sure - yet the unaffected Ami was matching Usagi in speed, with better stamina. Even if Ami *was* a martial artist, how much training would it take for her to be able to make this... 'trip' without overexerting herself? Had Ami, with her intelligence and training, somehow found a way to subconsciously access her powers as Sailor Mercury *without* transforming? Or better yet, could anyone physically match Ami with the right amounts of conditioning and dedication? Luna had found it easy to daydream about a version of Usagi who surpassed her every expectation - a Sailor Moon who was perfect in fighting crime and the youma. Someone like Sailor V, perhaps, whoever *she* was; a fearless hero who bewildered and defeated the bad guys with her intellect, agility and skill. But then, Usagi wasn't Sailor V, even if she did idolize the masked girl and occasionally attempt to emulate her. No matter what image Luna might have held of the 'ideal' Sailor Moon, Usagi was - at best - an amateur hero. Now, where did Ami-chan fit into that same scale? She was jolted from her questions as Usagi made an extremely sharp turn onto what Luna assumed was one of the roads directly connected to the mall, from the way Usagi suddenly stopped, skidding against the pavement. If only her senses were better developed, she told herself. That turn had nearly wrenched her from Usagi's arms, and Luna was still making an effort to reclaim her composure. She barely heard Ami's feet touch down beside Usagi - the girl must have had an easier, more graceful way of coming to a stop after running at high speeds than a skid. Perhaps Ami had been a track runner at the school she'd attended before transferring to Juuban Middle... that would be a fairly reasonable beginning explanation for Ami's unexpected skill in running, though Luna had a little difficulty picturing the introverted prodigy signing up for athletic activities. Luna risked opening a single eye. Usagi had come to a halt not two dozen yards from a storefront - the 'Clock Look,' as the store's owners had so wonderfully thought to paint on the signboard in large, glaringly multicolored pastel letters. Worse, in Luna's opinion, the entire store was painted in that style that made it look as though it had been dipped in confetti. A shock to the eyes, to be sure. 'Normal' cats were colorblind, in a sense, but Luna could see more or less the same range of colors as a Human - whatever the explanation for that was, she couldn't recall - and liked to believe she had a well-refined taste in art. She forced her thoughts away from that subject. This wasn't the time to debate art; they were standing near a potential youma base, and with Usagi somehow affected by the demons' latest plan... There. A proper study of the storefront gave her an unusual clue. The windows and doors weren't there. Sills, a door frame, even what had to be part of a loading bay, but aside from those indications, any possible entrance seemed to have reverted to a solid wall. "So this is where the youma are hiding?" Usagi asked, her voice unexpectedly impatient. Before anyone could answer her, she drew in all her breath, preparing to yell... until Ami again disrupted her concentration by dragging her onto a side road, a few yards away from the store. "Usagi-chan!" Luna scolded her. Ami shook her head. "We aren't completely certain that there is a youma in there, or if the youma are the cause of this--" "So we're gonna investigate, right?" Usagi interrupted, dismissing her friend's cautiousness. "Doesn't matter. Let's hurry up and get this over with. I mean, I've gotta go to the Game Center, call Naru-chan, do my homework, eat dinner, fix snacks for me and Luna--" Her breath caught as she remembered her watch. "Look at the time!" she growled, both annoyed and frustrated. Luna stared at her. She had always wanted Usagi to learn to manage herself and her time better, but not as the result of a youma scheme. "Investigating means that one proceeds slowly and carefully, Usagi," she said, attempting to hide her uneasiness. "We don't want to jump to any conclusions." "Not to mention the fact that it could be a trap," added Ami. "You two are such worrying old ladies! C'mon, Ami-chan..." Usagi was already raising a hand into the air. "Let's transform and go in! Moon Prism Power, make up!" The last, blurted in enough of a rush that Luna momentarily had to wonder if Usagi had actually spoken all of the words. Luna nervously glanced up at Ami... who shrugged and began triggering her own transformation. "Mercury Power, make up!" "Ami-chan!?" She saw Sailor Mercury tense as the girl's fear resurfaced, but only for an instant; Sailor Moon grabbed one of Mercury's wrists and pulled her away from Luna. With a nod to Sailor Moon, the two Senshi dashed toward the store, mindless of Luna's demand that they wait. How did Sailor Moon and Mercury plan to get inside the building, if all the entrances had been removed? Or were they hoping that the missing doors were an illusion? Luna hastened to follow her charges. Thank goodness they weren't that far from the Clock Look and the Senshi were running at less than top speed - she'd seen a hint of how fast they could run, earlier, and their Senshi transformations could double that speed, or more. Sailor Moon snatched the tiara from her forehead and sent it arcing ahead of her, magically tearing a large hole in the sealed storefront long enough for the Senshi to run through. It occurred to Luna to wonder how much faith Ami had in Usagi both as a fighter and a fellow Senshi, as she skidded into the reformed wall. For all her training as a martial artist, Ami was less experienced as a Senshi or youma fighter than Usagi. They were *both* inexperienced. she fretted. Now then - to circle the building and see if there was a different entrance she could use. No doubt the youma had sealed or blocked the openings a 'normal' person could use, but... perhaps they hadn't bothered to do the same for those with higher magical abilities or senses? In *no* way were the youma going to keep her from helping and supervising her charges. * * * * * Mercury stared in slight confusion at the infinitely twisting, fusing and shifting colors drifting across every surface of the room around her and Sailor Moon. With only a minor bit of effort, she could distinguish the edges that defined walls and a door or two, although the floor plan clearly was different from that of the store through which she had walked the day before. she frowned, reaching for her computer. But Sailor Moon was already charging through one of the doors, trailing the echo of laughter that was only now starting to filter into the room. "Ah, Sailor Moon... wait!" Mercury exclaimed, any thoughts of scanning their environment momentarily forgotten. She scolded herself for not remembering that Usagi's own tendency to be rash was theoretically doubled or tripled by whatever the youma had done, nullifying things like common sense and even fear. Given the chance, she might have again considered the irony of the whole situation. Was it her fate to end up as the voice of reason? How would Usagi behave, Mercury wondered while resignedly following her friend and fellow Senshi, if she were to encounter the youma *now*, at this moment? "Wonderful," she muttered under her breath, as she found Sailor Moon doing exactly that in the next room. Usagi was already well into her introductory speech. "We're the beautiful sailor-suited warriors, Sailor Moon..." "...and Sailor Mercury," added Mercury, taking her cue and lapsing into a defensive stance. She made a mental note to talk to Usagi about the other's speeches when she had the time. "We're here to stop your evil plans!" The youma raised an eyebrow. "My, you two wasted no time in getting here," she said, knowingly. Sailor Mercury was momentarily reminded of Garoben, who had assumed the form of a teacher at the Crystal Seminar; this particular youma resembled one of the store clerks whom she had seen in the store, and was wearing the same dark violet formal dress and heels. Her mind quietly slipped into analytical mode. This youma appeared more human in her 'true form' than Garoben had, with wild purple hair, crimson fang-markings descending from her forehead through each eye, and a lone black star... tattoo? decorating her right cheek. That, in concert with her pale blue skin and the menace evident in her yellow eyes, gave her a look somewhat like that of some of the musicians she'd seen in passing once, in CDs at the music shop - 'punk,' the style was called, if she remembered correctly. Could their enemies assume any roughly humanoid form they wished at will? Or were they limited to a single human disguise, which hinted at their true form? The only other youma she'd encountered, Garoben, had been able to reform her arm into an axe during their fight - a special ability? Then again, the opponent they were now facing already had a semi-ornate spear at her side. A weapon, that resembled... the longer hand of a clock? Mercury realized, her eyes narrowing further. Sailor Moon stepped forward. "How dare you mess with something as important as our time! Just think of what you must be doing to the poor cuckoo-clock birds!" Behind her, Mercury shook her head. "In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!" "Fools," the youma rebuked them. "You and your friend can *try* - if you're able to make it through my fortress." She began to fade, visually receding into the walls. "Come, Sailor Senshi! If you dare..." Again, Sailor Moon charged after her, leaving Mercury behind. "Hey! You're not gonna get away, you... youma!" the sapphire-haired Senshi mused, after a pained sigh. Her friend's call interrupted her thought. "Mercury, c'mon!" Sailor Moon was waiting impatiently for her in the adjoining room, gaze shifting across the three other doors as if expecting her to determine which door they should use. Time to put her minicomputer to use once more, perhaps. And the 'visor' Luna had mentioned, though she hadn't been told exactly what it was or how to access it. Not that Sailor Moon was about to remain still while she attempted to verify her theories. "I said, I don't have time for this!" "*We* don't have time for this," Mercury corrected, nonplussed, as she opened her computer and keyed in two requests - the first, for whatever the system could tell her about the visor, the second, a preliminary analysis of the youma's base. Something about the way the walls seemed to blur into a vague, shifting kaleidoscope of colors was nagging at her danger sense. A youma who could possibly control Time, perhaps even Space? She'd seen the result of the youma's... power, and as the Sailor Senshi, it was their duty to put a stop to the whole mess. "That's right!" Sailor Moon announced, then felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment with the realization she had accidentally snubbed her friend. "Ah... heh..." She noticed Mercury wasn't watching her, but was instead staring into what appeared to be a rectangular powder-blue compact, the Roman symbol for Mercury visible on the cover. "Hey... what's that?" Slowly, Sailor Mercury carefully reached a gloved hand up to her right earlobe, tapping the earring there. To Sailor Moon's surprise, a blue line traced the outline of a visor around Mercury's eyes. In the next instant the accessory solidified, flowing like a wave that surged from left to right. "Hm?" Mercury blinked, turning her attention to Sailor Moon through the displays already beginning to flicker within the visor. "Oh. Lu--" She drew a breath, fighting the urge to shudder. "L-Luna gave this minicomputer to me before you arrived, and let me know that I also have this 'visor' to use." "Oh, cool," Sailor Moon said, trying to keep the jealousy she felt from showing. True, between Ami-chan and her, Ami *was* much more suited to use the new equipment. But... wouldn't it be nice if both she and Ami-chan had similar gear? "What are they saying?" Another blink. "I'm still waiting for the analysis of this building to finish--" "But we can't wait that long!" growled Sailor Moon, both hands tightening into fists. "We've got to go!" She promptly picked the door to her left and again charged, dashing out of the room. "We need a plan, Sailor Moon!" Mercury yelled after her. "We don't want to get lost!" She spared her minicomputer an instant's glance; the scans still had yet to complete, and in the meantime, every minute part of this strange environment continued to nag at her danger sense. "Are you still there, Sailor Senshi? I must say, I'm getting tired of waiting for you." A bemused laugh echoed through the building. "You're taking much too long." "Shut UP!!" Sailor Moon ran into yet another room, oblivious to the fact that her legs were inexplicably shrinking, along with the rest of her body. Or that her mind and maturity were receding... "You hear me!? Come out here and say that!" "*Sailor Moon*!!" "Huh?" She looked back in the direction of the door through which she'd just passed. Mercury was barely standing within the frame, seemingly reluctant to enter the room, and motioning for her to return to the door. Now, why would Ami-chan do that? Sailor Mercury pursed her lips. Watching her friend rapidly regress into a small child had briefly short-circuited her train of thought, but the fear that Usagi would do something rash remained firmly in mind. This time, she couldn't let Sailor Moon continue on her path. "Don't move." Sailor Moon gave her a blank stare. "Take a look at yourself," Mercury said, exhaling. "You're... becoming younger." "What?" The younger Senshi attempted to puzzle over that concept. Ami-chan was far too sensible to consider playing jokes in situations like this - she had difficulty imagining Ami wanting to play a practical joke at all, come to think of it - so maybe Sailor Mercury wasn't kidding. And her voice *had* sounded weird... She did seem smaller, too. Panicking, she turned to look at her teammate. "What do--" Mercury was staring at her through the visor's displays again. "Walk back toward me, in a straight line. Hurry!" "Ah..." But Sailor Moon didn't hesitate to follow the directions, only allowing herself to relax when she noticed that she was growing taller, aging... then she reached the door, and the blond-haired Senshi was what she assumed to be her correct age. If Ami's gear gave her any indication of that bit of information, the other Senshi wouldn't tell. That, Sailor Moon decided, had to be a good thing. "We're lucky that the flows in this room were stable enough to allow that to work." Mercury subconsciously shook her head, though she was clearly relieved. Seeing the confusion returning to Sailor Moon's face, she explained. "There are several different flows threading through this building, hastening or slowing down time in either direction." Sailor Moon shuddered. "You mean, if I take a wrong step somewhere, I could be turned into an old lady?" Dimly, she recalled having used that term to describe both Luna and Ami, and felt a note of guilt. She hoped that Mercury wouldn't notice, or remember... "Hmm..." Mercury considered her words. "Yes." It was definitely possible, assuming the fluctuating streams of time didn't take the effects to more of an extreme - though she dared not worry her friend more by telling Sailor Moon that, for now. The youma had to have her own way through this curiosity... unless she was invulnerable to the shifting flows. Mercury set her mind to considering a wide range of possibilities. She was aware that if she didn't suggest a course of action *now*, this instant, her partner might well set off on her own once again, even after having had the danger of doing that demonstrated to her. Her eyebrows raised slightly as her systems slid a confirmation notice onto the screen. "I believe I've found the path." He dropped with little effort from the open skylight to the floor, making little sound except for the flutter of his cape and the click of his dress shoes upon landing. As he stood, primly tugging his clothes back into their proper places, he likened himself to a ninja dressed entirely in a formal tuxedo, top hat and cape. Why the outfit and ball mask formed whenever he called for his powers and an appropriate costume, he didn't know. There were quite a few questions he wasn't likely to have answered soon - or more specifically, in this building. Yet, he felt an overriding urge to... protect *her*. Sailor Moon. Help her. And the other girl who had evidently joined Sailor Moon, under the name 'Sailor Mercury.' He'd been lurking about the grounds of the Crystal Seminar earlier in the week and watched as the two Senshi left, while referring to each other by name. Could they help him find whatever it was for which he searched, or any of the answers to his array of questions? That was the other reason he attempted to help Sailor Moon whenever he encountered her... the girl *was* connected to the whole mess in some way, wasn't she? Now, then - time to see what damage he could add to the youma's plans. * * * * * Sailor Mercury absently checked the small display of her computer. The pale light from her monitor provided a curious accent to the ever-shifting colors that practically enveloped them, more so after the 'phenomenon' had become somewhat darker as they'd followed the correct - and only - path. With luck, the entire building wouldn't grow completely dark before they located the youma. She hoped. In the meantime, she had deactivated her visor; she wasn't yet fully accustomed to using or wearing it. Better to let her own senses develop as well - no doubt she would need them. She certainly didn't need the confirmation from her gear to tell her they were quite close to the youma's position. The sense she had felt earlier from the energy inside the cat clock, what Luna had described as "darkness" and "evil," was growing extremely strong... enough for her to develop a better impression of the elements that composed it. More importantly, the sense was far stronger here as opposed to when they had first encountered the youma... either the two Senshi were nearing her source of power, or she had used the delay to gather as much strength as she could. It was a tactic she or her father might have used. In an effort to be sure, Mercury gingerly touched two of the mode buttons below her computer's keyboard, increasing the parameters of her scans - the handheld was indeed surprisingly durable, as Luna had indicated, yet she still worried about the possibility of forcing or otherwise breaking the controls. A humanoid-shaped graphic resolved in the display of the next room, drawn with fewer and different colors than the representations of her and Sailor Moon. "There." She reluctantly pointed to the door ahead, knowing that her friend would charge through it before she finished speaking. "She's in that room." "Right!" The word echoed in the corridor behind Sailor Moon, who had surged forward and was nearly through the door. Mercury followed an instant later. She hurriedly put the minicomputer away, swapping it for her visor - it was hardly a sensible idea to divide her attention between the former and a dedicated fight, if she had anything of a choice - and again assumed a defensive stance a slight distance behind Sailor Moon. The youma offered them a smirk, slowly clapping. "I'll admit, I never expected you little girls to truly find your way here. I'm impressed." She relaxed her own stance further, a move that cause Sailor Mercury to frown in mid-evaluation. That thought annoyed the Senshi, even though she'd fully expected whatever youma she encountered to have such an attitude. Ranma had faced far too many fighters who behaved the same way for essentially one reason - they were confident their strength, knowledge or whatever made it impossible for anyone to defeat them, by default. Admittedly, she had been somewhat like that, as well. Her father had trained her not to analyze, but *react*. A martial artist could do the former only if he didn't give his opponent any time whatsoever to recuperate or otherwise develop a new strategy. An unrelenting assault, using any tactic to keep oneself in other fighters' faces until they went down. Ami had learned the benefits of allowing her mind to continue working during a fight, as well as her instincts, regardless of what she'd been taught. Really, it made far more sense. The school of musabetsu kakutou *did* emphasize strength, power and instinct over thought, but she wanted to be better than simply a brawler who overpowered everyone who challenged her. There was more to the Art - to being the best martial artist in the world - than that. "...But I'll never understand why the two of you wanna-be heroes are so eager to throw away your lives." "It's our duty to stop you," Mercury stated. Sailor Moon nodded. "Yeah! So prepare to--" Her legs chose that moment to buckle underneath her. "...What!?" "Sailor Moon!" The bemused expression on the youma's face hadn't changed. "My clock has been draining your energies. And now that you've conveniently brought yourself closer to it, the effects are accelerated. You'll be little more than a dead husk in minutes." She shot a glance in Sailor Mercury's direction; the other Senshi had taken her gloating as a cue to begin advancing. "Pity I couldn't put everyone in the ward under the influence of my clock at once. But as long as you're here..." There was no need for Mercury to think about the distance between her and the youma. Even as a boy, she knew she was able to clear it in less than a few breaths. Sailor Moon had collapsed and might well be dead in a moment if she didn't determine how to reverse or stop the energy drain. She tensed as the ornate spear was leveled in her direction. Did her opponent think she was foolish enough to impale herself on the thing? Well, no matter. All she had to do was leap... Her body wouldn't respond. Right. Stupid of her to forget her observations that this particular youma had some control over Time. "There," the youma said, pausing to admire her work. "I've frozen you in Time. Just sit back and watch your friend die, and I'll take care of you later." Not that Mercury could. Sailor Moon was still between her and the youma, but hardly within her line of sight; Mercury was unable to move her eyes, much less let inertia carry her anywhere. She was unable to do anything, now - unless she discovered a means of countering Time-freezes. More realistically, their hope rested with Sailor Moon. Would Usagi be able to regain enough strength to fight their enemy? Maybe that Tuxedo Kamen guy Usagi and Luna had described might make an appearance. Or... He sprinted, rounding yet another corner. Part of his mind wondered if he was actually anywhere of note inside this... building, given that no one had made an appearance to 'greet' him. Instead, he was left to wander through more color-shifting corridors than he'd expect in the space of a small mall shop. A dimensional shift or something of the sort, then? The Sailor Senshi were undoubtedly distracting the bad guys - monsters, or whatever. Why they insisted on involving themselves in such a fight, he didn't know - particularly given Sailor Moon's reluctance - but he found her persistence admirable. Did they honestly know what in the world they were supposed to be doing, unlike him? He caught sight of an elaborately-carved wooden door at the end of the hall. Unlike the rest of the building, it was *not* submerged in a wildly churning sea of color, which struck him as odd... and interesting as well. Why set an entrance apart in such a manner, unless it led to something special? "I think I'll find out," he muttered, warily pushing the door open and peering around it. An important area *was* an obvious place to post a guard... Except there were no guards waiting to rush him, or anyone else. In fact, there was nothing in the room other than the giant face and top of a grandfather clock, almost completely obscuring the rear wall. Tuxedo Kamen smirked. The clock radiated a dark sort of feel that he was merely beginning to recognize and sense. A different, pure energy in the form of visible wisps of mists were being drawn into the face. he realized. A long-stemmed rose took shape within his hand. Sailor Mercury had barely started wondering why, if her body was indeed frozen in Time, could she still think - when she suddenly stumbled forward. She instantly leapt to Sailor Moon's side and ran a scan on her friend. Nearby, the youma screamed. Mercury blinked. What in the world had happened to - what was that phrase - turn the tables? Puzzlement immediately became indecision as she debated finishing this fight - and enemy - now, while she had a chance, and end the energy-draining scheme. Her school of the Art dictated she take advantage of any definite hesitation or weakness. Except she wasn't sure the circumstance counted as either; the whole 'last-minute save' seemed very coincidental and suspicious to her. Was all of this an act, played out in the hope Mercury would attack, leaving herself open for further humiliation? More importantly, Sailor Moon remained dangerously close to the youma, in a weakened state. That meant that Usagi was an even more likely target than her... Sailor Mercury took a moment to collect herself before loosing a Shabon Spray, her special form of mist descending throughout the room. "...Mercury?" asked Sailor Moon in surprise, as the other Senshi helped her to her feet, then led her a handful of yards back toward the door. She assumed she understood the semi-distant yet determined look in Ami's eyes - Sailor Mercury wanted to continue fighting. And with a hasty command to stay put, Mercury was gone... disappearing again into the mist she'd created. Normally, Ami was more or less quiet and meek - 'innocent,' as Usagi had thought to describe her the day before - except when bringing her interests and talents into play. Usagi was willing to bet that helping Ami break free of her shell would be far easier than putting a stop to her friend's fear of cats. What sounded to her like a fist-fight caused Sailor Moon to boggle. <...Oh.> In spite of all she had been given as Sailor Mercury, the only means Ami had of attacking a youma directly was through her martial-arts training. Unless Mercury could also use her tiara as a weapon, Luna gave them gear like Sailor V's, or... She made a vain attempt to peer through the extremely dense mist. If only *she* had a visor of her own or something like that... then, she'd be able to see what kind of martial artist her friend was! "Hah!" Mercury's voice. A second later, Sailor Moon had to wince as an uncomfortably loud thud echoed throughout the room. Time to try again. "Mercury?" she hazarded, taking a nervous step forward - only to nearly withdraw her foot when the Shabon Spray abruptly disappeared. In the previous fight, the mist had gradually evaporated. Did Ami have that much control over her Senshi power? Sailor Mercury stood near the center of the room, she saw, still rather tense and catching her breath. She followed Mercury's gaze to where the fairly battered youma was slumped against the left-hand wall. "Sailor Moon!" shouted Mercury. "Now!" Sailor Moon mentally shook herself out of her brief daze. Oh, right. With a practiced sweep of her arm, she drew her tiara and prepared to use what had become her final attack... * * * * * "Where in the universe could they be?" Luna muttered, once more cursing the fact that she hadn't been able to find her own way into the youma's lair. The storefront itself had changed from the garish 'Clock Look' to an empty store. While that more than likely meant Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury had taken care of the youma, Luna had *no* intention of relaxing until her two charges stepped through the building's outer door. Why, the fledgling Senshi could have given their lives to end the whole fight in their favor. Or whoever was controlling the youma had sent backup. Or... Usagi and Ami were simply, honestly *not* anywhere near ready to face the enemy alone! "Luna?" They were okay! Luna brightened. "Ah!" Usagi released her breath in a long sigh while the two Senshi reverted to their street clothes. "I'm glad I don't wanna rush anymore. Do you have ANY idea how tired I am?" Ami mused, but decided to keep the impulsive reply unsaid. "I think you'll recover by tomorrow with rest and a proper dinner." "As if she needs an excuse to eat and sleep," Luna snorted from where she had deliberately placed herself, nearly four yards behind Ami. Definitely a pain, but until the girl's ailurophobia was no longer a problem, Luna didn't mind doing whatever she could to keep Ami from running away in terror. "What!?" Ami tuned the newly-forming debate out, instead replaying the entire fight with the youma in her mind. She frowned. A different thought occurred to her. "Hmm," she murmured. "I wonder if they'll resume our classes now that everything has returned to normal." Usagi froze. "Um... can't we talk about something else? Please?" * * * * * The quiet chime of a cooking timer drew Kasumi's attention away from her cutting board. Mincing the green onions could wait - it was time to add ramen noodles to the boiling water. Her thoughts wandered to the subject of Ranma, as they often did; something about the idea of establishing the wandering martial artist as her cousin, a young scholar being given a chance to explore *all* of her talents, gave Kasumi a thrill. As Ami, Ranma definitely seemed to be learning that she could be more than merely a martial artist - that there was more to life than knowing how to fight. True, Mizuno Ami was viewed as being meek and introverted, but Ami was making friends, and those friends would help her develop at an easier, relaxed pace. Ami did remind her of one of her classmates and friends, though Shiho wasn't a prodigy or skilled practitioner of the Art. Shiho had been a 'pet project' of Kasumi and their friends in junior high; she'd been just as quiet and reserved, but was now the loudest and most outgoing of the group. Only when the phone rang did Kasumi realize she was letting herself drift into her memories. She wiped her hands with a paper towel and lifted the receiver from its hook. "Hello...? Tendo residence - Kasumi speaking." "Ah, Kasumi. Tendo-kun's oldest girl, as I recall. Can I speak to Soun?" a gruff, weathered voice greeted her. "Tell him his old friend, Saotome Genma, is calling." Ranma's father. Kasumi's smile became a frown. Based upon what Ranma had told her about the man, she wasn't sure whether or not she should have a favorable impression of him. Aside from that, there was something about the man's voice - something she couldn't place - that tickled her suspicions and made her want to raise her defenses, for some reason. she recalled Ranma's words. Kasumi had assured her. For Ranma's sake, she could not let Genma know where his son was... yet. Everything her family and Ranma had accomplished would be ruined, and Genma would no doubt force Ranma to return to the Tendo home to resume the boy's exclusive, non-stop training in the Art as well as his marriage to Akane - and neither Ranma nor Akane would be happy with that. Kasumi knew she wouldn't like that turn of events, either. Her imagination had already led her to fill in the blanks about Ranma's life. Ranma was polite, yet still refused to speak much about his past... some parts of which had had a psychological impact on the young martial artist, according to Akane's accounts. "Father isn't in. May I take a message?" asked Kasumi. A long pause. "My son... Ranma. Has he been there? Or maybe... a girl with... short blue hair?" "I'm afraid we haven't seen Ranma, or that girl here, as far as I know." Kasumi bit her lower lip in an effort to keep her conviction steady. "Would you like to leave your number so that we can call you if they do come here?" She didn't like having to ask that question, but the elder Saotome might wonder, otherwise. "Hmm. No, that's okay. I'll call again if I can." Click. Kasumi absently let the dial tone play for a few more seconds while she considered what Ranma's father might have meant by his final comment. She stopped to check the pot atop the stove, giving the broth a quick stir, then closed her eyes. <...to be continued...> ------------ Special thanks to the RanMoon discussion list and Tom Williams for comments and prereading. This story is a part of the RanMoon project. Visit the project's homepage at: ********** * Mike ('Kino Makoto') Koos: makoto@cal.net * http://www.fanfic.net/~makoto * * "I can do nothing to stop you. Your background music is too strong * for me." - Sam Johnson, Whose Line is it Anyway?